{| class="prettytable float-right"  border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"
|colspan="2"| 300px|USS Oriskany CV-34
|-
! style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| Dienstzeit
! style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| 60px
|-
|Bestellung:
| 7. August 1942
|-
| Kiellegung:
| 1. Mai 1944
|-
| Stapellauf:
| 13. Oktober 1945
|-
| Indienststellung:
| 25. September 1950 <br> 7. März 1959
|-
| Ausmusterung:
| 2. Januar 1957 <br> 30. September 1975
|-
| Verbleib: 
| Versenkt als künstliches Riff vor Florida am 17. Mai 2006
|-
!colspan="2" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| Technische Daten
|-
| Verdrängung:
| 30.800 t
|-
| Länge:
| 275,5 m
|-
| Breite:
| 39,3 m
|-
| Tiefgang:
| 9,3 m
|-
|Antrieb:
| 8 Dampfkessel<br>4 Westinghouse-Dampfturbinen <br>über Getriebe auf 4 Schrauben
|-
| Geschwindigkeit:
| 33 Knoten (61 km/h)
|-
|Reichweite:
| 20000 sm bei 15 kn
|-
| Besatzung:
| 2600
|-
| Flugzeuge:
| 90-100
|-
|Bewaffnung:<br>(1954)
|8 × 12,7 cm L/38<br>in Einzellafetten<br>16 × 7,6 cm L/50<br>in Doppellafetten
|-
|Panzerung:
|
* Flugdeck: 38 mm
* Hangardeck: <br>76 mm zwischen den Aufzügen<br>64 mm vorn und achtern
* Hauptdeck: 38 mm
* Türme und Barbetten: 28 mm
|-
|}

Die '''USS Oriskany (CV-34)''' Spitzname ''Mighty O'' war ein amerikanischer Flugzeugträger der US Navy Dienst tat. Sie war nach der Amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg benannt.

== Bau ==
Die ''USS Oriskany'' wurde am 1. Mai 1944 auf Kiel gelegt, nach etwas mehr als zwei Jahren Bau wurde die Konstruktion grundlegend neu spezifiziert. Innerhalb eines Modernisierungsprogramms wurde das Landedeck massiv verstärkt, um auch dem höheren Gewicht moderner Flugzeugtypen standhalten zu können. Sie erhielt stärkere Aufzüge und hydraulische Katapulte. Die Flugabwehr-Waffenstände wurden teilweise entfernt. Im Gegensatz zu ihren Schwesterschiffen, die noch nach den ursprünglichen Plänen fertiggestellt wurden, erhielt die ''Oriskany'' keine Holzbeplankung auf dem Flugdeck. Stattdessen wurden darauf Platten aus einer Aluminiumlegierung verlegt. Eine Maßnahme, die bei den Schwesterschiffen erst im Zuge des Modernisierungsprogramms durchgeführt wurde.

Aufgrund Ihrer Konstruktion galt die Oriskany als unsinkbar: Sie hatte über der Wasserlinie drei große über dem Schiff verteilte Lufttanks, die bei eintretendem Wasser (z.B. durch einem direkten Torpedotreffer) noch für genug Auftrieb sorgen sollten. Zudem war jeder Raum mit wasserdichten Schotts ausgestattet.

== Einsatz in Korea ==
Die ''USS Oriskany'' absolvierte ihre Qualifizierungsmanöver um den Jahreswechsel 1950/1951. Danach wurde das Schiff abermals umgebaut, stieß dann im Jahr 1952 zur ''Fast Carrier Task Force 77'', um an den Kampfhandlungen im MiG-15 abzuschießen und eine weitere Maschine des Typs zu beschädigen.

== Umbau und Einsatz vor Vietnam ==
thumb|left|Aussehen der '''USS Oriskany''' mit Schräglandedeck nach SCB-125A-Umbau
Zwischen 1957 und 1959 wurde die ''Oriskany'' vorübergehend außer Dienst gestellt und im San Francisco Naval Shipyard modernisiert. Es wurden neue Dampfkatapulte installiert. Nach mehreren Testfahrten wurde das Schiff mehrfach  in den fernen Osten entsandt. Im Zuge der Anlandung amerikanischer Truppen in Südvietnam führten Flugzeuge des Trägers im April 1965 mehr als 12.000 Luftangriffe durch. 1966 führte ein Unfall mit einem hitzeerzeugenden Täuschkörper, der zur Ablenkung infrarotgesteuerter Raketen diente, zu einem schweren Brand an Bord, bei dem 44 Mitglieder der Besatzung ums Leben kamen. Kaum repariert, leistete sie der ''USS Forrestal'' Unterstützung, der ein ähnliches Schicksal widerfuhr und die im Golf von Tonkin in Brand geriet. Danach wurden von der ''Oriskany'' aus weiterhin Einsätze über Vietnam geflogen. Bei einem solchen wurde John McCain am 26. Oktober 1967 abgeschossen und verbrachte dann sechs Jahre in Kriegsgefangenschaft.
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'''USS ''Oriskany'' (CV/CVA-34)''', nicknamed ''Mighty O'', ''The O-boat'', and ''Toasted O'', was an ''Essex''-class Revolutionary War Korea and Vietnam, and was finally sunk in the Gulf of Mexico in 2006 to serve as an artificial reef and a diving site.

