Midway (CVA 41) - Naval Cruise Book

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-IimV . After the many long months of overhaul and conversion, when MIDWAY was ready to assume her role as the leader of the Pacific Fleet, she travelled to San Diego for six weeks of intensive drills, instructions, and practice designed to bring the crew to it ' s peak of battle efficiency. New con- cepts and the latest methods were taught to willing listeners, and, by trial and error, the men began to learn what was expected of them and how best to do it. At the end of the last week, observers en masse boarded MIDWAY anchored far out in Coronado Roads to monitor the final battle problem . This exercise was designed to test the capability of every department on the ship to carry out its specific functions, effectively, under the most realistic simulated battle conditions possible. When MIDWAY returned to Alameda in late March, all felt we had come a long way since recommissioning, but all knew we still had a longer road yet to travel.

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underway training How ' d you like to be in this one ? The villians Stand-by fire !

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28 Shortly before noon on MIDWAY ' S first day of Air Ops, there wasn ' t a soul to be found below decks whose duties didn ' t require him to be there. Reason ? The first landing since conversion was scheduled at any moment. Months of drills and practice by the Air department were to begin paying dividends ; from this time forward, every move was for real. If any single incident can be said to have really put the ship back into the fleet, operationally speaking, this would have to be it. With the touch-down of the first plane, we were in busi- ness . And then thousands of eyes from the spectators sprinkled all over the super- structure swept aft as the first plane eased into the pattern, picked up the meat- ball, approached the ship, and jolted to a halt on the angled deck. Lcdr Bergner, the pilot who made the historic land- ing is seen on the opposite page with Captain Nuessle cutting the traditional cake.