165-614: USS Franklin (CV/CVA/CVS-13, AVT-8) , nicknamed "Big Ben," was one of 24 Essex -class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy , and the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in January 1944, she served in several campaigns in the Pacific War , earning four battle stars . In March 1945, while launching strikes against the Japanese mainland, she
330-407: A fast carrier task force . Lessons learned from operating the carriers as a single group of six, as two groups of three, and three groups of two, provided the basis for many tactics that later characterized carrier task force operations, with the evolution of the fast carrier task force and its successful employment in future operations. The original aircraft complement, nicknamed the "Sunday Punch",
495-854: A floating drydock , and claimed 11 Japanese aircraft. During the initial landings on Leyte (20 October) Franklin ' s aircraft attacked surrounding airstrips and launched search patrols in anticipation of the approach of a reported enemy attack force. On the morning of 24 October, in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea , her planes formed part of the waves that attacked the Japanese First Raiding Force (under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita ), helping to sink Musashi south of Luzon, damage Fusō and Yamashiro , and sink Wakaba . As further enemy threats seemed to materialize in another quarter, Franklin – with TGs 38.4, 38.3, and 38.2 – sped to intercept
660-528: A barge commanded by Lt. W.A. Hall, who was designated prize master, and had brought 18 sailors and 15 Marines from the barracks at Sumay . Seeing a launch from Cormoran hauling a barge of supplies back shore, Hall ordered shots fired across the bow of the launch until it hove to. Meanwhile, the two officers reached Cormoran and informed Captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt of the situation. Zuckschwerdt agreed to surrender his crew but refused to turn over
825-430: A better experience for hotel guests. Tumon Bay has since been made into a preserve. A federal Guam National Wildlife Refuge in northern Guam protects the decimated sea turtle population in addition to a small colony of Mariana fruit bats . Harvest of sea turtle eggs was a common occurrence on Guam before World War II. The green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) was harvested legally on Guam before August 1978, when it
990-467: A blackened mess compartment and, finding an exit, returned repeatedly to lead groups to safety. Gary later organized and led fire-fighting parties to battle fires on the hangar deck and entered the No. 3 fireroom to raise steam in one boiler. Santa Fe rescued crewmen from the sea and approached Franklin to take off the numerous wounded and nonessential personnel. Among those evacuated were the surviving members of
1155-524: A journalist, or those who died from their wounds much later. In History of United States Naval Operations in World War II , Samuel Eliot Morison gives figures of 724 killed and 265 wounded for 19 March 1945. Joseph A. Springer, citing "official statistics," gives higher numbers of 807 killed and at least 487 wounded. Franklin suffered the most severe damage and highest casualties experienced by any U.S. fleet carrier that survived World War II. In addition to
1320-529: A large cargo vessel in the harbor and setting three smaller ships on fire. On 6 July, Franklin began strikes on Guam and Rota Island to soften them up for the invasion forces that were going to land on Guam, and those strikes continued until 21 July, when she lent direct support to enable safe landing of the first assault waves . Two days of replenishment at Saipan permitted her to steam in Task Force 58 for photographic reconnaissance and air strikes against
1485-433: A nickel-chrome steel alloy that provided the same protective qualities as Class B armor plate, but which was fully structural rather than deadweight. The original design for the class assumed a complement of 215 officers and 2,171 enlisted men. However, by the end of World War II, most crews were 50% larger than that. The tactical employment of U.S. carriers changed as the war progressed. In early operations, through 1942,
1650-450: A plateau. The rugged south of the island is a result of more recent volcanic activity. Cocos Island off the southern tip of Guam is the largest of the many small islets along the coastline. Guam's highest point is Mount Lamlam at 1,334 feet (407 meters) above sea level. If its base is considered to be the nearby Challenger Deep , the deepest surveyed point in the Oceans , Mount Lamlam
1815-629: A population density of 775 per square mile (299/km ). Indigenous Guamanians are the Chamorro , who are related to the Austronesian peoples of the Malay Archipelago , the Philippines , Taiwan , and Polynesia . But unlike most of its neighbors, the Chamorro language is not classified as a Micronesian or Polynesian language. Rather, like Palauan , it possibly constitutes an independent branch of
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#17330926635561980-502: A remnant of pre-European culture. It is believed that " suruhånu " or " suruhåna " are the only ones who can safely harvest plants and other natural materials from their homes or " hålomtåno " without incurring the wrath of the " Taotao mo'na ." Their society was organized along matrilineal clans. The Chamorro people raised colonnades of megalithic capped pillars called latte stones upon which they built their homes. Latte stones are stone pillars that are found only in
2145-477: A resurgence of interest among the Chamorro to preserve the language and culture. Hispanic influences are manifested in the local language, music, dance, sea navigation, cuisine, fishing, games (such as batu , chonka , estuleks , and bayogu ), songs, and fashion. The island's original community are Chamorro natives, who have inhabited Guam for almost 4000 years. They had their own language related to
2310-771: A ship convoy north of Ototo Jima. Targets included radio stations, a seaplane base, airstrips , and ships. A period of upkeep and recreation from 9–28 August ensued at Eniwetok before she departed with Enterprise , Belleau Wood and San Jacinto for neutralization and diversionary attacks against the Bonins. From 31 August to 2 September, strikes from Franklin inflicted ground damage, sank two cargo ships, destroyed enemy planes in flight, and undertook photographic surveys. On 4 September 1944, Franklin took on supplies at Saipan, and then she steamed in TG 38.1 for an attack against Yap Island (3–6 September) which included direct air coverage of
2475-643: A strong preference for American statehood . Guam's de facto motto is "Where America's Day Begins", which refers to the island's proximity to the International Date Line . Guam is among the 17 non-self-governing territories listed by the United Nations , and has been a member of the Pacific Community since 1983. Guam is called Guåhan by Chamorro speakers, from the word guaha , meaning 'to have'; its English gloss 'we have' references
2640-427: A third heavier than Yorktown -class carriers. A longer, wider flight deck and a deck-edge elevator (which had proven successful in the one-off USS Wasp ) facilitated more efficient aviation operations, enhancing the ship's offensive and defensive air power. Machinery arrangement and armor protection were greatly improved from previous designs. These features, plus the provision of more anti-aircraft guns, gave
2805-509: Is 86 °F or 30 °C. The mean low is 76 °F (24.4 °C). Temperatures rarely exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) or fall below 70 °F (21.1 °C). The relative humidity commonly exceeds 84 percent at night throughout the year, but the average monthly humidity hovers near 66 percent. The highest temperature ever recorded in Guam was 96 °F (35.6 °C) on April 18, 1971, and April 1, 1990. A record low of 69 °F (21 °C)
2970-542: Is a non-voting member. They do, however, vote for party delegates in presidential primaries. In 1969, a referendum on unification with the Northern Mariana Islands was held and rejected. During the 1970s, Maryly Van Leer Peck started an engineering program, expanded University of Guam , and founded Guam Community College . In the same period, Alby Mangels , Australian adventurer and filmmaker of World Safari visited Guam during his six-year escapade on
3135-482: Is generally hot and humid throughout the year with little seasonal temperature variation. Guam is known to have equable temperatures year-round. Trade winds are fairly constant throughout the year. There is often a weak westerly monsoon influence in the summer months. Guam has two distinct seasons: Wet and dry season. The dry season runs from January through May. June is the transitional period. The wet season runs from July through November. Guam's average annual rainfall
3300-610: Is located on the micro Mariana Plate between the two. Guam is the closest land mass to the Mariana Trench , the deep subduction zone that runs east of the Marianas. Volcanic eruptions established the base of the island in the Eocene , roughly 56 to 33.9 million years ago. The north of Guam is a result of this base being covered with layers of coral reef , turning into limestone , and then being thrust upward by tectonic activity to create
