Vought V-187 Viking - Victory at Sea - Midway Is East

[PR19_Kit]

Thanks for the clarification Logan. 

What was the origin of the ship names like 'Hornet' and 'Wasp', and was there ever a 'Bee' as well?

[Logan Hartke]

Thanks for the clarification Logan.  

What was the origin of the ship names like 'Hornet' and 'Wasp', and was there ever a 'Bee' as well?

Good question, Kit!  This is something many people probably don't know.  Wasp and Hornet were actually the first ships of the Continental Navy to get to sea.  To my knowledge, there was no USS Bee, but there was a USS Fly.



U.S. sloop-of-war Hornet duels HMS Peacock.
Original painting by Patrick O'Brien

With the exception of the USS Langley, named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley, US carriers were named exclusively for historic US Navy ships and famous US battles.  At least, that was until the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, the USS Forrestal, and then finally the USS John F. Kennedy when everything went off the rails and US Navy ships read more like a Congressional committee roll call.

In case anyone was wondering why the aircraft in the profile is so beaten up, it's probably because the Yorktown had been involved in about 6 months of nearly continuous combat, including the Battle of Coral Sea.  The planes of VB-5 (renamed VS-5) were in the thick of it the whole time.  They didn't seem to have much time for repainting or touch ups.



Cheers,

Logan

[PR19_Kit]

You learn something new every day. 

Thanks Logan. 

[Leading Observer]

Hi Logan,

Were the ships of the Continenal Navy new builds, ex Royal Navy or acquired from another power e.g France?

[Logan Hartke]

The Wasp, Hornet, and Fly were merchant ships (schooners and sloops) fitted out as warships by the Continental Navy.  For smaller ships, there really wasn't a lot that differentiated civilian from military at that time in history and could be converted as necessary.

Cheers,

Logan

[Leading Observer]

Thanks Logan.

It always amuses me that the whole Revolution/Independence War was sparked by the issue of a 2%[?] tax hike, when you look at the amount of sales tax [VAT here in the UK] paid these days

[Logan Hartke]

Well, I often hear the level of tax brought up regarding the American Revolution, but that really misses the point.  The phrase making the rounds at the time was "no taxation without representation".  It wasn't about how MUCH taxes were being levied as much as it was the firm denial of representation in Parliament for the British citizens in the Colonies that they were taxing.  It really was the principle of the thing.  Additional taxes such as the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act only reminded colonists how unlawful these taxes were according to the Bill of Rights of 1869.

Cheers,

Logan

[PR19_Kit]

It wasn't about how MUCH taxes were being levied as much as it was the firm denial of representation in Parliament for the British citizens in the Colonies that they were taxing. 

Pretty much the same situation as we find ourselves here in the UK now then..............?

[Logan Hartke]

It's not like that ceased to be an issue after 1776 on this side of the Atlantic, either.  That's modern politics, however, so let's try to steer things back to history.  This is my thread, so I don't mind threadjacking it into the American Revolution, but modern politics just get depressing.

Cheers,

Logan

[scooter]

With the exception of the USS Langley, named for aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley, US carriers were named exclusively for historic US Navy ships and famous US battles.  At least, that was until the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, the USS Forrestal, and then finally the USS John F. Kennedy when everything went off the rails and US Navy ships read more like a Congressional committee roll call.

The USS Franklin, CV-13, was also named in honor of Ben Franklin, not so much the Battle of Franklin, TN

And yes, modern politics are rather depressing.

[Logan Hartke]

The USS Franklin, CV-13, was also named in honor of Ben Franklin, not so much the Battle of Franklin, TN

There were a number of other carriers with "people" names, but they all had historic US Navy ships that bore the names before them.  So, they still followed convention.  Other than Langley, the Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first one to break with precedent.

USS Franklin may refer to:

• USS Franklin (1775) was a 6-gun schooner, fitted out in 1775 and returned to the owner in 1776
• USS Franklin (1795) was an 8-gun brig built in 1795, captured by corsairs from Tripoli in 1802, bought back by the Navy in 1805, and sold in 1807
• USS Franklin (1815) was a 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1815 and broken up in 1852
• USS Franklin (1864) was a screw frigate launched in 1864 and in active service until 1877, thereafter used as a receiving ship until 1915

Cheers,

Logan

[Logan Hartke]

As per usual with the Vikings, note that this is reduced to 33%.  Click on the profile to see it on Photobucket where you can click again and see it at 100%.  I've also submitted this to the Clear Your Workbench GB on another forum.



