USS Yorktown (CV10) - A worthy successor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Today we take a tour of some of the highlights found aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown!
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Pinned post for Q&A :)
Hey Drac, there's a full-size A4 Skyhawk that was a member of the Navy's Blue Angels Flight demonstration team mounted on top of the Nauticus Museum besides USS Wisconsin.
For Operation Downfall, did the USN really planned to give escort carriers to the US Marines?
Sort of an alternate history question
Franco against his better judgement joins the Axis and Operation Felix becomes a thing in October 1940. What are the implications for the Royal Navy, should Britain proceed with Operation Pilgrim and what other plans were considered? If you war gamed this scenario and played the role of Sir Dudley Pound, what would you recommend to Winston?
Is USS Essex (CV-9) a museum ship? If not, would it mean the Yorktown the oldest carrier preserved in America? Is it the oldest preserved aircraft carrier in the world?
I was watching a documentary on the Normandie and I found out that the guy who designed her had designed some revolutionary battlecruisers for Tsarist Russia which were cancelled due to the revolution I was wondering what made these battlecruisers so revolutionary? and if they had been built what impact would they have had?
Back in 1994, when I was seven years old, my scout troop stayed the night aboard Yorktown. It sparked a lifelong love of all things maritime. Thank you for all you do to highlight these wonderful experiences so they continue to be preserved and inspire future generations.
I did the same on the Lexington. I even got to hoist the massive flag in the hanger. Great experience
@Casemate Cardinal I've been on Lexington 3 times and I want to go again. I love being on the Blue Ghost
My cub scout troop did the same thing! I was lucky enough to do it twice; once tagging along as a teen while my brother's cub den went. My dad has a picture somewhere of me laying in the air scoop of the A-7 on the flight deck.
Wow! That's super cool! The Yorktown was one of my favorite ships when I began to learn about the USN in WW2- and one of the first models I built!
I wish I had the chance to spend the night there when I was in scouts!
What was it like? I imagine some good ghost stories, and maybe some non-sanctioned exploration at night! So cool! 😎
@Brian They did let us lose to explore after the museum proper closed. No ghost stories needed. We went down to the catapult steam plant. Wandering the interior of a nearly deserted ship with just the sound of your own footsteps and some distant clanging was spooky enough for a kid. I've never been so relieved to spend the night in a cramped bunk with half the group snoring.
"Yorktown, the Fighting Lady, has returned to you once more."
"Enterprise, I'm back."
"I am Yorktown the White, and I come back to you at the turn of the tide." Context: th-cam.com/video/0lhHDXimoLc/w-d-xo.html
@@ph89787 Damn it, you're gonna make me shed manly tears again.
I just finished reading a really good book about the Battle of Midway that had a great anecdote describing the inevitable force that was the US Navy that the Japanese were facing down. Before the Battle of Midway, the Japanese thought they had sunk the original USS Yorktown (CV-5) three times before finally successfully sinking her, and for their troubles, within a year a new USS Yorktown (CV-10) had taken her place on the line.
As a native Charlestonian, I'm grateful to have this ship in our harbor.
My dad was a plank owner and served on her until the end of the war. My brother, nephew and myself had the opportunity to take my dad for a visit in his late 80’s. We were given an escort to tour the ship and they also recorded a video interview of dad about his time on the ship. My dad traversed from deck to deck as if he were decades younger than his actual age. He is long gone now but I cherish the memory of that day.
A couple of comments here. A few years ago, when I was living near Charleston, I took a visiting friend to Yorktown. Down in the machinery space I demonstrated the procedure for lighting off the boiler. As for the picture shown of the inside of the boiler’s steam drum, those are cyclone separators that cause the steam being generated to swirl, shedding excess moisture.
Regarding the inclinometer, when I was serving in a destroyer of the same class as Laffy, we experienced a 55 degree roll. Very exhilarating!
USS Laffey has a GREAT story ... the captain wrote a book called: The Ship that Would Not Die. It's well worth your attention.
He's done a video on Laffey.
That killboard really makes me wish we had one for Enterprise…
They tried. But at the time when someone remembered to salvage the killboards before her scrapping. They had deteriorated to the point that barely anything could be made out.
