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USS Yorktown (CV-5)

1937 BATTLE OF MIDWAY WORLD WAR 2

History of USS Yorktown (CV-5)

The U.S. Navy has repeated the name Yorktown several times in its history, and USS Yorktown (CV-5) is another of the many surface warships. The CV-5 received extensive service during World War II before being sunk in the decisive Battle of Midway in June 1942. However, her name was revived on USS Yorktown (CV-10), which was about to enter service during the war in April 1943, paying tribute to the lives and ships lost in the pivotal battle of 1942.

The CV-5 was ordered on August 3, 1933, and built on May 21, 1934 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. After construction was completed, the ship was launched on April 4, 1936, and officially commissioned on September 30, 1937.

During World War II, the USS Hornet (CV-5) was awarded three Battle Stars in the Coral Sea and Midway for heroic participation in the American naval battles.

All Yorktown-named ships are named after the 1781 Battle of Yorktown, which took place during the American Revolution, when combined French-American forces defeated the British led by the famous General Cornwallis. The Battle of Yorktown became the last major land engagement of the war, and since then secured American independence.

USS Yorktown (CV-5) leads the three-person Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, which includes USS Enterprise (CV-5) and USS Hornet (CV-8).

The CV-5 has a barrel length of 825 feet and a beam of 109 feet 6 inches. She has a draft of 25 feet 11.5 inches and a displacement of 26,000 tons (20,000 light) when fully loaded.

Electricity is supplied by a 9 Babcock & Wilcox boiler system feeding 4 Parsons geared turbines driving 120,000 SHP on 4 screws. This gives the vessel a top speed of 33 knots in ideal conditions and a total range of 12,500 nautical miles.

When the United States was involved in World War II (1941), the ship had a crew of 2,217.

The USS Yorktown adopts a conventional arrangement with the island superstructure placed on the starboard side forward amidships. The flight deck occupies most of the surface area of ??the fuselage, including the stern, midship and bow areas. All crew quarters, mess halls, offices, engineering and systems departments are located below deck, as are full-service hangar teachers. The island's superstructure houses the navigation bridge, offices for various systems, communications, radar and smoke funnels.

A crane was found behind the island structure.

When built, the USS Yorktown was equipped with a range of weapons designed to repel air strikes. Primary armament consisted of an 8 x 5"/38 caliber single-barrel mounted gun, while secondary armament consisted of a 4 x 1.1"/75 caliber quadruple gun. The 24 x .50 caliber Browning M2 heavy machine gun further reinforced the air defense system.

In the February 1942 modification, the 8 x 5", 4 x 1.1" and 24 x .50 calibers were retained. The only difference is the addition of a 24x20mm Oerlikon gun, which further improves their self-defense capabilities.

As an aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown's main attack range is her collection of fighter jets. Lists usually consist of a set of collections of different types, totaling up to 90 numbers. Types include fighter jets, torpedo bombers, and dive bombers. The former is used to counter the threat of enemy fighter jets, while the latter two are used to engage enemy ships directly.

If necessary, dive bombers can also be used to strike land-based targets. The aircraft is launched from the flight deck via 2 hydraulically powered catapults, while a third catapult is mounted on the lower hangar deck. In total, she can launch three combat-ready fighters at once.

The flight deck is served by three hangar elevators.

Although Europe has been at war since September 1939, the United States did not officially enter World War II until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Superiority ceded to the Japanese Navy, tactical victory met strategic defeat, because despite all the bombs dropped and lives lost, the U.S. carrier fleet remained intact, allowing the U.S.

Navy to continue to operate for the foreseeable future. Operated throughout the Pacific. At the time of the attack, USS Yorktown joined USS Ranger (CV-4) and USS Wasp (CV-7) in the Atlantic and USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Lexington in the Pacific (CV-2 and USS Saratoga (CV-3).

After acquiring additional anti-aircraft armament, USS Yorktown left Norfolk for San Diego in late December 1941 to further strengthen the Pacific Fleet. She was designated as the "17th Special" Detachment "Flagship" (TF17).

USS Yorktown took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea, an important naval engagement on the Pacific coast, and the Battle of Midway, which resulted in the loss of Yorktown itself. The Battle of the Coral Sea (4-8 May 1942) marked the first battle between aircraft carriers and the United States and Australia fought back against the Japanese invasion of Port Moresby and caused damage to the Japanese navy the first major loss. war. The battle cost the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which was sunk by Japanese warplanes.

IJN Shokaku was badly damaged by aircraft from Yorktown during the battle for the flight deck. Despite a tactical Japanese victory and short mission objectives dictated by the high number of Allied casualties, the battle proved a strategic victory for the Allies as the invasion of Port Moresby was repelled, Yorktown The USS aircraft carrier survived despite being heavily damaged.

U.S. Navy codebreakers now discovered the Japanese intent to capture Midway and sent a large force in that direction, including four aircraft carriers. American defenses proved strong during the Battle of Midway (June 4-June 7, 1942), and despite initial heavy losses, three of Japan's four aircraft carriers were eventually sunk (Akagi, Kaga) and Canglong). Hiryu stayed behind to launch a wave of attacks on Yorktown, which was partially controlled, although three bombs found their mark and further damaged the already damaged Yorktown.

As the fire raged on the ship, submerged and slowed to a crawl, reports of another Japanese wave came in, forcing the Yorktown crew and pilot into another final stand. Two enemy torpedoes found their targets on the Yorktown side and proved the final blow - an abandon ship order was given and the support ships moved into action.

An unnoticed Japanese submarine I-168 planted two more torpedoes on the stricken American ship, despite attempts to recover the still-floating ship during the suspension of fighting. Any further salvage attempts were officially called off as the ship absorbed more water, leaning over and exposing its belly before sinking aft. This ended the relatively short career of USS Hornet (CV-5) until several decades later, when she was discovered on May 19, 1998 by noted oceanographer Dr.

Robert Ballard of the Titanic.

Despite the loss of Yorktown, Midway was spared Japanese invasion, and the U.S. presence on Midway remained an important buffer zone between the Hawaiian Islands and Japan's sphere of influence in the Pacific. The battle went down in history as a decisive victory for the United States, a decisive blow to the reputation of the Japanese navy and its power.