The ship's seventh tour with the 6th Fleet commenced 28 March1955. Again, a new air group was aboard, this time CVG-17. The fighters were F2H-2/3 Banshees, and again with VMF-122, now in North American FJ-2 Furys. The giant carrier cleared Gibraltar 21 September en route to Norfolk, where she arrived 29 September. For her 23 July 1956 - 11 February 1957 6th Fleet tour with CVG-l0 embarked, Coral Sea's major air group change was the addition of VF-103 and VA-l06's nuclear-capable F9F-8B Cougars.
In between Med cruises the carrier operated out of Norfolk, ranging from the Virginia Capes to Mayport, Fla., and into Cuban waters and the West Indies.
A period of international tensions highlighted her deployment in the autumn of 1956. Coral Sea had departed Istanbul 27 October, and two days later was still en route to Cannes, when the Suez Crisis erupted. The carrier was sent to assist other ships of the 6/h Fleet in evacuating and protecting Americans in the area. She operated off the coast of Egypt into late November, then resumed more routine operations in the Western Mediterranean.
On 26 February 1957, Coral Sea departed Norfolk for Bremerton, Wash., to be decommissioned and undergo an extensive modernization. Stopping for visits at various South and Central American ports, the giant carrier rounded Cape Horn 17 March, arriving at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard 15 April. There, she was placed out or commission the 24th.
Coral Sea's resultant metamorphosis during the next 33 months amounted to a virtual reconstruction. The modernization included installation of three C-11-1 steam catapults, angled deck, enclosed hurricane bow, Mk-7-Mod 2 arresting gear identical to that installed in the Forrestal-class carriers, three new deck-edge elevators and new weapons elevators. In addition, hull blisters widened her beam to a matronly 120 ft. to accommodate the increase in her displacement. Coral Sea was recommissioned 25 January 1960, CAPT James S. Gray Jr., a former XO of the ship, in command. Following sea trials and a post-overhaul inspection and survey evaluation at Bremerton, Coral Sea visited Vancouver, B.C., 18-21 March before officially reporting to the Pacific Fleet for duty. She arrived at her new homeport of Alameda 1 April and was assigned to CarDiv Seven.
The carrier commenced underway training 22 April out of Long Beach and San Diego; that day, CDR Jim Swope, the ship's navigator, piloted the first plane to be launched following the ship's recommissioning. On the afternoon of 9 May, Coral Sea logged her first arrested landing since the completion of the overhaul when CDR Jim Swope, CAG-15, landed an LTV F8U-IE Crusader on board. Returning to Puget Sound 7 July, Coral Sea then underwent a six-week post-conversion availability, upon the completion of which she returned to Alameda and resumed local operations off the Southern California coast, recording the 1,000th and 2,000th landing since recommissioning.
During the next four years, Coral Sea conducted three WestPac deployments with the 7th Fleet, commencing the first with her departure from San Francisco Bay 19 September 1960. She was sailing two months ahead of schedule, the first carrier to deploy as the result of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's decision to keep three attack carriers on the line with 7th Fleet at all times. With the exception of one WestPac cruise, Coral Sea's embarked air group for the next 17 years would be CVG-l5.
Air Group 15 (re-designated air wing 20 December 1963) composition for the 19 September 1960 - 27 May 1961 WestPac indicated the recent major evolutionary changes in the U.S. Navy's carrier striking power. VF-151 embarked with F3H-2 Demons to pair with VF-l54 F8U-lE Crusaders. VA-153 and -155 bad A4D-2 Skyhawks. VA-152 provided AD-6 "Spads," and VAH-2 introduced the A3D-2 Skywarrior to CVA-43. Another newcomer was VAW-13, Det Delta's WF-2 "Willy Fudd."
Reaching Japanese waters 5 October 62, Coral Sea put her two fighter squadrons ashore at Atsugi while embarking two Marine A4D squadrons, VMA-121 and VMA-324, thus pioneering the "all attack" carrier concept. That deployment set the tone for the ones to follow, "showing the flag" in the Far East and standing ready to support American foreign policy in that area of the world.
On March 30, 1962 Coral Sea was visited by the Prime Minister of Japan while she was inport at Yokosuka Naval Base. One of the dignitaries on the tour was Admiral Minoru Genda who had led the attack on Pearl Harbor back in 1941.