@@ph89787 the fact that the Enterprise CV-6 has short life (15-20 years) also also include few of Essex class that only survived for 20 or so years before being scrapped or decommissioned, like USS Leyte. Some carriers before the Forrestal have less than 30 years of service before being decommissioned
@@ramal5708 The USS Lexington (CV-16) has entered the chat in order to contradict you (1943 - 1991).
@@colormedubious4747 Corrected my statement, some carriers, which means not all of them.
@@ramal5708 #NotAllCarriers
I've walked that ship twice in my life. My grandfather served on her younger sister, the USS Boxer CV-21, during the Korean War.
My dad also served on CV-21 USS Boxer during Korea, I have toured the Yorktown & Lexington several times in the past years, thanks to our predecessors who served & maintained this great class of ships & thanks to you James for sharing!
Not someone who ran a boiler plant but many a BT helped explain the stuff at 35:50 to me so here goes: the pipe down the middle with holes in it is the pipe where feed water enters the steam drop. The cylinder looking things are your cyclone separators (circular baffles that separate steam and water as they come up the generating tubes into the drum). The top pipe is the dry pipe where the steam is sent either to the auxiliary system or to the superheaters. Those at the end were the sight glasses because you gotta make sure your water level is correct else you will either ruin your turbines with carry over if it’s too high or witness rapid and violent disassembly if it’s too low
Thanks. This is very thorough explanation
Nice description. Cyclone separators are used when space for the steam drum is limited, they prevent carryover to the next process stage. The process is referred to as demisting. Common in navy boilers, less so in the merchant marine.
@@johnvogt5847 Used in nearly all modern power plant boilers as well, usually packed much more densely with some funneling.
Right on- that's a good explanation. I used to monitor boilers as a building management pro, but, naval gear is way different (water-tube vs air-tube, the pressures that they run at, etc).
Boilers are frankly terrifying machines. (I ran a couple of 1910-1930 era boilers, which were basically 'steam plants' used for central heating. (That is, I monitored them and called in the pros if anything was out of spec- I can't imagine their naval equivalent!)
Former Navy Machinist Mate, and lemme tell you, keeping the correct water level gets REAL challenging when it gets choppy!
It was a pleasure to get to meet you on Yorktown. I tend to make my way onboard 3 to 4 times a year and pretty much every time something I've missed in the past catches my eye. As you said, anyone who can visit her (or any other museum ship) should do so and support her continued existence. Both her and Laffey are wonderful, storied ships.
I agree. To bad they didn't keep the sub though. that sub had a sorry too. But I feel they didn't care enough to keep it. The repairs might have been really needed but it was still a beautiful vessels that should have been preserved not scrapped.
@@southernwolfgaming Absolutly. I went on her several time as well as USCGC Ingham that used to be there. As for preserving her. They wanted to. Unfortunately Clamagore was at the bottom of the repair list and hurricane damage a few years back signed her death warrant before potential repairs could happen. Worse yet was they didn't even give her the dignity of the original plan to scuttle her offshore. As a WW2/cold war sub that told the story of her sisters and cousins for years it would have been right for her to join her sisters on an eternal patrol.
@@matthewfinkenbinder5846 exactly my point the people who own the place are not true patriots at all. They don't care about the vessels all they care about is the money. And they don't think about what scrapping a ship can do to the boys who are still alive that served on it. I heard and read that several of the boys that served on it were very very very upset about them getting rid of it
@@matthewfinkenbinder5846 also I had never gotten to go on that other vessel. They seem to be quick about getting rid of things. I made them so mad on their TH-cam channel that I'm pretty sure that I'm the reason you can't post comments anymore. Cause I called them out and they didn't like it
@@southernwolfgaming Ingham was there for years. She was picked up by another museum I belive in Key West. They used money from that to perform needed maintenance to Yorktown and Laffey. As said, Clamagore was 3rd in line but weather delt the killing blow. The cost of maintenance is massive and they rely almost entirely on donations. As was seen with Texas, it's often extremely difficult to get enough money to do the repairs they need. I've been going since 2004 and I've seen so much done to get the remaining ships in the best possible condition as well as expanding other exhibits on site. Clamagore is a tragic loss and as said I believe she should have been scuttled but it wasn't entirely their decision or fault.
