Topic: Ships of WWII Part One: USS Enterprise

[Chris SI]

A sister series to the aircraft threads, this and the upcoming Tanks series will continue my look at the weapons of the second world war, and the men who fought it, from all sides.

The Enterprise, laid down in 1936, was one of the three carriers of the 'Yorktown'-class. These ships, the first class since the 'Saratoga', were in effect larger versions of the 'Ranger' though they differed in that the new class reverted to the massive vented boiler uptakes of the 'Saratoga', whereas the 'Ranger' had six folding funnels that had proved unsatisfactory. The 'Yorktown'-class possessed the novel feature of three elevators entirely within the flight deck. The Enterprise underwent considerable modification during the war, her flight deck being lengthened to 827 ft and her beam widened to 114ft. Her 5-inch guns were replaced by forty 40-mm AA guns. But in spite of these alterations and frequent visits to dockyards to repair battle damage, the Enterprise was present at almost every major engagement in the Pacific and her combat record was so distinguished that it was intended that she be preserved, although this proved impossible.

The carrier, but not her aircraft, missed the Pearl Harbor debacle, but was kept in the Central Pacific and fought at Midway and then off Guadalcanal, covering the landings and being damaged at the encounters off the Eastern Solomons and then Santa Cruz. Subsequently she returned to fight in the closing stages or the battle for Guadalcanal and then took part in the raids over the Gilberts, Kwajalein, Truk, Hollandia and Saipan. She participated in the annihilation of Japanese naval aviation at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

At this point the Enterprise became the world's first carrier dedicated to night operations, having radar equipped planes used both for fleet defense and attack.
After being present at Leyte Gulf she took part in operations against Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Off Okinawa she was damaged by Kamikaze attacks in both April and May 1945. These operations marked the end of her World War II career, during which she earned 19 battle stars, more than any other warship. When commissioned in May 1938 the Enterprise displaced 20,000 tons and had a speed of 34 knots. The first purpose-built American carriers, the 'Yorktown'-class could carry 100 aircraft and they proved remarkably tough fighting ships, though only the Enterprise survived the war to be decommissioned in 1947 and scrapped in 1958.

[Just plain old Punisher]

Wasn't she built upon a battle-cruiser hull?

[kmelew]

Wasn't she built upon a battle-cruiser hull?

USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) were built on battlecruiser hulls.  All subsequent fleet carriers (not CVL's or CVE's) were purpose-built carrier hulls.

For your information, here's a list of the proposed Lexington-class BC's:

CC-1 Lexington Jan 8 1921 3 Oct 1925 14 Dec 1927 Fore   Completed as carrier CV-2. Sunk 8 May 1942. 
CC-2 Constellation 18 Aug 1920 - - NNSBDD - Scrapped 22.7% complete 1923 
CC-3 Saratoga 23 Aug 1920 7 Apr 1925 16 Nov 1927 NYNY   Completed as carrier CV-3. Sunk as target 25 Jul 1946 
CC-4 Ranger 23 Jun 1921 - - NNSBDD   Scrapped 4% complete 1923 
CC-5 Constitution - - - PNSY   Scrapped 13.4% complete 1923 
CC-6 United States - - - PNSY   Scrapped 12% complete 1923 

And its design:

[The Postman]

Kmelew, I get this message when I tried the link in your last post.

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /navhist/battleships/images/usa/cc-cl.jpg on this server.

Thanks

[kmelew]

Kmelew, I get this message when I tried the link in your last post.

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /navhist/battleships/images/usa/cc-cl.jpg on this server.

Sorry...I have modified my post and posted the image.

[The Postman]

Here is USS Saratoga, CV3, on a cruiser hull.

[Just plain old Punisher]

AH I remember the Saratoga. It was a stipulation in the Washington naval treaty that the United States be permitted to convert two battlecruiser hulls under construction to a full fleet carrier. Since other nations were limited to 34,000 tons, this gave the United States the advantage since the Saratoga was quite a bit more

[TheJudge]

And of course the proud heritage of the Enterprise was carrief forward by the naming of the first Nuclear Powered Carrier Enterprise. 

(Note, USS Long Beach was still the first nuclear powered surface warship.  She was commissioned just before Enterprise was.)

[Just plain old Punisher]

Big E has 8 nuclear reactors. EIGHT. Jezz, they say during sea trials the carrier left its escorts behind.

[J. Carney]

Yes, another interesting point to mention was that the Lexington and Saratoga actually kept the 8" gun mounts that the cruiser design called for when they were converted. They were replaced in March 1942 with 5" dual-purpose guns.

Sorry, edit because my memory was a little faulty.