Relieved by Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), Coral Sea sailed from Subic Bay, Philippines, 12 May, for Alameda.
Following minor repairs and alterations at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunter's Point, Coral Sea visited San Diego 18 August1962, the largest ship of the time to enter that port. Early the following month, as the ship steamed off the coast of Southern California, she trapped a McDonnell F4H-l Phantom II, flown by LCDR Patrick L. Working of VF-121, for the Phantom's first PacFlt carrier operations. Later that autumn, Coral Sea became one of six PacFlt carriers to reach the 100,000 landing milestone, when Lt. Fred M. Backman and ADJ2 C.L. Moore, in a Douglas A3D-2 Skyraider, caught her number two wire 23 October.
Following the ship's second WestPac deployment (12 December 1961 - 17 July 1962), Coral Sea underwent a four-month period of repairs and alteration': at Hunter's Point. On 2 February 1963, as the ship was returning from four weeks of operations in the San Diego area, ebb tide currents in San Francisco Bay pushed the big carrier, conned by a civilian pilot, aground in a heavy fog. Ten tugs were required to extricate the undamaged carrier from her predicament.
Highlighting the ship's third WestPac deployment (19 April - 25 November 13) was a two-week visit to Sydney, Australia, commencing 29 April, 10 celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. While in port, she gave the citizens of Sydney a chance to observe the ship in action when she catapulted a Grumman C-1A Trader while moored at Wooloomooloo Dock.
Coral Sea commenced her fourth WestPac deployment when she sailed 7 December 1964 via Pearl Harbor. Once again, CVW-l5 reflected the latest "stale-of-the-art" carrier air power technology. VF-151 had traded in its Demons for F-4H Phantom IIs to compliment VF-154 F-8Ds. The light attack squadrons had been reduced to VA-153 and -155 flying more capable A-4C and Es, respectively. VA-165 was now on board with A-1H/Js, while VAH-2 remained with A-3Bs.
On 6 February 1965, routine operations for the day had ended, and Coral Sea was steaming toward Manila for a few days of scheduled liberty. Then, at 0112 Saigon time, ADM Henry L. Miller in Ranger (CVA-6l) received word to assemble TF 77. The previous evening, communist guerrilla attacks against American bases in South Vietnam had cost the lives of several Americans and injured several more. RADM Eddie Outlaw, in his flagship Coral Sea, immediately ordered all ships assigned to TG 77.5 to proceed at high speed to the rendezvous.
Simultaneously, Coral Sea received word to ready her planes. At 1240, 7 February, the ship received orders for TF 77's planes to bomb targets in North Vietnam; at 1500, little more than eight hours after the first indication of trouble in Southeast Asia, 20 aircraft launched from Coral Sea's flight deck, to join those from Ranger and Han-cock (CVA-19). Coral Sea's CVG-15 led the retaliatory strike on the Dong Hoi military barracks, reputedly one of the staging areas for Viet Cong infiltrators into South Vietnam, in the largest single such effort since the Korean War.
After a breather at Subic Bay (6-15 March), Coral Sea returned to the line, reaching her assigned area 16 March to hurl strikes against North Vietnamese supply buildings at Phu Van and Vinh Son. After her second period on Yankee Station, the ship returned to Subic (18-23 April) before visiting Hong Kong and returning to the Philippines 29 May.
Her WestPac tour extended indefinitely, Coral Sea touched at Yokosuka (5-13 June) and Buckner Bay, Okinawa (15-18 June) before she returned to Subic to load ammunition and ordnance 20-23 June. Before that eventful fourth WestPac deployment would end, Coral Sea would log more than 10,000 combat sorties in Southeast Asia, a record for carriers with one air wing during a single combat cruise. The 10,000th sortie was flown by LT. William J. Kish in a VA-155 A-4E Skyhawk. During that time, too, she was awarded the first of six Admiral Flatley Memorial Awards for aviation safety, part of which (February through June) covered the ship's operations on Yankee Station. To the joy of her crew, the carrier sailed for home 17 October 1965, and reached Alameda 1 November with a 973-foot homeward bound pennant trailing astern, reflecting the longest deployment made by a carrier since WWII and a record which stands to this day. For her work in Southeast Asia, Coral Sea received her first Navy Unit Commendation (NUC). The joys of her award and return home were tempered, however, by the knowledge that eight of her aircrew did not return. Five were killed in action, one was missing and two were prisoners. CVW-15 had lost 21 aircraft in combat over Vietnam.
