Saratoga (CV 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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? ' ' V 5 8 4 . wwf. ' .1-Q. 4.-N 1 .. , Q ll l 1.1.31 gf ...Q .xx COKIKIANDER ROBERT P. RIOLTEN, U. S. NAVY COKIKIANUIQR FRICIJERICR Lf SHFRNI.-XX. L H.1'f2c'11fi1.'r Uffinv' U. S. S. Sf1R,'!TUG,4. ff.x'e'r11fIi'4' Uffim'f. Dfffrlflzwf IU fum? 1936. Re'fir'i'f'ff Cnr11n1r1m1'w' -Hnfff 11, IN .I'.'.

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THE Ll.S.S. SARATOGA HIS ship is the fifth naval vessel to bear the name Saratoga. Authorized by Congress on August 29, 1916, she was intended to be a battle cruiser. lVork on her was suspended February 9th, 1922, as a result of the Limita- tion of Armament Conference, and Congress authorized her conversion into an aircraft carrier 1 July, 1922. Her keel was laid September 25, 1920. She was launched April 7, 1925, and was christened by Nlrs. Curtis D. Wilbur, wife of former Sec- retary of the Navy YVilbur. The ship was commissioned in Camden, N. J., November 16, 1927, and built by the American Brown Boveri Electric Corporation, now the New York Shipbuilding Company, of Camden, N. The ship is 888 feet long over all with a maximum beam at the flight deck of 106 feet. Her displacement is about 33,000 tons. During flight operations, the flight deck is free from all obstructions with the exception of the Hislandu on the starboard side which includes the turrets, mast, bridge, and funnel Csmoke-stackj enclosure. To make up for the preponderance of weight on the starboard side, fuel oil, gas, and water are carried on the port side, for which, when the oil, gas, and water are used in large quantities, water ballast is substituted. The flight deck will accommodate at one time a large part of the ship's complement of airplanes, and still leave sufficient room for the planes to take off and land. The remaining planes are carried by elevators below to the hangar deck. The airplanes, when on the flight deck, are secured by light lines to the counter-sunk cleats to keep them from moving around due to high winds and the rolling of the ship. The netting on the outer edge of the deck is lowered at flight operations, and is occupied by personnel during flight quarters when planes are landing and taking off. Un the starboard side just forward of the first 8-inch turret is an electrically operated crane, used in hoisting seaplanes off and on deck. Aft of this crane are two turrets of twin-mounted 8-inch long range rifles, and two similar turrets are located aft of the smoke stacks. These guns ,with the twelve A. A. guns, are capable of warding off the attack of surface craft including light cruisers, as well as enemy aircraft. -lust forward of the large elevator are the palisades which are raised when needed to break the force of the wind over the flight deck while airplanes are secured thereon. Aft of the palisades is the forward elevator. Both the forward and after elevators are constructed to come Hush with the flight deck making an unbroken flying surface of nearly 900 feet. These elevators are used principally for lowering and hoisting planes to and from the hangar. Just aft of the after elevators are the barrier wires. The barriers serve the purpose of protecting the planes which have already landed from dam- age by another plane approaching which may not make a perfect landing. The arresting gear which is located between the barriers and the stern bring the plane upon landing to a stop after a very short run on deck. The complement of planes attached to the Saratoga at present is ap- proximately 90. These are assigned to Squadrons as follows :- Bombing Squadron Two Cknown as VB Squadron ZBJ 18 planes, Fighting Squad- ron Six Cknown as VF Squadron 6Bj 18 planes, Scouting Squadrons Une and Two fknown as VS Squadrons Une and Two BJ 18 planes each, plus Torpedo and Bombing Squadron Two Cknovvn as VT Squadron ZBJ with 9 planes. The few remaining planes are for the use of the Admiral and his Staff and the Captain of the Saratoga and his Qflicers. The Saratoga is propelled by electric machinery, built to develop 180,000 horsepower, a power greater than the combined output of the six electrically driven battleships, the New Nlexico, California, Colorado, VVest Virginia, Tennessee and Nlaryland. ln other words, the Saratoga could meet the electrical needs of a city about the size of Los Angeles. ln her final speed trials, the ship developed over 200,000 horsepower, and attained a speed of nearly 40 land miles per hour, the fastest ship of her size and kind afloat. She has four 32,000 kilowatt turbine generator sets which supply the current to eight motors connected in pairs to each of the ship's four propellers. The turbines are operated by steam supplied by sixteen oil burning boilers. SEVEN

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The radio equipment of the ship includes the latest and best facilities in that field. The main transmitter is the most powerful of any vessel in the Navy. The range of receiving sets may be indicated when it is added that the ship received the messages of the Australian flight plane Southern Cross all the way to Honolulu in l1ay, 1928. ln connection with aviation, the ship maintains an aerological labora- tory which receives and transmits weather reports from and to other vessels, as well as prepares weather maps for aircraft leaving on extended flights. ln addition to the physical efficiency of the ship, the ship's company is well looked after from the standpoint of health. The ship has an excellent general ward, dispensary, refraction room, diet kitchen, isolation ward, operating room, surgical dressing room, dental office, examining room, etc., and facilities for X-ray and laboratory work. The interior of the Saratoga is different from the space below decks in other Naval vessels. in that there are stowage spaces for airplanes, fully equipped aircraft, machine, and carpenter shops, a laboratory for testing enginesg shops for fabric work doping and paintingp and sheet metal, plumbing, and sewing shops. ln addition there are many compartments. Of these, 117 are assigned to the Supply Department, 51 are for storage of technical aviation mater- ialg 70 are assigned for ship's general stores, equipment, and provisionsg and 16 are utilized for the galley, bake shop, butcher shop, general mess issue room, and clothing issue room. The largest of these rooms, the general issue room, carries some 4,000 different items of supplies in general use throughout the ship, including aviation repair and overhaul shops. The commissary department of the ship is fully equipped to take care of the complement of 1450 enlisted men in the ship's force and the 334 additional men in the aviation squadrons. That this is no small matter may be judged by the following: In one week with the Squadron personnel off the ship, the following supplies are required: 6,000 pounds of flour, 9,400 pounds of various kinds of meat, 700 dozen eggs, 3,000 pounds tinned vegetables, 1,000 pounds tinned fruit, 6,000 pounds fresh fruit, 700 pounds coffee, 1,000 pounds butter, 2,000 pounds milk, and 3,000 pounds of sugar. The coffee is made in three 120-gallon coffee urns. The galley is equipped with nine 80-gallon steam kettles and two 60-gallon steam kettles, electric ovens, etc. There is a special compartment set aside for Crewls Reading Room, Reception Room, and Ladies' Rest Room. In the Reception Room, en- listed personnel may write, read, or meet their civilian friends and guests. Copies of some thirty different magazines may be found in the racks. Qver 2,000 volumes of both fiction and non-fiction books are ready for circula- tion. A moving picture film is shown every night on the Hangar Deck. Church is rigged and Divine Service is conducted every Sunday by the Chaplain attached to the ship. Special family days are celebrated on Christ- mas and Easter Sunday to which the Ship's Company are encouraged to invite their families and friends. Every effort is made to render the lot of the Bluejacket a happy one and to keep him in a high state of morale. All of which contributes toward unselfish and enthusiastic service. The Ship of Happy Landings, the name frequently applied to the Saratoga, is not an empty title. All hands strive to make her just that. I Nine