Calling all USS Enterprise CV-6 fans

[TOMLABEL]

Little did I know, but I've stuck with the Essex class because there is already a good cadre of experts to take care of the Yorktown class. It's kind of funny in a way that my "first love" of carriers is a ship that I can't rattle off the details like I can with the Essex class, but life can be like that.

Well, given the said experts on Yorktown you mentioned, I have to be thankful that it turned out that way. Since there are so many variations with the Essex class carriers, I don't think there has been anyone I've discovered that have nailed down the minuscule differences as thorough and precise as you have. I mean there were 3 Yorktown class carriers and how many Essex class carriers to do research on???

I suspect that if Steve had used the photo I'm thinking of, you would already be familiar with it.

I looked again (although hastily) but did not see this one. Many thanks Tracy!

... same reason, we want books to sell well first.

Understand and agree completely with this. Steve's first Yorktown Class book really got me started into the addiction with the details!! So I'm ALL in for that![/quote]

I'll be sending a better copy in to Navsource as well. To that point, all the stuff I scanned in will be showing up on Devin's CV-5 Yorktown site in a year or two

That is great news!!

also wish to state that these are pretty small for tennis course so I'm not sure precisely what they are. Pickle ball?

Yes, you're right! I almost said racket ball, but that wouldn't work. Pickle ball may be correct.

Thanks so much, Tracy!!!

EDIT::Oh!!! And those overheads and walls/bulkheads are definitely not white. After the last pics you posted and now knowing what to look for, that is certainly not white paint. Fantastic!!

[taskforce48]

Just throwing a wild stab out in the dark here, could those markings on the deck have been some sort of help in aligning aircraft to be stored in the overhead?

Matt

[Tracy White]

Possible, but I would expect we'd see more of them if so. As an aside, but somewhat related, I've been looking for any sort of manual or documentation on air group operations for carriers, including deck spotting, etc., and have completely busted the last couple of years. Even inquiries to people like Dr. Friedman and Dana Bell have produced no leads

[Michael Vorrasi]

I looked up Pickleball. Invented in the 1960's. Too small for tennis, plus low overhead for tennis. Might be a Badminton court. Badminton is played indoors as well as outdoors. See if those lines and dimensions feel right when compared to the photo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badminton

[Tracy White]

Badminton was one of my initial thoughts, but the court didn't strike me as quite right and I thought the overheads might be a bit low given some of the rockets I've hit while playing. That said, There's a photo of a badminton court set up on CV-11's hangar deck (as well as Volley ball and basket ball) so there is definitely a good possibility. Sure would beat trying to play it on the flight deck!

[Rick E Davis]

Tracy,

.... and I thought the overheads might be a bit low given some of the rockets I've hit while playing ....

Likely that is why they didn't let the Marines play badminton on the hangar deck, only the new recruit sailors.

[SH Park]

I've found the unknown structure in this picture.
What is this structure?

Thanks

[Tracy White]

It's the crane at the aft starboard corner of the island.

PM incoming.

[Michael Vorrasi]

It's the crane at the aft starboard corner of the island.

PM incoming.

Ditto

Afternoon 10/11/16 edit:
Must Un-ditto! After getting a note from Dick J. And using clear (as in not puffy morning pre-coffee) eyes, this is the mount for the SC-1 radar, but taken before the radar antenna was installed. I have to humbly and respectfully withdraw ditto!

BTW that makes this photo all the more interesting. It would have to have been taken in a very narrow window, post- Eastern Solomons, but pre-Santa Cruz. The 40mm's and directors are in place. Maybe she did a quick jaunt around Hawaii after her repairs and refit and returned to PH to get the antenna fitted before setting sail for the South Pacific. Anybody have a log that might show this?

[Rich Mathsen]

Gosh Mike, I wish I still had Al Campbell's e-mail addy. He was aboard at the time and could confirm your "hunch" which I suspect to be correct.

Rich

[Tracy White]

Anybody have a log that might show this?

DANFS pegs her at Pearl Harbor for repair from September 10 to October 16. Her War Diaries on Fold3 lists one entry for the 11th to the end of the month that is two paragraphs long. Essentially it mentions a fire that broke out in drydock on the 12th when some equipment for spraying a plastic anti-fouling shorted in the first paragarph, the second states "Ship was undocked from drydock on September 13, and ship was moored to berth B-17, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, Starboard side to. Ship continued under repairs for remainder of month.

October War Diary starts with:
October 1, 1942 to October 7, 1942:
Moored to berth B-17, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, Starboard side to. Ship continuing to undergo repairs.

October 7, 1942 to October 10, 1942:
Shifted to Berth F-9, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, October 7. Ship preparing for war operations.

October 10 she was underway from F-9 about 0840 and stood out of the harbor at around 0930. Gunnery test and practice until 1200, air operations commenced at 1244 and continues until 1830. She remained at sea that night.