During the next several months, the ship underwent repairs and alterations at Hunter's Point, and later operated locally off California. Excessive vibration during the sea trials, however revealed that the number three low pressure turbine was out of balance since the turbine could not be repaired in-place, it was replaced by one removed from sister ship Midway-then out of commission and undergoing a conversion similar to Coral Sea's six years before This measure enabled CVA-43 to meet her scheduled commitments. Underway training off San Diego followed, after which the ship, while maneuvering in the turning basin adjacent to NAS North Island collided with Iwo Jima (LPH-2), but incurring little damage to either ship.
After further local operations, Coral Sea - with CVW-2 embarked, departed Alameda 29 July 1966 for Southeast Asia. This time, CVA-43 had two Phantom squadrons, as the F-8 had been replaced on the "big deck" carriers by the F-4B. Additionally CVW-2 brought VAW-1l's Grumman E-2A Hawkey's aboard replacing the Willy Fudd. Proceeding via Pearl Harbor, the ship reached Yokosuka 14 August where she relieved Ranger. She departed Japan 20 August, bound for the Philippines, but ran into heavy weather generated by Typhoon Winnie on the 21st and 22nd, suffering minor damage to her sponsons and some exposed equipment.
Reaching Subic 25 August, "Coral Maru," as she was often called, sailed for Yankee Station the following day. The transit to the war zone, however, proved abbreviated, as one blade of number four screw separated at the hub and struck a blade of number three, rendering both unserviceable for operational speeds. A brief inspection at Subic confirmed the damage, and the ship proceeded to Yokosuka for dry-docking and repairs.
Coral Sea ultimately returned to Yankee Station 13 September, launching strikes against lines of communication and supply facilities, remaining on station until 20 October - an extension brought about by Franklin D. Roosevelt's dropping a propeller blade and requiring a dry-docking for repairs. Following repairs at Subic to Coral Sea's aircraft elevators, sponsons, and machinery, the ship departed the Philippines 30 October to return to Yankee Station for a second time in the deployment, remaining on the line until 4 December.
Following upkeep at Subic (6-17 December), the ship visited Hong Kong for rest and recreation (20-26 December) before returning to Yankee Station to closeout 1966 and usher in 1967 with round-the-clock combat operations against communist supply lines in North Vietnam. As CVW-2 aviators stepped up their efforts to interdict the supply lines, enemy gunners once more extracted their price by bringing down 16 more aircraft resulting in six aircrew KIA, three MIA and six more prisoners or war.
Having earned a second NUC for her work on Yankee Station, Coral Sea steamed to Subic; where she offloaded equipment and planes before proceeding to Yokosuka. Relieved by Bon Homme Richard, Coral Sea sailed for home 9 February, reaching Alameda the 23rd. Two months of restricted availability soon followed. During subsequent CarQuals and refresher training, the ship operated Grumman A-6A Intruders for the first time and landed a Vought A-7A Corsair II June for the first time, marking the first fleet CarQuals for that aircraft.
Shortly before departing on her third combat cruise the city of San Francisco adopted Coral Sea as "San Francisco's Own" in elaborate ceremonies. Among the items presented to the ship were the battle flag of the heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38) and pieces of presentation silver given to the first San Francisco (also a cruiser) in 1889. Adoption proceedings having been concluded, San Francisco's Own, reunited with CVW-15, sailed on an unusually clear morning, 26 July, to begin her third combat deployment. Significant change for CVW-15 this cruise was the addition of VF-161, providing the wing with all F-4Bs.
Steaming via Pearl, Coral Sea reached Yokosuka 13 August, relieving Bon Homme Richard, and sailed on the 17th for Subic. Reaching Subic 23 August, she lingered there only two days, and reached Yankee Station the 28th to resume strikes against targets in the North.
On 18 September. Coral Sea's pilots thrice struck the North Vietnamese port of Haiphong, on the heels of strikes carried out earlier in the month on the country's third largest port, Cam Pha (46 miles east-northeast of Haiphong). The veteran carrier's pilots dropped a highway bridge and rendered a rail and a highway bridge unusable in the teeth of heavy antiaircraft fire.