3465-628: Is the 32nd largest island of the United States . It is the southernmost and largest island in the Mariana Islands , as well as the largest in Micronesia . Guam's Point Udall is the westernmost point of the U.S. , as measured from the geographic center of the United States . The Mariana chain of which Guam is a part, was created by collision of the Pacific and Philippine Sea tectonic plates . Guam
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#17330926635563630-406: Is the world's tallest mountain at 37,820 feet (11,530 m). Politically, Guam is divided into 19 villages . The majority of the population lives on the coralline limestone plateaus of the north, with political and economic activity centered in the central and northern regions. The rugged geography of the south largely limits settlement to rural coastal areas. The western coast is leeward of
3795-544: The SMS Cormoran (or SMS Cormoran II ), a German armed merchant raider , was forced to seek port at Apra Harbor on the U.S. territory of Guam after running short on coal. The United States, which was neutral at the time refused to supply provisions sufficient for the Cormoran to make a German port so the ship and her crew were interned until 1917. On the morning of April 7, 1917, word reached Guam by telegraph cable that
3960-929: The Brooklyn Navy Yard and Newport News respectively. After the US declaration of war, Congress appropriated funds for nineteen more Essex -class carriers. Ten were ordered in August 1942 (CV-31 and 33-35 from Brooklyn, CV-32 from Newport News, CV-36 and -37 from the Philadelphia Navy Yard , CV-38 through -40 from the Norfolk Navy Yard ) and three more in June 1943 (CV-45 from Philadelphia, -46 from Newport News and -47 from Fore River). Only two of these were completed in time to see active World War II service. Six ships ordered in 1944 (CV-50 through -55) were canceled before construction
4125-519: The Caroline Islands , victims of a resultant tsunami . This earthquake was much more powerful than the 8.2 one that occurred on August 8, 1993. After a smallpox epidemic killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856, Carolinians and Japanese were permitted to settle in the Marianas. After almost four centuries as part of the Kingdom of Spain , the United States occupied the island following Spain's defeat in
4290-520: The Doolittle Raiders flew from the fictional Himalayan kingdom setting of the novel Lost Horizon . At the conclusion of the war, the six ships ordered but never laid down (CV-50 through 55) were cancelled. Of the nine still unfinished, six were completed, two ( Reprisal and Iwo Jima ) were scrapped, and Oriskany was taken in hand for modification to an improved design, completing in 1950. In summary, during World War II and until its conclusion,
4455-484: The Empire of Japan attacked and invaded in the 1941 Battle of Guam on December 8, at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor . The Japanese renamed Guam Ōmiya-jima (Great Shrine Island). The Japanese occupation of Guam lasted about 31 months. During this period, the indigenous people of Guam were subjected to beatings, forced labor, family separation, concentration camps, massacres, beheadings and rape. During
4620-465: The Essex building program. The number of 20 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns was greatly increased, new and improved radars were added, the original hangar deck catapult was removed, the ventilation system was substantially revised, details of protection were altered, and hundreds of other large and small changes were executed. In the meantime, earlier ships were continually modified as they returned to
4785-698: The Essex carriers participated in the Korean War. These ships played a major role throughout the entire war. Missions included attacks on all types of ground targets, air superiority, and antisubmarine patrols. Thirteen of the twenty-four carriers originally built participated in the Vietnam War , including the prelude and follow-up. However, their inability to support the latest aircraft constrained some of those ships to specialized roles as helicopter carriers or antisubmarine platforms. The ships still performing an attack mission generally carried older aircraft types than
4950-489: The Essex -class ships laid down after 1942, only Bon Homme Richard followed the original "short bow" design. The later ships have been variously referred to as the "long-bow units", the "long-hull group", or the " Ticonderoga class". However, the U.S. Navy never maintained any institutional distinction between the long-hull and short-hull members of the Essex class, and postwar refits and upgrades were applied to both groups equally. Less immediately visible aspects of
5115-623: The Guam Organic Act of 1950 established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States , provided for the structure of the island's civilian government, and granted the people U.S. citizenship. The Governor of Guam was federally appointed until 1968 when the Guam Elective Governor Act provided for the office's popular election. Since Guam is not a U.S. state, U.S. citizens residing on Guam are not allowed to vote for president and their congressional representative
USS Franklin (CV-13) - Misplaced Pages Continue
5280-534: The Malayo-Polynesian language family . The Chamorro people settled Guam and the Mariana islands approximately 3,500 years ago. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan , while in the service of Spain, was the first European to visit and claim the island on March 6, 1521. Guam was fully colonized by Spain in 1668. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Guam was an important stopover for Spanish Manila galleons . During
5445-598: The Moon in December 1968; and Princeton recovered the second crew to orbit the Moon, aboard Apollo 10 , in May 1969. Guam Guam ( / ˈ ɡ w ɑː m / GWAHM ; Chamorro : Guåhan [ˈɡʷɑhɑn] ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean . Guam's capital is Hagåtña , and
5610-555: The Peleliu invasion on the 15th. The Task Group took on supplies at Manus Island from 21 to 25 September. Franklin , now the flagship of TG 38.4, returned to the Palau area where she launched daily patrols and night fighters . Early on 14 September 1944, a fighter sweep was made against Aparri , Luzon , following which she steamed to the east of Luzon to neutralize installations prior to invasion landings on Leyte . On 15 September, Franklin
5775-520: The Philippines which was followed by a second migration from the Caroline Islands in the first millennium AD. A third migration wave took place from Island Southeast Asia , likely the Philippines or eastern Indonesia , by 900 AD. These original settlers of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands evolved into the Chamorro people , historically known as Chamorros after first contact with
5940-483: The SCB-144 program in the early 1960s. The updated units remained active until age and the growing number of supercarriers made them obsolete, from the late 1960s into the middle 1970s. However, one of the first of the type, Lexington , served until 1991 as a training ship. Four of the modernized ships ( Yorktown , Intrepid , Hornet , and Lexington ) have been preserved as museums; the remainder were scrapped starting in
6105-626: The Santa Fe commander, CDR Stephen Jurika , the Franklin navigator and also a former torpedo bomber pilot, LCDR (later RADM) Dwight L. Johnson, the Miller commander, LCDR Macgregor "Mac" Kilpatrick , an experienced fighter pilot and the commanding officer of Fighting Squadron Five , and LT Fred R. "Red" Harris , a Franklin flight deck officer and a member of the Texas Legislature both before and after
6270-665: The Spanish East Indies , and part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain , based in Mexico City . The Spanish-Chamorro Wars on Guam began in 1670 over growing tensions with the Jesuit mission, with the last large-scale uprising in 1683. Intermittent warfare, plus the typhoons of 1671 and 1693, and in particular the smallpox epidemic of 1688, reduced the Chamorro population from 50,000 to 10,000, and finally to less than 5,000. Up until
6435-656: The Spanish–American War , the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898. Under the 1898 Treaty of Paris , Spain ceded Guam to the U.S. effective April 11, 1899. Before World War II , Guam was one of five American jurisdictions in the Pacific Ocean, along with Wake Island in Micronesia, American Samoa and Hawaii in Polynesia, and the Philippines. On December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor , Guam
6600-487: The U.S. Congress had declared war on Germany . The Naval Governor of Guam , Roy Campbell Smith , sent two officers to inform the Cormoran that a state of war existed between the two countries, that the crew were now prisoners of war , and that the ship must be surrendered. Meanwhile, the USS Supply blocked the entrance to Apra Harbor to prevent any attempt to flee. In a separate boat, the two officers were accompanied by
6765-616: The anti-submarine warfare carrier (CVS) designation established in August 1953. As the Forrestal -class " supercarriers " entered the fleet, the eight 27A conversions were designated CVS to replace the original unconverted ships; the latter began to leave active service in the late 1950s. Two 27C conversions were designated CVS in 1962 (although CVS-11 Intrepid would operate as an attack carrier off Vietnam) and two more in 1969. The seven angle-deck 27As and one 27C received specialized CVS modifications including bow-mounted SQS-23 sonar under
