Yorktown, Enterprise, Hornet

Posted: Friday, October 26, 2007 by Travis Cody in
12

I love aircraft carriers. These three gals - Hornet, Yorktown, and Enterprise - won the Battle of Midway with daring and tremendous sacrifice. The Doolittle raid on Japan raised the moral of Americans at home, proving that the Japanese homeland was reachable. Midway devastated the Japanese fleet and proved that the reach American of air power on board carriers would win the war.



USS Hornet launched the raid on Japan by Colonel Jimmy Doolittle in April 1942. Two months later in June, she joined USS Yorktown and USS Enterprise in the pivotal Battle of Midway. From August through October 1942, she participated in the Solomon Islands campaign.

She met her end off the Santa Cruz Islands. The Yorktown class carrier was the last of the carriers commissioned before US involvement in World War II.

Read more about USS Hornet (CV-8).



Here is USS Yorktown. She survived the Coral Sea battle and was able to limp back to Pearl Harbor. She was heavily damaged, but workers swarmed over her in dry dock and managed to get her sea worthy again in just three days. Yorktown sailed in time to play a significant role in the Battle of Midway.

She sank off Midway Island on 7 June 1942.

Read more about USS Yorktown (CV-5).



USS Enterprise was the most decorated ship during World War II, earning 20 battle stars. Her honors include: Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, American Defense Service Medal ("Fleet" clasp), American Campaign Medal,Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (20 stars), World War II Victory Medal, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, Philippine Liberation Medal (1 star), British Admiralty Pennant.

She sailed in support of the Doolittle raid and participated in nearly every major World War II engagement including Midway, the Solomons, Santa Cruz Islands, Guadalcanal, Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf.

Read more about The Big E, USS Enterprise (CV-6).

I got about half way through rounds tonight. I'll catch up with everyone soon. And I noticed that I rolled through 8,000 visits sometime in the last day or so. Thanks y'all.

12 comments:

  1. katherine. says:
    25 October, 2007 23:55

    my cousin and his wife will be retiring from the Navy next month...they are both F-18 combat pilots. When they are civilians maybe I will post some of the pictures I have...you would love them.

  1. Joely Sue Burkhart says:
    26 October, 2007 06:13

    I don't know much about WWII, but this was fascinating. That Man loves to watch Midway with John Wayne. Wonder how historically accurate it is?

  1. Schmoop says:
    26 October, 2007 06:24

    I love naval ships especially carriers. Great post Trav. Cheers!!

  1. Julie says:
    26 October, 2007 07:14

    Good post Travis! It's so much fun doing research on stuff that we're passionate about, isn't it?

    **snickers**

    From breasts to aircraft carriers...you're too cool!

  1. Cinnamon Girl says:
    26 October, 2007 09:07

    WWII history is so much fun to explore. The fact that one of my grandfather's was a paratrooper at Normandy and the other liberated Dachau makes it closer to home.

  1. Charles Gramlich says:
    26 October, 2007 09:16

    For a long time I had an absolute fascination with WWII and read a bunch about the carrier war in the Pacific. I remember these three ships.

  1. Vinny "Bond" Marini says:
    26 October, 2007 12:40

    Floating Cities - so very cool Travis

    Katherine...close fraternity brother was also an F-18 pilot and Commander of a squadron..he was stationed out your way for a period of time...

  1. Linda says:
    26 October, 2007 15:50

    My ex-husband was in the Navy and when were stationed in Long Beach I got to see several aircraft carriers that were in dock at the nearby ship yard undergoing refurbishing, etc. It is hard to describe the size of these ships or the majesty.

    One of these days I'm going to get down to the USS Intrepid which is docked down in New York City; I've been by it numerous times but never stopped to visit but I will someday.

  1. Desert Songbird says:
    26 October, 2007 16:12

    Aircraft carriers are wondrous vessels. Family and I toured the USS Midway in San Diego a few years back - awe inspiring and incredible.

  1. Cheesy says:
    26 October, 2007 22:15

    One of my biggest thrills was getting the tour of the USS Truxton when my brother was a Navy Nuke... it was FABOO!

  1. Travis Cody says:
    27 October, 2007 10:43

    Katherine: Wow. Both F-18 combat pilots. That's cool.

    Joely: Midway is pretty close. There are some additions for dramatic effect, but it's close. The John Wayne film you may be thinking of is In Harm's Way, which is not as historically accurate but is an excellent war film.

    Matt: Carriers are amazing.

    Julie: I figure it's best to be diverse.

    Starrlight: Wow. I'll bet they had some incredible stories. I hope they were able to record them.

    Charles: This period is my particular passion.

    V: Yup. Pilots have been measured during combat and carrier landings, and the results show that landings are the most stressful.

    Linda: When I visited New York a couple years ago, we drove by a docked carrier. I don't know which one it was, but it was huge.

    Songbird: Yes they are.

    Cheesy: I'll bet it was.

  1. Unknown says:
    27 October, 2007 16:37

    My ex was on the Enterprise at one time, I do so believe.

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