CORAL SEA CV 43

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Midway Class Aircraft Carrier Initially classified CV-43 - Contract awarded June 14 1943 Reclassified Large Aircraft Carrier (CVB) July 15 1943 Keel Laid July 10 1944 - Launched April 2 1946 USS CORAL SEA CVB-43 Commissioned October 1 1947 USS CORAL SEA CVA-43 Reclassified Attack Aircraft Carrier (CVA) October 1 1952 Decommissioned for conversion May 24 1957 Recommissioned January 25 1960 USS CORAL SEA CV-43 Reverted to Carrier (CV) June 30 1975 Decommissioned April 30 1990 Struck from Naval Register April 30 1990 Sold May 7 1993 for scrap - Completed September 8 2000

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. Covers Page 1    (1947-90)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Date From to Date To	Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image	Thumbnail Link To Cover Image

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1st Commissioning October 1 1947 to May 24 1957

 

Locy Type FDC 2tnu

1947-10-01

As CVB-43
Commissioning

 

Locy Type 2 USCS Catalog Illustration C-131

c1951-11-30

As CVB-43

 

Locy Type 2n+ USCS Catalog Illustration C-131b

1956-08-07

As CVA-43
Cachet is thermographed.

 

Locy Type 2tnu

1951-02-05 to 1951-11-30

As CVB-43

 

Locy Type 7tnu

1948-10-27

As CVB-43

 

Locy Type 9efnu USCS Catalog Illustration C-131d

1947-10-01

As CVA-43

 

Locy Type 9efn+u USCS Catalog Illustration C-131e

1956-08-07

As CVA-43
Cachet is thermographed.

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2nd Commissioning January 25 1960 to April 30 1990

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. C-131f

1965-04-21

As CVA-43

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. C-131f

1968-12-25

As CVA-43
Christmas, cachet by C. Wright Richell, sponsored by Admiral Farragut Chapter No. 3, USCS

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) USCS Catalog Illustration C-131g

1973-08-24

As CVA-43

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u)

1961-05-10

As CVA-43

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS,"SEA" at bottom)

1978-10-16

As CV-43
Cachet First Day of Use, cover by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1983-09-12

As CV-43
Cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1986-01-01

As CV-43
New Year's Day, cachet by Duane Rosendale

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS,USN)

1985-10-01

As CV-43

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS)

1989-12-29

No Image

As CV-43
Cachet by Roger A. Wentworth

 

Locy Type 7qt(n+u) (USS)

1969-02-19

As CVA-43

 

Locy Type 9ef(n+u) (USS)

1968-12-25

As CVA-43
Christmas, backside of the cachet by C. Wright Richell, sponsored by Admiral Farragut Chapter No. 3, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 2-1p(n+)

1990-04-30

As CV-43
Last Day in Commission

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USPS Pictorial "60th Anniversary of Commissioning Station" Norfolk, VA

2007-10-01

60th Anniversary of Commission. Cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

NAMESAKE - An arm of the southwest Pacific Ocean bounded by northeast Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. It was the scene of a U.S. World War II naval victory in May 1942

 

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If you have images or information to add to this page, then either contact the Curator or edit this page yourself and add it. See Editing Ship Pages for detailed information on editing this page.

 

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