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Posted on 09/18/2003 12:00:44 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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May-June 1781 In May 1781, Admiral Comte de Barras arrived in Newport, Rhode Island to take command of the blockaded fleet there, but more importantly, he brought word that Admiral Comte de Grasse was on his way to the West Indies with the long awaited french fleet. On May 22, 1781, General George Washington met with Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau at Wethersfield, Connecticut where they made plans for combined operations. Because de Barras refused to bring his fleet anywhere near New York, Washington and Rochambeau decided to operate against New York City, while de Barras would move his fleet to the safety of Boston.  General George Washington The situation in May 1781 was that Lt. General Henry Clinton controlled New York City with about 10,000 troops, while General Washington had about 3,500 men in the Hudson Highlands. The french flee under Admiral de Barras was trapped in Newport with roughly 4,000 french troops. The Marquis de Lafayette was in Virginia opposing British raiding parties, some of which were commanded by Benedict Arnold. Maj. General Nathanael Greene was doing what he could to contain Lt. General Charles Cornwallis in the Carolinas. However, the threat remained that Cornwallis would be able to move into Virginia. In fact, General Cornwallis had decided to move north into Virginia, but not because General Greene could not contain him. On the contrary, Greene had done so well that Cornwallis simply wanted out of the region because of the frustrations that it brought him. Following the capture of Charleston, South Carolina on May 12, 1780, General Clinton had returned north leaving Cornwallis behind with only one directive: Cornwallis was free to carry out whatever backcountry operations that he saw fit as long as he maintained control of the important ports in Charleston and Savannah, Georgia.  General Cornwallis At first, General Cornwallis had no problems with that order, his troops had swept through the South Carolina backcountry and virtually controlled the Southern colonies following his victory over the 'Hero of Saratoga', Maj. General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina on August 16, 1780. However, his northward momentum stalled in fall 1780 with the defeat of his screening force at the Battle of King's Mountain, South Carolina on October 7, 1780 and with the constant harassment of his supply lines and garrisons by militia leaders such as Elijah Clarke, Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter. The situation in the Carolinas got worse for Cornwallis following the arrival of the new Southern Department Commander General Greene on December 3, 1780. Cornwallis' cavalry and mounted troops were decimated by Brig. General Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina on January 17, 1781. In the ensuing chase, Cornwallis had burned his baggage trains in a vain attempt to catch Greene during the 'Race to the Dan River' on the North Carolina-Virgina border. On March 15, 1781, he had held the field at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina against Greene, but suffered huge losses in doing so.  Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau After nursing his struggling forces for two months, General Cornwallis decided to abandon the Carolinas, move up through Virginia, join up with General Clinton at New York and crush the Continental main army under General Washington. Washington and Rochambeau had only been conducting their operations around New York City for two weeks when they learned that Cornwallis was in Virginia. Cornwallis arrived in Petersburg, Virginia, on May 20, 1781. The last orders that Lt General Charles Cornwallis received from Lt. General Henry Clinton on July 20, 1781, were to establish defenses at Old Point Comfort and also occupy Yorktown if necessary. Cornwallis found Old Point Comfort indefensible and chose to make Yorktown his main position. He also set up a supporting position across the York River at Gloucester, Vriginia. By August 22, 1781, Cornwallis had moved his entire force to these two positions.  Lafayette at Yorktown Meanwhile, on August 14, 1781, General George Washington finally received word that the long awaited french fleet under Admiral Comte de Grasse was sailing for the Chesapeake Bay area. The admiral had twenty-nine ships and over 3,000 troops, was expected to arrive in mid-September and would remain until October 15 for combined operations before returning to the West Indies before winter arrived. Washington and Rochambeau now had to quickly move forces from Rhode Island and the New York area to Virginia without alerting either the British fleet or General Clinton. They were also successful in convincing Admiral de Barras to cooperate with de Grasse's operations.  General Washington quickly abandoned his planned operations against General Clinton and New York City to form new operations following Admiral de Grasse's strategy. On August 20, 1781, Washington and 2,500 Continental troops began crossing the Hudson River to Stony Point, New York. The french forces commanded by Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau completed the crossing on August 25. General Clinton observed the movement, but was confident that Admiral de Grasse's fleet would easily be taken care of by the British fleet already commanding the Atlantic coast. Washington did leave Maj. General William Heath with a detachment of forces to first cover his departure and then to withdraw and protect the Hudson Highlands.  