USS Saratoga

CV-3 USS Saratoga

CV-3 USS Saratoga
Class	Lexington class
Builder	New York Shipbuilding Co. Camden, New York
Laid down	25. September 1920 as CC-3 (Redesignated CV-3 at the 1. July 1922)
Launched	7. April 1925
Christened	Mrs. Curtis D. Wilbur
Commissioned	16. November 1927
Flag Hoist / Radio Call Sign	NELB
Camouflage	Nov. 1927 - Oct. 1941 Oct. 1941 - Dec. 1941 Jan. 1941 - Feb 1944 Feb. 1944 - Nov. 1945 Nov. 1945 - Jul. 1946	Measures 13 Measures 1 Measures 11, 21 Measures 32/11a Measures 21

NS San Diego CA

6. Januar 1928 - 21. Februar 1928
Shakedown
VF-1B	F2B-1	1-F-0
VB-2B	F2B-1, UO-1C	2-B-0
VT-2B	T4M-1, T4M-2	2-T-0

last update 1. July 2010

15. January 1929 - March 1929
Canal Zone (Pacific)
VF-1B	F2B-1, FU-2	1-F-0
VB-2B	F2B-1, FU-2	2-B-0
VT-2B	T4M-1, T4M-2	2-T-0
VS-2B	O2U-2	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

15. February 1930 - 21. June 1930
Canal Zone / Caribbean
VF-1B	F2B-1	1-F-0
VB-2B	F3B-1	2-B-0
VT-2B	T4M-1, T4M-2	2-T-0
VS-2B	O2U-2	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

5. February 1931 - 15. April 1931
Canal Zone / Caribbean
VF-1B	F8C-1	1-F-0
VB-2B	F3B-1, FU-2, O2C-2	6-F-0
VT-2B	TG-1	2-T-0
VS-2B	O2U-2	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

31. January 1932 - 19. March 1932
Canal Zone / Caribbean
VF-1B	F4B-3	1-F-0
VF-6B	F3B-1, F4B-4, SU-2	6-F-0
VT-2B	TG-1	2-T-0
VS-2B	O3U-2	2-S-0
* VT-2B was deployed aboard the USS Saratoga from February 1932 on.

last update 1. July 2010

23. January 1933 - 17. February 1933
East Pacific / Hawaii
VF-1B	F11C-2, F4B-3, SU-3	1-F-0
VF-6B	F4B-4, SU-2	6-F-0
VT-2B	TG-1, SU-1	2-T-0
VS-2B	SU-2, SU-3	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

9. April 1934 - 9. November 1934
Canal Zone / Caribbean
VF-1B	BFC-2, SF-1	1-F-0
VF-6B	F4B-4, SU-3, SF-1	6-F-0
VT-2B	TG-2,	2-T-0
VS-2B	SU-2, SU-3	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

May 1935 - June 1935
North Pacific / Hawaii
VF-6B	F4B-4, O2U-4, SF-1	6-F-0
VB-2B	BFC-2, O2U-2, SF-1	2-B-0
VT-2B	TG-2,	2-T-0
VS-2B	SU-2, SU-3	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

27. April 1936 - 6. June 1936
Canal Zone (Pacific)
VF-6B	F3F-1, F4B-4, SBU-1, O3U-1	6-F-0
VB-2B	BFC-2, SBU-1	2-B-0
VT-2B	TG-2,	2-T-0
VS-2B	SBU-1	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

16. April 1937 - 28. May 1937
East Pacific / Hawaii
VF-6B	F3F-1, SBU-1, O3U-1	6-F-0
VB-2B	BFC-2, SBU-1, O3U-1	2-B-0
VT-2B	TG-2	2-T-0
VS-2B	SBU-1	2-S-0
VS-4B	SU-4	4-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
15. March 1938 - April 1938
East Pacific / Hawaii
VF-3	F3F-1, O3U-3	3-F-0
VB-3	SB2U-1, SBC-4, SBA-1	3-B-0
VT-3	TBD-1	3-T-0
VS-3	SBC-3	3-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
June 1939 - 1939
?
VF-2	F2F-1, SB2U-2, SU-1, SU-2	2-F-0
VB-4	SB2U-2, N2Y-1	4-B-0
VS-2	SBU-1	2-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
2. April 1940 - 21. June 1940
East Pacific / Hawaii
VF-3	F2A-1, SB2U-2, F3F-1	3-F-0
VB-3	SB2U-2	3-B-0
VT-3	TBD-1	3-T-0
VS-3	SBC-3	3-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
8. December 1941 - 19. February 1942
East Pacific / Hawaii
VF-3	F4F-3A	3-F-0
VB-3	SBD-3, SBD-4	3-B-0
VT-3	TBD-1	3-T-0
VS-3	SBD-3	3-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
1. June 1942 - 13. June 1942
East Pacific
VF-2 Det.	F4F-4	2-F-0
VF-5	F4F-4	5-F-0
VF-72	F4F-4	72-F-0
VT-5	TBD-1	5-T-0
VT-8 Det.	TBF-1	8-T-0
VS-5	SBD-3	5-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
7. July 1942 - 21. September 1942
East Pacific
VF-5	F4F-4	5-F-0
VB-3	SBD-3	3-B-0
VT-8 Det.	TBF-1	8-T-0
VS-3	SBD-3	3-S-0