USS Franklin (CV-13) - Misplaced Pages Continue
6930-519: The flagship of Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison for most of her time in the western Pacific. On the last day of June 1944, she sortied for carrier strikes on the Bonin Islands in support of the subsequent Mariana Islands assault . Her planes destroyed aircraft on the ground and in the air, gun installations, airfield and enemy shipping. On 4 July, strikes were launched against Iwo Jima , Chichi Jima , and Haha Jima , hitting ground targets, sinking
7095-453: The trade winds and is the location of Apra Harbor , the capital Hagåtña , and the tourist center of Tumon . The U.S. Defense Department owns about 29% of the island, under the management of Joint Region Marianas . Guam has a tropical rainforest climate on the Köppen scale (Köppen Af ). Its driest month of March almost qualifies as a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am ). The weather
7260-552: The 1898 Spanish–American War , as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 . Guam was transferred to the United States Navy control on December 23, 1898, by Executive Order 108-A from 25th President William McKinley . Guam was a station for American merchants and warships traveling to and from the Philippines , which was another American acquisition from Spain, while the Northern Mariana Islands were sold by Spain to Germany for part of its rapidly expanding German Empire . A U.S. Navy yard
7425-616: The 1970s save Oriskany , which the Navy contemplated reactivating in the 1980s and which was eventually scuttled as an artificial reef off the Florida coast in 2006. Of the unmodernized Essex es, Boxer , Princeton , and Valley Forge were redesignated Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) amphibious assault ships for the Marine Corps , and remained in commission with their original straight decks until about 1970. The remainder decommissioned in
7590-521: The 1970s. For a typical attack carrier (CVA) configuration in 1956–57 aboard Bennington , the air wing consisted of one squadron each of the following: FJ-3 Furies , F2H Banshees , F9F Cougars , AD-6 , AD-5N , and AD-5W Skyraiders, AJ-2 Savages , and F9F-8P photo Cougars . By the mid-to-late 1960s, the attack air wing had evolved. Oriskany deployed with two squadrons of F-8J Crusaders , three squadrons of A-4E Skyhawks , E-1 Tracers , EKA-3B Skywarriors , and RF-8G photo Crusaders . In 1970,
7755-481: The 1990s also disrupted the island's economy. Economic recovery was further hampered by devastation from super typhoons Paka in 1997 and Pongsona in 2002, as well as the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the crash of Korean Air Flight 801 on tourism. Guam is 30.17 miles (48.55 kilometers) long and 4 to 12 miles (6 to 19 kilometers) wide. It has an area of 212 square miles (549 square kilometers). It
7920-474: The American arrangement to have been superior. In the late 1930s, locating the strength deck at hangar deck level in the proposed Essex -class ships reduced the weight located high in the ship, resulting in smaller supporting structures and more aircraft capacity for the desired displacement. The Midway class which followed armored both the hangar and flight deck (the latter more heavily). The larger size of
8085-648: The American period include the Typhoon of 1900 , Karen (1962), Pamela (1976), Paka (1997), Pongsona (2002), and Mawar (2023). Since Typhoon Pamela in 1976, wooden structures have been largely replaced by concrete structures. During the 1980s, wooden utility poles began to be replaced by typhoon-resistant concrete and steel poles. After the local Government enforced stricter construction codes, many home and business owners have built their structures out of reinforced concrete with installed typhoon shutters . Guam has experienced severe effects of invasive species upon
8250-748: The Cold War heated up, the Essex carriers were often involved, including Quemoy and the Matsu Islands , the Bay of Pigs Invasion , and the Cuban Missile Crisis . Also, from 1957 through 1991 an Essex -class ship served as the Navy's training carrier— Antietam from 1957 through 1962 and Lexington for the remainder of the time. Several Essex -class ships played a part in the United States' human spaceflight program, as recovery ships for uncrewed and crewed spaceflights, between 1960 and 1973. USS Valley Forge
8415-503: The Dead Reckoning Tracer was also implemented for navigation and tracking of surface ships. Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) was used to identify hostile ships and aircraft, especially at night or in adverse weather. The four-channel Very High Frequency (VHF) radio permitted channel variation in an effort to prevent enemy interception of transmissions. It also allowed for simultaneous radio contact with other ships and planes in
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#17330926635568580-460: The Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources has established several new marine preserves where fish populations are monitored by biologists. These are located at Pati Point , Piti Bomb Holes , Sasa Bay , Achang Reef Flat, and Tumon Bay . Before adopting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, portions of Tumon Bay were dredged by the hotel chains to provide
8745-581: The Japanese mainland, closer than any other U.S. carrier during the war, launched a fighter sweep against Honshū and later a strike against shipping in Kure Harbor. The Franklin crew had been called to battle stations twelve times within six hours that night and Gehres downgraded the alert status to Condition III, allowing his men freedom to eat or sleep, although gunnery crews remained at their stations. A single Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" dive bomber approached Franklin without being detected by radar. As Franklin
8910-476: The March 1943 design modification included safer ventilation and aviation-fuel systems, moving the combat information center below the armored deck, the addition of a second flight-deck catapult, the elimination of the hangar deck catapult, and a third Mk 37 fire-control director; some of these changes were also made to short-bow ships nearing completion or as they returned to the yards. Modifications were made throughout
9075-593: The Mariana Islands. They are a recent development in Pre-Contact Chamorro society. The latte-stone was used as a foundation on which thatched huts were built. Latte stones consist of a base shaped from limestone called the haligi and with a capstone, or tåsa , made either from a large brain coral or limestone, placed on top. A possible source for these stones, the Rota Latte Stone Quarry ,
9240-470: The Medals of Honor for Donald Gary and Joseph O'Callahan and the posthumous Navy Cross for George Fox, 21 additional Navy Crosses and 26 Silver Stars were awarded as a result of actions that day. Among these were a gold star in lieu of a third Navy Cross for CDR (later RADM) Joseph F. "Joe" Taylor, the ship's executive officer and a former torpedo bomber pilot, and Navy Crosses for CAPT (later RADM) Harold C. Fitz,
9405-469: The Northern Mariana Islands, the only Spanish outposts in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, were reprovisioning stops for the Manila galleons , a fleet that covered the Pacific trade route between Acapulco and Manila . Spanish colonization commenced on June 15, 1668, with the arrival of a mission led by Diego Luis de San Vitores , who established the first Catholic church. The islands were part of
9570-818: The Spaniards. The ancient Chamorro society had four classes: chamorri (chiefs), matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana'chang (lower class). The matua were located in the coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds. The mana'chang were located in the island's interior. Matua and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other. The matua often used achaot as intermediaries. There were also " makåhna " or " kakahna ", shamans with magical powers and "' suruhånu " or " suruhåna ", healers who used different kinds of plants and natural materials to make medicine. Belief in spirits of ancient Chamorros called " Taotao mo'na " still persists as
9735-551: The US Navy ordered 32 aircraft carriers of the Essex class, including the Ticonderoga subgroup, of which 26 were laid down and 24 actually commissioned. In drawing up the preliminary design for Essex , particular attention was directed at the size of both the flight and hangar decks. Aircraft design had come a long way from the comparatively light planes used in carriers during the 1930s. Flight decks now required more takeoff space for
9900-555: The West Coast were heavily overloaded with American warships that had been damaged by Japanese kamikazes . Upon Franklin ' s arrival in New York, a long-brewing controversy over the ship's crew's conduct during her struggles finally came to a head. Captain Gehres had accused many of those who had left the ship on 19 March 1945 of desertion , despite the fact that those who had jumped into
10065-402: The advancing Japanese carrier force and attack at dawn. The distant carrier force was actually a sacrificial feint, as by that time the Japanese were almost out of serviceable airplanes and, even more importantly, very short on trained pilots, but the admiral in charge, William Halsey , took the bait and steamed after them without effectively communicating his intentions, leading to the infamous "
