Yorktown (CVS 10) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS YORKTOWN CVS-10 The first USS Yorktown was a 16-gun sloop-of- war. She was built at the Gosport navy yard, and launched in 1839. Her first assignment was with the U. S. Pacific Squadron from 1840 to 1846. Ordered to the African Squadron in November 1848, the York- town was wrecked on a reef on September 1850. No lives were lost, and no blame was attached to the captain. . The second vessel to bear the name USS York- town was built by Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, and was commissioned on April 23, 1889. Though styled a gunboat, she was slightly smaller than the ordinary gunboat. A twin screw coal-burner her specfications were: length 226 feet, displacement 1,710 tons, maximum speed 16 knots. The career of the second Yorktown was one of relatively routine duty and few outstanding events, and at the conclusion of World War I, she was decom- missioned and sold to private industry on September 30, 1921. The third USS Yorktown was an aircraft carrier designated as CV-5. Built at Newport News Virginia, she was sponsored at the launching on April 4, 1936 by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and commissioned on September 30, 1937. The third Yorktown was 761 feet in length and displaced 19,900 tons. CV-5 served first in the Atlantic Fleet but was transferred to the Pacific Fleet to build up the Pacific Striking Force. Her first action was a raid on the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, followed by battles at Salamava and Lae, New Guinea, the battle of the Coral Sea, Tulagi in the Solomon Islands, and Hnally the battle of Midway. In the Coral Sea action, the York- town was damaged by bomb hits, and the battle of Midway Cearly June, 1942 brought the end of the career of the GV-5. She was sunk on June 7, 1942 off the Midway Atoll, where her flight deck and Island structure are still visible today. The fourth Yorktown was also designated as an aircraft carrier QGV-105 by the Navy Department. She was launched on January 21, 1943 and was labeled an eager ship since she slid down the ways seven minutes before her christening had been completed. She was commissioned on April 4, 1943. The first battle the new Yorktown took part in in was the attack on Marcus Islands, where she inflicted heavy damage to enemy ground installations. After the attack on Marcus Island, the Yorktown participated in the attack on Wake Island, attacks on Mille, Jaluit, and Makin Islands. The next victims on the LADY's growing list were the Kwajalein and Wotje Atolls in the Marshall Islands. The came operations against Truk, Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas. The Yorktown then went on to operations against the Japanese at the following: Palau Islands, Woleai Atoll, Hollandia New Guinea, Truk, landings on Saipan in the Marianas, Yap Island Nguld Atoll and Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands, Manila Bay Philippine Islands, Luzon and Mindoro Island, Formosa, French Indo-China, Iwo Jima, Tokyo Bay, southern Kyushu, western Honshu and the Nansei Shoto, Okinawa landings, and the all out attack on the Japanese homeland. When the Yorktown steamed through Sagami Wan, and dropped anchor in Tokyo Bay on September 16, 1945, her World War II combat duty had come to an end. From Marcus Island to the Japanese Homeland, she had pursued and struck the enemy with all her fighting strength. GV-10 was placed out of commission and attached to the U. S. Pacific Reserve Fleet in January, 1947, but not for long, for when war clouds again arose in the Far East in 1952, she was again commissioned and designated CVA-10. Continuing where she had left off, the Yorktown took part in strikes in Korea, and in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands and the Formosa Straits. The LADY then made four more Far East cruises taking part in celebrations in foreign lands, and demon- strating the ever-present might of the nation's defensive air-arm, before returning to home once again, and another conversion Period at Bremerton, Washington in 1957. From this latest coversion period, the Yorktown emerged with a new look, and a new designator, CVS- 10, and the Yorktown's crew of today still displays the pride, spirit, and efficiency that earned its ship her nickname .... 'Q THE FIGHTING LADY .... a decade ago. ,H V is 2 3 2, iw sw-1 :- me 5 'X . 7: , ..... . '4

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Spaghetti FROM CVA TO CVS AT PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD From September 1957 to February 1958, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, hammered, cut and welded the LADY into form for her new mission as 'Q Queen of the Antisubmarine Forces. The jobs accomplished were numberless, ranging from the applica- tion of patches, plugs and plastic to stop the leaks in the roof , to the application of primer, paint and pungent plastic to her lower hull. The f' music 7, of chipping hammers, chisels and grinders were her lullaby, and miles of tubing her food. From it all the emerged the FIGHTING LADY of old equipped and ready to do her new job with deadly precision.