Midway (CVA 41) - Naval Cruise Book

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— , - - % 3ft 1 BfJorgr On March 20, 1945, a 45,000-ton floating steel island slid down the ways at Newport News, Virginic to slow and settle in the waters she was to travel so extensively in the years to come. Named for the historic and all important battle of Midway Island, which saw the Japanese drive halted, and eventually proved to be the turning point of the Pacific war, the U.S.S. MIDWAY was the first of her class, and up to that time, the largest warship ever built by the U.S. Navy. The MIDWAY received her life and breath with her first crew the following autumn, and sailed uf Hampton Roads for the Caribbean Sea on her shake- down cruise. Then followed a series of sever Mediterranean cruises, and several to the Artie, Can- ada, and the Caribbean. One of her first and mosl important voyages was Operation Frostbite in March of 1946, involving a test of carrier operations under extreme weather conditions. New techniques developed included using helicopters for sea rescue, flight deck snow plows and rescue blankets. Continuing her lead in scientific research, MIDWAY sailed from Bermuda in September of 1946 carrying a V-2 rocket and a host of military and scientific observers. For the first time, a heavy rocket missile was launched from shipboard. Serving with the Sixth Fleet, MIDWAY earned a reputation as a rugged, proud, hard-driving ship. Her pilots set new fleet records for squadron flying hours, and the impression left in her many ports of call did much to strengthen political ties with our allies in the Western World. 12