Independence (CV 62) - Naval Cruise Book

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. .Q-ff5g34'n1 1' 9' 4 99 99 gm .41 .ss 95 v 5. -. . . 5-Q' . NM . .,,3 wf,.- ' V U P ' ' ici. -W V . l History of United States Navy Carrier Aviation The U.S. Navy's first carrier, the USS LANGLEY was little more than a floating deck mounted on an electrically-propelled ship hull. LANGLEY was commissioned on March 20, 1922. Adm. Moffett told a large gathering, The airfleet of an enemy will never get within striking distance of our coasts while our aircraft carriers are able to carry the preponderance of airpower to sea, and so the aircraft carrier was born. ln 1927, the Navy accepted the first Douglas T2D torpedo bomber. A twin-engine plane, it had the characteristic folding wings of modern carrier aircraft for more compact storage on carriers, and could be equipped with floats or wheels. Largely through the persistent efforts of Adm. Moffett, two additional carriers, the USS SARATOGA and the USS LEXINGTON, were commissioned in December 1927 and January 1928. They had been converted from two heavy cruiser hulls which had been scrapped. Fleet exercises in 1930 used the carrier group for the first time as a complete tactical unit, a trend that was to have vast significance in the years ahead. In 1934 the first ship was commissioned which was desig- nated from the keel up as an aircraft carrier, it was the USS RANGER and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. As World War ll approached, naval aviation expanded greatly, but not fast enough for the task ahead. By 1941, naval aviation included 5,500 aircraft and about 6,700 pilots. Six aircraft carriers were operationally ready when war came on December 7, 1941. Soon the true worth of the aircraft carrier was to become common knowledge. The war plunged the United States in to a massive program of shipbuilding and the aircraft carrier became the striking arm of U.S. naval power. By the end of the war, naval aviation could boast of 41,200 planes, 28 full size aircraft carriers and 71 smaller aircraft carriers designed for convoy escort duty. One of the lessons of World War ll became apparent early in the conflict. Surface forces were not effective unless protected by airpower Amphibious operations could be carried out only under the friendly shield of carrier-based aircraft. Naval aviation has come a long way since 1922, the early mechanical flywheel catapult was replaced by hydraulic power, and later by modern steam catapults. In the late 1940's and early 1950's the U.S. Navy developed the system to permit safe night air operation from carrier decks, and introduced jet aircraft to the arsenal for the first time. The straight deck was replaced by the wider and longer angle deck thanks to the innovative efforts of our British allies. This broadened the flexi- bility of the carrier by allowing simultaneous launching and landing of aircraft. The world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS ENTERPRISE CCVN 653 was commissioned in 1965. The second, USS Nllv1lTZ CCVN 683 was commissioned in 1975, followed by her sister ship USS EISENHOWER CCVN 693 in 1977. Powered by two nuclear reactors the NIMITZ class carrier can operate for more than 13 years before nuclear refueling is required. The aircraft carrier will continue to be the backbone of seapower The ability to deploy rapidly to any area of the world, arriving fully ready without external support, and the impressive show of United States resolve and concern represented by this presence make the aircraft carrier the most versatile and effec- tive of all military peacekeeping influences.

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