The first MiGs of the deployment were encountered 21 September near Haiphong, in a brief and inconclusive engagement in which neither side suffered loss. A Phantom pilot of CVW-l5 reported at least four MiG-17s and thought he damaged one with a near-miss by an air-to-air missile. At the time of the explosion, however, he was already turning to fire at a second MiG, losing sight of the first.
A week after the encounter with the MiGs, Coral Sea's A-4E pilots dropped the southern section of the Haiphong Rail and Highway Bridge, the last of four such spans linking the city with the mainland. In five days of attacks on three of that port's bridges, Coral Sea's planes struck nine times, flying through moderate-to-heavy flak each time while dodging numerous SAM's at the cost of one aircraft.
Following upkeep at Subic (2-11 October), the ship returned to the Tonkin Gulf and resumed strikes against North Vietnam two days later. As the result of a collision during underway replenishment with Mount Katmai (AE-16) 18 October, two of Coral Sea's aircraft elevators were rendered inoperable. She managed to retain her capability to maintain combat effectiveness by extensive modification of operational techniques through experimentation and coordination between the air wing, operations and air departments. Early in November, both of the damaged elevators were repaired at Subic.
Also during that deployment, Coral Sea participated in the implementation of the MiGCAP plan for positive control of the combat air patrol (CAP) in direct support of strike groups, a plan originated by ComCarDiv Seven while embarked in the ship.
On 21 October, the ship gained her first "PT-boat Ace," when a VA-I55 pilot sank four North Vietnamese patrol boats. LT Wilmer P. Cook and his wingman LTJG M. L. Watson, detected six such boats at first light, cleverly screened by a fishing fleet, about a mile east or Thanh Hoa harbor. Cook executed a shallow diving turn that enabled him to pick up the patrol boats in his sight; his bombs impacted squarely in the midst of the formation of enemy boats, sinking four of the six and damaging the others. Cook's "airmanship, revolutionary tactics, and courage in the face of a determined enemy" earned him his third DFC. Cook had previously sunk one Swallow class patrol boat 6 August 1966 at the Hong Gay Naval Base, for which he had received his second DFC. However, as the tragedy of war continued, Cook would die three days before Christmas attacking a pontoon bridge in his A-4E.
Three days later, CVW-15, led by CAG, CDR J. B. Linder, braved a heavy SAM barrage as they coordinated their efforts with other Navy and Air Force units to pound North Vietnam's largest and previously unstruck MiG base at Phuc Yen, 11 miles north of the capital of Hanoi. In the course of the attack, the
Americans spotted at least 30 SAMs in the air as they battered the revetment area and taxiways with 500- and 750-lb bombs. The following day, Coral Sea's Skyhawks and Phantoms hit Phuc Yen again, encountering only moderate resistance. None of the several airborne MiGs sighted closed the strike group.
Shortly before she was to leave Yankee Station, tragedy struck the ship 25 October when a Zuni rocket ignited during a routine test in the forward assembly area; nine sailors suffered burns (three critical) in the accident. The Zuni penetrated a bulkhead 20 feet from the testing area and its warhead lodged in a power panel. That panel was isolated, securing the ventilation to number two engine room, which had to be evacuated as temperatures shot up in excess of 200 degrees. Fortunately, well trained Coral Sea sailors promptly extinguished the blaze and removed their injured shipmates to sickbay for treatment, and the ship remained fully operational, launching strikes as scheduled the following morning.
Coral Sea pulled into Subic Bay the morning of 29.October, but Typhoon Emma compelled the ship to put to sea for three days of evasive steaming, after which time she turned north for Hong Kong. She altered course 6 November to go to the assistance of the Liberian flag freighter Loyal Fortunes at Pratas Reef, 170 miles southeast or the British Crown Colony. At about 0730,7 November, Coral Sea launched two helicopters that shuttled between the two ships, eventually bringing off all 37 Chinese crewmen. They were disembarked upon the carrier's arrival at Hong Kong the following day.
CVA-43 returned to Yankee Station 12 November, and three days later her pilots took advantage of a break in the monsoon weather 15 and 16 November to bomb a previously untouched shipyard a mile west of Haiphong. Braving an increasingly devastating SAM threat, her aviators kept up a relentless pressure on the North Vietnamese transportation system with strikes airfields, rail yards and highways around Haiphong.
