Saratoga (CV 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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VICE ADMIRAL HENRY VARNUM HU'l'LI'IR, U. S. NAVY Conlnlrllzzlffr flil'l'l'll'fl, Hafflf' Fm'n'. T? Hi-.f B., QV KXIIXIX XXHl?XUl ,fl ., I xxx y ,vw I I I lil E' ,T l

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f Table of Contents f SARATOGA ACTIVITIES ....,... TTHfVBH'HDPANAMA ......,,... CRMBHHETHEIJNE .....,.... fXLPPLABETTCAL,IlOSTER .,,....,... Page Page Page Page 1 1 3 7 1 7 8

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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