Antietam (CV 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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KEEL OF USS ANTIETAM CCV-361 was laid March 15, 1943. She was the first flattop built by Philadelphia Navy Yard. fX V V ,Ir QQ., .S rffi' ' 4, XX 53? V-W ' - .Mx-I? 5 1 , l , X,.fv x ., H. 1 n ,lfgbx .- -a.: ,ff way' W Sweet. M. 'I 1 55-5 Af ' . If . ' . 'filln 5 -1 223.2- .1 'lil . ' , K .X f ' 'J , . -7 f' F ' l 'H , nl ' '! ' i 5 , ,.f,g+?'-.3'--- 3. '1323353-1,gZ.1'2L-EffiiLQQQQZEZ.-. f':f.?i:.q-1-Q-QQ? 212-f-.1-.f.1fQ, f: 111 si-I X12fa?iE3 f'JfEf- ' H11-.V--ig? 'f ,.'.ffS43'EE'Fse525 1. 4---. ,- -3-.-Lg -' -a 2-1f,' , .'-Egfr. ,:. .- - -'f --L -255, -,-gffii:-X 1-.1 -.ggi g.-.4fK lPey.' 5 ,-i.j,,,,-g-Y ,. 41:51- fsigftf ,, -5. :,f,1yg.l't!-. me ',-.X 1 .v I .ags-ff-1 .za f-- uggl ,,.5.g,ff.-fggagfggqffgg, ,E xv? Av' gi! ,- ,2,:':!' s.. .v '.' Q- ,,j ' -' gf az-'-fw'.f3 4SlWtSls lap Q fel I :H . W gp, ,.,,. , f:'Z-,1.?fs. xgx.::f-5 3 Q F, X . :if-i f7 f. nl-'Aw f ' 14' el.:-Q':.i. 1 ip 9 Ju . Q, '45 -41, 2 N I tif ,, 1 Wax 'Ga ' , ' l C.'h31'-ff :fx X ' 6 -.,, - . C? Y , Zh -.iii Q A Q -vo., ki S Zag I ' ' J ian xiii: 7 .. 1 t ' 'fa'-...aw . . , - -I1 ,..' 5 nz. .,,. I x f- 5:2515 ,' Q.. ' . :aa men'-2,g.,,, gf, ' ,.':., ...lk Srl! , null I ,'!- -,nh . Q V I-L4 5- I lrx: ,:ni.-.lic--l'l' ,F BUILT IN DRYDOCK instead of on conventional Ways, Antietam was christened on August 20, 1944. ' , W' ' '- Q v, . F 4. 5 w M, ', 'J 'fi Qs .,,-L, 5 -4 A. Q X ' . . , Q-5fQj..t,H.' 35,7275 de- 4-.sw 1, Q lf l , A t ' H- fs ,g -' J 1 lid l 57.1? Sl' T-fl: . A? C E S, . A ., ' Qtifxp, 2 ew ,afg , ft 4 5 ft JEL .ff f, f if l3G',er'r .-E .' X' sg, -,' fr, fx , ,-V! R, ,f .- .tl ,-,V ,, , lk. 559.14 fy 1 .UE i' rZ9!uif ikaiit 1ifgiJfJ'Q5 43 'tvg-pg, - 1- ,j,i,q: , , , 6- 4 -K f, . L W3 , if-EQ Y LQEEF 5' f , , , J--1I'fQ1j'l1 54W.f'ifQCT Tiffie''f'71i17f'-is-..'i i 'V.l li5iU1'3f J 1 , -:xi - 1 ,,.,E.?., -bp j ,.r. ri ,, ,H 1, ' X Trials, inspections, and more trials Were made ot this new vessel as she was readied for fleet duty. The ofhcers and crew took her through preliminary stages of readiness for sea. On January 28, 19415, the USS Antietam was accepted by the Navy Department and commis- sioned into active service, and that day she became a fighting ship, a Way of life for her three thousand men. From the laying of the keel March 15, 1943, to the commissioning on January 28, 1945, only two years had been required by the civilian Workers and the military men of the Navy to fashion a modern man of War from blueprints and steel. 1 QQ phil: fy-dxf H daggggjf f is Qi: U r . L Wu 'U-'L pls Lof- W-tf. T . . , 3 QI, ,A ,k3.... 'FE'EEI.szf!g!e!ef..!!!E5iiI-- :'::EiEi . ' X 1-1' ' unsung. , I - X. 312-.1 iii-31 A:-iE::iim',i:g ii:iig:ll:ii?!5g5 .. .-,g3f:.g:i1:,g . ., -1 rv -V 63.212 ., -f 'Lt -. Tllnfh ,-1 'fd , 1: :ff!'9,4f-l,nf1 l ,gil . Q Pipe ,M-.2-V gin: J V . . ig V mf.1i'r'V92-tfcl' 'I 5:21 ' ' , - ,tial 5, ,jf 3 f 4 1 , ,, Qs, , V pq L? .I 5.4-4.443 3 ,fr -s fin ' , 1 cv,fl.f75fef wg, ,v ,A .vvf ' V175 I wf,'.:fP.f ' f, ' -.cal fi -7 V ' ,..fw-fW7A'5 ft-f ' ., as f g Q1 ' M1 'f f f1, - .fm ffm ,, fl ,,,Lif,4f--if 3-arf.. '7 ! w f,f -' ' - . airwnf. .P 1 . . thx , , i., G X NYSE' 'Q ' . .