A deck accident claimed a Skyhawk 25 November, when jet blast from another aircraft taxiing forward knocked CDR W.H. Searfus' plane into the sea; the A4 sank, carrying Searfus with it.
Following another period of upkeep at Subic Coral Sea returned to the line 17 December, mounting four major efforts at the outset against two important highway ferries - one near Thai Binh and the other south or Nam Dinh. CVW-l5 pilots inflicted heavy damage 19 December to dual storage complexes located in caves near Ninh Binh.
Later that same week, CVW-15 planes streaked into the airspace over North Vietnam just minutes after a controversial 24-hour truce ended and bombed streams of trucks headed south laden with war supplies, destroying at least 455 such vehicles. Describing the scene south of Thanh Hoa, LTJG M.J. Foley remarked: "It looked like the New Jersey Turnpike".
On 29 December 1967. Lt J.F. Dowd and his RIO, LTJG G.K. Flint, of VF-161, were flying a routine weather reconnaissance mission when antiaircraft fire hit their F-4B near a small island east or Haiphong. Both men ejected as the cockpit filled with smoke, and were spotted in minutes later by VA-25 pilots, flying A-1 Skyraiders. Guided to the scene by the "Spads" a rescue helicopter rescued Dowd and Flint who commented later: "It went like clockwork. Except, in the cold water it was an awfully slow clock."
The northeast monsoon hampered air operations in January 1968 with low overcast, rain squalls, and reduced visibility over most or North Vietnam, causing a diversion of sorties to hit targets in South Vietnam and Laos. Ground activity; too, had increased at that time, causing the cancellation of a proposed New Year's truce. As weather permitted, CVW-15 struck targets in the Hanoi-Haiphong and Thanh Hoa areas - sometimes three Alfa strikes per day. On the final four days of the line deployment, Coral Sea's planes bombed a succession of railway and highway bridges connecting Haiphong with the mainland.
Visiting Subic and Hong Kong briefly in succession, Coral Sea returned to Yankee Station 16 January 1968 to again find poor weather prevailing. Soon after CVW-15's planes had carried out strikes against the Dong Phong Thuong railway and highway bridges, a significant change in the war came 20 January. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops, who had been massing near the 17th parallel in South Laos, infiltrated the I Corps area south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) under cover of the monsoon rains.
NVA forces overran the Lang Vei Special Forces camp and laid siege to Khe Sanh, both bases which lay astride, and controlled, the main infiltration route, Highway Nine, into the I Corps area. The prop-driven Spads of VA-25 flew close air support in both sectors, some-times attacking enemy forces entrenched within the Khe Sanh perimeter. Meanwhile, VA-153 A-4Es concentrated on artillery positions, supply routes, and troop concentrations in Laos and the western I Corps area.
At about that time, word of the North Korean seizure of the Intelligence ship Pueblo (AGER-5) reached the carrier 23 January. Contingency operations dictated detachment of Ranger to join Enterprise (CVA(N)-65) already en route from Sasebo to the Sea of Japan. As Ranger left the line and steamed north, with her went all hope of Coral Sea's returning to San Francisco on schedule.
In the meantime, the war continued unabated. On 25 January, SAMs downed CDR Thomas Woolcock, CO of VA-153, as he flew a strike against a North Vietnamese coastal defense site that had taken the Australian guided missile destroyer HMAS Perth under fire. Woolcock ejected safely, and was recovered off the enemy shore by helicopter, ironically then taken to Perth. LT Fred Myers, his plane damaged by the same exploding SAM that claimed Woolcock's, managed to nurse his crippled bird back to the ship, refueled continuously by a KA-3B tanker from VAH-10, and executed a barricade arrestment, emerging unhurt. His plane, however, was a strike.
Coral Sea rounded out that line period with 28 January Alfa strikes against the infamous Thanh Hoa railroad/highway bridge, as well as the transshipment and staging area at Vinh. Soon after, the enemy Tet offensive got underway; with Air Force and USMC units disabled because of mortar attacks on key fields, the burden of the air war fell upon the Navy's shoulders, and carrier sorties were diverted to targets in South Vietnam and Laos. In the midst of this activity, the date projected to be the last on the line in Tonkin Gulf passed unnoticed.