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#173309266355610230-402: The advent of war, airplane weights began to go up as armor and armament got heavier; aircrew complements also increased. By the war's end in 1945, catapult launches would become more common under these circumstances, with some carrier commanding officers reporting up to 40% of launches by catapult. The hangar area design came in for many design conferences between the naval bureaus. Not only were
10395-501: The attack, she returned to the U.S. mainland for repairs, missing the rest of the war; she was decommissioned in 1947. In reserve , she was reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA), then an antisubmarine carrier (CVS), and finally an aircraft transport (AVT), but she was never modernized and never saw active service again. Franklin and Bunker Hill (damaged by two kamikazes ) were the only Essex -class carriers not to see active service as aircraft carriers after World War II. Franklin
10560-402: The backbone of the U.S. Navy from mid-1943 and, with the three Midway -class carriers added just after the war, continued to be the heart of U.S. naval strength until supercarriers joined the fleet in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Several of the carriers were rebuilt to handle heavier and faster aircraft of the early jet age, and some served until well after the Vietnam War . Of the 24 ships in
10725-400: The basis of the actual Essex design; 9G became the ancestor of the 45,000-ton Midway class. After the abrogation of disarmament treaties by Japan in 1936, the U.S. took a realistic look at its naval strength. With the Naval Expansion Act of Congress passed on 17 May 1938, an increase of 40,000 tons in aircraft carriers was authorized. This permitted the building of Hornet , which
10890-409: The class consisted of 24 vessels, which came in "short-hull" and "long-hull" versions. Thirty-two ships were ordered, but as World War II wound down, six were canceled before construction, and two were canceled after construction had begun. Fourteen saw combat during World War II. None were lost to enemy action, though several sustained crippling damage due to kamikaze attacks. Essex -class carriers were
11055-537: The class were made, particularly with regard to the ventilation system, lighting systems, and the trash burner design and implementation. These carriers had better armor protection than their predecessors, better facilities for handling ammunition, safer and greater fueling capacity, and more effective damage control equipment. Yet, these ships were also designed to limit weight and the complexity of construction, for instance incorporating extensive use of flat and straight metal pieces, and of Special Treatment Steel (STS),
11220-401: The class, four – Yorktown , Hornet , Lexington , and Intrepid – have been preserved as museum ships . The preceding Yorktown -class aircraft carriers and the designers' list of trade-offs and limitations forced by arms control treaty obligations shaped the development of the Essex class – a design sparked by the Japanese and Italian repudiation of
11385-447: The command module from that flight is currently on display aboard Hornet . Bennington recovered the command module of Apollo 4 , the first uncrewed flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle, on 9 November 1967. Eleven months later, Essex recovered the astronauts of Apollo 7 , the first crewed mission in the Apollo program, after eleven days in orbit. Yorktown recovered the astronauts of Apollo 8 , after their historic flight around
11550-456: The demise of the treaty limitations and the growing tensions in Europe, naval planners were free to apply both the lessons they had learned operating carriers for fifteen years and those of operating the Yorktown -class carriers to the newer design. Designed to carry a larger air group, and unencumbered by the latest in a succession of pre-war naval treaty limits , USS Essex was over sixty feet longer, nearly ten feet wider, and more than
11715-415: The destroyer Miller by breeches buoy and suggested abandoning ship, but Gehres refused to scuttle the Franklin as there were still many men alive below deck. The other destroyers fell in astern of the carrier to rescue members of the crew who had been blown overboard, or jumped off to avoid the fire. Some of the destroyers put their bows against the side of the burning carrier to take off men trapped by
11880-515: The dock area too fast, crashing her into the dock; embarrassed, Gehres blamed the mooring details for the incident. After temporary repairs were completed, the ship continued its journey through the Panama Canal to the Brooklyn Navy Yard , New York, where she arrived on 28 April 1945. She had to steam to the East Coast of the United States for repairs in New York because all of the repair shipyards on
12045-406: The doctrine was to operate singly or in pairs, joining together for the offense and separating when on the defense—the theory being that a separation of carriers under attack not only provided a protective screen for each, but also dispersed the targets and divided the enemy's attack. Combat experience in those early operations did not bear out the theory, and new proposals for tactical deployment were
12210-408: The embarked Air Group 5 , who were deemed nonexpendable. 32 Corsair fighters, 15 Grumman TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, 7 Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, and 5 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters, 59 planes total, were destroyed by the Japanese attack. The casualty count for Franklin varies from source to source as some do not include air group personnel or Marines, passengers who were in transit,
12375-526: The end of the war, beginning with raids in the central Pacific and the invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands . The ships successfully performed a number of missions, included air superiority, attacking the Japanese fleet, supporting landings, fleet protection, bombing the Japanese home islands, and transporting aircraft and troops. Along the way, the carriers survived bombs , torpedoes , kamikazes , and typhoons without one ship being sunk. Eleven of
12540-589: The end of the war, was completed to an improved design between August 1948 and September 1950, with a much stronger (straight) flight deck and a reconfigured island. Eight earlier ships were thoroughly rebuilt to the Oriskany design under the SCB-27 A program in the early 1950s. Six more of the earlier ships were rebuilt to an improved 27C design as the last stage of the SCB-27 program; these ships received steam catapults instead of
12705-452: The final Gemini spaceflight, Gemini 12 on 15 November. The successful use of the carriers as recovery ships continued into the Apollo program . On 26 February 1966, Boxer recovered the command module from AS-201 , the first uncrewed flight of a production Apollo Command and Service Module . AS-202 , another sub-orbital test flight of the command module, was recovered in August by Hornet ;
12870-514: The fire. Some of the crew from the assisting ships were killed or wounded, but the hundreds of officers and enlisted men who voluntarily remained saved many lives, and then saved the ship. Among the dead was one of the ship's surgeons , LCDR George W. Fox, M.D., who was killed while tending to wounded sailors; he was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. When totaling casualty figures for both Franklin cruises numbers increase to 926 killed in action,
13035-422: The fires further reduced freeboard, which was exacerbated by a 15-degree list to starboard, and her stability was seriously impaired such that her survival was in jeopardy. Pumping ballast to correct the starboard list caused a 15-degree list to port. Pittsburgh towed Franklin at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) for the remaining daylight hours. After six hours, with the fire finally under control such that
13200-416: The first crewed flight, Gemini 3 . Wasp recovered the crew of Gemini IV on 7 June, and on 29 August, Lake Champlain picked up Gemini 5 after eight days in space. In December 1965, Wasp made history by picking up two spacecraft in just over two days: Gemini VI-A on 16 December, and Gemini 7 on 18 December, after their orbital rendezvous test flight. She also recovered Gemini 9A on 6 June 1966 and
13365-611: The first operational United States angled deck aircraft carrier in 1955. Oriskany , the first of the modernized ships but the last angled-deck conversion, received a unique SCB-125A refit which upgraded her to 27C standard, and included steam catapults and an aluminum flight deck. Korean War and subsequent Cold War needs ensured twenty-two of the twenty-four ships had extensive post–World War II service ( Bunker Hill and Franklin had suffered heavy damage and were never recommissioned). All initially carried attack air groups; however by 1955 seven unconverted Essex es were operating under
13530-553: The first supercarriers necessitated a deeper hull and shifted the center of gravity and center of stability lower, enabling moving the strength deck to the flight deck, thus freeing US Naval design architects to move the armor higher and remain within compliance of US Navy stability specifications without imperiling seaworthiness. One of the design studies prepared for the Essex project, "Design 9G", included an armored flight deck but reduced aircraft capacity, and displaced 27,200 tons, or about 1,200 tons more than "Design 9F", which formed