The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the NAVY CROSS to

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RICHARD HALSEY BEST
UNITED STATES NAVY

for service as set forth in the following CITATION:

    For extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Bomber and Squadron Commander in Bombing Squadron SIX (VB-6), attached to the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE (CV-6), during the "Air Battle of Midway," against enemy Japanese forces on 4 - 6 June 1942. Defying extreme danger from concentrated anti-aircraft barrage and powerful fighter opposition, Lieutenant Commander Best, with bold determination and courageous zeal, led his squadron in dive-bombing assaults against Japanese naval units. Flying at a distance from his own forces which rendered return unlikely because of probable fuel exhaustion, he pressed home his attacks with extreme disregard for his own personal safety. His gallant intrepidity and loyal devotion to duty contributed greatly to the success of our forces and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

This is going to be the final profile in the Midway series and, as you can see, I've saved the Best for last (pun absolutely intended).  Of the aviators that took direct part in the Battle of Midway, LCdr "Dick" Best was perhaps the most extraordinary.  He participated in both attacks on the Japanese carriers that took place on 4 June.  In fact, he was almost single-handedly responsible for the destruction of Akagi.

After contact reports of Midway-based PBY Catalina patrol aircraft on the morning of June 4, 1942, Enterprise started to launch her air group starting on 07:06h.  Under the overall command of the air group commander (CEAG) Lt.Cdr. Wade McClusky were 14 TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bombers of Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6), 34 SB4U-4 Vikings of VB-6, the CEAG section, and VS-6, and ten F4F-4 Wildcat fighters of Fighting Squadron 6 (VF-6).  However, the squadrons became separated and reached the Japanese independently. Only the dive bombers stayed together and reached the enemy by 09:55h.  At about 10:22h the Enterprise dive bombers started to attack two Japanese carriers, which proved to be the Kaga, and the Akagi.



At this point, the attack became confused, as all 34 Vikings started to attack Kaga, and none the Akagi.  Obviously, Best expected to attack according to the U.S. dive bomber doctrine.  This was that VB-6 would attack the nearer carrier (in that case Kaga) and VS-6 the one further away (here Akagi).  The three-plane CEAG section was expected to attack last, as their planes were equipped with cameras to assess the damage later.  However, evidently McClusky was not aware of this, having been a fighter pilot until becoming CEAG.  Therefore McClusky began his dive on Kaga, being followed by VS-6, and Best's VB-6 was also attacking Kaga according to doctrine. Lieutenant Best noticed the error and broke off with his two wingmen to attack the Akagi.



At 10:26h Best's three SB4Us attacked the Akagi.  The first bomb, dropped by Lt.(jg) Edwin John Kroeger, missed.  The second bomb, aimed by Ens. Frederick Thomas Weber, landed in the water, near the stern.  The force wave of that hit jammed the Akagi's rudder.  The last bomb, dropped by Best, punched though the flight deck and exploded in the upper hangar, in the middle of 18 Nakajima B5N2 planes, parked there.  That hit doomed the Akagi.  Later that day, Lieutenant Best participated in the attack on the last remaining Japanese carrier - the Hiryū, possibly scoring one of the four hits.  After the battle, Best was awarded the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross.



However, on the morning flight Best had tested an oxygen bottle to be sure that it was not leaking caustic soda.  Best's first inhalation was then filled with gas fumes.  He snorted the gas fumes out, not thinking about it anymore.  The next day Best began to cough up blood repeatedly.  The flight surgeon found out that the gas fumes had activated latent tuberculosis.  He entered the hospital at Pearl Harbor on June 24, 1942.  After undergoing 32 months of treatment, Richard Best retired from the US Navy in 1944.

Cheers,

Logan

[NARSES2]

Well you learn something new every day - cheers Logan 

[Logan Hartke]

Thanks!  Glad you liked it, NARSES.

Cheers,

Logan