Summary: The article delves into the fascinating history of the USS Oriskany, an aircraft carrier with notable service in Korea and Vietnam, highlighting its commendations and pivotal missions. After decommissioning in 1976, the Navy transformed the carrier into an artificial reef in 2006. The intentional sinking aimed to create an underwater habitat, and collaboration with environmental agencies ensured minimal impact. Despite concerns about pollutants, the artificial reef has become a thriving marine environment, benefiting local economies and showcasing the innovative reuse of a once-mighty warship.

USS Oriskany: Why did the Navy sink its own ship?

Fifteen years have passed since the U.S. Navy intentionally sank its aircraft carrier USS Oriskany in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola, Florida. Why CV/CVA-34 may be at the bottom of the ocean, the legendary vessel served the Navy well during her decades in operation. In fact, USS Oriskany was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and the Meritorious Unit Commendation on three occasions. She also was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal and the Korean Service Medal. Although all these roles are certainly commendable, perhaps the Oriskany’s current function deep in the Gulf is her most significant. The once mighty U.S. carrier is now serving the seas as an artificial reef.

The Essex-class origin story

The USS Oriskany was one of the Navy’s few Essex-class aircraft carriers completed after the Second World War. Prior to the Essex ships, the Navy sailed Yorktown-calss carriers that were severely limited due to strict arms control treaty obligations. As tensions began to build in Europe in the late 1930’s, however, American engineers understood the need to advance future carrier platforms. The Essex-class ships were notably longer, wider and more than a third heavier than their predecessors. Additionally, each ship was equipped with a bigger flight deck and deck-edge elevator that elevated their offensive and defensive air prowess.

In the first half of the 20^th century, naval airframes were much smaller and lighter than their modern day counterparts. Specifically, the Douglas TBD Devastator was entering service around the time the first Essex-class ship was entering service. The Devastator was extremely hefty compared to earlier airframes, weighing more than 4,600 tons. Fully loaded, the Devastator had a wingspan of 50 feet, necessitating much more room than earlier carriers could provide. In addition to this aircraft, the Navy required that future carriers would be able to carry at least 90 planes. The increased space incorporated on the Essex-class ships fulfilled this need.

Introducing the USS Oriskany:

In the early 1940’s, CV-34 was laid down by the New York Naval Shipyard. By 1945, the carrier officially launched, however, construction on the vessel was halted one year later when it was roughly 85% complete. Over the next few years, the Oriskany would undergo several modernization efforts in order to better handle newer carrier aircraft. Some of the enhancements made to the vessel include a heavily reinforced flight deck structure, stronger elevators, more sophisticated hydraulic catapults and newer arresting gear. Once the Oriskany was fully refitted, she was commissioned in the New York Naval Ship Yard in 1950.

The Oriskany’s operational history

Perhaps the most notable missions accomplished by the Oriskany were in Korea and Vietnam. When the carrier set sail to aid United Nations forces in Korea in 1952, her aircraft heavily struck against enemy supply lines and coordinated bombing operations along the coast. Notably, two aircraft aboard the Oriskany downed two Soviet MiG-15 fighters. In the 1960’s, the carrier would deploy to Vietnam. On October 26 1967, then-Lieutenant Commander John McCain was taken as a prisoner of war after his A-4 Skyhawk was shot down.

How did the USS Oriskany transform into an artificial reef?

After many solid decades in service, the Oriskany was decommissioned in 1976. Within a few years, it became apparent that the massive carrier would be too costly to modernize. By the end of the Cold War, her hull was stripped of all equipment. In 2004, the Oriskany’s retirement trajectory took a turn. The U.S. Navy retook possession of the carrier and transformed the Oriskany to the State of Florida to use as an artificial reef. U.S. Navy personnel teamed up with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Escambia’s County Department of Natural Resources, the Pensacola Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and various sheriff departments in surrounding neighborhoods in 2006. A Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team then detonated C-4 explosive charges intentionally placed throughout the carrier in order to carry out the planned sinking

The Navy worked with the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure the sinking of the Oriskany would not negatively impact sealife. After spending around $20 million to clean the hefty carrier, the service was still forced to leave an estimated 700 pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) aboard the ship. Some ecologists were concerned that the sinking would coincide with unintended consequences below sea level and a State of Florida study is currently underway to determine if there will be a negative outcome in the future.

Since the sinking of the Oriskany, at least thirty-eight fish species have been seen around the wreck. Additionally, Pensacola and Escambia County generated more than $4 million from the addition of the artificial reef in 2007 alone. This number is likely much, much higher today.

About the Author: Maya Carlin 

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. You can email the author at [email protected]. 

All images are Creative Commons.