13695-638: The flight deck centerline, penetrating to the hangar deck , causing destruction and igniting fires through the second and third decks, and knocking out the combat information center and air plot . The second hit aft, tearing through two decks. At the time she was struck, Franklin had 31 armed and fueled aircraft warming up on her flight deck, and these planes caught fire almost immediately. The 13 to 16 tons of high explosives aboard these planes soon began detonating progressively, and although " Tiny Tim " air-to-surface rockets were loaded aboard Vought F4U Corsairs , their three-point, nose up attitude allowed most of
13860-407: The flight deck had been strengthened. The aircraft carrier, therefore, displaced more than originally planned, her freeboard was reduced, and her stability characteristics had been altered. Santa Fe came alongside Franklin to spray water from fire hoses over the fire as she received stretcher cases and ambulatory wounded from the carrier. The enormous quantities of water poured aboard her to fight
14025-545: The flight deck so planes could be recovered 76 minutes after the kamikaze hit. Both carriers retired to Ulithi Atoll for temporary repairs, and then Franklin proceeded to the Puget Sound Navy Yard , arriving on 28 November 1944 for repairs of her battle damage. In the meantime, on 7 November, Captain Leslie E. Gehres took over as the carrier's commanding officer. Captain Gehres was a strict disciplinarian whose autocracy
14190-646: The founding father Benjamin Franklin and for the previous warships that had been named for him; it was not named for the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee , that was fought during the American Civil War , as is sometimes erroneously reported, although a footnote in The Franklin Comes Home does attribute the naming to the Battle of Franklin. ( Franklin, Tennessee was also named after Benjamin Franklin.) Franklin
14355-436: The four kamikazes independently diving toward each of the four carriers; but the one targeting Franklin hit the flight deck and crashed through to the gallery deck, killing 56 men and wounding 60. As the remaining two kamikazes attacked, one was shot down by anti-aircraft guns and the second missed Franklin with two bombs before flying into the stern of Belleau Wood . Franklin was able to extinguish fires and patch
14520-449: The hangar deck until their 138 lb (63 kg) warheads detonated. Of the personnel who were in the hangar only two survived. One "Tiny Tim" warhead lodged on the third deck below the forward elevator, and was not removed until Franklin reached Ulithi. Dense smoke soon filled the engineering spaces, which were ordered evacuated with the throttles set. Franklin was soon dead in the water, without radio communications, and broiling in
14685-485: The heat from enveloping fires. On the bridge, Captain Gehres ordered Franklin ' s magazines flooded but this could not be carried out as the ship's water mains were destroyed by the explosions or fire. Cruisers USS Pittsburgh and USS Santa Fe with destroyers USS Miller , USS Hickox , USS Hunt and USS Marshall left the task group formation to assist Franklin . Accompanied by RADM Bogan, RADM Davison transferred his flag to
14850-427: The heavier aircraft being developed. Moreover, US carrier doctrine was premised on the "deck-load strike", launching as rapidly as possible as many aircraft as could be spotted on the flight deck beforehand. Most of the first-line carriers of the pre-war years were equipped with flush deck catapults , but, owing to the speed and size of these ships, very little catapulting was done except for experimental purposes. With
15015-471: The island's providing everything needed to live. Guam, along with the Mariana Islands , were the first islands settled by humans in Remote Oceania . It was also the first and the longest of the ocean-crossing voyages of the Austronesian peoples , and is separate from the later Polynesian settlement of the rest of Remote Oceania. They were first settled around 1500 to 1400 BC, by migrants departing from
15180-484: The island. The estimated interracial marriage rate is over 40%. The official languages of the island are English and Chamorro . Unlike most of its neighboring languages, Chamorro is not classified as Micronesian or Polynesian . Rather, like Palauan , it possibly constitutes an independent branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family . Filipino is also commonly spoken across the island. Other Pacific and Asian languages are spoken in Guam as well. Spanish , which
15345-516: The islands of the Palau Islands group. On 25 and 26 July, her planes struck enemy planes, ships, and ground installations. Franklin departed on 28 July and headed for Saipan, and the following day she was shifted to TG 58.1. Although high seas prevented taking on a needed load of bombs and rockets , Franklin steamed for another raid against the Bonins. On 4 August, her fighters attacked Chichi Jima and her dive bombers and torpedo planes attacked
15510-439: The languages of Indonesia and southeast Asia. The Spanish later called them Chamorros. A derivative of the word, Chamorri, means "noble race". They began to grow rice on the island. Historically, the native people of Guam venerated the bones of their ancestors. They kept the skulls in their houses in small baskets, and practiced incantations before them when it was desired to attain certain objects. During Spanish rule (1668–1898)
15675-509: The last nine ships completed stayed on active duty to form, with three Midway s, the backbone of the post-war Navy's combat strength. Though the Truman administration 's defense economies sent three of the active Essex es into "mothballs" in 1949, these soon came back into commission after the Korean War began. Ultimately, all but two short-hulls and all thirteen long-hulls had active Cold War service. Oriskany , which had been left unfinished at
15840-578: The late 1950s and early 1960s and were promptly reclassified as aircraft transports (AVT), reflecting their very limited ability to operate modern aircraft safely. An unmodernised Essex was offered to the Royal Australian Navy in 1960 as a replacement for HMAS Melbourne but the offer was declined due to the expense of modifications required to make it operationally compatible with the RAN's primarily British-designed fleet. All were scrapped, most in
16005-455: The late 19th century, Guam was encountered by adventurers and pirates, including Thomas Cavendish , Olivier van Noort , John Eaton , William Dampier , Woodes Rogers , John Clipperton , George Shelvocke and William "Bully" Hayes . The island became a rest stop for whalers starting in 1823. A devastating typhoon struck the island on August 10, 1848, followed by a severe earthquake on January 25, 1849, which resulted in many refugees from
16170-456: The latest technology and communications equipment. All units were commissioned with SK air-search and SC and SG surface-search radars. Several of the class received SM fighter-direction radar. Two Mark 37 fire control directors fitted with FD Mark 4 tracking radar for the 5"/38 battery were installed; the Mk4 proved inadequate at distinguishing low-level intruders from surface clutter and
16335-608: The leg of his voyage through the Pacific aboard the Klaraborg . The removal of Guam's security clearance by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 allowed for the development of a tourism industry. When the United States closed U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and Clark Air Base bases in the Philippines after the expiration of their leases in the early 1990s, many of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam. The 1997 Asian financial crisis , which hit Japan particularly hard, severely affected Guam's tourism industry. Military cutbacks in
16500-450: The less powerful hydraulic units. The otherwise unmodified Antietam received an experimental 10.5-degree angled deck in 1952. An angled flight deck and enclosed hurricane bow became the distinctive features of the SCB-125 program, which was undertaken concurrently with the last three 27C conversions and later applied to all 27A and 27C ships except Lake Champlain . Shangri-La became
16665-593: The limitations proposed in the 1936 revision of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 (as updated in October 1930 in the London Naval Treaty ). Effectively, this rejection allowed all five signatories to resume the interrupted naval arms race of the 1890s-1910s in early 1937. At the time of the repudiations, both Italy and Japan had colonial ambitions, intent on or already conducting military conquests. With
16830-534: The marine life in reefs around the island. Soil stabilization efforts by volunteers and forestry workers (planting trees) have had little success in preserving natural habitats. Efforts have been made to protect Guam's coral reef habitats from pollution, eroded silt and overfishing, problems that have led to decreased fish populations. This has both ecological and economic value, as Guam is a significant vacation spot for scuba divers , and one study found that Guam's reefs are worth $ 127 million per year. In recent years,
