The US Navy's Five Aircraft Carrier Museum Ships

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | July 12, 2013 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

US NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUSEUMS


(Click map for a high resolution image)

Currently (July 2013) there are five US Navy Aircraft Carrier museums. Four are of Essex class carriers commissioned during World War II which underwent the SBC-125 refit in the 1950s to modernize them. All were commissioned in 1943 & served into modern times. The last, the USS Lexington, was decommissioned in 1991 after 48 years service. The other is the USS Midway, namesake of a larger class carrier built at the end of the war. She underwent two major refits, in the 1950s & in 1970 greatly enlarging her flight deck for modern aircraft. She was commissioned in 1945 & decommissioned in 1992 after 47 years service.

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USS YORKTOWN, CV-10, MUSEUM, CHARLESTON, SC

Name: USS Yorktown
Designation: CV-10
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1970
Mueum Web Site: http://www.patriotspoint.org/
Location: Charleston, SC (Click HERE for a map)

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USS INTREPID, CV-11, MUSEUM, NEW YORK, NY

Name: USS Intrepid
Designation: CV-11
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1974
Mueum Web Site: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
Location: New York, NY (Click HERE for a map)

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USS HORNET, CV-12, MUSEUM, ALAMEDA, CA

Name: USS Hornet
Designation: CV-12
Class: Essex
Displacement: 41,200 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1970
Mueum Web Site: http://www.uss-hornet.org/
Location: Alameda, CA (Click HERE for a map)

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USS LEXINGTON, CV-16, MUSEUM, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

Name: USS Lexington
Designation: CV-16
Class: Essex
Displacement: 48,300 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1943
Decommissioned: 1991
Mueum Web Site: http://usslexington.com/
Location: Corpus Christi, TX (Click HERE for a map)

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USS MIDWAY, CV-43, MUSEUM, SAN DIEGO, CA

Name: USS Midway
Designation: CV-41
Class: Midway
Displacement: 74,000 tons (after modernization)
Commissoned: 1945
Decommissioned: 1992
Mueum Web Site: http://www.midway.org/
Location: San Diego, CA (Click HERE for a map)

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PROPOSED AIRCRAFT CARRIER MUSEUM

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Currently, none of the more modern "super carriers," meaning none of the Forrestal Class, Kitty Hawk Class, or later aircraft carriers, have been saved and set aside as museums. However, there is an active effort underway to get the John F. Kennedy, CV-67, set up as an aicraft carrier museum in the New England area, She was a "super carrier," built to a modified Kitty Hawk standard, and was the last conventionally powered (meaning non-nulcear) aircraft carrier the United States built.

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USS JOHN F. KENNEDY, CV-67, (Proposed - Rhode Island)

Name: USS John F. Kennedy
Designation: CV-67
Class: Kitty Hawk
Displacement: 82,700 tons
Commissoned: 1968
Decommissioned: 2007
Mueum Web Site: http://www.ussjfkri.org/
Location: (Proposed Rhode Island)

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WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
THE RISING SEA DRAGON IN ASIA
AEGIS & AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD
THE US NAVY IN THE 21ST CENTURY
AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS OF HISTORY

[HokieMom]

I gained a greater appreciation for sailors walking around that ship!

[tanknetter]

That SINKEX should have silenced critics of carriers as being easy to sink. She took extended hits during the process and yes she finally had to have pre-set charges to sink her. Those charges were likely where a ship would not expect to take massive multiple hits. There had also would have been as I understand it many key WT hatches which would have had to have been {intentionally} blown out as well for her to sink.

Yup, but they were also trying all sorts of different kinds of ordinance out on her. Once they got the data they needed ... well, there's a nice pic of the wreath they laid out on the water after she went down (since all pictures of the sink-ex are classified).

I think that the Forrestal came pretty close to sinking during her 1967 fire. Not because of any actual damage that was ultimately sustained, but because the fire came within a couple bulkheads of reaching her O2 plant. Had the fires actually reached it and it cooked off it would have taken the rear 1/3 of the ship with it.

[tongass kid]

I served on the commissioning crew of the Kennedy. This was perhaps the most politically sensitive ship of the fleet at the time. I appreciate seeing this story as it brings back fond memories.