Oh snap! I was super pumped to see this! My grandfather was the dentist on this ship in WWII. Great video!
My grandfather was one of aircraft groundcrew on her during the war.
I don't have anyone who served on it. But as I stand on the ship I feel the souls of the men on board who served on this vessel. I get so connected to the ship when I go to it. Of course part of that being that I am fascinated with ww1-cold war vehicles.
My 13 year old nephew visited this ship last year and was very excited to show me all the photos he took when he came back home. I've taken him to air museums and to the USS Silversides as he's grown up. The ship looked awesome, I hope to make a visit at some point
I have to admit. The Yorktown and the laffey are the only ships I've been to but it is the best. The fact that they have a Vietnam exhibit that comes with the ticket for the Yorktown makes it totally worth the time. Plus you can go to fort sumpter as well. I finally got to go a few years ago and it was very educational. Definitely worth the trip.
Like others here in 2000 I spent a night aboard an Essex Class Carrier. In my case it was the USS Lexington At the time I was an an assistant adult leader for my son’s BSA Troop. The adults were in the starboard aft WW II chief’s mess space. My bunk was located next to the hull and I was able to look down and see the repair bracing installed during the war after she was hit by a Japanese aerial torpedo during the Japanese night attack on December 4, 1943, following her participation in the earlier Kwajalein Atoll raid earlier on the same day.
I'm glad you started the look at the aircraft with the A4-C Skyhawk. The reason being, I know a fun fact about it and the aircraft next to it, the F-14 Tomcat. Namely, that the tail surface of the F-14 is exactly the same size, (lift area), as the Skyhawk's main wing. As you say, "the little aircraft that could."
I understand that the Skyhawk was created by Douglas as the jet-age direct successor to their Skyraider.
@@None-zc5vg It's also hilariously nimble for an attack aircraft, with the roll rate in particular being a staggering 760 degrees per second.
The Hot Rod
Your question regarding the unknown equipment... You are looking in the steam drum of one of the boilers. The cans are the steam/water separators. The tube with multiple holes running away from the viewer is a sparger which distributes water throughout the drum. The external view shows multiple water level gauges. Maintaining water level in the drum is a vitally important requirement. Boiler explosions result from no water in the drum and water carryover to the turbines can erode the rotating and stationary blades or quenching the rotor metal resulting in a turbine wreck. I hope this helps.
Great video, Drach. There's lots of other interesting parts of Yorktown, at least last time I was there. This includes the Medal of Honor museum and the battleship display. Also an Avenger on the hanger deck with LCDR H.W. Bush's name on it.
And then continually show the movie "Fighting Lady", which stars the Yorktown.
George H.W. Bush's name on it?! I wonder if the rest of the air crew's name is on that plane? Regardless, the crew is rolling in their ocean graves!
An eyewitness and crewmember of an avenger directly behind Bush's aircraft was interviewed about what he witnessed when Bush bailed out of his aircraft and he said-in more words than this- that Bush immediately bailed out upon being hit with flak instead of keeping the plane steady for the other two members of his aircrew so they could also bail out.
Thank you for this review!
My grandfather served as a radioman on Yorktown from 44 through the end of the war. The last time I visited the ship was with him when I was 7. So your video is bringing back a lot of good memories.
Thanks Drach! Awesome to catch this video on day 1!
I was one of the very last sailors to serve on an Essex Class Carrier. USS Lexington CV(AVT)- 16 From 1989 to decommissioning in 1991. The US Navy's training and reserve re-qualification carrier for many years out of Pensacola Florida. Love that Lady Lex, always proud to have been on board for a couple years. She's now a museum as well in Corpus Christi Texas. At the time, we flew T-2's, A-4's, A6's, EA6B's and the choppers and cod. Over 500,000 traps in her history, a record. I was an IC in Plat Lens, V2 Division, I stood Gear/Lens watches right next to the Air Boss. " Gear Lens set, A6 .. Clear Deck!" - never a dull moment really.
I worked with your last CO, Carter Refo
Corpus Christi. With an "i."
@@colormedubious4747 - Your right, my bad. I'll fix it.
