Another pic from the trip to SC.

This is the 4th ship to bear the Yorktown name. This one is CV-10 which is the 10th Essex class carrier built during WWII.


USS Yorktown CV-5 was sunk during the battle at Coral Sea.
Interestingly, CV-10 was originally to be christened the Bon Homme Richard, but changed to Yorktown.
The Bon Homme Richard became CV-31 christened in 1944.
My Uncle Mike served on the "Bonny Dick" in the 50's

Another pic from the trip to SC.

This is the 4th ship to bear the Yorktown name. This one is CV-10 which is the 10th Essex class carrier built during WWII.


USS Yorktown CV-5 was sunk during the battle at Coral Sea.
Interestingly, CV-10 was originally to be christened the Bon Homme Richard, but changed to Yorktown.
The Bon Homme Richard became CV-31 christened in 1944.
My Uncle Mike served on the "Bonny Dick" in the 50's

Actually, the USS Lexington (Saratoga class) was sunk at the battle of Coral Sea, the Yorktown was damaged. She was sunk however at the Battle of Midway.

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Vaya con Dios

I served on the Yorktown 1960-61. Really makes me feel old knowing it's now a museum.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

When I lived there in the late 70's they filmed a nuclear apocalypse made for TV movie in Charleston and the money shot of the bomb going off was from the Yorktown.

What is the purpose of the ladder to no where on the stern? My wife and I visited this carrier on veterans day last fall. It was very interesting.

I have no idea. I don't remember it being there when I was aboard. A way to get to the flight deck from the fantail??
I do know that if the Navy put anything on a ship, they also made a way for it to be climbed for painting.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I can't figure why it went below the fantail.

On the day we visited the Yorktown there was a retired pilot on the flight deck that was telling people about the ship. He didn't work for the museum, but rather just came out and volunteered his time.

Did you also go on the Clamagore while you were down there??

For further info...this museum is at Patriot's Point SC as you are going onto Sullivan's Island

I did 3 months on board the Lexington out of Pensicola covering Carrier Flight training, carrier qual for new pilots first landing on a moving ship.. ( HELO CREW ) flying Plane guard..

They were flying A-6's ( Scooters)as I recall..
It still had a wooden flight deck, but had been refitted for an angled capapult from a straight deck flight deck..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Great picture, I love the classic lines of an Essex class carrier.

Actually, the U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) was the 3rd Essex class carrier commissioned following the CV-9 Essex, and CV-16 Lexington.

She was the 10th CV of the fleet following the prewar built carriers:

CV-1 Langly
CV-2 Lexington
CV-3 Saratoga
CV-4 Ranger
CV-5 Yorktown
CV-6 Enterprise
CV-7 Wasp
CV-8 Hornet

Then the Essex class started with CV-9.

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Its obviously for the waterskiers.

Reminds me of the old joke about the galley slave master telling the crew that he had good news and bad news.
The good news was they were going to get an extra ration for lunch.
The bad news was the captain wanted to go water skiing that afternoon.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

It's the lights used to line up the slope for landing. Too low and the lights are red. Too high and they are red. Right in and they are green.

I know that seeing your old ship as a museum is bad; my first ship is set to be sunk as a target... USS Independence (1977-1981).

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Doug "N Frame Addict"
CO

My second ship is now razor blades (scrapped) USS Coral Sea (CVA-43, 1961-62) and my third has just been decommissioned, USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67, 1973-74)
Oh Well.................

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

My first ship I was on after boot camp was USS Bunker Hill (CV17), tied up at North Island and they were doing shock tests to the hull to see if it could be safely towed to Washington to be scrapped. I was the guy that brought the CPO's coffe to them.
Then, USS Ticonderoga, (CV 14), later CVS, now scrapped to razor blades.
Then, USS Julius A. Furer FFG-6, sold to Pakistan, taken back and used as a target ship, Sunk
And USS Jesse L. Brown (FF 1089)Decommissioned and sold to Egypt.

