[Milsurplus] USS Midway

[Rian Robison]

FYI,

Yes Larry, they did get really hot onboard.  I served on the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) in a Heavy Attack Squardron in the South China Sea through just about all of 1960 and it got very hot.  The ship only had air-conditioning in electronic spaces, ready rooms, officer's sleeping areas and a few others.  Outside air was used for ventilation and when it was hot it was hot inside too.  The Avation Electronics Shop was air-conditioned which was good when I was in there working on a piece of gear.  Used to set by the #3 Elevator with my feet in the safety net for the short times between flight deck action to get somewhat cool from the wind and sea mist, it helped some.

We would be at Filght Quarters about 22 hours a day but worked right through the other two.  Slept in the passageways on the steel decks while our planes were out a few hours here and there.  I would go between 30 and 36 hours before getting some sleep when we would go back to sea, after that you could sleep anywhere.  Planes would be hitting the deck above you plus the arristing wires and wire breaking systems would be making all sorts of noise and you could sleep through it, really!  Someone would come a wake you when our planes were returning.  We had A3Ds which went out for between 4 to 6 hours and sometimes more if went high.  Everything you did was automatic... let me think, did I screw on that antenna connector?  Only slept in my rack during storms and when in port.  We hit several storms and I have some pictures I took from the 07 Level (Island, 4 decks up) the third day of one of them when things were calming down that show waves coming over the front of the Flight Deck (yes, 60 feet up, well less then 60 as we were digging in).  Also show the #3 Elevator hitting the water and it was tilted up too (inside edge at Hanger Deck level and outside edge at Flight Deck level (pretty good roll, huh?)    If there is still wood on the Flight Deck with metal every so many feet, you may have noticed the squared-off "C" cuts in the metal strips forward of the Cats.  During storms, pieces of "C" channel were inserted into those cut-outs to break up the waves as they came over the bow.

The Oriskany is now setting on the bottom off Florida.  I wish it would have been saved as it is the only one of its class to receive all the modifications (angle deck, plus many more mods...the VF, H, BHR, etc. got some(mostly angle decks and?)).   There also has been 3 movies shot on the Oriskany....  "Men of the Fighting Lady",  Bridges of Toko-ree(SP?) and I can't remember the third right now. All around the K-War before the angle deck was on.  There were bullet holes that were welded closed in the Aviation Electronics Shop overhead. 

I plan to visit the Midway and sure hope they kept it mostly as it was.  The one in New York has had its wood decking removed and has mods to the ladders and passageways.  I went with a son (lives back there) to see it.  I told and showed him where missles and bombs were assembled in the Crews Mess, how the cats sounded during charging and firing plus what a cat shot and a trap feels like and flying around 560 Knots "on the deck".  Couldn't access many parts of the ship I wanted to, but it sure brought memories.

When you look up the Oriskany, you will see it most likely list as CV-34 but it was CVA-34 for a time.  Several others had an added "A" also.  The "A" at that time meant "Attack" (attack carrier).  Later "A" was used to mean "Atomic Powered" so the old oil burners had their "A"s removed.  Several were turned into other support roles while others were retired.  Glad some made it to be museums.

Rian


 
-----Original Message-----
>From: telegrapher at att.net
>Sent: Aug 14, 2006 12:34 PM
>To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: [Milsurplus] USS Midway
>
>While visiting San Diego this past week i stopped in at the USS Midway 
>which is moored at the navy pier and is an open museum.  First time ever 
>on one of these big things and was wowed big time.  While taking the 
>tour tho, which is self guided BTW, i didn't get to see anything radio 
>related.  I asked one of the docents on the way out and he said that 
>they are working on getting the Radio room (one of them?) opened up. 
>However he said that they (someone) had doe a demil job on what 
>equipment was left in there using a screwdriver and possibly other tools 
>of the trade.  He didn't know when that facility might become available 
>for viewing but was hopeful.  As he was a ham also i figured he would be 
>interested in that area as well and would probably know what was going 
>on. At least she hasn't been taken out to sea and sunk! So we'll have to 
>wait and see.
>
>Ship appears to be in really nice shape. There were pictures in 
>passageways and walls of crew members making a statement about their job 
>and what it was like to work down below.  Was ventilation a problem as 
>there seemed to be a lot of complaints about the excessive heat.  I 
>don't know if the time is pent in Libya was that bad.
>
>All in all, i'll definitely do the trip again.  I didn't get into the 
>"island" as there was a big long line and it appeared to be moving quite 
>slow.  That will be something for the next time.
>
>I really recommend anyone going to San Diego with some extra time to go 
>through the ship.  Very interesting and enlightening.  "Dem guys wus 
>sumpin else"!
>
>Larry
>W0OGH
>
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