USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)
History of the USS Philippine Sea Aircraft Carrier
The USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down at Bethlehem Steel Company in Massachusetts on August 19, 1944. She was launched on September 5, 1945 and commissioned on May 11, 1946 under the command of Captain Delbert Strother Cornwell.
In January 1947, USS Philippine Sea took part in Operation Highjump, the Navy’s expedition to the Antarctic. Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd was flown to Antarctica from the aircraft carrier to begin polar explorations with his party.
From there, the USS Philippine Sea operated in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Caribbean before joining the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean during the spring of 1948. The following summer was spent developing a set of guidelines for carrier control approach landings. In November 1947, she helped test planes, ships and equipment in cold weather operations in the Arctic Circle.
USS Philippine Sea sailed to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet in January 1949 before heading to Boston Naval Shipyard in Massachusetts for overhaul. She spent the next year in fleet exercises, carrier qualifications and demonstration cruises before heading to her new homeport in San Diego, California on May 24, 1950 to join the Pacific Fleet.
When the Korean War began, the USS Philippine Sea arrived off Korea on August 5, 1950 as the flagship of Task Force 77. She conducted numerous air strikes against the North Koreans, with as many as 140 sorties each day. On March 28, 1951, she became the flagship for Vice Admiral H. M. Martin, Commander Seventh Fleet. The aircraft carrier headed back to California in June, returning to Yokosuka in January 1952 to attack the Sui-ho Dam and Pyongyang.
The USS Philippine Sea headed back to San Diego in August 1952, when she was redesignated CVA-47. Returning to Korea in December, her aircraft began a series of round-the-clock sorties to support U.N. troops. The carrier returned to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in California for overhaul from August 1953 until January 1954. She sailed for the Far East in March, operating out of Manila.
In July 1954, Chinese aircraft shot down a Cathay-Pacific Airways passenger plane that they had mistaken for a Taiwanese military plane. The aircraft carrier took part in the search mission to look for survivors. Her Skyraider aircraft was attacked by enemy aircraft, which were shot down when she returned fire. This was referred to as the Hainan Incident.
USS Philippine Sea spent the next few years operating off the coast of California and out of Yokosuka. She was redesignated as CVS-47 on November 15, 1955. After deployment in the western Pacific in the summer of 1957, she returned to the West Coast. That November, she discovered the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 7, which has disappeared on its way to Hawaii.
The USS Philippine Sea was decommissioned on December 28, 1958. She was redesignated as AVT-11 on March 15, 1959 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on December 1, 1969. The aircraft carrier was sold for scrap on March 23, 1971. She was awarded nine battle stars for her service during the Korean War.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma .
Sources include:
John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, "Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences," Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008)
U.S. Navy, A Brief History of Aircraft Carriers – USS Philippine Sea
