Posted on 11/25/2010 8:31:32 AM PST by kingattax
“the navy has helicopter carriers also.”
Didn’t know that, thanks.
My Mom took me and a buddy down to vista point (North end of the Golden Gate Bridge) to watch the Enterprise go under the bridge about 45 years ago. We had to be there around 7 am or so because it had to come into SF bay at low tide just to clear the bridge. Still remember that.
I know the navy briefly entertained the idea of nuclear-powered fleet before realizing it was just too expensive to maintain. In today's navy, only subs and aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered.
I spent Thanksgiving '06 underway on Eisenhower (CVN69). The food was very good!
Happy Birthday, Big “E”.
I proudly served aboard with ComCarDiv Three, 1964-1967
Phantoms and Skyhawks on deck !!
OUTSTANDING !!
More than half of those "Phantoms" are actually F-8 Crusaders. (14 F-8 to 10 F-4)
U.S. Navy aircraft carriers intended to operate with the main fleet were numbered in the "CV" series, which was originated as part of the cruiser ("C") group of designations. During and after World War II, ships in the CV series were frequently given modified designations, including CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVAN (nuclear-powered attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (small aircraft carrier), CVN (nuclear-powered aircraft carrier), CVS (anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier) and CVT (training aircraft carrier). All of these expanded designations were numbered in the original CV series.
When I served aboard the Enterprise she was a "CVAN"... I don't know when the changed it.
When was the “island” swapped out from the unique square box she was born with to the more conventional one now?
I went on a family “cruise” on the Enterprise when it was stationed on the west coast. It went under the Golden Gate Bridge and returned to port. It was quite impressive even in that short time. Seeing a carrier, especially the height of its bow, while standing on the pier is really amazing.
Early 70s, when they phased out the Essex/Hancock CVS Anti-submarine carriers and put an S-3 Viking squadron on the attack carriers.
The only ship not pictured is the sub underneath the big E
That was a phased array type radar I believe. I know it was gone in the early ‘80’s when I saw her in Norfolk.
The first all-nuclear battle formation sets sail in 1964.
Subs aren't the only anomoly. The Cruiser series jumped from CGN-41 Arkansas to CG-47 Ticonderoga. while the missile destroyer series jumped from DDG-46 Preble (the last of the renumbered Coontz DLGs) to DDG-51 Arleigh Burke.
Reason being the original follow-on to the Virginias was to be the CGN-42 Strike Cruiser class. while the DDG version of the Spruance destroyers was to be the DDG-47 Ticonderoga class, the first four actually being ordered as DDGs. When the Strike Cruiser was terminated, the Ticondergoas were upgraded to Cruisers but kept the original numbers.
Meanwhile the Kidd missile destroyers were commissioned as DDG-993 to 996 in the original DD Destroyer series numbering: there is no rational explanation for that.
I belong to Naval Historical Foundation and we dedicated an ‘Enterprise Room’ prior to 9/11 and were allowed to go on a ‘day trip’ out of Norfolk.
What I had noticed is the ladders not only were steeper but also much narrower than I remembered from the 50’s/60’s.
I did short stint on CVHA-1 in 59
“The next carrier to be built is CVN-78, the USS Gerald R. Ford.”
When do they build the USS Taxpayer, in honor of all of us?
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