-1' 'CH H .,-U-f A W1 Qu,-s...,N5fsw?1,N XV ..,a.o'E'J J ' ,pg-1-,Y,'v.9lul s ' 'I Vg uri .lillfjuf .Q I h 1 Authorized by Congress as carrier task forces were launching strikes against the enemy in the Pacific, the USS Antietam was christened on August 20, 1944, by Mrs. Mil- lard E. Tydings, Wife of the distinguished senator from Maryland. 'cOne of the proud- est days of my life was the day at the Phila- delphia Navy Yard Where I christened you, the noblest aircraft carrier of them allfa FIRST SKIPPER, CAPTAIN IAMES TAGUE. greets ship,s sponsor, Mrs. Millard E. Tydings, at commis- sioning January 28, 1945. KAP Plwfvl 7 .

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gi- 5 2 v-ky... Battle of Antietam Creek Carriers of the Un1ted States Navy bear proud names of old shlps of the line as the Essex the Intrepid and the Bon Homme Richard Many others are named after famous H1111 tary engagements The USS Antietam IS one of the carriers of the Essex class in this latter group What follows 1S the story of the Battle of Antietam Creek a battle ln which so many of our countrymen fought so vallantly and so well Antietam IS a creek which empties into the Potomac River near Sharpsburg Maryland lt was ln this small area between the two rlvers that one of the bloodiest battles of history was fought September 17 1862 In the Fall of 1862 the Army of the Confederate States was marching northward, hopeful of capturing Harpers Ferry and defeating the Federal Army which was gathering near this point. Several skirmishes took place between September 7 and September 17 as the two armies maneuvered for posi- tions of advantage. Harpers Ferry was captured September 15, and Sharpsburg fell to the Confederates on September 16. The Confederate Army, led by Robert E. Lee, was concen- trating on breaking through the cordon of Federal Armies, gathered by George McClellan, from Washington and Penn- sylvania. But the Army of the Confederacy was a weakened army, for its major force, the Army of Northern Virginia, had fought continuously for over a year, their supplies were limited and their numbers had been lessened before the battle began They faced an army superior 1n numbers and equip ment Still they were courageous and ready for battle but no more so than the Union Army At dawn on September 17 1862 the Battle of Antietam Creek commenced Opposing armies were dispersed on either side of the Antietam and north of Sharpsburg along the Hagerstown Road The action began with an artillerv ex change but soon exploded into hand to hand combat as one army would gain and then lose its advantage The battle waged thusly all day, charge and retreat, gather strength and charge again. Finally the Union Army crossed the Antie- tam and advanced, but towards dusk they were driven back to the edge of the bloody creek. All the following day the two armies waited, poised, ready for instant action that never came, and the next day the Confederate Army began its re- treat south. Both sides claimed a victory, and even though the Union Army lost twice as many men as the Confederate Army, the victory was with the Union forces. The driving attack by Lee had been stopped and the ebb of the battle was beginning to turn. This, then, is the story of that battle for which the USS Antietam is named.

