Essex (CVS 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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'ii ABOVE: ACADEMY MIDSHIPMEN SUMMER CRUISE 1893 RIGHT: RICHARD WESLEY KONTER AGE I5 MAY 1897 RICHARD WESLEY KONTER KUNITED STATES NAVY RETIREDJ, SURVIVING APPRENTICE OF THE THIRD MAN-OF-WAR TO CARRY THE NAME OF ESSEX, ENLISTED IN THE NAVY AT THE AGE OF 15 FOR 59.00 A MONTH. AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF TRAINING AT NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, HE DEPLOYED ABOARD ESSEX FOR A SIX-MONTH CRUISE OF EUROPE AND THE WEST INDIES. THE NAME ESSEX IS VERY DEAR TO US WHO SERVED ABOARD THE BARK-RIGGED FRIGATE AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY RELATES MISTER KONTER AS HE REMEMBERS THE CRUISE: EACH MORNING, NO MATTER HOW WARM OR COLD THE WEATHER WAS, ALL US BOYS HAD TO STRIP OFF NAKED AND GO UP TO THE FORECASTLE, OR FOKSIL AS I SPELL IT, AND HERE TWO BOYS MANNED A HAND PUMP WHILE A THIRD PLAYED A SALT WATER HOSE ON US FOR OUR DAILY BATH. LATER, WE DREW A RATION OF THREE QUARTERS OF A BUCKET OF FRESH WATER IN WHICH WE HAD TO SCRUB OUR TEETH, SHAMPOO AND SHAVE, THEN SCRUB OUR CLOTHES WITH THE LEAVINGS. IF ANY WATER WAS LEFT, USUALLY ALMOST GOO, WE SCRUBBED THE SHIP'S PAINTWORK. THE ESSEX HAD AN AUXILIARY STEAM ENGINE ABOARD, WHICH WE USED ONLY WHEN LEAVING OR ENTERING PORT, OR IN EMERGENCIES, AND IT COULD DRIVE US ALONG AT THE FAST SPEED OF ABOUT FIVE KNOTS. WHEN STEAMING OUT OF PORT, AND AFTER WE HAD CLEARED LAND, THE ENGINE WAS STOPPED. WHILE THE ENGINEER'S FORCE WAS DISCON- NECTING THE LARGE PROPELLOR FROM THE MAIN SHAFT, US BOYS WERE ALOFT SETTING ALL SAILS. AS-SOON-AS THE ESSEX WAS UNDER CONTROL OF THE WINDS, THE ENGINEER'S FORCE WOULD USE BIG HAND CRANKS AND LOWER THE SHIP'S SMOKESTACK DOWN INTO THE FIREROOM WHERE IT WAS OUT OF SIGHT. WE WERE NOW STRICTLY A SAILING VESSEL.

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w . Ax ON 9 DECEMBER 1936, CORPORAL EUGENE C. ZIMMERS OF THE USS TEXAS SUG- GESTED IN A LETTER THAT THE NAME ESSEX BE APPLIED To AN AIRCRAFT CAR- RIER. IN HIS ANSWER, CHESTER W. NIMITZ, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, INDICATED THAT THE NAME WOULD BE PLACED ON AN APPROPRIATE LIST. HOUSE BILL 8026 WAS PASSED ON 14 JUNE 1940 BY THE 76TH CONGRESS WHICH AU- THORIZED THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEVERAL AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. ABIDING BY THE WISHES OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, CONGRESS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED THE NAME ESSEX TO RIDE THE SPEARHEAD OF HER CLASS. THE LEGEND COULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN. LL NUMBER 392 NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING AND DRY DOCK COMPANY KEEL LAID: 28 April 1941 CONSTRUCTION TIME: 457 DAYS