America's Flagship: a history of USS Constellation - Cva/Cv 64

0 Comments | Naval Aviation News, March-April, 2004 | by Mike Weeks

The keel of the second Kitty Hawk-class attack aircraft carrier (CVA), hull number 64, was laid on 14 September 1957 at New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y. She had been named Constellation on 7 November 1956. Christened by Mrs. Christian A. Herter, wife of the Secretary of State, the carrier was launched on 8 October 1960. Tragedy struck the ship on 19 December when a catastrophic fire caused the loss of 50 workers and $75 million in damages. Following a seven-month delay, she was commissioned on 27 October 1961 as the nation's 16th active CVA. Captain Thomas J. Walker III commanding.

Following fitting out and acceptance trials, Constellation departed her home port of Norfolk, Va., on 7 February 1962 for initial air operations off the Virginia Capes. She conducted her first catapult launch and arrested landing the same day with Commander George C. Watkins, air group (CVG) 13 commander, at the controls of an A4D-2 Skyhawk of Attack Squadron 34. After a month of operating locally, Connie conducted a two-month shakedown cruise in the Caribbean.

In summer 1962, Constellation was transferred to the Pacific Fleet and CVG-13 was disestablished. For the two-month trip around Cape Horn to her new home port of San Diego, Calif., Connie embarked elements of CVG-5 and departed Mayport, Fla., on 25 July. In November Constellation, with CVG-14 on board, commenced workup exercises for her upcoming maiden deployment to the western Pacific as a component of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. The uneventful cruise took place from February to September 1963.

Constellation's second deployment began on 5 May 1964. She relieved Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) on station in the Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam on 8 June, and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 (air groups had been redesignated air wings on 20 December 1963) flew armed photoreconnaissance missions over Laos until 13 July. Following an upkeep period at Subic Bay, R.P., Constellation reached Hong Kong for a port visit on 27 July, but within a few days was called back into action.

Following an attack by three North Vietnamese torpedo boats on the destroyer Maddox (DD 731) on 2 August in international waters, Constellation got underway to return to the Gulf of Tonkin. Further word was received of a second attack on Maddox and Turner Joy (DD 951) on 4 August. That day, Connie launched F-4B Phantom IIs to join aircraft from Ticonderoga (CVA 14) in providing air cover over the destroyers. On 5 August both carriers launched retaliatory air strikes on North Vietnamese naval bases and vessels. CVW-14 lost two aviators, one killed in action (KIA) and the other taken as a prisoner of war (POW). Operations returned to a more normal cycle for the remainder of the deployment, and Constellation returned to San Diego on 1 February 1965, ending a nearly nine-month cruise. Connie and CVW-14 were awarded a Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) for the early August operations.

Constellation's first shipyard period followed, lasting eight months; then workups commenced for her first full-blown war cruise. The carrier, with CVW-15 on board, was underway for operations off Vietnam in May 1966. During 111 days on station, Constellation's aircraft pounded roads, bridges and other targets, attempting to impede the flow of men and war materials south. The F-4B aircrew of pilot Lieutenant William M. McGunigan and radar intercept officer Lieutenant (jg) Robert M. Fowler from Fighter Squadron (VF) 161 shot down a MiG-17 on 13 July, marking the ship's first MiG kill of the war. Connie returned to San Diego in December after her seven-month combat cruise, having lost 16 aircrewmen and 15 aircraft. Subsequently, both Constellation and CVW-15 were awarded a NUC for this deployment.

After a short workup cycle, Constellation's third combat deployment commenced in April 1967. With CVW-14 embarked, the carrier operated first on Dixie Station off South Vietnam with strikes in the Iron Triangle region, and then moved north to Yankee Station for a total of 121 days on the line. Reflecting the intensive nature of air operations, F-4Bs of VFs 142 and 143 accounted for four MiG kills. The eight-month deployment ended in December, having totaled losses of 16 aircraft and 20 personnel, including 7 KIAs and 8 POWs. Both the carrier and CVW-14 received a NUC.

Returning to Vietnam in May 1968 after six months stateside, the Constellation/CVW-14 team was restricted to strikes below the 20th parallel of North Vietnam as a result of a March presidential order. This was followed by a complete halt to strikes over the north on 1 November. Connie spent 128 days on the line, flying more than 11,000 combat and support missions and dropping almost 20,000 tons of ordnance. Fifteen aircraft were destroyed, nine due to enemy action. Six aircrew members perished, five were listed as KIAs and three were taken as POWs. The eight-month deployment ended in January 1969.

By August, it was time for Connie to return to Vietnam for a fifth combat deployment, again with CVW-14. Following an initial 20-day period of supporting strikes in South Vietnam as well as Laos, Constellation sailed to Defender Station in the Sea of Japan, which had been created as a result of increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A return to Yankee Station on 1 November also produced a major milestone in the carrier's life when the F-4J aircrew of air wing skipper Cdr. R. K. Billings and Ltjg. Jeff Taylor of VF-143 conducted Connie's 100,000th arrested landing. During a mission on 28 March 1970, the VF-142 F-4 crew of Lts. Jerome E. Beaulier and Steven J. Barkley downed a North Vietnamese MiG-21. Following a total of 128 days on the line, Connie's nine-month deployment ended in May, with CVW-14 suffering the loss of seven total aircraft, five to enemy action. One aircrewman was taken as a POW, but there were no fatalities.