US Navy Aircraft Carrier in Solent August 1970

[LecLightning56]

Does anybody have a record of a US Navy aircraft carrier in the Solent in around August 1970? I was on holiday with my family at that time on the Isle of Wight and recall seeing a very large carrier with probably Phantoms on board. Probably a Forestal Class carrier (e.g. Saratoga, Independence). Usual sources on the net reveal nothing although I know the Saratoga did deploy to the Mediterranean at around that time in 1970 but do not know if it spent a brief spell off Portsmouth before the deployment began.

[rh226]

In case you have got your date wrong, have a look at http://www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/cva.html.

The only "carrier" mentioned for August 1970 is LPH-7 USS Guadalcanal, but that would have docked (it was small enough) and not stayed in the Solent. No big ones are mentioned for that year.

Cheers,

Bob

[LecLightning56]

It is not impossible that it could have been 1969 (and I am still to check the holiday slides to confirm the year in question), in which case it could have been the Independence in September 1969, probably arriving in Portsmouth. If anyone has any records, does anyone know when it arrived at Portsmouth? The listings on the net give a date of 27/9/69 but its initial arrival may have been earlier on account of having left the US on around 3/9/69 (approximately 6 days for an Atlantic crossing at 30 knots).

[eagle driver]

Taken from the www.hampshireairfields.co.uk/cva. link
27/09/1969 USS INDEPENDENCE CV-62 CVW-7 (AG)

CV-62 VF-102 F4J 155555/100 155777/101 155538/102 155534/104
155567/105 155539/106 155558/107
155552/110 153886/112 155531/115
VF-33 F4J 155549/200 155529/201 155781/202 155767/203
155556/206 155566/210 155568/211
155553/212 155542/213 155530/214
VA-106 A4C 148515/300 149640/301 147736/302 147727/303
148479/304 147783/305 149635/306
145078/307 149630/310 147754/311 145117/312
149573/313 147768/314 148612/315
VSF-1 A4C 149583/501 147820/502 149547/503 148446/504
149505/505 149506/506 148497/507
145092/510 150581/511 149551/512 148553/513
147765/514 149608/515 149604/516
VA-64 A4C 149491/601 148483/602 149530/603 148452/604
147696/605 148598/606 147830/607
147733/610 148487/611 148533/612 148445/613
145141/614 149591/615 148600/616
VAH-10 KA3B 142238/402 138959/403 142401/406
KA3B (AA) 138944/10(from USS FORRESTAL - CVW-17 )
VAW-122 E2A 152485/720 152481/721 152483/722 152484/723
VAW-121 E1B (AU) 148906/72(from USS YORKTOWN
RVAH-12 RA5C 149317/1 149281/2 147861/3 145157/4 151726/5
HC-2 UH2A (HU) 151334/26 152205/30 152206/32
VRC-40 C1A 146018/ 146044/ DETACHED TO HMS DAEDALUS

[LecLightning56]

Thanks for the link which is a great resource on the subject, but to confirm my sighting of the Independence I still need to clarify whether or not it was in UK waters rather sooner than 27/9/69 on account of my school holidays never having extended that far. As explained earlier, the historical records show that the ship left the United States on 3/9/69 for North Sea exercises and hence it may be possible that it made a fleeting visit to Portsmouth earlier than the public were permitted access for photos etc. on the date recorded of 27/9/69. I am suggesting that it could have departed for the North Sea and then returned to Portsmouth again later. Any thoughts? Hope there a few more senior people around who can throw some light on this who may have records of the ship's movements.

[LecLightning56]

Finally nailed this one to a greater extent with the following from Rich Mackeen via the Air Britain AB-IX information service:

'I have reconsidered the Independence deployment afresh. We know the vessel left Norfolk on Sept 3rd to conduct Harrier trials in the North Atlantic, however what is not known is where the ship embarked the trials aircraft (regret that is a question I cannot answer, but someone else may be able to); for example if they originated from an airfield in southern England (say Boscombe Down or Dunsfold?), the carrier may well have steamed into the English Channel to embark them. For a reason I will elaborate on shortly, it is quite conceivable that, as a part of that process, the ship then could have steamed through Spithead on say the 9th,10th or 11th. This allows 7 or 8 days from the 3rd to cross the Atlantic. If the ship remained underway it would not have been reported/known about in advance as no harbour assistance would have been required, thus explaining how it was missed by the local spotting fraternity.

My suggestion is long shot I know, but an event this year has made me consider the possibility. If I had been “driving” Independence, and knew I was in charge of the first CVS to use the Stokes Bay anchorage (the ship was programmed to arrive on the 24th), from a seafaring point of view I would have welcomed the opportunity to familiarise myself with the approach to the anchorage in advance, if the possibility presented itself.'

It is very likely that the year in question was 1969 and early in September, not 1970 that I had speculated (I was only eight at that time), with the explanation above feasible on account of the break between probable arrival in UK waters for the USS Independence to embark on Harrier trials with the UK and when it finally anchored off Spithead later in that month. All other carriers have been eliminated including those which may have been on a Mediterranean cruise, coupled with the fact that F-4s were definitely on the deck (light-coloured not dark and hence US Navy). An interesting speculation indeed but probable on account of being the first of the class to have visited Portsmouth at that time. This does also raise the issue that even the larger vessels may go largely unrecorded by the spotting fraternity if they do not actually pay a formal visit at that time and completely outside of their advertised arrival dates.