Closing out the line period in support of ARVN and Third Marine Division forces in Operation Niagara, a counteroffensive aimed at the major infiltration routes on the Laotian border, Coral Sea left Yankee Station 20 February for Sasebo, then sailed for the Sea of Japan, relieving Ranger. After conducting Operation Formation Star cold weather training, Coral Sea put in to Yokosuka 19 March, where Bon Homme Richard relieved her to sail for home 27 March. For the operations she had concluded on Yankee Station, Coral Sea received her third NUC. The toll for her third combat tour was four KIA, one MIA and four POWs, one of whom died in captivity. CVW-15 suffered 15 combat losses.
Following an overhaul at Hunters Point, the carrier operated locally off the California coast through the 1968 summer; she conducted carrier suitability trials for the F-4K Phantom, a Royal Navy variant, 18 July, and the F-III B 23-24 July - the latter proving to be a large, unwieldy aircraft for the size of the ship in which it was embarked. Subsequent CarQuals and weapons training evolutions followed, marking the first time that an A-6A squadron had operated from a Midway-class carrier, as VA-52 reported to CVW-15. The ship was awarded the Battle Efficiency "E."
Workups continued for the forthcoming 1968-69 Vietnam deployment. Again CVW-15 operated advanced models of its aircraft such as VA-153's A-4Fs and this time with two Whale units, VAQ-130 Det 43 "electric" EKA-3Bs and VAH-10 Det 43's KA-3B tankers.
Departing Alameda 7 September 1968 and proceeding via Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea reached Yokosuka the 25th, relieving "Bonnie Dick." Returning to Yankee Station, the ship commenced air operations 11 October; in her absence, President Lyndon Johnson's halting all bombing of North Vietnam above the 20th parallel, together with other imposed limitations, restricted the Navy's operational area to the territory between the 18th and 19th parallels. Lack of lucrative targets, poor weather, and crowded air space as a result of three carriers on station, characterized the Navy's operations there, as Coral Sea's planes struck a series of traffic control points along the major highways in an effort to impede the logistics flow southward. With President Johnson's announcement of a complete bombing halt of North Vietnam north of the 17th parallel, 1 November 1968, Coral Sea moved south of that line; from that point on, the ship flew only reconnaissance sorties over the North and strikes into South Vietnam and Laos. Ultimately, with USAF and USMC aircraft operating over the former, all strike missions came to be flown over Laos.
Punctuating her time on Yankee Station with a nine-day inport period at Subic, Coral Sea resumed air operations 14 November, with strikes in USAF Steel Tiger (Southern Laos) areas controlled by airborne or radar controllers located at Camp Carroll, Dong Ha or DaNang. CVA-43's pilots encountered SAMs over North Vietnam for the last time in 1968 when LTJG James S. Ozbirin evaded one as he flew his VFP-63 RF-8G on a photo mission near Vinh, 3 December. Five days later the ship's second line period ended.
Spending 12-26 December in Japanese waters, Coral Sea carried out two more line periods on Yankee Station, interspersing launching strikes in support of ground operations in South Vietnam and Laos followed by visits to Singapore, Subic Bay (twice, for upkeep) and Hong Kong. Relieved at Yokosuka once more by Bonnie Dick, Coral Sea sailed for Alameda 9 April 1969, arriving at her homeport on the 18th, ending her fourth combat deployment. CVW-15's losses were reduced as a result of the bombing halt; however, two more men died and one was missing in action during the downing of four aircraft.
Shifting north to Bremerton, Coral Sea underwent a restricted availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before she returned to Alameda and a slate of refresher training operations out of San Diego. CVA-43 sailed for her fifth Vietnam deployment 23 September; proceeding via Pearl. She relieved Bon Homme Richard at Yokosuka 16 October, and shortly thereafter received her fourth NUC for operations conducted the previous deployment. For this cruise Coral Sea operated for the first time with the A-7A Corsair, brought on board by VA-82 and -86 from the East Coast.
Over the next few months, the carrier operated on Yankee Station five times, punctuating those periods of combat operations, hurling strikes "in country" and supporting ground forces in Laos and South Vietnam, with visits to Subic, Sasebo, Yokosuka and Hong Kong. Also during this deployment the ship suffered damage to her number two aircraft elevator 15 January 1970 in heavy seas; a C-IA Trader on the elevator at the time rolled part-way off, but the quick thinking of her crew resulted in no lives being lost and the aircraft saved.
