Flat Tops and Fledglings - A History of American Aircraft Carriers

534 Pages·1971·75.72 MB·English

by  Gareth L. Pawlowski

MARIN COUNTY FREE LIBRARY
31111003995709
FLEDGLINGS
A
American
History of Aircraft Carriers
Gareth Pawlowski
L.
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$20.00
Flat-Top Fledglings
A History tic American
Aircraft Carriers
TJll
GARETH PAWLOWSKI
L.
March 20, 1922, marked the begin-
ning of carrier aviation in the US Navy
with the commissioning of the experi- 3 111!
mental carrier USS Langley CV-1. To-
day, some 48 years later, the aircraft
carrier isourNavy'snu^ber one line of
defense.
Naval aviation first went to sea on
November 14, 1910, when Eugene Ely,
a Curtiss exhibition pilot, took off from
aplatform builtonthedeckofthe light
cruiser USS Birmingham CL-2, an-
chored in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Three months later on January 18,
1911, Ely landed on the afterdeck of
the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania
CA-4. On February 17, 1911, Glen H.
Curciss flew a Curtiss seaplane from
Naval Air Station North Island to the
Pennsylvania anchored in San Diego
Harbor. The seaplane landed alongside
the armored cruiser and was hoisted
aboard by a launch crane. Later, hetook
off and returned to North Island. This
was the first seaplane demonstration
with the Navy. Lt.(jg) P. N. L. Bellin-
ger piloted an AB-3 off the battleship
USS Mississippi BB-23 on April 25,
1914.
These first four significant shipboard
experiments proved that aircraft could
be operated from ships. First aviation
operations with the fleet took place at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in connection
with the winter maneuvers in early
1913. For these maneuvers, the aircraft
"^
were transported tc scene by ships
and actual flight operations were con-
ducted fr^^i shore.
The first t Lne was catapulted
from a moving vessel mi November 6,
1915, piloted by Lieutenant Com-
mander Henry C. Mustin, USN, from
the armcred cruiser USS North Caro-
lina CA-12. Similar tests ^ere con-
ducted from the armored USS
(Continued on bac
160s
£8.00

Flat-Tops and Fledglings
and
Flat-Tops Fledglings
A
History of American Aircraft Carriers
Gareth Pawlowski
L.
CASTLE BOOKS * NEW YORK
©
1971 by Gareth L. Pawlowski
Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: 76-112765
This Edition Published by Arrangement
with A. S. Barnes & Co., Inc.
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
A cool breeze flows across the white caps of the port and the strong winds of the Pacific threw the
Pacific Ocean as the Langley, two hours out of North plane into the choppy sea. There was no time for
Island, lumbers in a wallowy motion in what appears rescue as the twisted hulk that once was an airplane
to be a steady course. At first glance, you might think slipped beneath the waves.
the old covered wagon was ready to roll over and The year was 1922, and this scene was to be re-
meet Davy Jones. But to the crew, this wallow was peated often as the struggle for Naval Air power
normal as the ex-collier churned through the sea with continued. There was no glory, no medals, no fanfare.
a bone in her teeth. Inside the salt sprayed hull, the But the essence was there and this essence, which led
routine of at-sea life was taking shape. The deck toanewtypeofship—the fleetaircraft carrier—was the
force was securing all moveable objects and made the will and determination of a handful of Navy men who
ship ready for rough weather. Down in the galley, the had the foresight and the initiative to visualize sea-
ship's cook was telling the mess cooks to square away air power as a vital and powerful deterrent force
and make ready for noon chow. You could bet your second to none.
salt hook that "cold cuts" was on the menu for today! Tothosewhogavetheirlivesinatimewhenskeptics
So it went throughout each and every compartment still joked about "the funny flying machine," their epi-
as it had gone on for years and years in hundreds of taph was to be written twenty years later in the skies
other US Navy ships. But the Langley was no longer of Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, the Philippine
like any other ship. Her superstructure had been Sea, and many other famous battles now obscure in
stripped and replaced with a wooden flat top. This the pages of dusty history books.
flat top was soon to be dubbed "flight deck." It is with deepest respect that I dedicate this book
Up on the flight deck a new scene was taking place. to the pilots and men of the Langley, who during the
A young pilot sat restlessly in the cockpit of a single- period 1922-1927 were the only leg that sea-air power
seated chasing plane, waiting for the signal to fly off. hadto stand on, gave the supreme sacrifice, above and
As the signal was given, the shaky biplane began to beyond the call of duty, while the Nation was on a
pick up speed as she rolled along the wooden planks "ten year toot."
that made up the 534 x 64 foot sea-going airfield. Gareth L. Pawlowski
Suddenly, a gust of wind jerked the plane hard to Burbank, California

