Launched 2 April 1946, Coral Sea (CVB-43) was commissioned 1 October 1947, with Captain A. P. Storrs, III in command. She spent much of her service as part of the Atlantic fleet and on nuclear deterrent missions around the Mediterranean. In October 1952, Coral Sea was reclassified as an attack aircraft carrier , changing her hull number to CVA-43. But early 1957 saw her travel to the west coast of the US for extensive modernization lasting until January 1960.

She returned to service with a greatly enlarged flight deck, angled landing area, three deck-edge aircraft elevators and three powerful steam catapults to facilitate operation of the latest aircraft types. The work also included fitting the ship with an enclosed "hurricane" bow, greater beam and many other improvements.

1960, saw Coral Sea join the Seventh Fleet. These included vigorous participation in the South east Asian conflict between 1965 and 1972 and in evacuation and other activities as the Republic of Vietnam collapsed in the the Spring of 1975. At the end of June 1975, Coral Sea was reclassified CV-43 to reflect expansion of her air group to include anti-submarine warfare aircraft. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, her western Pacific deployments were extended to cover the vicinity of the increasingly tense Persian Gulf. In April 1980 she supported the abortive effort to rescue American hostages held in Iran.

VF-191 joined the Coral Sea for their final cruise as part of CVW-15, from February to October 1977. Flying the McDonnell F-4J Phantom. Although the cruise was not a combat mission, a pilot was lost as the Phantom he was flying suffered a flame out during launch.

Coral Sea returned to the Atlantic in March 1983, operating in the Arabian Sea, Mediterranean and off South and Central America, one final visit tot he far east, before returning to the US in September 1983.

In April 1986, she was back in Mediterranean, launching air strikes against targets in Libya. Two more Sixth Fleet deployments took place in 1987-88 and in 1989.

USS Coral Sea was decommissioned April 1990 and sold for scrapping in May 1993. She was slowly broken up at Baltimore, Maryland, over the next several years.

Displacement:	Length:	Beam:	Flightdeck:	Draft:	Spd:	Complement:	Armament:	Aircraft:	Class:
45,000 tons	968 ft (295 m)	113 ft (34.44 m)	136 ft (41.45 m)	35 ft (10.67 m)	33 knots	4,104	18 x 5-inch guns		Midway