Once again the bombing halts brought a reduction of losses for the carrier aviators in Vietnam, as CVW-15 listed one aircraft lost in combat with its pilot MIA. Coral Sea sailed from Subic 4 June for Australia. She visited Sydney (13-18 June) before proceeding to Alameda, where San Francisco's Own received a warm welcome 1 July 1969. Soon thereafter, she shifted to Hunter's Point, where she commenced an overhaul. With more than 215,000 landings-topping the other active carriers in the fleet - Coral Sea was awarded her second consecutive Admiral Flatley Award 13 August on the basis of her 22,000 landings conducted without mishap over the previous fiscal year. At this time, CVA-43 had 215,000 total landings to her credit and received a third Naval Unit Commendation.
Between 1 July 1970 and 1 June 1971, Coral Sea underwent a $44,000,000 overhaul at Hunter's Point. Among the work performed: improved habitability, the installation of a Navy Tactical Data System, elevator improvements, and other repairs. The ship returned to Alameda upon conclusion of the overhaul, and then conducted a succession of operations including sea trials and type and refresher training (RefTra) through mid-July. A fire on board 15 July damaged cables leading to and from the main communications spaces, and extensively damaged the pipe shop.
Following a period of flight operations off the California coast, CAPT William H. Harris took CVA-43 to sea for her sixth, and final, combat tour 12 November 1971. The ship reached Cubi Point 9 December, then proceeded to Yankee Station, arriving the 15th embarked with CVW-15 for this deployment was VMA(AW)-224 with A-6As and KA-6D tankers.
The first day of her line period, Coral Sea launched interdiction strikes against the Ho Chi Minh Trail, in an attempt to interdict the flow of men and materiel from North Vietnam Into the South.
Additionally, the ship's strike sorties supported President Richard Nixon's developing "Vietnamization" program with its gradual withdrawal of remaining American forces from the Republic of Vietnam. She remained on station into mid- January 1972, at which time she left the line and steamed to Subic Bay for upkeep. Second and third line periods followed, punctuated by upkeep at Subic, as Coral Sea's planes flew interdiction sorties.
In late March, the ship returned to Yankee Station for what would prove to be a 50-day period, as NVA forces launched a massive invasion of the south across the DMZ. CVA-43 aircraft flew in support of units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and U.S. forces seeking to stop the onslaught. In early April, with the resumption of bombing of the north (albeit on a limited scale), Coral Sea was among the first carriers to launch strikes. While the primary effort remained to support the ground forces in the south, almost half of CVW-15's efforts went toward knocking out troop and logistics concentrations, as well as vehicular traffic supporting the movement of war materiel. A great deal of emphasis was placed on the destruction of SAM Sites as the result of heavy enemy reaction and to dilute the threat to American aircraft. Tragically, a SAM (SA-2) downed the air wing commander, CDR Thomas E. Dunlop, near Quang Khe 6 April 1972. He was listed as killed in action.
On 16 April, CVW-15 struck Haiphong in the first major strike above the 2Oth parallel since the resumption of the bombing of North Vietnam. Efforts were now directed at disrupting the flow of supplies southward. Coral Sea began pounding Haiphong, and laid mines off that port 9 May-an operation timed to coincide precisely with the announcement of the mining by President Nixon. Since she had arrived on the line, she had launched 2,800 sorties. Following upkeep at Subic and rest and recreation at Hong Kong, the carrier picked up the pace of operations where she left off, 23 May, resuming her strikes against North Vietnamese targets. She returned to Subic once more before rounding out the cruise with another line period. Coral Sea concluded her combat operations 30 June 1972, earning accolades for her performance. "It was more than just a ship," declared RADM James Ferris, ComCarDiv Three, "but a spirit of the men on Coral Sea, that fought the war on the line at Yankee Station. Your remarkable ability to get the job done with a ship launched in 1946 and a wing equipped with aircraft slightly older than the average has been an object lesson in what determination can produce. Your determined and innovative tactics in the air have led the way for many and have dealt the enemy many heavy blows."
During her last combat tour, CVW-l5 planes destroyed five MiGs in the air and a transport aircraft on the ground; 12 of Coral Sea's planes had been lost in combat: six A-7Es, two F-4Bs, and four A-6As. Of the 18 men who made up the crews of those planes, one was KIA, six (three A-6A and three A-7E) were recovered, five listed as MIA, and six were prisoners of war.