== Construction ==
The name flight deck structure was massively reinforced. Stronger elevators, more powerful hydraulic catapults, and new arresting gear were installed. The island structure was rebuilt, the anti-aircraft turrets were removed, and blisters were added to the hull. Blistering the hull (also known as adding bulges) increases the cross-sectional area of a ship's hull, thereby increasing its buoyancy and stability. It also provides increased bunker volume. In the case of the ''Oriskany'', this would have been for aviation fuel. These features would have been crucial to a ship that had so much topside weight added after its original design. ''Oriskany'' was commissioned in the New York Naval Shipyard Captain Percy H. Lyon in command.

== 1950 – 1956 ==
''Oriskany'' departed New York Newport, Rhode Island. She resumed operations off Jacksonville through Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 

After major modifications at New York Naval Shipyard Mediterranean deployment with the 6th Fleet. 

Having swept from ports of Norfolk, Virginia Pacific Fleet, steaming via Guantanamo Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Valparaíso, and Lima, arriving San Diego, California, on 21 July. 

Following carrier qualifications for Yokosuka 17 October and joined Fast Carrier Task Force 77 off the Korean Coast 31 October. Her aircraft struck hard with bombing and strafing attacks against enemy supply lines and coordinated bombing missions with surface gunstrikes along the coast. Her pilots downed two Soviet-built MiG-15 jets and damaged a third on 18 November. 

Strikes continued through 11 February, attacking enemy artillery positions, troop emplacements, and supply dumps along the main battlefront. Following a brief upkeep period in Japan, ''Oriskany'' returned to combat 1 March 1953. She continued in action until 29 March, called at Hong Kong, then resumed air strikes 8 April. She departed the Korean Coast 22 April, touched at Yokosuka, and then departed for San Diego 2 May, arriving there 18 May. 

''Oriskany'' was used in filming the 1954 film ''Men of the Fighting Lady'', starring Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon and Keenan Wynn.

''Oriskany'' was also used for the 1955 Savo Island''. The movie starred Grace Kelly and William Holden as a veteran pilot of World War II, who is called to serve again when the conflict in Korea escalates, taking him away from his wife, Nancy (Grace Kelly), two young children and a successful law practice. In the film, ''Oriskany''&#x2009;<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hull number is clearly visible in many scenes throughout the movie.

''Oriskany'' was also the ship described in The Right Stuff'' (1979) where John Mitchell, an VF-193 Ghost Riders.

Following readiness training along the California coast, ''Oriskany'' departed San Francisco 14 September to aid the 7th Fleet watching over the uneasy truce in Korea, arriving Yokosuka 15 October. Thereafter she cruised the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the area of the Philippines. After providing air support for Marine amphibious assault exercises at Iwo Jima, the carrier returned to San Diego 22 April 1954. She entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard for overhaul; the overhaul was completed 22 October when she stood out to sea for the first of a series of coastal operations. 

''Oriskany'' arrived at Yokosuka on 2 April 1955, and operated with the Fast Carrier Task Force ranging from Japan and Okinawa to the Philippines. This deployment ended 7 September and the carrier arrived Alameda, California 21 September. 

thumb|left|''Oriskany'' showing angled flight deck and [[Aircraft_carrier#Hurricane_bow|hurricane bow.]]
She cruised the California Coast while qualifying pilots of Air Group 9, then put to sea from Alameda, 11 February 1956, for another rigorous Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment.

== 1957 – 1969 ==
''Oriskany'' returned to San Francisco hurricane bow. Powerful new hydraulic catapults. The wooden flight deck planking was also replaced with aluminum planking.

''Oriskany'' recommissioned at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, West Coast continued until 14 May 1960, when she again deployed to WestPac, returning to San Diego 15 December. She entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard 30 March 1961 for a five-month overhaul that included the first aircraft carrier installation of the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS). 

''Oriskany'' departed the shipyard Far East with Carrier Air Group 16 embarked. She returned to San Diego 17 December 1962 for operational readiness training off the West Coast. 

The carrier again stood out of San Diego Subic Bay coup d'etat taking place in Saigon. When the crisis abated, the carrier resumed operations from Japanese ports. 

''Oriskany'' returned to San Diego 10 March 1964. After overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, she steamed for refresher training out of San Diego, followed by qualifications for Carrier Air Wing 16. During this period, her flight deck was used to test the E-2 Hawkeye, the Navy's new airborne early warning aircraft. She also provided orientation to senior officers of eight allied nations. 

''Oriskany'' departed San Diego 5 April 1965 for WestPac, arriving  at Subic Bay on 27 April. By this time more United States troops had landed in South Vietnam to support Vietnamese troops against increased Viet Cong pressure. ''Oriskany'' added her weight to the massive American naval strength supporting South Vietnam. In combat operations that brought her and embarked Carrier Air Wing 16 the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service between 10 May and 6 December 1965, she carried out over 12,000 combat sorties and delivered nearly 10,000 tons (9,100 tonnes) of ordnance against enemy forces. She departed Subic Bay 30 November and returned to San Diego 16 December. 

''Oriskany'' again stood out of San Diego for the Far East 26 May 1966, arriving Yokosuka 14 June. She steamed for "Dixie Station" off South Vietnam 27 June. Wearisome days and nights of combat shifted to "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin 8 July. In the following months there were brief respites for replenishment in Subic Bay. Then, back into the action that saw her launch 7,794 combat sorties. 