Contents
Preface Essex Class: Hull Numbers 31^0 237
Acknowledgments 31. USS Bon Homme Richard
Abbreviations and Terms CVA-31 239
32. USS Leyte AVT-10 248
PART I: THE FLAT-TOPS 33. USS Kearsarge CVS-33 252
34. USS Oriskany CVA-34 259
1. USS Langley AV-3 17 35. USS Antietam CVS-36 267
36. USS Princeton LPH-5 273
Lexington Class: Ex-Battle Cruisers of 1916 25 37. USS Shangri-La CVS-38 280
2. USS Lexington CV-2 27 38. USS Lake Champlain CVS-39 289
3. USS Saratoga CV-3 34 39. USS Tarawa AVT-12 294
Ranger Type of 1929
York4t.owUnSSClaRsasngoefr19C3V3-4 41 Midw4a0y. UClSaSssMoifd1w9a4y2 CVA-41 239091
5. USS Yorktown CV-5 48 41. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt
6. USS Enterprise CV-6 57 CVA-42 307
Wasp7.TUySpSe oWfa1s9p35CV-7 65 42. USS Coral Sea CVA-43 312
Hornet Type of 1938 Essex Class: Hull Numbers 45-47 323
8. USS Hornet CV-8 70 43. USS Valley Forge LPH-8 325
44. USS Philippine Sea AVT-11 331
Essex Class: Hull Numbers 9-21 77
9. USS Essex CVS-9 80 Saipan Class of 1943 335
10. USS Yorktown CVS-10 89 45. USS Arlington AGMR-2 337
11. USS Intrepid CVS-11 98 46. USS Wright CC-2 342
12. USS Hornet CVS-12 109
1111165347..... UUUUUSSSSSSSSSS TRLBFeirauaxcnnniodkknneolgdrlitepnorHhnoiAlgCVlCaVTVAS-CTV-8V-T1S1-5-6914 111115423102759 Forres4445t7089....alUUUUCSSSSlSSSSassSIFRoanaorrdnfraegetpes1oetr9gan5ald1CeVCCnAVVc-AAe6--16C50V9A-62 333336645483897
18. USS Wasp CVS-18 156 Kitty Hawk Class of 1956: Hull
19. USS Hancock CVA-19 163 Numbers 63, 64 373
20. USS Bennington CVS-20 171 51. USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 375
21. USS Boxer LPH-4 178 52. USS Constellation CVA-64 380
Independence Class of 1940-1943 185 Nuclear Power: The Enterprise 385
22. USS Independence CVL-22 187 53. USS Enterprise CVA(N)-65 387
23. USS Princeton CVL-23 191
24. USS Belleau Wood CVL-24 198 Kitty Hawk Class: Hull Numbers 66, 67 395
25. USS Cowpens AVT-1 203 54. USS America CVA-66 397
26. USS Monterey AVT-2 208 55. USS John F. Kennedy CVA-67 402
27. USS Langley CVL-27 213
28. USS Cabot AVT-3 218 Nuclear Power: The Nimitz Class 405
29. USS Bataan AVT-4 226 56. USS Chester W. Nimitz
30. USS San Jacinto AVT-5 231 CVA(N)-68 407
FLAT-TOPS AND FLEDGLINGS
PART II: THE FLEDGLINGS 14. China Service Medal (Extended) 497
15. Antarctica Service Medal 499
1. Early Planes 411 16. Korean Service Medal 500
2. Fighter Aircraft 416 17. United Nations Service Medal 504
3. Scout Dive Bombers 434 18. Navy Expeditionary Medal 505
4. Torpedo Bombers 444 19. Armed Forces Expeditionary
5. Attack Aircraft 448 Medal 506
6. ASW Early Warning Aircraft 455 20. Vietnam Service Medal 509
7. Observation and Scout Craft 458 21. Philippine Liberation Campaign
Ribbon 511
PART MEDALS AND COMMENDATIONS 22. Republic of the Philippines Presi-
III:
dential Unit Citation Badge 512
21.. NPraevsyideUnntiitalCUonmimteCnidtaattiioonn 446657 2243.. RRUeenppituubbllCiiitccatooiffoVnKioBeratendaagmePrPerseisdiednetnitailal 513
3. Presidential Unit Citation:
Unit Citation 514
By Carrier 470
4. Navy Unit Commendation:
By Carrier 473 PART IV: APPENDICES
5. Meritorious Unit Commendation 476
67.. WMeoxrilcdaWnaSrerIviVciectMoerdyaMledal 447778 1. AStaBtreisefFlHeiesttsory of the United 517
8. American Defense Service Medal 479 2. Deployment of United States
9. American Area Campaign Service Fleets 519
Medal 480 3. An Attack Carrier's Deployment 520
10. Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign 4. Numerical List of Aircraft
Service Medal 481 Carriers 521
11. European-African-Middle Eastern
Area Campaign Service Medal 492
12. World War II Victory Medal 493 Index to Campaigns and
13. Navy Occupation Service Medal 494 Battle Engagements 529