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Photo # 80-G-471017:  USS Yorktown at sea, circa mid-1943

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Yorktown (CV-10, later CVA-10 and CVS-10), 1943-1975

USS Yorktown, a 27,100-ton Essex class aircraft carrier built at Newport News, Virginia, was commissioned in April 1943. After shakedown, she passed throught the Panam Canal in July to join the war against Japan. Yorktown's first combat operation was a strike against Marcus Island at the end of August. During the rest of 1943, she took part in a raid on Wake Island and in the Gilberts operation. From late January into May 1944, Yorktown was one of the carriers that covered landings in the Marshall Islands and western New Guinea and generally battered Japanese forces throughout the central Pacific. In June 1944, her planes attacked Saipan and Guam and hit the carrier Zuikaku during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. For the rest of that month and in July, Yorktown struck other targets in the Marianas, the Bonins and Volcano Islands.

Following a overhaul, Yorktown rejoined the fighting fleet in November 1944, participating in attacks on Japanese positions in the Philippines, Formosa, Indochina and on the China coast from then into January 1945. In February and March, she supported the landings on Iwo Jima and conducted air strikes against the Japanese Home Islands. Though damaged by an enemy bomb on 18 March, she was able to remain in action. From late March until June 1945, Yorktown took part in the Okinawa campaign. On 7 April, her planes helped sink the huge Japanese battleship Yamato and some of her consorts. The remaining months of the Pacific war were mainly spent on raids on the Japanese Home Islands. Following Japan's capitulation in August, Yorktown helped cover occupation efforts and brought servicemen home from the western Pacific. Generally inactive from early 1946, the carrier was decommissioned in January 1947.

Yorktown began a major modernization in 1951. Now capable of operating heavier aircraft and redesignated CVA-10, she reentered active service in February 1953. In August, she departed for the Far East to begin the first of eleven Seventh Fleet cruises. In early 1955, during her second deployment, Yorktown supported the Tachin Islands evacuation. Later in that year, she was further modernized, receiving an angled flight deck and enclosed bow. After two more western Pacific tours as an attack carrier, in 1957-58 she became an antisubmarine warfare support aircraft carrier, with the new designation CVS-10.

The carrier's regular schedule of Far Eastern deployments included periodic exercises with allied navies and, from the mid-1960s, support for Vietnam War activities. In 1968, Yorktown played a major role in the motion picture "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and was part of the Apollo 8 space flight recovery effort. Transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in early 1969, she visited Europe during the last part of the year. Decommissioned in June 1970, in 1975 Yorktown became a memorial at Charleston, South Carolina, a mission that continues to the present day.

This page features selected views of USS Yorktown (CV/CVA/CVS-10).

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: 80-G-471017

USS Yorktown (CV-10)


Operating at sea, circa mid-1943, with a TBF "Avenger" flying over her bow.
This photo may have been taken during carrier trials for the SB2C "Helldiver". Most of the planes on her flight deck are of that type.
Photographed by Lieutenant Commander Charles Kerlee, USNR.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-14379 (Color)

USS Yorktown (CV-10)

Underway circa mid-1943, possibly during her shakedown cruise in the late spring. Planes on deck include F6F "Hellcat" fighters and SB2C "Helldiver" scout-bonmbers.
Note this carrier's unique longitudinal black flight deck stripe.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-238298

USS Yorktown (CV-10)


Underway during the Marianas operation, June 1944.
The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 33, Design 10a.
Photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Science Labratory on 17 July 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 143KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 97456

USS Yorktown (CVA-10)


Underway in July 1953, after completion of her SCB-27A modernization.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 575 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97457

USS Yorktown (CVS-10)


"Crewmembers of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown form Japanese characters reading 'Hello Japan' as she arrives in Far East waters to commence another tour with the U.S. Seventh Fleet. The carrier arrived at U.S. Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan, March 3. Yorktown is commanded by Captain Louis H. Bauer, USN, and flies the flag of Rear Admiral Joseph D. Black, USN, Commander, Carrier Division 17."
Photograph and caption were released by Commander Naval Forces, Japan, in March 1960.
Aircraft on Yorktown's flight deck include 11 HSS-1; 4 AD-5W and 22 S2F.
Transliteration of the Japanese Katakana characters is: "HaRo-NiHon".

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97458-KN (Color)

USS Yorktown (CVS-10)

At sea off Hawaii, circa the early 1960s.
Note HSS-1 helicopters on her flight deck, with noses painted red.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 124KB; 740 x 560 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-419959

USS Yorktown (CV-10)


Ordnancemen working on bombs amid F6F-3 "Hellcat" fighters parked on the carrier's hangar deck, circa October-December 1943. Other crewmen are watching a movie in the background.
Bombs appear to include two 1000-pounders and one 500-pounder.
Photographed by Lieutenant Charles Kerlee, USNR.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 111KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-204747-A

Gilberts Operation, November 1943


A Grumman F6F-3 "Hellcat" fighter makes condensation rings as it awaits the take-off flag aboard USS Yorktown (CV-10), 20 November 1943. The plane is from Fighting Squadron Five (VF-5).
Yorktown was then hitting targets in the Marshall Islands to cover the landings in the Gilberts.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-241043

USS Yorktown (CV-10)


SB2C-1 "Helldiver" bombers return to the carrier after a raid in early July 1944.
Photographed by Photographer's Mate First Class O.L. Smith, USNR.
Note: The original caption for this photograph, released by Commander in Chief, Pacific, gives the date as 6 July 1944 and identifies the target as Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands, which was actually attacked on 4 June. Edward Steichen's "U.S. Navy War Photographs" identifies the target as Guam.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 97KB; 585 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 97459

North American AJ "Savage" attack plane


Lands on board USS Yorktown (CVA-10), 6 December 1955.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 111KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: USN 1120536

USS Yorktown (CVS-10)


In posed formation with her escorts and some of her aircraft during Exercise "Sea Imp", a major Southeast Asia Treaty Organization exercise conducted in the western Pacific during the first part of 1966.
The two leading escorts are USS Goldsborough (DDG-20) at left and USS Bronstein (DE-1037) at right. Other escorts include two destroyers and two escort ships.
Planes overhead include S-2, E-1 and SH-3 types.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1120536.

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 30 November 2000
Link added 8 October 2001