Carrier_ A Guided Tour Of An Aircraft Carrier Part 22

In the spring of 1998, oceanographer and adventurer Dr. Robert Ballard led an expedition that located the sunken Yorktown Yorktown on the ocean floor north of Midway Atoll. Upright on the bottom, she is in excellent shape, with her guns still trained out, as if ready for action. on the ocean floor north of Midway Atoll. Upright on the bottom, she is in excellent shape, with her guns still trained out, as if ready for action.

4.

"Littoral" regions are defined geographically as those areas lying within several hundred miles/kilometers of a coastline. Since the majority of the world's population, finance, industry, and infrastructure reside in littoral regions, the sea services focus on operations there.

5.

For more on the ARG and MEU (SOC), see: Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (Berkley Books, 1996). (Berkley Books, 1996).

6.

The primary Zeppelin base for operations against England and the North Sea fleets was at Tondern near Whelimshaven (on the German/Danish border). In July of 1917, seven Sopwith Camels flying from the flying-off deck of HMS Furious attacked the Zeppelin sheds there; three Zeppelins were destroyed in their hangar.

7.

Battle cruisers, a British invention, combined a large hull and power plant with a battles.h.i.+p's armament. While as fast as a cruiser (twenty-five-plus knots) and as heavily armed as a battles.h.i.+p, they lacked the armor protection of a traditional dreadnought. This made them vulnerable to enemy fire in a gunnery duel, though they could normally run away from a stock battles.h.i.+p.

8.

The "5:5:3 ratio" represented the allowable naval tonnage under the treaty for the U.S., Great Britain and j.a.pan respectively. The treaty held until the 1930s, when the run-up to World War II began.

9.

Though it would be two decades before practical experience would prove it, the single most important characteristic of carrier design is aircraft capacity. No other factor, including speed, antiaircraft armament, or armor protection is so desirable as the ability to carry and operate lots of aircraft. The British found this out the hard way, when they sacrificed aircraft capacity for armor protection in their Ill.u.s.trious Ill.u.s.trious-cla.s.s carriers, which could only carry about thirty-six planes (while the American Yorktown Yorktown (CV-5) and j.a.panese (CV-5) and j.a.panese Shokaku- Shokaku-cla.s.s carriers could carry ninety).

10.

Of the three battles.h.i.+ps that sank to the bottom of Taranto Harbor, the Littorio Littorio and and Caio Duillo Caio Duillo were eventually raised and returned to service. The third vessel, the were eventually raised and returned to service. The third vessel, the Conte de Cavor, Conte de Cavor, was not repaired prior to the Italian Armistice in 1943. was not repaired prior to the Italian Armistice in 1943.

11.

Unlike the j.a.panese, who tended to keep their warriers in combat until they died, the United States developed a rotation system to rest and replenish its combat personnel at all levels-even admirals. Thus, the fast carrier fleet had two sets of commanders and staffs: the 3rd Fleet under Admiral Halsey, and the 5th commanded by Admiral Raymond Spruance. After each operation, the two fleet staffs would switch, allowing the outgoing group to rest and plan the next mission. Thus, when Halsey was in command, the fleet was known as Task Force 34; and when Admiral Spruance took over, the carrier force was known as Task Force 58.

12.

In addition to the loss of the Hiyo, Hiyo, the j.a.panese also lost the two large fleet carriers the j.a.panese also lost the two large fleet carriers Shokaku Shokaku and and Taiho Taiho to submarine attacks. to submarine attacks.

13.

One of the few survivors of the purge was Admiral Arleigh Burke, later to become-arguably-the Navy's greatest modern leader.

14.

The CSS Virginia Virginia is more widely, though incorrectly, known as the is more widely, though incorrectly, known as the Merrimac, Merrimac, after the Union s.h.i.+p that she was built from. after the Union s.h.i.+p that she was built from.

15.

In 1995, the Air Force signed an agreement with the Navy and Marine Corps to retire their fleet of EF- 111A Raven electronic warfarc/jamming aircraft for a series of joint squadrons composed of EA-6B Prowlers. These joint squadrons, which have personnel from all three services, have been formed to provide suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) services for joint component commanders, and deployed CVWs.

16.

Navy jargon for a rookie flier on their first cruise or deployment.

17.

The most extreme of these engagements occurred early in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when the commander of Air Group Nine aboard the USS Ess.e.x (CV-9), Commander David McCampbell, and a single wingman, Lieutenant Roy Rus.h.i.+ng, engaged an incoming j.a.panese fighter force of over fifty enemy aircraft. McCampbell shot down at least nine, while Rus.h.i.+ng killed six. No other American fighter mission-in any war-shot down so many. For this performance, McCampbell was awarded the Medal of Honor, and Rus.h.i.+ng the Navy Cross.

18.

A pun. For the Navy, Airedales are not a breed of English terrier but the nickname used by s.h.i.+p's personnel to describe the Naval aviators of the embarked air wing.

19.

The worst of these losses occurred on the 1967/68 cruise of the USS Oriskany Oriskany (CVA-34) and CVW-16. During 122 days of action on "the line" in the Tonkin Gulf, thirty-nine CVW-16 aircraft were lost to combat and accidents, with twenty air crew killed, and another seven taken prisoner-over half the embarked aircraft, and something over 10% of the aircrew personnel. Vietnam combat cruises with losses of over twenty aircraft were not unusual. (CVA-34) and CVW-16. During 122 days of action on "the line" in the Tonkin Gulf, thirty-nine CVW-16 aircraft were lost to combat and accidents, with twenty air crew killed, and another seven taken prisoner-over half the embarked aircraft, and something over 10% of the aircrew personnel. Vietnam combat cruises with losses of over twenty aircraft were not unusual.

20.

Elmo Zumwalt was an early leader in improving conditions for enlisted personnel in the Navy. He provided much of the impetus for the necessary changes required for the all-volunteer military force that followed Vietnam. He also helped redefine the relations.h.i.+p between officers and enlisted personnel, greatly increasing respect and courtesy between the two groups.

21.

The name derives from the Tailhook a.s.sociation, a civilian organization that promotes and supports Naval aviation. The a.s.sociation, which actually sponsors the Las Vegas conferences, had nothing at all to do with the Tailhook scandal (and was officially exonerated during the Department of Defense investigation). The a.s.sociation is a fine organization, which publishes a superb magazine, The Hook. The Hook.

22.

There are still a few enlisted billets in naval aviation, but these arc limited to personnel in charge of cargo loading, para-rescue, and some sensor operations. In general, any position of responsibility is going to have an officer in it.

23.