General Washington now used his light infantry to feint toward Staten Island, while the entire army stopped at Chatham and Springfield on August 28, 1781 to continue to show like preparing to attack. On August 29, they appeared to be marching to Sandy Hook to meet the french fleet. Finally on August 30, the deception was dropped and they made for Princeton, which the advanced troops reached that same day. They reached Philadelphia on September 1, 1781.  This french battle plan illustrates the siege of Yorktown and the naval blockade that defeated the British in 1781 On September 2, 1781, General Washington led his army through Philadelphia. On the same day General Clinton finally realized that Washington was marching to Virginia. Still he was not overly concerned and merely sent a letter to General Cornwallis that told of the movements and also of expected reinforcements. The french troops made and impressive display to the colonists as they made their way through Philadelphia on the 3rd and 4th. On September 5th, after arriving at Chester, Pennsylvania, Washington learned of Admiral de Grasse's arrival in Chesapeake Bay. On September 6, Washington reached Head of Elk, Maryland. Washington now rode ahead with General Rochambeau and their staffs for a visit to his home at Mount Vernon, which he had not seen in six years. They arrived on September 9th and remained there until the 12th. On September 12, 1781, Washington learned that Admiral de Grasse's fleet had disappeared to confront an approaching British fleet, while he still had no news as to Admiral de Barras' whereabouts. On September 14, 1781, the combined Continental and french force reached the peninsula. On September 15, news arrived that de Grasse had returned and de Barras had been able to get out of Newport and reach Chesapeake without encountering the British fleet. Washington and Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown on September 28, 1781. During the first days of September control of the waters of Chesapeake Bay itself was decided before General George Washington and french Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau arrived on the peninsula with their combined force. Having concealed his departure from the West Indies by sailing through the Bahama Channel, Admiral de Grasse arrived off the Virginia Capes on August 26, 1781 and soon after made contact with the Marquis de Lafayette. On September 2, french troops were landed.  The "Battle of the Virginia Capes" saw the Admiral de Grasse's 24 french ships of the line drive off the 19 British ships under Admiral Graves in early September 1781, thus isolating the British forces of Cornwallis at Yorktown. After having finally learned of Admiral de Grasse's departure, the British sent fourteen ships-of-the-line under the command of Admiral Samuel Hood. Taking a direct route, Hood actually arrived at Chesapeake Bay on August 25, before de Grasse. Finding the waters unoccupied, Hood continued on to New York. At New York, he met five more ships-of-the-line under Admiral Samuel Graves. By seniority, Graves took command of the entire force and sailed back to Chesapeake Bay on August 31 hoping to intercept Admiral de Barras before he could join de Grasse.  The nineteen ship British fleet under Admiral Graves arrived at Chesapeake on September 5, 1781, and found that Admiral de Grasse had occupied the bay. Troops from the West Indies were being landed, the James and York Rivers were being guarded to blockage Lt. General Charles Cornwallis and Admiral de Barras was expected, having left Newport on August 25, 1781. De Grasse immediately ordered the twenty-four available ships-of-the-line to make preparations. They sailed out of the bay one-by-one at noon. Even though outnumbers, Graves was undeterred. After maneuvering around at a distance from each other, winds actually forced Admiral Graves and the British fleet into an attack on Admiral de Grasse and the french fleet. After about two hours, darkness halted the action. The french lost no ships, while one British ship had to be destroyed, another had to have its mast replaced, while two frigates were eventually captured.  Washington and his Generals The next two days the two fleets held contact while drifting one hundred miles south. On September 8, the french fleet turn back north. They lost sight of the British fleet on the following day, then bore down on another fleet before losing contact. De Grasse then returned to Chesapeake to find that Admiral de Barras had arrived on September 10 and it was his fleet that they had sighted on the 9th. With the french fleet occupying Chesapeake Bay, General Cornwallis was now cut off from support and escape by sea.  french soldiers join Americans at the British base at Yorktown in October 1781 The combined Continental and french force under Generals Washington and Rochambeau arrived at Yorktown on September 28, 1781. There were three divisions with two brigades in the American force. Marquis de Lafayette's division included the brigades of Brig. General Peter Muhlenberg and Brig. General Moses Hazen. Maj. General Benjamin Lincoln's division included the brigades of Brig. General James Clinton's New York Regiments and Colonel Elias Dayton, who commanded New Jersey and Rhode Island regiments. Brig. General Baron von Steuben commanded the brigades of Brig. General Anthony Wayne, which included Pennsylvania and Virginia regiments, and Brig. General Modrecai Gist, which included Maryland regiments. 1,700 Virginia militia present. Brig. General Henry Knox commanded a 310-man artillery brigade. Cavalry was 100 men strong while there were 100 sappers and miners.