[Vigilanteman]

While I realize that the Lexington, Yorktown and Hornet were all updated versions of the original ships, I didn't know about the disinformation incentive behind the names. Thank you.

It must have been very discouraging to the Japanese who thought they had gotten these ships in the earlier battles.

[cva66snipe]

There is one declassified picture of the SINKEX that was made public. It shows the flightdeck underwater at probably 20 ft I'm guessing.

I'll tell you what. When I was on the ship we carried nukes. They as such didn't worry me. Two other things were a far more likely accident waiting to happen. One was like you mentioned the LOX Plant the second would have been a steam break. The LOX Plant had the biggest potential for a mass causality explosion. If you had any sense it would put the fear of GOD in you. To work in there you had to have your stuff together.

My division had The LOX Plants, Elevators and conveyors, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Machine Shop, Ships Services like heat and galley equipment, and the Boat Shop where the liberty launches and emergency generator engines were maintained. I stayed out of 02N2. I worked AC&R mostly and part time as a pushed into service engineman on boat crew and a couple T.A.D. stints to the ships fire department which was it's own division.

I don't know if all carriers went to a full time Fire Department in 1980 but we did. It started out in the yards but was made permanent. It made good sense to pool the firefighters rather than put all the Hull Techs and Gunner Mates at risk. The Fire Dept also had to do fire station and hatch maintenance ship wide.

[cva66snipe]

Heres one for you Jeff. Which carrier in the Enterprise, Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, and Kennedy class, was built with a Sonar Dome?

[Jeff Head]

I believe America and JFK were the only ones that had the actual sonar dome built during their construction...but that America was the only one of those two that had the sonar actually installed. SQS-23 I believe.

[cva66snipe]

LOL America’s Sonar Dome worked. From what I read in the ships veterans association old forum it was removed in either 1980 or 85. Confirmed by a guy on the ship who took the gear out. Our Berthing Compartment was under the aft galley right at water line. At sea you could hear the thing. It sounded like somebody opening a door that the hinges needed oil or a slow rocking chair. When we’d get back in port you’d miss hearing it. LOL. BTW you could also here the planes landing.

[SeaHawkFan]

My dad was Leading Chief of VA-115 on that cruise.

[clamper1797]

A6’s yes we shared our shop with VA-115. It was a shot up bird from VA-115 that crashed into the bow Oct 24 1972. I lost my two best friends that night.

[RetiredArmy]

Thanks. We were still there in 05. I lived there from 1992 to 2006 after I retired from the military. I met my wife there. We lived in Bremerton and took the ferry to and from Seattle every day to work. I met my wife on the ferry. We were married in Bremerton in 95. Only good thing I ever got out of being there. We could not wait to get out. My wife lived there from 1955 till we left in 05. She hated it there also. She saw Seattle go from being a great place to live to a liberal hell hole.

[cva66snipe]

I have a question for you that you might know something about. In the late 1970’s somewhere maybe 1977-78 the A-6’s had some sort of malfunction that basically made them have catrostrophic failure right after launch usually in sight of the carrier. I can’t remember why I just remember an A-6 stand down caused by it and it involved several A-6’s launching from the America. My memory is a little bad but I’m pretty certain it was an A-6.

[SeaHawkFan]

I think my dad was the VA-115 maintenance chief during that cruise and then Leading Chief the following cruise.

[clamper1797]

That was after my time. I got out in 1973

[sonya300]

I need to know the name of the Aircraft Carrier U.S. Navy ship that was docked in Brisbane, Australia, in February/March 1970. Do you think these offices could help me?

[tgusa]

down to 2 now...Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger and Constellation are in Brownsville being scrapped. Independence and Kitty Hawk will be the next to go.

[tgusa]

https://www.google.com/maps/@25.9644735,-97.3611799,1715m/data=!3m1!1e3

Here are Sara, Ranger and Connie being scrapped in Brownsville.

[cuz_it_aint_their_money]

I was stationed aboard the Midway from ‘76 to ‘79. At the time, I thought the tour would never end and couldn’t wait to get transferred. Now I would like to visit her and see how San Diego is taking care of the old gal.

[Last Dakotan]

As one who runs a manufacturing business that consumes steel, the only good in ship deconstruction is that the steel is going to a Nucor or similar operation.

Sunk as reefs seems so much a waste to me.