[Ravok]

 Cool posts guys please keep em coming!!!!


 

[kmelew]

Yes, another interesting point to mention was that the Lexington and Saratoga actually kept the 8" gun mounts that the cruiser design called for when they were converted. They were replaced in March 1942 with 5" dual-purpose guns.

Their Japanese contemporaries, Kaga and Akagi, actually kept their 10x8" guns (which were mounted near the waterline) right up to their sinking.  When these carriers were converted, it was expected that they would engage in surface gun duels with cruisers!

[S'Raek]

I was in one of the squadrons stationed about the Big E (many, many moons ago).  Good ship back then.  Keep the cool posts coming.  I'm looking forward to the tanks. 

[TheJudge]

Here's a little story from January, 1990.

After separating from the rest of the Battle Group, the Big E and Long Beach set course south, heading along the eastern coast of Africa to cross the cape, heading towards South America and eventually Norfolk.  This was to finish a world cruise for the USS Long Beach, and to deliver Enterprise for her refueling/refit. 

A day after the rest of the battle group was left behind, a Soviet helicopter appeared over the horizon, followed by a surface battle group.  Both nuclear powered ships took off, with Big E about a mile behind Long Beach at the time.  Long Beach accelerated to um...well she's decommissioned so I'll say it anyway...42 knots.  Enterprise passed us like we were standing still.

The Big E can move like nothing else in the water when she wants.

[CaptStumpy]

Here's a little story from January, 1990.

After separating from the rest of the Battle Group, the Big E and Long Beach set course south, heading along the eastern coast of Africa to cross the cape, heading towards South America and eventually Norfolk.  This was to finish a world cruise for the USS Long Beach, and to deliver Enterprise for her refueling/refit. 

A day after the rest of the battle group was left behind, a Soviet helicopter appeared over the horizon, followed by a surface battle group.  Both nuclear powered ships took off, with Big E about a mile behind Long Beach at the time.  Long Beach accelerated to um...well she's decommissioned so I'll say it anyway...42 knots.  Enterprise passed us like we were standing still.

The Big E can move like nothing else in the water when she wants.

Isn't there a maximum physical hull speed for non-planing surface ships based on hull length? I thought I remember as you approach that limit the horsepower has to increase exponentially. Since the Big E is longer that the LB she probably has a higher maximum hull speed. Still she must have really been doing enough RPMs to make the rivets in the deck plates come loose.

My engineering friend worked on her alot when she was in port at the local shipyard in the 1990s and didn't have alot good to say about her. By the 1990s she was ancient by navy standards and her bulkheads had been so cut up there was some question of her ability to remain watertight. Still in her day she was an amazing vessel.

[Chris SI]

The Enterprise (CV-6) was a designed aircraft carrier of the Yorktown class, which incorporated all that the USN had learned from the Langley and Lexington classes.

BTW, the Nuclear Enterprise (CVN-65) also once sailed with the USS Bainbridge, so you had three nuclear powered surface ships in one battle group in the early 60s.

[TheJudge]

The Enterprise (CV-6) was a designed aircraft carrier of the Yorktown class, which incorporated all that the USN had learned from the Langley and Lexington classes.

BTW, the Nuclear Enterprise (CVN-65) also once sailed with the USS Bainbridge, so you had three nuclear powered surface ships in one battle group in the early 60s.

Actually it was Enterprise, Long Beach, Truxtun, and Bainbridge, the first four nuke ships sailing around the world together in the early 1960's as a show-the-flag operation. 

Truxtun was a Leahy-class cruiser with nuclear reactors (two Mk 10 SAM systems, one forward, one aft and no main gun).  Bainbridge was a Belknap class with a reactor (one Mk 10 SAM and a five inch gun aft). 

Long Beach had the same problems with her hull as the Enterprise does, but both ships kept on sailing.

Oh, and the original WWII Enterprise...she actually had steam catapults, but they were never used (useless bit of trivia).

[J. Carney]

Here's a little story from January, 1990.  Long Beach accelerated to um...well she's decommissioned so I'll say it anyway...42 knots.  Enterprise passed us like we were standing still.

The Big E can move like nothing else in the water when she wants.

42 knots- DAMN... and she weighs 70k DWT or so.

She can run fast for a big girl.

[Just plain old Punisher]

You can blame/give credit to that to Admiral Rickover. When the big E was designed he wanted one reactor to each boiler room.

[J. Carney]

You can blame/give credit to that to Admiral Rickover. When the big E was designed he wanted one reactor to each boiler room.

You can blame/give credit to him for a lot of things.

He was a great designer.