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Repairs to Carrier Yorktown was One of Yard’s Fastest Jobs
Heavy Damage After Coral Sea Battle Offset by Quick Work of P.H. Workers
Pearl Harbor Banner, December 7, 1943
Up from the Coral Sea, where she had seen action in one of the nation's first and greatest victories in May of last year, came the carrier Yorktown.
The USS Yorktown (CV5) was severely damaged in the Battle of Coral Sea.
When she pulled into Pearl Harbor on June 1, 19421, she was badly damaged; from a direct bomb-hit which had struck the flight deck, pierced it, and finally exploded in the bowels of the ship, six decks down; from a second bomb which caromed off her flight gallery forward on the starboard side and exploded upon hitting the water, peppering the shell above the water-line with shrapnel holes; and from a third near miss which exploded in the water close enough to the side to open the seams, and corrugate the bottom on the port side, amidships.
Following the Battle of Coral Sea, the USS Yorktown (CV5) limped into Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in May of 1942.
Inside the vessel, more than fourteen hundred men - shipfitters, machinists, welders, electricians, and shipwrights worked on the different levels to restore bulkheads, stanchions, and deck plates necessary to restore the ship's structural strength and, as this work proceeded, to renew or replace the instruments, electric wiring and fixtures which had been damaged in the blast.
The need for speed was so urgent that no planning was done and the job was brought to completion with the planners and estimators furnishing advice directly from the ship's plans.
It seemed like an impossible task to get the ship out on time. The men worked in shifts all that day, all night and through the next morning. The dock was scheduled for flooding at 11 o'clock that day. When the time came, the Yorktown with essential temporary repairs made, was in such shape that she could maneuver and fight effectively.
She took on fuel and planes and was out of the harbor by night. On the morning of the fourth of June1, she had joined Admiral Nimitz's force and was within 200 miles of the enemy off Midway.
Through blood, sweat and determination, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard restored the USS Yorktown (CV5) to fighting status in three short days. Yorktown went on to have major influence in the Battle of Midway, where it was eventually sunk.
What the Yorktown did after that is history. Her planes took part in the operation that sank two enemy carriers and so disabled a third that it was easy prey for an American submarine. In addition to the carriers, the Yorktown's planes scored hits on many another enemy vessel. These planes helped turn back the Japanese threat to Midway and the Hawaiian Islands. Though the Yorktown was later sunk as a result of enemy action, she contributed greatly to one of America's greatest sea victories. She could not have done so had it not been for those workmen at Pearl Harbor. 1
Well, first off, it tastes a lot better if you use chicken. Secondly, how're you supposed to find it if it doesn't glow in the dark? I mean, after the fridge light burns out, things really do look different!
FR is loading slowly this AM.
General Washington now used his light infantry to feint toward Staten Island
I would be curious to find out the Colonial Armies version of a "head fake".
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