USS Intrepid (CV-11)

History of USS Intrepid (CV-11)

The USS Intrepid served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and beyond. Designed by the new Essex-class aircraft carrier, the ship was officially added to the Navy's inventory in 1943. The key to American victory in the Pacific theater.

The ship survived the harsh war for more than 30 years and was eventually preserved as a floating museum - a glorious fate that the USS Enterprise, another of America's great airlines, did not have.

Intrepid was the result of a FY 1940 program that produced a total of five Essex-class aircraft carriers (starting with Essex itself). Intrepid became the third Essex-class ship in the family, and was joined by six other members of the first batch in 1941. Twenty-seven Essex-class aircraft carriers would eventually be built, many of which could be used in the final fatal blow to Japan in mid-1945, expelled during their "shaken" journey.

Under the pressure of the war, the Dreadnought only had to wait a few months before it could be officially commissioned.

Designed following standard fares, the island is on the starboard side and the flight deck extends from stern to bow to port. A total of three plank lifts serve the flight deck (one deck edge on the port side and two centerline, port side and aft of the island superstructure). The port elevator was indeed a precursor to the Wasp design and was so popular that senior officials began requiring it to be used in all future carrier designs. Two vertically oriented launch catapults were provided in the bow (the third - somewhat useless - the horizontally oriented catapult was removed early). The entire aircraft range varies from 90 to 100, depending on the model.

About 240,000 gallons (US) of aviation fuel were carried to the aviation group along with a large amount of ammunition and ordnance.

Armament includes self-defense weapons including 8 x 5" guns (4 single seat and 4 dual seat), 8 x 40mm quad guns and no less than 46 single seat 20mm guns (up to 52 later Such guns) are scattered around the ship. Overall, Essex-class carriers are well built, well-protected, able to withstand severe damage and stay on the field continuously and repair damage quickly. The armor is mostly adequate, the thickest It was about 4" at the time.

As a testament to its design and capability, not a single Essex-class carrier was lost throughout World War II.

The island superstructure is located on the starboard side, directing all operational functions. The island is guarded by eight 40mm anti-aircraft guns. In addition, the island is home to the 5-inch gun's search radar and radar director. Radio communications are handled by two lattice towers, which are connected by cables to two structures mounted on the right side of the front of the flight deck.

This position was fully protected by a range of 40mm and 20mm guns.

The propulsion of the USS Intrepid is powered by 8 Babcock & Wilcox oil fired boilers and 4 Westinghouse brand steam turbines driving 4 propeller shafts for a total output of 150,000 shaft horsepower. 6,161 tons of oil were transported for the engine. A crew of 2,600 sailors and officers calls the USS Intrepid "home."

In early 1944, Intrepid participated in preparations for the invasion of the Marshall Islands, raiding Japanese strongholds, destroying enemy aircraft, and providing air support to the US Marines in the inevitable amphibious landing. After the invasion, Intrepid participated in operations against Japanese surface ships and helped sink two destroyers as well as several thousand tons of enemy ships. An enemy torpedo ended up hitting her starboard, causing her rudder flooding and alignment problems, forcing the crew to operate at full port and less starboard power. By this time, the improvised approach was abandoned, returning to Pearl Harbor and then back to California for full repairs.

In mid-1944, the Dreadnought returned to service two months later.

Then came the attacks on Palau and the Philippines between September and November 1944. Her Luftwaffe squadrons hit Japanese targets of opportunity and airfields as much as possible, hoping to use any measure of counterattack and air power to weaken the island group's occupiers. In October, the USS Intrepid provided air support for the U.S. Navy's landing on Leyte Island, culminating in the "Battle of Leyte Gulf," when no less than three Japanese troops assembled in the area.

On October 24, members of Intrepid and Cabot engaged the central force, destroying the battleship Yamato and sinking the Musashi in a full day of fighting. The next day, Intrepid aircraft damaged the aircraft carriers Zuiho and Zuikaku, and sank the Chitose.

Intrepid was the victim of no less than 3 successful kamikaze attacks between October and November, all causing damage and fire, and killing dozens, but the ship remained in the game and continued go ahead.

In April 1945, Intrepid participated in the invasion of Okinawa and supported the U.S. Marine Corps amphibious landing. Another kamikaze attack followed, killing eight other members of the Intrepid crew, but excellent work by the damage control crew ensured that the flight deck was ready to land friendly aircraft within hours.

On August 15, the USS Intrepid was officially notified of the cessation of all remaining offensive operations - the end of World War II. Intrepid returned to California in December 1945, eventually settling in San Francisco.

The USS Intrepid was originally laid in late 1941 and launched in mid-1943. She officially entered service in August of the same year and served until her retirement in 1974, during which time she was reclassified as "CV". Changed from "CVA" to "CVA" on October 1, 1952, and from "CVA" to "CVS" on March 31, 1962.

When the Intrepid became the CVA-11, she also received work to upgrade her cockpit and catapult, as well as a newly designed island reinforcement. When she became CVS-11, she gained a sloping flight deck and closed bow, and began service as an anti-submarine carrier.

Its main role in these Cold War years was to operate in Europe with a light air assault group, before serving as a "special attack vehicle" in the Vietnam conflict. The USS Intrepid is deployed from the South China Sea to support U.S. Navy operations in Vietnam.

The nicknames "Evil I" and "Dry I" for the USS Intrepid while in drydock are apt. But she was also nicknamed "Battle One" due to her important role in World War II. Today, the USS Intrepid serves as a museum ship, anchored in the waters of New York City as a floating museum.

The Intrepid was also used to salvage the Mercury and Gemini capsules in the 1960s.

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