16995-467: The most populous village is Dededo . It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States, reckoned from the geographic center of the U.S. In Oceania , Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia . As of 2022, its population was 168,801. Chamorros are its largest ethnic group, but a minority on the multiethnic island. The territory spans 210 square miles (540 km ; 130,000 acres) and has
17160-510: The natural biodiversity of the island. These include the local extinction of endemic bird species after the introduction of the brown tree snake , an infestation of the coconut rhinoceros beetle destroying coconut palms, and the effect of introduced feral mammals and amphibians . Wildfires plague the forested areas of Guam every dry season despite the island's humid climate. Most fires are caused by humans with 80% resulting from arson . Poachers often start fires to attract deer to
17325-431: The nearly three years of occupation approximately 1,100 Chamorros were killed, according to later US Congressional committee testimony in 2004. Some historians estimate that war violence killed 10% of Guam's then 20,000 population. The United States returned and fought the 1944 Battle of Guam from July 21 to August 10, to recapture the island. July 21 is now a territorial holiday, Liberation Day . After World War II,
17490-483: The new growth. Invasive grass species that rely on fire as part of their natural life cycle grow in many regularly burned areas. Grasslands and "barrens" have replaced previously forested areas leading to greater soil erosion. During the rainy season, sediment is carried by the heavy rains into the Fena Lake Reservoir and Ugum River , leading to water quality problems for southern Guam. Eroded silt also destroys
17655-570: The only carriers in their class that never saw any active-duty postwar service, but their wartime damage had been successfully repaired. In fact, it was their like-new condition which kept them out of commission, as the Navy for many years envisioned an "ultimate reconfiguration" for them, which never took place. The Navy initially sold Franklin to the Peck Iron and Metal Company of Portsmouth, Virginia , but reclaimed her because of an urgent Bureau of Ships requirement for her four turbo generators . She
17820-485: The population was Catholic, with 54 priests and 64 nuns across 27 parishes. The culture of Guam is a reflection of traditional Chamorro customs, in combination with American, Spanish and Mexican traditions. Post-European-contact Chamorro Guamanian culture is a combination of American, Spanish, Filipino, other Micronesian Islander and Mexican traditions. Few indigenous pre-Hispanic customs remained following Spanish contact, but include plaiting and pottery. There has been
17985-482: The population. Asians , including Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese, accounted for 35.5% of the population. Other ethnic groups of Micronesia , including those of Chuukese , Palauan , and Pohnpeians , accounted for 13.2%. 10% of the population were multiracial , (two or more races). European Americans made up 6.8% of the population; 1% are African Americans , and 3% are Hispanic ; there are 1,740 Mexicans in Guam, and there are other Hispanic ethnicities on
18150-439: The position of the elevator. The elevator also increased the effective deck space when it was in the "up" position by providing additional parking room outside the normal contours of the flight deck, and increased the effective area on the hangar deck by the absence of elevator pits. In addition, its machinery was less complex than the two inboard elevators, requiring about 20% fewer man-hours of maintenance. Ongoing improvements to
18315-512: The purpose built Iwo Jima -class amphibious assault ships providing floating helicopter bases for US Marines. The LPHs were sometimes also used as aircraft ferries for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The AV-8A arrived into Marine Corps inventory too late to see regular fixed wing operations return to these ships. It was possible to launch and recover small aircraft like the OV-10 Bronco without need of catapult or arresting wires, but this
18480-406: The rockets to fly overboard when their motors ignited. The hangar deck contained planes, of which 16 were fueled and 5 were armed. The forward gasoline system had been secured, but the aft system was operating. The explosion on the hangar deck ignited the fuel tanks on the aircraft, and a gasoline vapor explosion devastated the deck. The twelve "Tiny Tim" rockets aboard these planes ricocheted around
18645-411: The sea. Franklin proceeded to Ulithi Atoll at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) under her own power for emergency repairs. Next she headed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for temporary repairs. As per Pearl Harbor procedures, a civilian harbor pilot came aboard to help navigate the carrier to the dock; Captain Gehres, however, refused, and said he would "take her in" himself. He maneuvered Franklin into
18810-503: The ship could be saved, men returned to the engineering spaces and got underway at 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph) with only two of the four screws driving. Franklin ' s planes which had been in the air when the carrier was hit landed aboard the other carriers in the task group, although it was necessary to push some planes overboard to make room for them. Admiral Davison deployed five destroyers to search for any of Franklin ' s men who had been blown overboard or jumped into
18975-586: The ship. The U.S. officers informed Zuckschwerdt that the Cormoran would be treated as an enemy combatant and left to inform Governor Smith of the situation. Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Germans had secreted an explosive device in the ship's coal bunker. Minutes after the Americans left, an explosion aboard Cormoran hurled debris across the harbor and her crew began abandoning ship. The two American boats and USS Supply immediately began to recover German sailors from
19140-528: The ships much enhanced survivability. In fact, during the war, none of the Essex -class carriers were lost and two, USS Franklin and USS Bunker Hill , came home under their own power and were successfully repaired even after receiving extremely heavy damage. Debates raged regarding armoring the hangar deck . British designers' comments tended to disparage the use of hangar deck armor, but some historians, such as D.K. Brown in Nelson to Vanguard , see
19305-457: The ships to handle the jets' increased weight and speed. Among these modification were jet-blast deflectors (JBDs), greater aviation fuel capacity, stronger decks and elevators. Also included were the British innovations of an optical landing system , steam catapults and, ultimately, an angled flight deck . All of the short-hulls were laid up in 1946–47 along with five of the long-hulls. Eight of
19470-422: The side elevator. It was a standard elevator, 60 by 34 ft (18 by 10 m) in platform surface, which traveled vertically on the port side of the ship. There would be no large hole in the flight deck when the elevator was in the "down" position, a critical factor if the elevator ever became inoperable during combat operations. Its new position made it easier to continue normal operations on deck, irrespective of
19635-453: The skilled observer, no two ships of the class looked exactly the same. The large numbers of new ships, coupled with their larger Midway -class contemporaries, sustained the Navy's air power through the rest of the 1940s, the Korean War era, and beyond. While the spacious hangars accommodated the introduction of jets, various modifications significantly improved the capability of fifteen of
19800-508: The southern Home Islands. No invasion of Luzon could take place until this Japanese air power was neutralized. On 13 October a Japanese Betty bomber aircraft was shot down, and attempted to kamikaze into Franklin . It did some damage to the flight deck, but slid off the starboard side of the ship. Following this action, Franklin moved into support for the invasion of the Philippines. The carrier's aircraft hit Manila Bay on 19 October when her planes sank and damaged ships and boats, destroyed
19965-477: The stop at Ulithi. All of the charges against the men of her crew were quietly dropped. Captain Gehres was relieved as captain of the Franklin in July 1945 and reassigned to command Naval Air Station San Diego , eventually reaching the rank of rear admiral before retirement. Despite severe damage, Franklin was eventually restored to good condition. The story of this aircraft carrier's near-destruction and salvage
20130-475: The subject of much discussion. As the new Essex - and Independence -class carriers became available, tactics changed. Experience taught the wisdom of combined strength. Under attack, the combined anti-aircraft fire of a task group 's carriers and their screen provided a more effective umbrella of protection against marauding enemy aircraft than was possible when the carriers separated. When two or more of these task groups supported each other, they constituted
20295-511: The supercarriers. Yet, the Essex class still made significant contributions to all aspects of the U.S. war effort. In one notable event, during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident , aircraft from Ticonderoga fired at North Vietnamese torpedo boats that had attacked a U.S. destroyer. The carriers also contributed between the wars, projecting U.S. power around the world and performing antisubmarine patrols. When
