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http://warbirdsnews.com/aircraft-restor ... craft.html

Great find, average article.

May they Rest In Peace.

Nice story by the CBS This Morning show.

https://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morn ... -uss-wasp/

These guys have really got their search levels up! probably in the nineties! [:D]

Here's a "what if" question. If the Wasp had not been sunk when she was, how long would she have continued on as a front line carrier? Basically her design specs were only slightly better than Ranger and she was kept in the Atlantic for most of the war because of poor armor protection and space and weight concerns from added new weapons & electronic gear.

She would have been a front line carrier as long as she was needed.

ORIGINAL: afspret

Here's a "what if" question. If the Wasp had not been sunk when she was, how long would she have continued on as a front line carrier? Basically her design specs were only slightly better than Ranger and she was kept in the Atlantic for most of the war because of poor armor protection and space and weight concerns from added new weapons & electronic gear.

Until the battle of "bloody Santa Cruz", at which point her weaker protection would've likely led to her taking Hornet's place as the American CV sunk in that battle.

The Wasp was a 'treaty' CV, built to max out the allowed tonnage. Thus, her construction was limited compared to the Enterprise vessels. I don't think she would have been in front line service if not for the war.

ORIGINAL: rustysi

The Wasp was a 'treaty' CV, built to max out the allowed tonnage. Thus, her construction was limited compared to the Enterprise vessels. I don't think she would have been in front line service if not for the war.

I disagree. USN patterns were to continue using ships until they were completely obsolete, and without the war she wouldn't have been replaced.

Before the war, only 13 Essex-class CVs were ordered, for example. Even the Two-Ocean Navy Act was just about supplementing existing commissioned naval strength, not replacing any.

ORIGINAL: afspret

Here's a "what if" question. If the Wasp had not been sunk when she was, how long would she have continued on as a front line carrier? Basically her design specs were only slightly better than Ranger and she was kept in the Atlantic for most of the war because of poor armor protection and space and weight concerns from added new weapons & electronic gear.

As a guesstimate, Wasp would likely have served as a first-line strike carrier until early '44 when the Fast Carrier operations had become the standard and sufficient Essex class carriers were becoming available. For a period after that, she would have certainly still been used in other combat roles such as air support of amphibious landings but by '45 I suspect she might well have gone the way of USS Saratoga and been utilised as a training carrier. Although the Wasp had proven capable of faster deck operations than the larger Saratoga, her slower speed and inadequate protection made her as equally unsuited for participation in the type of operations being conducted late-war by the Fast Carrier Fleet. Even the USS Enterprise was finding it hard by '45 to keep pace with the Essex class in those operations.

The Saratoga (and the Lady Lex) were poor at maneuvering. They had a wide turning circle compared to the Yorktown class which may be part of the reason why she seemed easier to hit with torpedoes.

Nice story by the CBS This Morning show.

Very Nice!)

The NY Times has a good article on this as well. Paul Allen's group is doing some good work.

I had not seen this report. Thanks for Posting this.

Wish we could find the Japanese carriers sunk at Midway.

I do not know where to post this, I have never started a thread. Another group is doing good work in finding things and people that have been lost.

A burial ceremony for Warrant Officer John Henry Coates will take place at 1pm (27 March, 2019) at the CWGC’s Padua War Cemetery, Italy.

Warrant Officer Coates was serving with 111 Squadron when he died on 5 March 1945. He was involved in a bombing raid targeting barges on the canal north of the village of Cavarzere when his Spitfire PT 410 was hit by flak.

https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-eve ... nry-coates

More information, including pictures:

https://www.cwgc.org/learn/news-and-eve ... nry-coates

Until the battle of "bloody Santa Cruz", at which point her weaker protection would've likely led to her taking Hornet's place as the American CV sunk in that battle.

With 3 US CVs (and 75 extra a/c) against the 4 IJN CVs the results of the battle could have been quite different than historically. HIJMS Junyo was a converted ocean liner and might well have succumbed to the fires resulting from a single bomb hit (IIRC Junyo was in a separate TF). As it was the losses of aircrew at Santa Cruz was the most severe of any of the 4 CV battles in 1942. Maybe it would have turned out similarly to the actual battle but assuming a similar result with an extra US CV engaged is stretching it a bit.

ORIGINAL: John 3rd
I had not seen this report. Thanks for Posting this.

Wish we could find the Japanese carriers sunk at Midway.

Some of them are found - e.g. a piece of Kaga http://www.combinedfleet.com/MidwayFind.htm, http://nauticos.com/ijn-carrier-wreckag ... is-report/

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

I do not know where to post this, I have never started a thread. Another group is doing good work in finding things and people that have been lost.

Never started a new thread? Pretty easy - there is a large orange button at the top left of the sub-forum page (just above the stickied portion) that says New Thread. Click it, put in a topic title and everything else is like a normal post.

I have a hard time posting pictures. [:@]