Posted on 05/23/2026 5:24:28 AM PDT by devane617
Very interesting video about the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier that sank in 1942 at the Battle of Midway.
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First comment at the video states:
“Carriers often carry service member’s cars when the ships are reassigned to new ports, but being wartime, that is probably an admiral’s personal car or something along those lines.”
A gentle suggestion...
For those unfamiliar with the Battle of Midway, read up on that first.
My office at Subic Bay, adjacent to the NCO club, had a U.S.Navy jeep to allow visitation to the very remote and rough construction sites in the Bataan jungles. Navy Jeeps were hard to come by.
It was missing one morning.
All agreed the jeep was on the carrier in port at the time.
Theft in the military overseas???
NO WAY! Say it ain’t so! 😂
In the military, we were told to supply bullet statements for yearly ratings, I sent in the following one:
“Dakine is a master at appropriating perceived surpluses.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yorktown_(CV-5)
On 4 June, during the battle, aircraft from the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū crippled Yorktown after two attacks.She lost all power and developed a 23-degree list to port. Salvage efforts on Yorktown were encouraging, and she was taken in tow by USS Vireo. On 6 June, the Japanese submarine I-168 fired a salvo of torpedoes, two of which struck Yorktown, and a third sinking the destroyer USS Hammann, which had been providing auxiliary power to Yorktown. With further salvage efforts deemed hopeless, the remaining repair crews were evacuated from Yorktown, which sank on 7 June. The wreck of Yorktown was located by oceanographer Robert Ballard in 1998... A more extensive survey of the wreck was conducted by EV Nautilus in September 2023. During a livestreamed exploration of the wreck via remotely operated underwater vehicle on 19 and 20 April 2025 by NOAA Ocean Exploration, a car, suspected to be a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon (”Woodie”), could be seen within the ship’s hangar along with at least three SBD Dauntless dive-bombers. The ROV also found intact murals on the ship’s walls.
Well done ...
Thank you.
For anyone interested.....
https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/WDR/index.html
Scroll down to the USS Yorktown report from Midway.
You can download the 17 page after action report.
Read it.
I’m currently reading about the Marblehead and when they prepared for war they removed and left on the Borneo docks most of their personal items they had accumulated, to reduce the amount of debris that could cause problems and injuries when bombs and shells started inside the ship, even the captain’s little personal boat was discarded.
STRATEGIC
TRANSFER
of EQUIPMENT
to ALTERNATE
LOCATIONS
STEAL
Hat tip: the Fat Electrician
Really interesting. So. The Yorktown was actually sunk AFTER the Battle of Midway, by a lingering submarine. She sank on my birthday. I’ve always assumed it was a few days prior.
LTJG Holden from Operation Petticoat
More about the car. Experts think it was used as a staff car:
“...researchers have tentatively identified the vehicle as a black 1940-1941 Ford Super Deluxe “Woody.” On its front plate, according to a statement, they could make out the words “SHIP SERVICE ___ NAVY.”
The thing is so large, the scouts would play 'hide and seek' - they just take one of the six different 'tours' and try to find someone. A real blast.
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