Thank you for a very good tour. As a former crew member from 66-69, with one trip to North Korea and Vietnam, you brought back some great memories. We were also the Japanese aircraft carrier in the filming of "Tora, Tora, Tora" and picked up the Apollo 8, the first space craft to leave Earths orbit and travel to the moon and back.
I took a picture of my son when he was 4 years old, 21 years ago in the engine of the F-4 Phantom on the deck of the Yorktown.
My dad was a Plankowner, served on her until ther end of the war. Thank you for doing this video.
My wife & I were married on board her in 2012. There happened to be a gathering of Clemson alumni at the tike, and the operators of the museum introduced us to the alumni, and then gave us a bit of a guided tour of Yorktown. It was a very enjoyable and memorable experience, and one we look forward to repeating when the Navy gives me another chance to get over there.
Went on her in 1985 on a family vacation thank you for helping me remember some great memories.
I am recommending you to watch the movie/video "The Fighting Lady" on YT, it's about Yorktown's service during WWII from commissioning, Raid on Marcus Island and Truk Atoll and then finally until Philippine Sea engagement. It's very recommended since it showed how the crew operated onboard and also footage of the raids on enemy bases or ships. I also think the documentary or film won an Emmy Award or something.
They have a small theater on the ship that continuously shows The Fighting Lady.
Yeah, right on! ...What a great movie! (My grandfather, who flew Avengers in the war introduced me (when I was maybe 10 years old) to that film, and said it was mostly authentic).
There is a TH-cam creator 'Ward Carroll'; A former naval aviator who did a deep-dive vid about that movie- and, correctly, IMHO, described it as the greatest naval aviation film ever... (He was a Tomcat RIO, and his channel is excellent, worth a watch/sub/like!)
It is DEFINITELY worth watching! Cheers!
It won a Best Documentary Oscar in 1944
My family visited Yorktown almost every year when I was a kid. I love this old girl. I got to take my kids to visit it last year when I went back to the same condo complex we stayed at year after year in my childhood. It felt so good to share those same memories with my children. My son will one day be one of your subscribers, as he loves naval history and aircraft.
It was a great day with excellent weather. Happy to have met you there.
If I’m not mistaken,the enclosed bow added to Essex during refits is literally called a “hurricane bow”, designed specifically to prevent damage to the flight deck in high winds. (Fast air moving over any flat surface makes it an unintentional wing. If you got a brick up to a significant amount of speed it’s going to develop some lift)
The bow of a ship open to the water would not be a design choice I would make. Like screen doors in a submarine.
Not to mention that having a hangar deck open at the bow in high seas is less than ideal.
My dad served on an Essex class ship and he called it a hurricane bow as well.
They had an open bow with AA gun tubs on Midway before her refit
@@bluemarlin8138 The hangar deck wasn't open at the front on the Essex class - the front elevator was situated right at the front of the hangar, and it was fully enclosed
Perhaps the coolest thing I've ever experienced was being on the deck of Yorktown while the 2017 solar eclipse passed overhead. Experiencing a total solar eclipse is cool. Experiencing it on the deck of an aircraft carrier is much cooler.
It never ceases to amaze me just how much stuff gets crammed into the spaces onboard iron/steel ships. Sure they crammed what they could into wooden ships, but once you get into all-metal ships the level and amount of tech that gets put on ships starts to increase by orders of magnitude. More or less simply because that is when the tech becomes viable to put there (or when it gets invented in the first place).
So at 36:00, I think you are looking into an evaporator unit.
I was a Navy machinist mate on the USS Enterprise. Our evap units were located in #2 Auxilliary Machinery Room and were much larger. I worked in #4 Main Machinery (Engine) Room.
I took an engine room tour on the USS Hornet. An interesting feature of the Essex class was that the main engines had a three turbines instead of the usual high pressure and low pressure arrangement found on most steam ships. I think the third turbine was called an intermediate or cruising turbine.
I look forward to seeing more from your US visit!
Drach, thanks for this tour. As a South Carolinian, I appreciate it. That are is a treasure trove for war history fans: Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and of course Patriot's Point, with the ships and tge Vietnam firebase exhibit.
I still find it tragic and sad that the original USS Enterprise (CV-6) wasn't preserved. It's great that we've got a lot of the Essex-Class carriers preserved, but damn it, we should have preserved the last and most heavily decorated member of the Yorktown class.