20460-408: The supporting structures to the flight deck required to carry the increased weight of landing and parked aircraft, but they were to have sufficient strength to support the storing of spare fuselages and parts (50% of each operational plane type aboard, hence 33% of carried aircraft) under the flight deck and still provide adequate working space for the men using the area below. One innovation in Essex
20625-422: The task force. Beginning in March 1943, one very visually significant change was authorized for ships then in the early stages of construction. This involved lengthening the bow above the waterline into a "clipper" form. The increased rake and flare provided deck space for an additional quadruple 40 mm mount; these units also had the flight deck slightly shortened forward to provide better arcs of fire. Of
20790-473: The terms of the Two-Ocean Navy Act , eight more of these carriers were programmed. Eight were ordered on 9 September, CV-12 through −15 from Newport News, and CV-16 through −19 from Bethlehem Steel 's Fore River Shipyard ; the last two, CV-20 and CV-21 , were authorized 23 December 1941, with the primary intention of keeping existing slipways busy, and were ordered eight days after Pearl Harbor from
20955-452: The three A-4 squadrons were replaced by two squadrons of A-7A Corsair IIs . The F-4 Phantom II and A-6 Intruder were considered too heavy to operate from the Essex -class. Tasked and fitted out as an ASW carrier (CVS), the air wing of an Essex such as Bennington in the 1960s consisted of two squadrons of S2F Trackers and one squadron of SH-34 Seabat ASW helicopters (replaced in 1964 by SH-3A Sea Kings ). Airborne early warning
21120-415: The war some Essex es, such as Bunker Hill , also included Vought F4U Corsairs in fighter-bomber squadrons (VBFs), the precursor to modern fighter-attack squadrons (VFAs). In the last year of the Pacific War , all of the carrier-based combat aircraft could mount several 5-inch High Velocity Aircraft Rockets (HVARs), which greatly improved their effectiveness against ground targets. The defensive plan
21285-426: The war. Among those who received Silver Stars were LT Grimes W. Gatlin, the ship's other chaplain and a Methodist minister, and Donald H. Russell, a civilian Corsair technical support engineer. Franklin , like many other wartime ships, had been modified with additional armament, requiring larger crews and substantial ammunition stocks. Aircraft were both more numerous and heavier than originally planned for, and thus
21450-487: The water to escape had done so to prevent a likely death by fire, or had been led to believe that "abandon ship" had been ordered. While en route from Ulithi Atoll to Hawaii, Gehres had proclaimed 704 members of the crew to be members of the "Big Ben 704 Club" for having stayed with the heavily damaged warship, but investigators in New York discovered that only about 400 were actually onboard Franklin continuously. The others had been brought back on board either before or during
21615-408: The water, creating waterspouts which could bring down low flying aircraft such as torpedo planes. In addition there were seventeen quadruple Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns and 65 single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon . The Bofors 40 mm guns were a significant improvement over the 1.1 in/75 caliber guns mounted in the earlier Lexington and Yorktown classes. The Essex class also made use of
21780-527: The water, saving all but seven of the roughly 370 Cormoran crew. This incident, including the warning shots against the launch, accounted for the first violent action of the United States in World War I , first shots fired by the U.S. against Germany in World War I, the first German prisoners of war captured by the U.S., and the first Germans killed in action by the U.S. in World War I. During World War II ,
21945-496: The world wonders " communications debacle. Franklin ' s strike groups combined with those from the other carriers on 25 October in the Battle off Cape Engaño to damage Chiyoda (she would be sunk by American cruiser gunfire subsequently) and sink Zuihō . Retiring in her task group to refuel, she returned to the Leyte action on 27 October, her planes concentrating on a heavy cruiser and two destroyers south of Mindoro . She
22110-625: The worst for any surviving U.S. warship and second only to that of battleship USS Arizona . Certainly, the casualty figures would have far exceeded this number, but for the work of many survivors. Among these were the Medal of Honor recipients Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O'Callahan , the warship's Catholic chaplain, who administered the last rites , organized and directed firefighting and rescue parties, and led men below to wet down magazines that threatened to explode; and also Lieutenant Junior Grade Donald A. Gary , who discovered 300 men trapped in
22275-500: The yard for repair and overhaul. For example, Intrepid , one of the first to be commissioned, by the end of the war had received two H-4B flight deck catapults in place of her original single H-4A; three quad 40 mm mounts below the island to starboard, three more on the port side and one additional on both the starboard quarter and the stern; twenty-one additional 20 mm mounts; SM fighter-control radar; FD Mk 4 radar replaced with Mk 12/22; and an enlarged flag bridge. In fact, to
22440-771: Was commissioned on 31 January 1944. Among the plankowners was a ship's band made up of several enlisted men who were professional musicians at the time, including Saxie Dowell and Deane Kincaide , assigned to Franklin by a lottery. Carrier Air Group 13 had been established in November 1943 and embarked aboard Franklin for war service. Franklin steamed south to Trinidad for a shakedown and soon thereafter, she departed in Task Group 27.7 (TG 27.7) for San Diego, to engage in intensive training exercises preliminary to combat duty. In June, she steamed via Pearl Harbor for Eniwetok Island where she joined TG 58.2. Franklin served as
22605-495: Was 98 inches or 2,490 millimeters between 1981 and 2010. The wettest month on record at Guam Airport has been August 1997 with 38.49 inches (977.6 mm). The driest was February 2015 with 0.15 inches (3.8 mm). The wettest calendar year was 1976 with 131.70 inches (3,345.2 mm). The driest year was in 1998 with 57.88 inches (1,470.2 mm). The most rainfall in a single day occurred on October 15, 1953, when 15.48 inches or 393.2 millimeters fell. The mean high temperature
22770-404: Was a portside deck-edge elevator in addition to two inboard elevators. The deck-edge elevator was adopted in the design after it proved successful on Wasp . Experiments had also been made with hauling aircraft by crane up a ramp between the hangar and flight decks, but this method proved too slow. The Navy's Bureau of Ships and the chief engineer of A.B.C. Elevator Co. designed the engine for
22935-423: Was about halfway through launching a second wave of strike aircraft, the Japanese dive bomber pierced the cloud cover and dropped two semi-armor-piercing bombs before the ship's anti-aircraft gunners could fire. The damage analysis came to the conclusion that the bombs were 550 pounds (250 kg). According to the war film The Saga of the Franklin , the leader of Air Group 5 shot the bomber down. One bomb struck
23100-534: Was again sold for scrap to the Portsmouth Salvage Company of Chesapeake, Virginia , on 27 July 1966. She departed naval custody under tow (by the Red Star Towing Company) on the evening of 1 August 1966. Essex-class aircraft carrier The Essex class is a retired class of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy . The 20th century's most numerous class of capital ship ,
23265-481: Was attacked by three enemy planes, one of which scored with a bomb that hit the after outboard corner of the deck edge elevator , killing three men and wounding 22. As part of Task Force 38.4, Franklin next sailed northwest to participate in the Formosa Air Battle from 12 to 16 October, where the U.S. Navy needed to destroy multiple Japanese air bases that controlled airspace from the Philippines to Okinawa to
23430-401: Was badly damaged when a single Japanese dive bomber struck her with two bombs. The attack resulted in the loss of 807 of her crew and Franklin became the most heavily-damaged United States aircraft carrier to survive the war. The complement of Franklin suffered 924 killed in action during the war, the worst for any surviving U.S. warship and second only to that of USS Arizona . After
23595-536: Was begun. The Essex -class carriers combined the policy of naming aircraft carriers after historic battles begun with the Lexington class with the policy of naming them for historic navy ships generally followed for the Yorktown class. The first eight hulls were originally assigned names from historic Navy ships ( Essex , Bon Homme Richard , Intrepid , Kearsarge , Franklin , Hancock , Randolph , Cabot ). Lexington
23760-495: Was captured by the Japanese , who occupied the island for two and a half years before American forces recaptured it on July 21, 1944, which is commemorated there as Liberation Day . Since the 1960s, Guam's economy has been supported primarily by tourism and the U.S. military , for which Guam is a major strategic asset. Its future political status has been a matter of significant discussion, with public opinion polls indicating
