UNDERWAY Ships Weapons

This page details USS Coral Sea ships weapons systems during her service life. The primary ships defense weapon for the Coral Sea was the 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16 dual purpose gun - originally designed for the Montana Class battleships. Coral Sea was completed with only fourteen rather than the original eighteen 5"/54 guns called for in the Midway Class design. This was weight compensation for CVB improvement program no. 1, approved in May 1947. Similarly, only the Midway and the Franklin D. Roosevelt were completed with the full outfit of eighty-four 40mm guns; Coral Sea was completed instead with empty twin 3"/50 gun tubs pending the installation of the new 3"/50s in February 1949. Once source claims that the 20mm Oerlikon guns were not installed until early December 1947. However, all photographs examined show most if not all were installed prior to commissioning.

Modifications over the next several years reduced or removed the 20mm and 3"/50s. During her overhaul (1957-1960) three large sponsons were added to the ship to support the possibility of deploying with Terrier guided missile launchers(never installed). Six of her 5"/54 guns were retained and mounted on the new sponsons - two each per sponson. Eventually all of the 5"/54 guns were removed. Late in her life Coral Sea was the first ship in the Navy to deploy with the Phalanx(CWIS), with three mounted around the ship.

Many thanks to the members over at NavWeaps for valuable feedback and information.

Date	Weapon	Number	Notes
1947 Oct	5”/54	14	14 single mount 5"/54(14 guns) 14 twin mount 20mm(28 guns)
1947 Oct	20mm	28	14 single mount 5"/54(14 guns) 14 twin mount 20mm(28 guns)
1949 Feb	5”/54	14	20 twin mount 3"/50 added(40 guns)
	20mm	28
	3"/50	40
1952 Feb	5”/54	14	Removed all 20mm guns
1952 Feb	3"/50	40	Removed all 20mm guns
1955 Jan	5”/54	14	Removed two bow 3"/50 mounts
1955 Jan	3"/50	36	Removed two bow 3"/50 mounts
1956 Feb	5”/54	14	Removed two stern 3"/50 mounts
1956 Feb	3"/50	32	Removed two stern 3"/50 mounts
1960 Jan	5”/54	6	Removed all 3"/50 and eight 5"/54 guns
1966 Mar	5”/54	3	Removed three 5"/54 guns
1979 Jan			Removed last three 5"/54 guns
1980 Oct	Phalanx	3	Added three 3 MK-15 Phalanx (CIWS)
*** Nearly all reference material gives generic Midway Class types and numbers for weapons and are generally inaccurate. All the numbers in the above table were verified by careful photo analysis of Coral Sea pictures.

Straight Deck - 1947-1957

- [1947-1957] Gun placements of the 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16 Single Mounts aboard Coral Sea (14 mounts/14 Guns):

- [1947-1952] Gun placements of the 20 mm/70 (0.79") Oerlikon Mark 4 Twin Mounts aboard Coral Sea (14 mounts/28 Guns):

- [1949 -1957] Gun placements of the 3"/50 (7.62 cm) Mark 22 Twin Mounts aboard Coral Sea (20 mounts/40 Guns):

Angle Deck - 1960-1989

- [1960-1966] Gun placements of the 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16 Single Mounts aboard Coral Sea (6 mounts/6 Guns):

- [1966-1979] Gun placements of the 5"/54 (12.7 cm) Mark 16 Single Mounts aboard Coral Sea (3 mounts/3 Guns):

- [1980-1989] Gun placements of the Phalanx (CIWS) MK 15 Block 0 Single Mounts aboard Coral Sea (3 mounts/3 Guns):

Coral Sea Ships Weapons Gallery

* Click on any thumbnail to start a slide show of the images on this page *

[Image Source - US Navy]

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