2 Carriers Change Course as U.S. Hints Retaliation : Won’t Just ‘Hold Still,’ Reagan Says

WASHINGTON —  Two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups in the Mediterranean were given new orders amid strong indications today that the United States plans to launch another round of military action against Libya, U.S. officials said.

The carrier America, now steaming west of Sardinia in the western Mediterranean, canceled a visit to Cannes on the French Riviera that was scheduled for Thursday, and the carrier Coral Sea was ordered to stay in port in Malaga, Spain, indefinitely and not head home as planned, the officials said.

No decision has been made about when the Coral Sea should get under way or whether it should link up with the America battle group, the officials said.

The two battle groups total about 20 ships.

Bombings Cited

The changes in orders to the carriers came against a backdrop of statements by President Reagan and senior Administration officials that the United States may retaliate against Libya for the terrorist bombings last week that killed four Americans aboard a TWA jetliner over Greece and an American soldier in a West Berlin disco.

Reagan today said that Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi is “definitely a suspect” in the two terrorist acts and that the United States is “not going to just sit here and hold still” in the wake of renewed terrorist attacks against Americans in Europe.

The President, speaking to members of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, refused to say what he plans to do, other than continue to gather evidence about the incidents and seek the support of European allies.

“We are investigating and trying to gather all the information we can so that we can actually, with solid evidence, point a finger at who is responsible,” Reagan said.

Seeking Support

“We’re continuing to try and get more support now for action that would be appropriate in view of the greater threats that are being uttered,” Reagan said, but added, “I can’t get specific with you” about what that action might be.

Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger was in Australia on the final leg of a five-nation Asia tour and is scheduled to return to Washington early Sunday. A Pentagon official said there are no plans for Weinberger to come home earlier.

Both carrier battle groups staged five days of exercises off Libya and in the Gulf of Sidra two weeks ago in which U.S. planes destroyed two Soviet-built Libyan missile boats and knocked out a radar installation guiding a SAM-5 anti-aircraft missile battery at Sidra, the Pentagon has said.

The radar has since been repaired and is working again, U.S. officials said.

Gulf of Sidra Incident

The U.S. attacks came in response to the firing of Libyan missiles at U.S. aircraft operating in the gulf that had crossed Kadafi’s “line of death.” Kadafi claims the Gulf of Sidra as Libyan territory, but the United States considers the gulf international waters. It has denied intentionally trying to provoke Kadafi into hostilities.

A third battle group led by the carrier Saratoga that had participated in the maneuvers is in the Atlantic west of the Azores on the way home to Mayport, Fla., the officials said.

No decision has been made by the Administration about returning the two carrier battle groups to a position off Libya from which exercises can again be launched into the Tripoli Flight Information Region, which includes the Gulf of Sidra, or to carry out attacks against suspected terrorist targets in Libya, the officials said.

But a return to a station north of Libya is at most two days’ steaming time from the carriers’ present positions.