23925-515: Was changed from Oriskany after the original USS Wasp (CV-7) was sunk in September 1942 in the South Pacific near Guadalcanal , and Hornet 's name was changed from Kearsarge after the original USS Hornet (CV-8) was lost in October 1942 in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands . The erstwhile Valley Forge was renamed Princeton after USS Princeton (CVL-23)
24090-409: Was chronicled in the wartime documentary, The Saga of the Franklin (1945), and the 2011 documentary, USS Franklin: Honor Restored . Franklin received four battle stars for her World War II service. After the war, Franklin was opened to the public for Navy Day celebrations. On 17 February 1947, she was decommissioned at Bayonne, New Jersey . While Franklin lay mothballed at Bayonne, she
24255-448: Was discovered in 1925 on Rota . The first European to travel to Guam was Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan , sailing for the King of Spain , when he sighted the island on March 6, 1521, during his fleet's circumnavigation of the globe. Despite Magellan's visit, Guam was not officially claimed by Spain until January 26, 1565, by Miguel López de Legazpi . From 1565 to 1815, Guam and
24420-838: Was disliked by many of Franklin ' s crew. Franklin departed from Bremerton on 2 February 1945 for training exercises and pilot qualification operations. After a stop for provisions, she departed from Pearl Harbor on 3 March 1945 to join TG 58.2 for strikes on the Japanese homeland in support of the Okinawa landings . On board were RADM Davison in command of the task group, RADM Gerald F. Bogan en route to take command of Carrier Division 4 and CAPT Arnold J. Isbell en route to take command of USS Yorktown . On 15 March, she rendezvoused with TF 58 units, and three days later launched sweeps and strikes against Kagoshima and Izumi on southern Kyūshū . Before dawn on 19 March 1945, Franklin , which had maneuvered to within 50 miles (80 km) of
24585-542: Was established at Piti in 1899. A United States Marine Corps barracks was established at Sumay in 1901. A marine seaplane unit was stationed in Sumay from 1921 to 1930, the first in the Pacific. The Commercial Pacific Cable Company built a telegraph/telephone station in 1903 for the first trans-Pacific communications cable, followed by Pan American World Airways establishing a seaplane base at Sumay for its trans-Pacific China Clipper route. On December 10, 1914,
24750-550: Was first provided by modified EA-1Es ; these were upgraded in 1965 to E-1Bs. A small detachment of A-4Bs or A-4Cs (4 aircraft) were also embarked to provide daylight fighter protection for the ASW aircraft. Landing platform helicopter –converted ships such as Boxer never had an angled landing deck installed and flew only helicopters such as the UH-34 Seahorse and CH-46 Sea Knight . Four converted Essex -class ships served alongside
24915-509: Was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) has been on the endangered list since 1970. In an effort to ensure the protection of sea turtles on Guam, routine sightings are counted during aerial surveys and nest sites are recorded and monitored for hatchlings. In the 2020 United States Census , the largest ethnic group were the native Chamorros , accounting for 32.8% of
25080-554: Was originally laid down as Cabot , but was renamed during construction after the previous USS Lexington (CV-2) was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. Yorktown , originally to be named Bon Homme Richard , was renamed after the previous USS Yorktown (CV-5) was lost at the Battle of Midway on 7 June 1942. Lexington and Yorktown share the unique distinction of being named after both historic ships and historic battles. Likewise, Wasp 's name
25245-479: Was picked up by Intrepid on 24 May 1962, and Kearsarge recovered the last two Mercury spacecraft, Mercury-Atlas 8 ( Sigma 7 ), on 3 October 1962, and Mercury-Atlas 9 ( Faith 7 ), on 16 May 1963. When the Mercury program's successor, Project Gemini , got underway, Essex es were again closely involved. Lake Champlain recovered the second uncrewed flight, Gemini 2 , on 19 January 1965; and Intrepid recovered
25410-409: Was quickly replaced with the improved Mark 12/Mark 22 combination. 40mm AA batteries were controlled by Mark 51 optical directors with integrated gyro gun-sight lead-angle calculators. A Plan Position Indicator (PPI) display was used to keep track of ships and enabled a multi-carrier force to maintain a high-speed formation at night or in foul weather. The new navigational tool known as
25575-465: Was redesignated as an attack aircraft carrier CVA-13 on 1 October 1952, an antisubmarine warfare support carrier CVS-13 on 8 August 1953 and, ultimately, as an aircraft transport AVT-8 on 15 May 1959. However, she never went to sea again, and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 October 1964. She and Bunker Hill , which also had sustained severe damage from aerial attack, were
25740-495: Was set on February 1, 2021. The lowest recorded temperature was 65 °F (18.3 °C), set on February 8, 1973. Guam lies in the path of typhoons and it is common for the island to be threatened by tropical storms and possible typhoons during the wet season. The highest risk of typhoons is from August through November, where typhoons and tropical storms are most probable in the western Pacific. They can, however, occur year-round. Typhoons that have caused major damage on Guam in
25905-692: Was sold for scrap in 1966. The keel of Franklin was laid down on 7 December 1942 in Shipway 11, the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor , and she was launched by the Newport News Shipbuilding Company , in Virginia , on 14 October 1943, sponsored by Lieutenant Commander Mildred H. McAfee , an American naval officer who was the Director of the WAVES . The warship was named in honor of
26070-582: Was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. The names of Ticonderoga and Hancock were swapped while they were under construction: the John Hancock life insurance company had offered to conduct a bond drive to raise money for Hancock if that name was used for the carrier under construction in the company's home state of Massachusetts. USS Shangri-La was named after a facetious remark by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suggesting that
26235-516: Was the language of administration for 300 years, influenced the Chamorro language . The predominant religion of Guam is Christianity . Three-quarters of the population adheres to Catholicism , while most of the remainder belong to Protestant churches. According to the Pew Research Center , the religious demography of Guam in 2010 was as follows: In 2020, the Vatican claimed that 87.72% of
26400-624: Was the pride of the carrier and consisted of the offensive power of 36 fighters , 36 dive bombers , and 18 torpedo bombers . The Grumman F6F Hellcat would be the standard fighter, the Douglas SBD Dauntless , the standard scout aircraft and dive bomber which was later replaced by the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver , and the Grumman TBF Avenger as the torpedo bomber, but also often used in other attack roles. Later in
26565-489: Was the recovery ship for the uncrewed flight of Mercury-Redstone 1A on 19 December 1960. The first spaceflight by an American was on Mercury-Redstone 3 ( Freedom 7 ), recovered by Lake Champlain on 5 May 1961. Randolph recovered the next flight, Mercury-Redstone 4 ( Liberty Bell 7 ), on 21 July 1961, and she was the primary recovery ship for Mercury-Atlas 6 ( Friendship 7 ), the first orbital flight by an American. The next crewed flight, Mercury-Atlas 7 ( Aurora 7 ),
26730-509: Was the third Yorktown -class carrier, and Essex , which was the lead ship of a new class. CV-9 was to be the prototype of the 27,000-ton (standard displacement) aircraft carrier, considerably larger than Enterprise , yet smaller than Saratoga (a battlecruiser converted to a carrier). The Navy ordered the first three of the new design, CV-9 , CV-10 and CV-11 , from Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock on 3 July 1940. These were to become known as Essex -class carriers. Under
26895-591: Was to use radio and radar in a combined effort to concentrate anti-aircraft fire. The class, as designed, mounted twelve 5 in (127 mm) 38 caliber gun mounts (4 enclosed twin mounts located near the island on the starboard side and 4 single open mounts located on the port side forward and port side aft), these guns had a maximum range of seven miles and a rate of fire of fifteen rounds per minute. The 5-inch guns could fire VT shells, known as proximity fuzed -shells, that would detonate when they came close to an enemy aircraft. The 5-inch guns could also aim into
27060-412: Was under way about 100 miles (160 km) off Samar on 30 October, when enemy bombers appeared bent on a suicide mission. Navy fighters shot down most of the Japanese planes, but six broke through the combat air patrol into Franklin ' s task group of four carriers defensively surrounded by a circle of about twenty escorting cruisers and destroyers . Shipboard anti-aircraft guns shot down three of
27225-496: Was very rarely permitted on these straight-deck ships for safety reasons and to avoid interruption of helicopter operations. One author called the Essex class "the most significant class of warships in American naval history", citing the large number produced and "their role in making the aircraft carrier the backbone of the U.S. Navy." Essex -class ships played a central role in the Pacific theater of World War II from 1943 through
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