THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609200546
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY EARL SWIFT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 49 lines
The aircraft carrier Enterprise steamed into the Persian Gulf on Thursday, capping a four-day, high-speed journey from the Suez Canal that left the flattop's escort ships trailing far behind.
The Norfolk-based ship was expected to reach its ``station'' off the Iraqi coast today.
Capt. Mike Malone, the Enterprise's commanding officer, said the carrier passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday morning - well before dawn, Norfolk time - and launched its jet fighters and attack planes for the first time in five days.
``Some pilots from each of our squadrons are flying tonight,'' Malone said from the bridge, where he was overseeing takeoffs and landings on the 1,123-foot ship. ``It was a beautiful sunset tonight - you can just still see the horizon - and now we can see the flames and the lights of the offshore oil rigs out here in the gulf with us.
``Our airplanes are staying within 50, 60 miles of the ship tonight, but shortly we'll be flying missions to support the no-fly zone.''
Approaching the halfway point in a six-month deployment that began June 28, the Enterprise had been steaming for the gulf since last Thursday, when it was ordered to leave the Adriatic Sea and join a massive American armada in the gulf.
The Bremerton, Wash.-based carrier Carl Vinson waited there with close to 20 other ships, amid heightening tensions between Washington and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Accompanied by the Norfolk-based fast combat support ship Supply and two other ships of its battle group, the Enterprise raced from the Adriatic to the eastern Mediterranean, where it entered the Suez Canal Sunday.
In the Red Sea after its 15-hour canal passage, the carrier poured on the steam. ``We've been moving at a great rate of speed,'' the captain said. ``For the past four days, we've been doing in excess of 30 knots (35 mph).''
``We've paid a price for that,'' he said. ``I've got young engineers down in the engine room who are living with temperatures of 125, 130 degrees.
``I would say there have been a whole bunch of us who have been burning the midnight oil.''
The Mayport, Fla.-based Gettysburg and the Supply, with the Enterprise when it entered the Red Sea, were left in its wake, and won't catch up with it until tomorrow. On Thursday, the Enterprise was escorted by two West Coast ships, the nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser California and the Crommelin, a guided-missile frigate.
The carrier received 2,700 pounds of mail Thursday, Malone said, adding: ``Please keep the mail coming.'' by CNB