But wait, thats not all:
Basic training, NTC San Diego, Now closed and given to the City of San Diego
'A' School, SSC, NTC San Diego, Ditto
ComFairSDiego, Disestablished after Vietnam
NROTC Unit, Univ of New Mexico, Disestablished
Defense Nuclear Agency, Nuclear Test Site, Camp Mercury, Nevada Closed
NAS Chase Field, Beeville, Texas Disestablished and turned over to the State of Texas as a Prison

I guess that's our peace dividend

Dan R

Hey Dan,
Maybe we should recall you to active duty and send you to Iraq. That just might shut it down.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

OK swabbies what does CV mean??
IMSC it doesnt mean carrier vessel

I served on the U.S.S. Essex from 1962-1964 when she was CVS-9 (formerly CV-9). Got myself involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis on her.



Think of how old I feel since she was scrapped for razor blades about 1975!

Ron

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Stand behind our troops!

I'm pretty sure it's a landing aid for pilots ... it lines up with the landing centerline, and has or had lights on it for night ops.

Liam

Dean; I can go you one better than that. I've lived in three Countries outside the USA and ALL three of them no longer exists any more!!!

Saw the JFK when it came up the river to New Orleans and turned around in the Mississippi river before docking. Almost took up the whole river width.
Went on tour later, big boat!!!

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

It means "Aircraft Carrier"
Actually the "V" is an old navy designation for aircraft.
There are many types of CV's. CVA= "Attack" Aircraft Carrier, CVS= Anti Submarine, CVN= Nuclear, CVE= Escort, CVH= Helo, CVB = Battle (The Coral Sea and it's sister ships, Midway and FDR were originally designated as CVB because of their extra heavy armored hanger deck.) I know I'm missing some of the old ones and I'm sure there are newer ones as the Navy gets more and more mission oriented.

Mike,
Maybe you should go with Dan.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

In response to the question regarding "CV"

The "C" indicates an Aircraft Carrier, The "V" indicates it is Fixed Wing, most actually have another letter, i.e. CVA where the "A" stands for Attack (this also carries over to USN Aviation Squadrons, the "V" is fixed wing, the "H" is helicopter, and so forth. I do not know why the Navy chose to use a "V" to denote fixed wing although I do know the Blimp (as in Goodyear Blimp) got it's name as "Dirigible, Model B (Limp)" as opposed to the Shenandoa which was a Model B (Rigid).

USS Kitty Hawk, USS Enterprise, USS Ronald Reagan, they are all Attack Carriers. USS Ticonderoga used to be an attack carrier but then was changed to a CVS where the "S" stands for Anti-Submarine Warfare Support.

In the past the Navy used CVL and CVE also to designate other Carrier roles but I'm not sure what they stood for. I know the CVE was the "Jeep" carrier used to shuttle aircraft to the Pacific during WWII and was also designated an AKV during the late 50's. All the small Escort/Utility Aricraft Carriers dropped from the combatant category in 1959. There was also a CVB Aircraft Carrier designation during WWII but, again, I do not know what it denoted.

And, just to make it even more confusing, A third or 4th letter of "N" denotes that it is Nuclear Powered. Thus,

SS - Indicates a Submaring
SSN - Indicates a Submarine, Nuclear Powered
SSBN - Indicates a Submarine, Nuclear Powered, Ballistic Missile

CVAN would be an Attack Aircraft Carrier, Nuclear Powered.

After 22 years it gets ground in so deep I guess it will never go away !!!

Dan R

Just a little more on the CV designation. "C" does indeed indicate a aircraft carrier and "V" indicates fixed wing. You guys have CV, CVA, and CVS covered.

The "V" was also used in squadron designations. VF indicated a navy fighter squadron, VB a bombing squadron. VMF would be a marine fighter squadron.

CVE indicated a escort carrier, usually used in WWII for support roles such as anti-sub patrol, aircraft ferrying, and amphibious landing support. These were built on merchant ship hulls with little or no armor and a maximum speed of less than 20 knots. The number of planes they carried varied, for support and ASW they carried 15 to 25 aircraft. When ferrying they could carry twice that.

The CVL designation was for the warbuilt light carriers of the Independance and Saipan class. These were larger than the CVE's and smaller than the CV fleet carriers. Built on the Cleveland class crusier hull, these retained the speed of their cruiser lines (31 knots) and were available for quick completion as carriers. Although they operated around 40 aircraft, about half of the number of a CV, they were undoubtedly cramped compaired to a fleet carrier. Even though they had the virture of high speed they did not lend themselves to the changing requirements of carrier aviation post war.

