Lexington (CVA 16) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 66 text:

fixes LEXlNGTON'S men of the spoked wheel practice the most ancient art of the sea-faring man. With precise courses mandatory due to operational commitments, the necessity to be at a certain point on the vast Pacific at a specific time, proper navigation spells success or failure for us as a fighting team. Navigation's iob is this: point a handful of hardware at the heavens and record some numbers. Proceed to the chart house and gather about you astronomical tables, dividers, parallel rules, sharp pencils. Thus is the ship's position plotted again. In days of yore, quartermasters provided quarters and rations for the troops. Today their chief duties are navigating and keeping the official ship's log. Operation of the auxiliary emergency steering stations and steering of the ship during general drills, com- ing alongside an UNREP ship, or coming in or going out of port are other duties of N Division.

Page 65 text:

flaherty 4 A '51, Q V A s ..' lil I 1 1 qmvx' 1 danger in naval aviafion is parf of fhe business and pari of fhe price for freedom. in fhis accidenf, an FJ-4B came in foo low for a landing and hit the flaherty flight deck ramp. ihe fuselage slid forward and caught fire. quick acfion by fire-fighfers, hol suit men, and medics on the scene limifed damage fo rhe with the lasf recovery on board, The planes plane-nothing else caughfr fire. no one-not are parked aff, fied down, and fhe infegrify even The pilot-was killed. wafch ser. mcdonald 1

Page 67 text:

exact bearing to a landfall is talcen through an alidade. degaussing-LEXINGTON becomes magnetized passing through the earths' field, and this effect must be neutralized. cleaning powder and swab is every sailors' occasional companion. the bridge area is a proud showcase of a proud ship. proper rendering of honors in an important collateral duty of LEXlNGTON'S navigator.