October 11 she continued air operations from 0718 until 1824. She remained at sea that night.

October 12 air operations started at 0720 and ran until 1751. She met with South Dakota and Escorts at 1800 and remained at sea that night.

October 13 air operations started at 0726 and after a few hours of exercise some of the aircraft were sent on to air stations on Maui. She reports launching "1 VSB and one VF for radar test flight" at 1228, which were recovered at 1500. She remained at sea that night.

October 14 started with her launching her remaining air group at 0733 for the flight to NAS Ford Island. She moored at F-9, Ford Island, around 1100

October 15 is reported only as "Moored F-9, preparing for war operations."

October 16 she reports being underway at 0820, heading back to war.

Then there's this:

From her departure report listing start of work on 9-10 and stopping on 10-6. No date given on individual items.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Anybody have a log that might show this?

DANFS pegs her at Pearl Harbor for repair from September 10 to October 16. Her War Diaries on Fold3 lists one entry for the 11th to the end of the month that is two paragraphs long. Essentially it mentions a fire that broke out in drydock on the 12th when some equipment for spraying a plastic anti-fouling shorted in the first paragarph, the second states "Ship was undocked from drydock on September 13, and ship was moored to berth B-17, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, Starboard side to. Ship continued under repairs for remainder of month.

October War Diary starts with:
October 1, 1942 to October 7, 1942:
Moored to berth B-17, Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, Starboard side to. Ship continuing to undergo repairs.

October 7, 1942 to October 10, 1942:
Shifted to Berth F-9, Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, October 7. Ship preparing for war operations.

October 10 she was underway from F-9 about 0840 and stood out of the harbor at around 0930. Gunnery test and practice until 1200, air operations commenced at 1244 and continues until 1830. She remained at sea that night.

October 11 she continued air operations from 0718 until 1824. She remained at sea that night.

October 12 air operations started at 0720 and ran until 1751. She met with South Dakota and Escorts at 1800 and remained at sea that night.

October 13 air operations started at 0726 and after a few hours of exercise some of the aircraft were sent on to air stations on Maui. She reports launching "1 VSB and one VF for radar test flight" at 1228, which were recovered at 1500. She remained at sea that night.

October 14 started with her launching her remaining air group at 0733 for the flight to NAS Ford Island. She moored at F-9, Ford Island, around 1100

October 15 is reported only as "Moored F-9, preparing for war operations."

October 16 she reports being underway at 0820, heading back to war.

Then there's this:

1942 October CV6 Departure Report 32.jpg

From her departure report listing start of work on 9-10 and stopping on 10-6. No date given on individual items.

Great stuff Tracy. The logs mention completing the platform, but nothing specific about the radar, Yet photos of her anchored at at Noumea after Santa Cruz clearly show the SC-1 in place. It would take a yard crane to put that antenna in place.

It does confirm that she went to sea 10/10 and did return to PH 10/14, so photo of her at sea without the radar on the platform yet is entirely possible (thus dating the photo between 10/10 and 10/14). Could "preparing for war operations" entry on 10/15 have included plopping the SC-1 antenna in place? Seems to be the only possible explanation, given an at sea photo of the bare platform and the knowledge that she had it in place in the South Pacific.

[bmkerr]

Hi Guys,

I'm trying to work out the location of the Perforated Catwalks so I can replace the kits molded details.

I also received my 3D model parts ships weapons. so I've got all the weapons to replace the kits versions.

[Tracy White]

Pretty much most of the catwalks were perforated. Gun galleries were not, searchlight platforms were not; if it had to support a heavy weight I guess they went with solid STS. Pretty much the rest of the deck edge catwalks were. Many island catwalks were (between the bridge and pri-fly, etc.). I thought I had a good photo of Yorktown's island showing this but haven't found it yet....

[bmkerr]

What were the colours of the aircraft aboard the Enterprise at Midway.

I received my aircraft yesterday and trying to work out the colours.

VT-6 Devastator looks to be a blue-grey with light grey under surface.

VB-6 Dauntless looks like Intermediate Blue upper and white lower

Same for the wildcat.

[MartinJQuinn]

VT-6 Devastator looks to be a blue-grey with light grey under surface.

At Midway, all the aircraft on all three US carriers were blue-grey with a light grey under surfaces. Colorcoats offers both colors.

Blue-Gray
Light Gray

[bmkerr]

VT-6 Devastator looks to be a blue-grey with light grey under surface.

At Midway, all the aircraft on all three US carriers were blue-grey with a light grey under surfaces. Colorcoats offers both colors.

Blue-Gray
Light Gray

Thank you for your help.

[bmkerr]

Would anyone know how many aircraft can fit in the hanger.

[Angeliccypher]

Depends on the plane types. Although they could also store planes on the braces the were on the overhead of the hangar. Yorktowns were able to carry around 80 planes in total.

[bmkerr]

Hi guys,

When positioning aircraft on deck how much room is needed for taking off aircraft.