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CQMPLETED TOO LATE FOR SERVICE IN WORLD WAR II, Antietam joined Task Force 72, Third Fleet, covered am- phibious occupation landings in China and Korea. l w. -L L. ...K l A A ,, A ,' .x.:.L ', ,,M',u, v,,,A pdiw V , -R R -ag -3' api . .H -3 1' X '2 aliefm i:i:'l4:'f.y?-A 'i:'X'4,'--gf, . f 14-i1l5fa554' V +11 ' gf'-5111 J N X2,'1f.x. ef u,r,n-. wwnic ff,1-eieasivvlff' wafer-'z .ai-A K r ' , - M 'R Fzf'lilf'C'f:i.'lv1J'V'3f4' lg'-11, fs, XJ W.. ,J-H dc' W L 'AJ 'f ' , im . 19,4 I , ,tpilbjif E W unjziigf . Y V ,Q , -1411 Jkt, farm- f------, r---'f 4' of 4 rf f i 'T TTMlTL 1 ag'1f'f 1 1, ,W u ,., a at ,Q H A i ,f-as fs - 5 1 , 1 ' V A, .k1.tf,lv-T1 I-.1 '1 f 1 f 5 L-l y 1,5 5 ' I , x gn fuj-, um' .' ,YJ X I Ii , 1 Q X ,x- aa '52 ru'-'fi I l l TTT' f l 3 All J 2 LT, - 1 i ' -XX I U , 257. 491490, g 5 Fl 1 7'-A 1 1 i J fx , , 1' TI 'f 1 ' . . V ' ' L ,, 1 fi in .WY Jig' Hr- 1 t 1 H 1 nn m 1 re- cs. Ji L, 1 Q',1f' -Q 1 '-P P 1 ,fi , rj'-QaQ,:1' 2 , i I 'tn r iv 1 fi-,-,xjf 1 1 f -.1 AW x.,f V---- --X-2' ----M A, M..- , ,,,, , I me fb ,' 1 ff'gg.f33,131 H is ,A M ' mf- V-,-if-4 ,N A.u,f,1.11--rzsifr V, :K 5'+iTgf-uf. Y' il ,FF 2 afar V Tl I ii 9 .as ii we 71 W :wo faosfmrfaim Q, P ei- J l l .,y OLD LOOK OF ANTIETAM is evident especially in gun mounts antennas 3 Captain James Tague took command of the USS Antietam officially when the ship Was turned over to him and his crew at the commissioning cere- monies January 28, 1945. There followed a per- iod of test runs, practice maneuvers, qualification of air groups, and periods of yard availability in Philadelphia. On March 2, 1945, the Antietam steamed out of the Delaware River on her shake- down cruise, after which she Was ready to take active part in any theatre of battle And, on May 19, with Air Group 89 embarked, the Antietam left for the Pacific The Antietani and her Air C1 oup were undergo ing readiness for battle inspections when Japan surrendered, and aftei successfully completing these inspections, the Antietam joined Task G1 oup 72 in active support of the Japanese Occupation From 1946 to 1948 the Antietam opei ated With the Pacific Fleet in Japanese and Chinese Waters Early in 1949 the ship was decommissioned and placed in mothhalls at the Naval A11 Station, Alameda, California, as a part of the Pacific ie serve Heet