Had the pleasure of spending several hours aboard the Yorktown today here in Charleston. 980 ft. of amazing. Hard to believe they built an Essex class carrier every 18 months during WW2. View attachment 141299
Yep ! Sitting duck it is I asked the same question on the USS INTREPID in July http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/11909-new-yorks-uss-intrepid-museum-reopens-to-public/?hl=intrepid Kyle
About halfway through my time aboard I was looking around for a helmet as I continually ducked around low hanging steel. There were two unfortunate exceptions to those dodging attempts. These ships were not built to readily accommodate those who are 6' 2" or taller. I'm sure I would have been invalided out of the service with brain damage had I spent any amount of time climbing through hatches, ladders and the like.
Are you sure the sign did not say every 1.8 months? There were 24 built during the war from an intended 32!
The Yorktown took under 18 months to build. Laid down 1 December 1941, launched 21 January 1943, commissioned 15 April 1943. Most Essex class carriers took under 2 years to build, with some being completed even more quickly than the Yorktown.
I was only having a bit of fun with Canuck. The 24 during the war were made in five shipyards and the average over 32 months is 1.8!!! The laugh was on me because it was 42 months!!
Geoff, Your mailbox is full. Send me the details for the graves in Manitoba. I may be able to help. Tim, sorry to hijack your thread
The 18 month quote came from a video presentation in the theatre onboard. Regardless of the precise time frame, the sheer size and complexity of the ship is a tribute to the American genius for logistics.
A Japanese Admiral said once their Manufacturing capability was AWESOME! I am sure I read somewhere that the US Navy/Coast Guard etc had 102 Aircraft/Escort carriers (most were just that "carriers" of aircraft) and 5,000 ships of all types by the end of the war. Will have to look it up and confirm and report back. Cheers Geoff
Found it! From Wiki however there isanaval site as well. The U.S. Navy grew tremendously as the United States was faced with a two-front war on the seas. It achieved notable acclaim in the Pacific Theater, where it was instrumental to the Allies' successful "island hopping" campaign.[4] The U.S. Navy fought six great battles with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN): the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the Battle of Okinawa.[5] By war's end in 1945, the United States Navy had added nearly 1,200 major combatant ships, including 27 aircraft carriers and 8 battleships, and had over 70% of the world's total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater.[6][7] At its peak, the U.S. Navy was operating 6,768 ships on V-J Day in August 1945, including 28 aircraft carriers, 23 battleships, 71 escort carriers, 72 cruisers, over 288 submarines, 377 destroyers, and thousands of amphibious, supply and auxiliary ships.[8]
Cannuck, Thank you for your post from Patriots Point. It brings back nice memories of my trip to Charleston quite a few years ago. I also went on the US Coast guard boat and the US Submarine all berthed nearby. Then took a boat trip to Fort Sumpter and remember the allegators near the boat before we set off!!! Regards Tom
Didn't have time to visit Ft. Sumter Tom. Maybe next time time as the Charleston area has a lot to offer. The submarine was berthed alongside the Yorktown but is in bad condition and undergoing extensive work. Also the destroyer USS Laffey but I took a pass as I've seen a few destroyers in the U.S. and wanted to focus on the big ship. As for alligators, the 6 footer shown below decided to join us on the walking path as we toured the Magnolia Plantation the day before. We were about 5 feet away when we first saw it and I was quite impressed with how fast my wife can run. It took about 2 hours for her heart rate to return to normal.
Cannuck, It sounds like we both enjoyed our time in the area and as you say the Charleston Area has a lot to offer. Regarding the Magnolia Plantation, I too visited and the tree lined entrance was impressive as I remember. Regards Tom
Savannah is also well worth seeing. We spent a day there too. The primary purpose of the trip was a wedding in Georgia but we added several days to see the area. Hilton Head is very commercial and really only suited for a golf/beach vacation. Interestingly, it doesn't take long to see how pervasive the military presence is in the U.S.. In the course of 6 days we probably drove past 8-9 military bases or facilities.
Visited this museum in about 1994. http://www.battleshipcove.org/ Looks like it has had a few additions since then. I can remember seeing the Battleship, Destroyer, Sub and a PT boat.