Aircraft Carrier Down: This Sailor Went Down With the Ship...and Live to Tell It
 

Aircraft Carrier Down: This Sailor Went Down With the Ship...and Live to Tell It
By: Wafare History Network - 07-04-21
Re: https://nationalinterest.org/blog/re...041?page=0%2C3

Photo link: https://nationalinterest.org/sites/d...?itok=Vj9YF52H
Tags: World War II - Battle For The Pacific - U.S. Navy - Imperial Japan - Aircraft Carriers

The sinking of the Yorktown was a tragic and dramatic event.

Note: unlike some other post I've read - this one is accurate but too long to post on this site
but - its well worth reading when you go to this site.
-
The details are very accurate and its a true story of war that very few often remember
except to those who read military history.
-
Go to the site and read the radioman's report of that day!
-
Personal note:
-
I as a sailor during NAM can relate to the terror of being a primary target on a ship and
more-so on a carrier. The carrier alone is a weapon of major destruction. It's plane's
carry the terror of war to our enemies .
-
It's weapons are deadly and handling them is not to be taken lightly. As well as the
aviation fuels they carry they are also highly flammable.
-
Below decks in the bowels of the ship you can hear the breakers-banging against the
hull in rough sea's - its enough to give you the whilly's.
-
The aircraft bang-landings on the flight-decks and the catch wire's screaming when hooked.
-
The hangar bay loaded with aircraft and weapons being loaded both in both the hangar bay
and on the flight deck.
-
The aircraft lifts are bring aircraft up and down as well bomb loads. We had three elevators.
The O2 and fuels would race to the aircraft - first hooked up - the other had to wait.
-
Jets - Props- Willy Fud's - Helo's all moving at one time or another. Weapons rolling out
on the fight deck from below - JP or Avgas being pumped on the aircraft - there must be
a couple hundred working to get these aircraft ready for another launch and recovery.

Operations can be 24-7 sometimes - your exhausted - but you do your job. You also
had Bear Cat watch's - those who are online on the launchers with pilots are called
the ready birds - as we called them always running - pilot's in their planes - maintenance
and fuels being loaded while the aircraft is running - the pilots is in the seat - just waiting
for the his relief or the word that hostiles are in the area.
-
Suddenly! Bang they are shot off - other's roll into their spot for another launch.
-
A carrier is 24/7 on duty - your escorts are front and rear and on each side along
with a submarine that we never saw (they must come up at night) we we've never
seen one in the daytime or until we all pulling into port.
-
The Navy is like the other services are all working together - team work - and
experienced manpower - make all the difference in the world.
-
God Bless them All!! But do read the original post go to the link and you
will get a taste of what its like to be in a battle-at-sea. God Bless You All!
-
Boats