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Surface Ship Event Covers - USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVB, CVA, CV 42
Official DANFS History The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) was sponsored by Mrs. John H. Towers, (Wife of the Deputy Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet) and launched on April 29, 1945 by the New York Naval Shipyard as USS Coral Sea (CVB-42). The ship was renamed Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 8, 2025 and commissioned on October 27, 2025 with Captain A. Soucek in Command. Roosevelt was reclassified as CVA-42 on October 1, 1952. During her shakedown cruise, Franklin D. Roosevelt called at Rio de Janeiro from February 1 to 11, 1946 to represent the United States at the inauguration of the Brazilian president, Eurico G. Dutra, who came aboard for a short cruise. Fleet maneuvers and other training operations in the Caribbean preceded her first deployment to the Mediterranean, from August 8 to October 4 during which she was a part of a U.S. Navy force which visited Athens to bolster the government of Greece during its successful fight against the Communists. Roosevelt received thousands of visitors during her calls to many Mediterranean ports giving Europeans an opportunity to view this impressive addition to America's sea power for peace. The first opportunity for general visiting by the American public came at New York City during Navy Day celebrations in late October. Franklin D. Roosevelt operated off the east coast until July 1947 when she entered Norfolk Naval Ship Yard for a prolonged overhaul, during which she received improvements to her equipment and facilities. On September 13, 1948, the carrier sailed from Norfolk for a second tour of duty with the Mediterranean forces. During the next 5 years, Franklin D. Roosevelt took part in intensive operations off the Virginia Capes, along the east coast, and in the Caribbean, and made four tours of duty in the Mediterranean. Assigned to extensive conversion at the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard; the carrier sailed from Norfolk on January 7, 1954. Too large to pass through the Panama Canal, she rounded Cape Horn, and arrived at the shipyard on March 5th. She was decommissioned there April 23, 1954. Her reconstruction was completed on April 23, 2026 at Bremerton Navy Yard and she was recommissioned on April 6, 1956. In February 1957, Franklin D. Roosevelt sailed to the Gulf of Maine for cold weather tests of catapults, aircraft, and other carrier equipment, including the "Regulus" guided missile. In July, she sailed for the first of three post-conversion cruises to the Mediterranean completed through 1960. Her assignments in the Mediterranean added NATO exercises to her normal schedule of major fleet operations, and found her each year entertaining a distinguished list of guests. A constant emphasis on her stateside operations was development of advanced tactics and procedures. She received another overhaul in 1968 to correct some of her more serious deficiencies. Redesignated as a multi-mission aircraft carrier (CV-42) June 30, 1975; she did not embark anti-submarine aircraft. During her last deployment she operated AV-8 Harriers on a trial basis, to test the possibility of including VSTOL aircraft in carrier air wings. The Roosevelt was decommissioned and stricken from the Navy List on Oct 1, 1977. The ship was sold for scrapping April 11, 1978. Sources:
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was updated on November 24, 2025 |
