Intrepid War YEARS
It was with remarkable prescience that the keel of the present INTREPID was laid on Dec 1, 1941. The whole world was then at war, but he United States was not. Neither was there an immediate need for powerful new warships, but six days later, when the Japanese struck their infamous and crippling blow at Pearl Harbor, the United States had both problems - the war and the need for new ships, INTREPID was an ideal solution.
On August 16, 1943, Captain Thomas L. Sprague, (now Vice-Admiral, retired) assumed command. Captain Sprague knew he had not only taken command of a ship, but also of a tradition, and went on to explain to the crew that "... only in the cool courage and fearless bravery of the present crew, will the spirit of the heroic and undaunted crews of the past live again." The watch having been set by the Executive Officer, Commander Richard K. Gaines, the USS INTREPID (CV-11), joined the United States Fleet.
IIndicative of the " newness " of the fast carrier's employment in the fleet too, was the fact that there had never been enough planes or pilots in the pre-war years, to develop a system for the rotation of carrier air groups; a system which later enabled the carriers to operate almost continually. This was one of the not so obvious obstacles to oversome.
From Oct 12 until the 17th INTREPID worked in the Gulf of Paria and then off Trinidad's Port of Spain, until the 27th. She was back in Hampton Roads on Nov 1st and the Air Group was detached until INTREPID, escorted by destroyers conducted her final post commissioning checks and trial runs off the coast of Rockland, Maine, in Casco Bay. At the same time INTREPID was used to determine the standards of performance for ESSEX Class ships in cold water, and having completed her task, she was back in Norfolk by Nov 30. On Dec 3, with Air Group 8, she was ready for her trip to the Pacific and the war. It was not to be without mishap.
Proceding under her own steam through a very narrow section of the Panama Canal known as Gaillard Cut trouble started. With the pilot at the conn, the ship was attempting to negotiate a turn to the left.The pilot noticed the bow was not responding to the helm and was sheering off to the right. Collision was unavoidable and her port anchor was ordered dropped. Reluctant to drop the port anchor as ordered the Boatswain Mate dropped the starboard one instead. INTREPID grounded temporarily and backed off under her own power, but the damage was considerable. Capt. Sprague was confident the pilot and the officers and men had done everything possible to prevent the grounding and that no one on the ship could be held at fault, as board of inquiry agreed.
Temporary repairs were completed in four days while in Balboa, CA but it was estimated it would take at least 30 days in drydock to make the ship combat ready again. - This was the first of several trips which finally resulted in the nickname "the Drydock I".