last update 1. July 2010

Saratoga Air Group
10. November 1942 - 30. July 1943
East Pacific
VF-6	F4F-4	6-F-0
VB-3	SBD-3	3-B-0
VT-3	TBF-1	3-T-0
832 NAS	TBF-1	-
832 NAS was from 27. June 1943 til 24. July 1943 on Board

last update 1. July 2010

CVG-12
August 1943 - September 1943
West Pacific (Marshall, Indian Ocean)
VF-12	F6F-3	1-F-0
VB-12	SBD-	1-B-0
VT-12	TBF-	1-T-0

last update 3. January 2008

CVG-12
October 1943 - 30. November 1943
West Pacific (Gilberts)
VF-12	F6F-3	1-F-0
VB-12	SBD-	1-B-0
VT-12	TBF-	1-T-0

last update 3. January 2008

CVG-12
19. January 1944 - 10. June 1944
West Pacific (Marshall, Indian Ocean)
VF-12	F6F-3	1-F-0
VB-12	SBD-	1-B-0
VT-12	TBF-	1-T-0

last update 3. January 2008

CVG(N)-53
29.January 1945 - 16. March 1945
West Pacific (Tinian, Eniwetok)
VF-53	F6F-5, F6F-5P	1-F-0
VF(N)-53	F6F-5N	1-F-0
VT(N)-53	TBM-3D	1-T-0

last update 1. August 2008

Decommissioned

25. July 1946

Commanding Officers
Capt. Harry Ervin Yarnell	16. Nov. 1927	15. Sep. 1928
Capt. John Halligan, Jr.	15. Sep. 1928	20. Apr. 1929
Capt. Frederick Joseph Horne	20. Apr. 1929	5. Sep. 1930
Capt. Frank Robert McCrary	5. Sep. 1930	1. Jun. 1932
Cdr. Archibald Hugh Douglas (acting)	1. Jun. 1932	11. Jul. 1932
Capt. George Washington Steele, Jr.	11. Jul. 1932	31. Dec. 1932
Capt. Rufus Fairchild Zogbaum, Jr.	31. Dec. 1932	12. Jun. 1934
Capt. Kenneth Whiting	12. Jun. 1934	6. Jul. 1935
Capt. William Frederick Halsey, Jr.	6. Jul. 1935	9. Jun. 1937
Capt. John Henry Towers	9. Jun. 1937	16. Jun. 1938
Capt. Albert Cushing Read	16. Jun. 1938	15. Mar. 1940
Capt. Robert Potter Molten, Jr. (KIA)*	15. Mar. 1940	28. May 1940
Cdr. James M. Shoemaker (acting)	28. May 1940	6. Jun. 1940
Capt. Archibald Hugh Douglas	6. Jun. 1940	12. Apr. 1942
Cdr. Alfred Melville Pride (acting)	12. Apr. 1942	12. May 1942
Capt. DeWitt Clinton Ramsey	12. May 1942	27. Sep. 1942
Capt. Gerald Francis Bogan**	27. Sep. 1942	29. Mar. 1943
Cdr Edgar A. Cruise (acting)	29. Mar. 1943	7. Apr. 1943
Capt. Henry Maston Mullinix	7. Apr. 1943	22. Aug. 1943
Capt. John Howard Cassady	22. Aug. 1943	22. Jun. 1944
Capt. Thomas Upton Sisson	22. Jun. 1944	24. Jul. 1944
Cdr. Louis Henry Hunte (acting)	24. Jul. 1944	1. Aug. 1944
Capt. Lucian Ancel Moebus	1. Aug. 1944	27. Apr. 1945
Capt. Frank Akers	27. Apr. 1945	4. Feb. 1946
Capt. John Ronald Diffley	4. Feb. 1946	6. Mar. 1946
Capt. Stanhope Cotton Ring	6. Mar. 1946	2. Jun. 1946
Capt. Donald Swain MacMahan	2. Jun. 1946	25. Jul. 1946
* Capt. Robert Potter Molten, Jr. died aboard on 28. May 1940. USS Satatoga's XO, Cdr. James M. Shoemaker, assumed temporary command of the ship. ** On 29. March 1943 Capt. Gerald Francis Bogan slipped and fell off the flight deck into a 40mm gun sponson. He woke up four days later aboard the hospital ship USS Solace (AH-5), en route to Auckland, New Zealand. Cdr. Edgar A. Cruise, USS Satatoga's XO, took temporary command. USS Saratoga was evacuated on 30. June 1946, as she was to be subjected to the blast of an atomic bomb the following day ("Able Day," Operation Crossroads). Remaining aboard in temporary command was LCdr. Harold William Lockhart, and 13 members of his Last Minute Evacuation Party; they left the ship at 03.45, 1 July 1946. On 24. July1946 Saratoga was evacuated again, in preparation for "Baker Day," Operation Crossroads. LCdr.Harold William Lockhart remained aboard with his Last Minute Evacuation Party; they left the ship at 03.55, 25. July 1946, USS Saratoga's final day afloat. USS Saratoga sank on 25. July 1946, a victim of Operation Crossroads. Cdr. Daniel McElroy Entler, Jr (6 Aug 1946 - 15 Aug 1946)and LCdr. John Lewis Landreth (15 Aug 1946 - 19 Aug 1946) were thus in paper command of a ship that rested on the bottom of the sea.

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