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Not trying to pick a fight, but that's not necessarily true. What about CA and CL? (Heavy and Light Cruiser). There was also a designation of CM for a Mine Layer.
During WW2 there is a whole list of "conversion" vessels that carried a "C" designation as the first letter in their vessel symbol. ex. CPG - Conversion Gunboat or CAR -
Conversion Repair Ship, etc.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

I served aboard the USS Wasp (ships company) from 1960 to 1962. We crossed the Equator to help evaucate French and English during the Congo uprising..Memories..

Here is one of my old haunts, now a blasted diving/fishing reef.
http://www.cougarware.com/cva34/

We live about a half hour from Patriot's Point; been there twice so far.
It's a GREAT place to visit.

Well, that blows my whole theory away but you are right re the C i.e.

CG - Guided Missile Cruiser (USS Albany)
CLG - Guided Missile Cruiser, Light (USS Little Rock)
CAG - Heavy Guided Missile Cruiser (USS Boston)
CLAA - Light Cruiser (USS Flint)
CG(N) - Guided Missile Cruiser, Nuclear (USS Long Beach)

I was a tin can sailor mostly, though, and I had enough to remember with the DD, DDE, DDG, FF, FFG nomenclature. And, no one who was ever on an FF would call it a "Fast Frigate", not with those single screws and slow top end. Another adjective starting with "F" was more commonplace !

And, about the recall to active duty and going off to Iraq, SORRY, Been There, Done That, got the Tee Shirt; Didn't lose anything and have no intention of going back to look for it !!!! Back during the Hostage Crisis in 1979, Julius A. Furer (FFG-6) was the only missile ship in the Persian Gulf, steaming with "the Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast (USS Lasalle, the only combat ship in the Navy that was painted white because of the heat).

Dan R

On the main drag as you get off the bridge straight down from there on the left is a GREAT restaurant called Shim Creek (it's actually on Shim Creek hence the name) great food and a cool place

I seem to recall from the pamphlet I got from the museum that CV meant "lighter than water"
course it may be my braincells fried too

I think "V" stands for "Heavier Than Air".

Great history..

Curtis, I don't recognize the area anymore since Hugo (1989) came through and destroyed the Isle of Palms and Mt. Pleasant. Shem Creek Bar and Grill might be the one you're talking about. I'm pretty sure they rebuilt it. Also, Hyman's in downtown Charleston was always pretty decent.

My wife's great uncle was killed in an accident on board the Yorktown (CV-5) just prior to the Battle of Midway. A new ensign missed the wires and landed on top of his F4F. He was previously assigned to the Lexington and flew with Thach (old naval aviators will recall the term "thach and weave") and O'Hare (Medal of Honor). He was awarded the DFC in Feb of 1942. The Navy named a destroyer in his honor.

That's correct. It's for centerline lights for night landings, not the glide slope as someone else mentioned.

Munster

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GO NAVY!

I think that's what I was thinking about.

Jerry,
It is Shem Creek B&G, looks like its been there a while...coool place.

Neat family history

I just paid my respects to Mr. O'Hare up at his airport. They've rescued an F3F from Lake Michigan and put a mannikin of him in it, and it's now forever sitting about a foot off a little stretch of simulated carrier deck.

Hook is down, and it looks like he's going to catch the wire.

No word on whether he ever flies around late at night and tries to shoot down the Air Nippon plans which use that terminal (terminal 2). Probably no, as he is an Academy graduate, and the orders have been changed.

The Wildcat restoration is pretty nice to my eye, including gunpowder stains near the guns.

They have quite a display - when the F3F got lifted out of Lake Michigan after 48 years, you could still see the markings just fine.

Apparently they outfitted some lake steamers with carrier decks and did carrier landing training at the Glenview Naval Air station. Real carriers were otherwise employed, and needed escorts on the ocean.

And apparently this one missed its carrier or something.

I tried to get good pictures, but all I had was my cell phone camera, and he was coming out of the sun at me.

If I get my act together, I may do another thread with pictures.

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Regulate Banks, not guns