USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34), (/ɔːrˈɪskəniː/ or /əˈrɪskəniː/), was one of the few Essex-class aircraft carriers completed after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was named for the Battle of Oriskany during the Revolutionary War.
The history of Oriskany differs considerably from that of her sister ships. Originally designed as a "long-hulled" Essex-class ship (considered by some authorities to be a separate class, the Ticonderoga class), she was not completed and construction was suspended in 1946 after the end of World War II. She eventually was converted to an updated design called SCB-27 ("27-Charlie") and commissioned in 1950. This updated version became the template for modernization of 14 other Essex-class ships. Oriskany was the final Essex-class ship completed.
She operated primarily in the Pacific into the 1970s, earning two battle stars for service in the Korean War, and ten for service in the Vietnam War. In 1966, one of the worst shipboard fires since World War II broke out on Oriskany when a magnesium flare was accidentally ignited; forty-four men died in the fire.
Oriskany's post-service history also differs considerably from that of her sister ships. Decommissioned in 1976, she was sold for scrap in 1995, but was repossessed in 1997 because nothing was being done. In 2004, the Navy decided to sink her to create an artificial reef off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. After much environmental review and remediation to remove toxic substances, the ship was carefully sunk in May 2006. She settled in an upright position at a depth accessible to recreational divers. As of 2023, Oriskany is the largest vessel ever sunk to make a reef.[1]
^Olsen, Erik (19 August 2008). "Out of Commission Above Water, but Not Below It". The New York Times.
30°02′33″N 87°00′23″W / 30.04250°N 87.00639°W / 30.04250; -87.00639 USSOriskany (CV/CVA-34), (/ɔːrˈɪskəniː/ or /əˈrɪskəniː/), was one of the few Essex-class...
The 1966 USSOriskany fire was a major fire that broke out aboard the Essex-class aircraft carrier USSOriskany on the morning of 26 October 1966. The...
were sunk deliberately to attract divers. The USS Spiegel Grove and USSOriskany in Florida, USS Indra and USS Aeolus in North Carolina, and Bianca C. in...
Oriskany may refer to: Oriskany, New York, Oneida County Oriskany Creek, New York Oriskany Falls, New York, Oneida County Oriskany, Virginia USS Oriskany...
The Battle of Oriskany (/ɔːrˈɪskəniː/ or /əˈrɪskəniː/) was a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign of the American Revolutionary War, and one...
148918 (VAW-12, USS Independence), operational loss (non-combat) 22 September 1965, crew rescued Final loss: E-1B 148132 (VAW-111, USSOriskany), operational...
carriers in the 1960s. A 1966 fire aboard USSOriskany killed 44 and injured 138 and a 1969 fire aboard USS Enterprise killed 28 and injured 314. The...
sometimes sunk to help form artificial reefs, as was done with the former USSOriskany in 2006. It is also common for military organizations to use old ships...
deployment, while commander of Carrier Air Wing Sixteen aboard the carrier USSOriskany (CV-34), his A-4 Skyhawk jet was shot down in North Vietnam on September...
(AGF-11) "Building 5" – USS Vulcan (AR-5) "Bulldog of the Navy" – USS Oregon (BB-3) "The Big Risk" – USSOriskany (CV-34) "Bag Lady" – USS Bagley (FF-1069);...
It followed a fire aboard USSOriskany on October 26, 1966, that killed 44 sailors and injured 156 more; and a fire aboard USS Forrestal on July 29, 1967...
feet Sink Date: May 17, 2006 Nicknamed the "Great Carrier Reef," the USSOriskany, also known as the "Mighty O," was sunk after serving in the Pacific...
December 1963, and was disestablished in 1971. The wing served aboard USSOriskany from 1962 (as a CVG) to 1968, including the heavy losses of the 1967-68...
18 November 1950. On 18 November 1952, the American aircraft carrier USSOriskany and three other carriers were operating in the Sea of Japan conducting...
In 1952, then-Lieutenant Williams was serving with VF-781 aboard the USSOriskany as part of Task Force 77. On 18 November 1952, on his second mission...
– USSOriskany laid down. 27 March – Light cruisers USS Dayton and USS Huntington reclassified for completion as carriers; Huntington renamed USS Cowpens...
was environmentally prepared for sinking as an artificial reef as was USSOriskany. Due to elements of the Forrestal design having led directly to current...
services provided by the Philippine Coast Guard. The USS Guardian aground in January 2013 The USS Guardian aground as seen from above. The ship on March...
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