Tag Archives: USS Intrepid (CVS-11)

Spad V. MiG

Posted on by Leave a comment

Some 60 years ago today, on 9 October 1966.

A Douglas A-1 Skyraider piloted by 26-year-old LT(j.g.) William T. Patton from the “Thunderbolts” of Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176) off USS Intrepid (CVS 11) bagged an NVAF MiG-17 over Vietnam. It was at least the second victory scored by a propeller-driven Skyraider against a MiG, following a 1965 dogfight between MiGs and Spads from VA-25 off USS Midway.

U.S. Navy Douglas A-1J Skyraider (BuNo 142028) of VA-176 “Thunderbolts” with the AK tail flash tagging it to Attack Carrier Air Wing 10 (CVW-10) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (CVS-11), during her 4 April to 21 November 1966 Vietnam deployment. U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.2886

Though officially an ASW carrier, Intrepid carried out three Vietnam cruises as a fairly conventional attack carrier, with nary a S-2 Tracker or SH-3 Sea King in sight.

1966, Intrepid (CVS 11) off Vietnam with an A-1 on cat

Besides the 1966 stint mentioned above with CVW-10, she clocked in 11 May– 30 December 1967 and 4 June 1968–8 February 1969.

While the first used two squadrons of Skyraiders (VA-165 and VA-175), balanced by two of A-4B Skyhawks (VA-15 and VA-95), Intrepid’s 1967 tour saw CVW with three Skyhawk squadrons (including Sidewinder-carrying “fighter hawks” of VSF-3), one of Skyraiders, and a det of F-8C Crusaders from VF-111.

By 1968-69, the Spads had been left behind with just A-4C/E Skyhawks (three squadrons), F-8C/RF-8G Crusaders (two dets), and VAQ/VAW dets of EA-1Fs and E-1Bs.

CVW-10 was disestablished on 20 November 1969 when Intrepid went back to carrying Trackers and Sea Kings of CVSG-52 and 58 until she was decommissioned in 1974.

As for the young Lt Patton, he earned a Silver Star for the confirmed 1966 MiG shootdown and, after leaving the Navy, went into finance. He passed in 2014, aged 74, leaving two sons and a daughter behind. His family requested donations in lieu of flowers to the Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum.

The ‘Fighting I’ at 80

Posted on by One comment

The 4th U.S. Navy warship to carry the name USS Intrepid was a fleet carrier (CV-11) of the short-hulled Essex class rushed into service in World War II. Only the third Essex completed, she commissioned at Newport News, 16 August 1943– some 80 years ago this week.

USS Intrepid (CV-11) off Newport News, Virginia, on 16 August 1943, the day she went into commission. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph. NH 53254

Just five months to the day later, her shakedown completed, Intrepid sortied from Pearl Harbor with the carriers USS Cabot (CVL-29) and USS Essex (CV-9) on 16 January 1944 to raid islands at the northeastern corner of Kwajalein Atoll, her baptism of fire.

And she would reap the Divine Wind.

USS Intrepid (CV 11) on fire after being hit by two Japanese suicide planes, on 25 November 1944. 80-G-270835

Ultimately, in a career that spanned almost 31 years, Intrepid (CV/CVA/CVS-11) earned five battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation during WWII, and a further three battle stars for her Vietnam service. She was also active in the space program and was the primary recovery ship for Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7, Scott Carpenter) and Gemini-Titan 3 (GT-3, Gus Grissom, and John Young).

March 1965. USS Intrepid (CVS-11) pulls up alongside the Gemini-3 spacecraft during recovery operations following the successful Gemini-Titan 3 flight. Navy swimmers stand on the spacecraft’s flotation collar waiting to hook a hoist line to the Gemini-3. Courtesy of the NASA Photograph Collection. S65-18528

After eight years in mothballs, in 1982 Intrepid became the foundation of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City where she remains lovingly cared for today– and still stands ready as a local Homeland Security role in times of crisis.

Happy birthday, Intrepid!