Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “USS Saratoga: WWII Carrier Sunk by an Atom Bomb” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/uss-saratoga-cv-3-aircraft-carrier/.
USS Saratoga: WWII Carrier Sunk by an Atom Bomb
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Reading the fate of the USS Saratoga, brought tears to my eyes. With no actual connection to the Saratoga, my ship, that I served the majority of my 4 years aboard, is about to be sunk. I was present for the commissioning of the USS Juneau LPD-10 ... in July 1969 ... discharged from the Navy in December 1972 after three Vietnam campaigns ... and I was there on the pier in San Diego, Oct 2008, for it's decommissioning. It has sat in Hawaii, pretty much since ... and I recently heard that June 27th it will be a target for a war game, sinking.
Few realize the connection a sailor has with his ship, especially his first and only ship ... it was my home for the better part of 4 years ... and now it too, will journey to Davy Jones locker ....
Few realize the connection a sailor has with his ship, especially his first and only ship ... it was my home for the better part of 4 years ... and now it too, will journey to Davy Jones locker ....
I always felt that the USS Saratoga CV-3, as she aged, looked ever more attractive. While somewhat ungainly at first, by early 1945 she sat lower in the water after the large numbers of quad mount 40mm Bofors were installed, after her both her superstructure and her funnel were reduced in height. I am still saddened that she was destroyed at Bikini Atoll and not turned into a museum ship. But then again, our most decorated WWII ship, the USS Enterprise CV-6 was scrapped as well. The photo below shows the rake of Sara's hull fore and aft which limited the size of her carrier air group due to her reduced hangar deck. She was the largest US Navy flattop until the arrival of the Midway Class in late 1945, see below photo 2.
