Topic starter
18/02/2011 12:12 am
OK, not really riverboat stuff, but I thought some of you might be interested in the following information.
Last weekend, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Naval aviation here in San Diego. In the literature they passed out at NAS North Island was a magazine with a number of articles about various historical items related to the history of Naval aviation. One story was titled "Fresh Water Flat Tops."
After Pearl Harbor, all the existing carriers were needed for combat; none were available for training. Also, US coastal waters had German or Japanese subs around, so this wasn't a good place for training. So, the Navy bought a couple of steam, paddle wheel, Great Lakes passenger ships.
Superstructures were removed and 550-foot flight decks installed. Operating out of Glenview NAS, Illinois, on lake Michigan, these ships were used for carrier landing training between 1942 and 1945, qualifying 17,000 Navy and Marine pilots. The Navy's only paddle wheel- propelled aircraft carriers!
18/02/2011 1:21 am
Wow.
When I read the title, I was like: but, but, but....
Neat.
Thanks for that.
18/02/2011 1:10 pm
Great Lakes Aircraft Carriers
As side wheelers, it is hard to see the wheelhouses in these photos.
18/02/2011 1:19 pm
Western New York Heritage Press has pictures of the USS Sable, both as the Steamer Greater Buffulo and carrier USS Sable
18/02/2011 1:26 pm
The attached carrier picture is of the USS Sable. The same website reports that the U.S.S. Wolverine was formerly the Seeandbee, (steamship postcard)
Topic starter
21/02/2011 2:26 am
Bruce: Really interesting photos. There was one small photo with the article I mentioned, but it was small and didn't show much.
21/02/2011 5:11 am
Here is a Youtube video of USS Wolverine
YouTube - USS Wolverine (IX-64) Paddlewheel Freshwater Aircraft Carrier
22/02/2011 2:45 am
Neat video!. I worked for the Navy for about 28 years as a civilian employee and I used to always get a kick from telling young "gung ho" Naval Officers that the U.S. Navy had two paddlewheel aircraft carriers during WW II. The usual reaction was raised eyebrows and stares of disbelief.
22/02/2011 2:52 am
That clip is from the Victory at Sea series. Not sure which episode but the music and narrator definitely from V at Sea.
22/02/2011 3:44 am
Did you all notice what appears to be a funnel cloud coming out of the clouds about halfway through the video?
23/02/2011 3:07 pm
Left overs from video
Ron Anderson;24718 wrote: Did you all notice what appears to be a funnel cloud coming out of the clouds about halfway through the video?
There stil are some 200 planes at the bottom of Lake Michigan usually in good condition due to the fesh water. The Navy holds them close, not allowing any recovery with their permission. I have been a scuba diver in the Lake many times, and wrecks are usually in good condition if they are below the ice zone.