Show Fi flights fights intrigue inhume utah publishers on aircraft carrier trip to hawaii by wm B wallis AT SEA midway feb 18 four fourdais days out from san francisco on a five day cruise to hawaii aboard the carrier midway we have experienced all types of sea after two days day of rough water through the stream off the california coast we have now enter ed the more calm and warmer waters near the Ila hawaiian wallan islands for the post past two days we have been intrigued with the launching and retrieving of the aircraft as they are sent on short and long range missions aircraft have been landed and launched simultaneously from this big floating fortress with a weight of ton tons not counting the 81 bombers and other aircraft aboard FIRST AIRCRAFT to be launched were nine A ads each weighing pounds these were sent on long range missions to hawaii a distance of 1200 milts miles and at af ter completing their tasks spent the night on the island and returned to the carrier the following day smaller jets and prop planes have been launched the jets are launched with a steam catapult while the prop planet make it easily under their own power As the planes are readar to beave leave the ship the course Is steered into the wind to give a wind velocity af 30 knots the speed of the carrier is cut to 15 or 18 16 knots sometimes the course la Is entirely reversed to obtain the favorable wind we have hav watched 40 or 50 takeoffs and every one has been perfect performance we attempted to take pictures of the jets as we stood on the catwalk near the control tower but the blast of the engines was so deafening that we decided to go inside and andrake take our shots through the windows TOMORROW the launchings will be carried out throughout the entire day and half the night the planes return to the ship in series alternating with the launchings it is hard to realize as aj we stand on the fhe flag deck and watch the planes leave and returns to the ship chip that these aircraft carrying bombs and missiles have a striking forge force equal to all the bombs dropped during world war 11 II As we wind our way through the 1000 toot foot hangar bay working our way around the aircraft t that hat are am being refueled and loaded with bombs that such a power of destruction tion exists in these aircraft besides the many planes in the hangar hay bay when flight operations are not taking place planes are also parked on the flight deck decky THESE LARGE carriers carrier fill therole the role of goodwill good will mis map and are also a deterrent to any small war that might otherwise be started along the coastal nations that they patrol they have a great influence in discouraging the me encroachment ment of communism in the free nation bordering the seacoasts her aircraft have atomic capability and could easily reach far inland should an attack be necessary on OH unfriendly nation one high ranking naval officer told us that indochina indo china would never go communistic as long as the V U S can control the coastlines coast lines i this carrier Is honeycombed with compartments designed so each can be sealed oft off with bulkheads doors should ft 4 section be struck with a bomb and the ocean break through for the first two days we were continually getting lost trying to find our way about the carrier after passing through bulkheads and every passageway looking the same our hair stood on end the second day out when a battery of five inch guns were fired a few yards from our quarters then orders came over the inter intercom c com orn for or G general e ner a I 1 take battle stations station and then prepare to abandon ship this last order really had bad us all excited until we were informers that it was merely a drill then one afternoon the alarm was sounded tire fire fire fire and we thought that this was it but it turned out to also be a drill yesterday the next fire call was real but the fire was soon controlled our group ot of ten utah publishers are given many privileges and every courtesy on the ship captain R W cousins welcomed us aboard and gave us the use of the admer aamir els ats flag deck and lounge As it happened the admiral did not come on the cruise EACH NIGHT a group of us are invited to dine with captain cousins and the food Is deluxe the captain la Is honored and respected by all the officers and men aboard we have talked with ordinary crow crew members who have said the captain has stopped and chatted with them greater effort and more appropriations are needed for our defense against submarine warfare naval officers have commented the rus rug have subs that could bomb our coastal cities and also launch missiles which could reach as far wand inland as denver the navy needs more big carriers of the type of the midway more guided missile cruisers and more modernized destroyers officers said the midway was first launched in 1945 as a ton attack aircraft carrier the ships name commemorates the battle of midway fought june 3 to june 6 1942 the japanese lost four aircraft carriers and planes in the engagement IN THE FALL of 1947 the ship became the first to launch a V 2 rocket on sept 30 after spending two years in the puget sound bound naval shipyard the midway emerged as a ton vessel due to a completely revamped va ped structure in sept 1959 an AD 7 Sky raider lder made the th landing on her flight deck the midway plans to dock at pearl harbor monday mor ning nang at 9 the visiting publishers will be guests of the navy during the week and on friday night will be flown back to san francisco |