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Great Photo IMO......[:)] those DP38s look so small compared to the previous 8" turrets.

I could be wrong, but this picture looks to me as if it has been colorized. The sea is a little too royal blue. Also, if this picture was taken during 1942, the flight deck would not be tan. USN flight decks were stained 250N during this period which is a bluish grey color.

I wish I could make out the aircraft better. I think I see a SBD and definitley TBFs - I wonder if that is a fighter in front of the group.

Nevertheless, it is a great picture of the Sara after her major refit.

On second thought, the exposure of the film may be causing the colors to be off.


TOMLABEL

ORIGINAL: MineSweeper

Great Photo IMO......[:)] those DP38s look so small compared to the previous 8" turrets.

Just goes to demonstrate how big she really was. It's all personal taste of course, but Saratoga after her rebuild is my favorite CV (circa 1942)....I think Ark Royal is my second favorite.

BigB, it is my favorite US ship......bar none......why did they turned into an atom bomb test bed?[:@]

ORIGINAL: MineSweeper

BigB, it is my favorite US ship......bar none......why did they turned into an atom bomb test bed?[:@]

One of the crimes of modern historical preservation I think [:(]
(They must have really wanted to confirm whether they had finally fixed Lexingtons' leaky fuel pipe problem)

A lot of it is too do with the post war mentality.
 
I don't think they actually wanted too much left around - too much pain, too close to home.
 
The two world wars were incredibly hard events as they touched nearly everybody.

ORIGINAL: bbbf

A lot of it is too do with the post war mentality.

I don't think they actually wanted too much left around - too much pain, too close to home.

The two world wars were incredibly hard events as they touched nearly everybody.

It's an old habbit I guess, if it wasn't for Oliver Wendell Holmes - Constitution wouldn't be around today either...

Disagree, the US always worshipped their warriors......but I guess the Saratoga was on the wrong list at the wrong time.....[:(]

Let it be remembered that it took TWO a-bombs to take out the Sarah--per my sig.  It also took seven hours for her to sink after the second test....
 
(I have a soft spot for her too, I had an uncle who served on her).

ORIGINAL: MineSweeper

Disagree, the US always worshipped their warriors......but I guess the Saratoga was on the wrong list at the wrong time.....[:(]

Have you seen the DVD 'First Flattops' by Aircraft Films/Spacecraft Films? It covers the first 4 US CV through video documentary pulled from the national archives. There is some great footage of the Lex and Sara during the prewar era and of the Sara during the war. There is about a 15 minute piece of her sinking after the Bikini test. My favorite part is the color footage of the Royal Navy parading past the Sara giving a send-off before she heads back to the central Pacific area.

Almost forgot...there is dive footage on the Sara as well.

I got mine at Amazon and I believe they still have them in stock.

TOMLABEL

Thanks Tom.....will check it out.....[:)]

If you're a diver with some money you can go visit her now. She's the highlight of the "Dive Bikini" operation these days.

http://www.bikiniatoll.com/divetour.html

I would love to dive Bikini. Ten years ago maybe, but it is out of the question now. I developed an allergy to natural rubber and some synthetics.

I have snorkeled Hawaii {polyurethane mask and snorkel, and wear socks to prevent contact with fins} but wet suits are not an option {it's been 15 years since I've been diving anyway} and I think Bikini is a bit far quality medical care.

ORIGINAL: MineSweeper

Disagree, the US always worshipped their warriors......but I guess the Saratoga was on the wrong list at the wrong time.....[:(]

After reading further down, and seeing how Bikini is now a dive attraction - Saratoga and the others were luckier to be sent to destruction there than most of their contemporaries. CV Enterprise and CA San Francisco, for example, do not exist anymore - but at least Saratoga still does and can even be visited...

I saw an old move on TBS called "HellDivers!".  Seems like the movie was about 1932.  Some beautiful footage of Sara with the big sticks (8" guns).  They were flying SB2s or whatever you call those bi-plane DBs the Navy was fielding then (they were called HellDivers as well). 
 
Movie was usual fair for that time (melodramatic dribble with a young ENS and his old salt type as his aircrew).  Was kind of big deal tho, because the Navy actually let them film flight ops for the movie.  Nice footage tho.
 
-F-

i wonder if "Here comes the Navy!" is available on DVD.....

ORIGINAL: Feinder

I saw an old move on TBS called "HellDivers!".  Seems like the movie was about 1932.  Some beautiful footage of Sara with the big sticks (8" guns).  They were flying SB2s or whatever you call those bi-plane DBs the Navy was fielding then (they were called HellDivers as well). 

Movie was usual fair for that time (melodramatic dribble with a young ENS and his old salt type as his aircrew).  Was kind of big deal tho, because the Navy actually let them film flight ops for the movie.  Nice footage tho.

-F-

I don't have my library handy at the moment, but I recall reading somewhere (Toland's "The Rising Sun", I think) that "Hell Divers" was tremendously popular with Japanese naval aviators before WWII, and they all sought to emulate Clark Gable as the dashing young officer.

I look more like Wallace Beery

Just think about the only existing examples of a pre-World War II constructed aircraft carrier. You can dive the Saratoga or hire RObert Ballard to send a camera down to the Yorktown. Other than that, I don't know of any other known examples where you can actually eyeball them.  Of course, there is still the Hornet, Lex, and the IJN carriers on the bottom of the Pacific in various locations, but I don't think a single CV from that era survived the scrappers torch.  Pretty sad actually.  At least USS Texas got preserved.

ORIGINAL: showboat1

You can dive the Saratoga

YES! Mid life crisis, here I come!