I visited her and Laffey a few years ago. Didn’t have time to see everything onboard, but regardless, it was still a fun time nevertheless.
I've been on this ship at least half a dozen times, but I was still looking forward to this video. Thanks Drach
Amazing thank your at Patriots Point! My father served on the USS Laffey DD-724! He has a hilarious story about a torpedo that was meant for helicopters being loaded in their tubes on the 0-1 level... Thankfully it was a training shot, needless to say it was fired promptly jumped out of the water, turned around and hit them amidships... Thank goodness it was inert but still a great story.
I’ve gone with scouts several times. Also went with my 4th grade class and our teacher, her father or grandfather (can’t remember which one) came with us who actually served on the ship! I don’t remember much but I do remember him giving us much more detail about stuff that other groups would stop and listen to him
I can;t count the number of time I have been on this ship.
FUN FACT - the hotel to the stern of the ship (the orange/red roof) has a faux-beach area. My sister and brother-in-law got married on that beach. We had to delay the wedding 10 mins for a container ship to pass or it would have ruined all the pictures. Excellent bungalows as well.
Patriots Point/ Yorktown and Laffey were my favorite ship museum as a kid back in the 90s! Amazing place to visit!!!
My father served on the USS Yorktown in the mid-50 as part of a squadron flying F2H Banshees. He toured the ship in the 1980s and said that it smelled exactly the same. (He claimed that the different carriers could be distinguished by smell.) At the time he was on board the Yorktown had not gotten its angled flight deck yet, but just the conversion to allow operation of jet aircraft.
Fascinating conversation between a submariner and a navy pilot. "So we have sunk this many ships, and you guys?" - "We've killed 50 freight trains." - "Oh, screw you!" :D
Drach, keep up the great work! Great information and, as always, you presented it in a very entertaining and pleasant way
Very well done my compliments. Veteran of USS Midway, USS Constellation, and USS Enterprise..
( you know you're getting pretty damn old when the ships you served on are either scrapped or Museum pieces.. my dad was pissed off until the day he died oh, that the government sold his ship to the Japanese after the war. The Jeep carrier USS Prince Williams.)
Time just slips us by
Tell me about it.
I served on a DDG, an FBM, two submarine tenders, and a fast attack boat. I separated in October 1982, after 12 years. Every ship I was on was decommissioned and scrapped, save one. The DDG (USS Buchanan DDG 14) was used as a target in a SinkEx; they hit her with harpoons, 1000# laser guided bombs and hellfire missiles and finally had to scuttle her because she would not sink. That was in June of 2000.
I live in S.C. and have visited this ship several times over the years. Always a fun trip. They do a nice job with their displays, especially the Battle of Midway memorial. Considering what happened to her off Okinawa, the fact that the Laffey is even able to be displayed is amazing, also.
I was an LSO attached to VS-23 from 11/62 to 12/65. Great to see a tour of my old ship. Fun to see the various aircraft on the flight deck, but the only ones that could have landed on her were the S-2E, A-4, WF-2 and the SH-3 helo. Some of the others landed on Essex class carriers but only those who had steam catapults and upgraded arresting gear.
This ship is only about 90 miles from me. Been here several times. Well worth the trip..I've been all over this boat! They used to have a coast guard cutter and a sub. I also love the jungle base recreation.
Been to the Yorktown 2x.... First time was with my son and our cub scout pack. Spent 2 nights aboard, thoroughly explored the USS Yorktown, the USS Laffey (the destroyer that would not die), the USS Clamagore (RIP), and their on-shore Vietnam experience museum. Tried to see the Hunley before returning home, but the restoration shop was not open that day. Returned with the whole family a few years later after my daughter said she wanted to tour some warships too - my lovely wife was not as thrilled about it as the kids and I were. 😉😉😆😆
Growing up in SC, I spent two or three weekends 'camping' on Yorktown with the Scouts back in the ... uh ... 1900s. When I was there, USS Clagamore and NS Savannah were also part of the Patriot's Point museum.
We did some unauthorized archaeology and found some random documents in random spaces. Kinda glad we didn't find any unventilated spaces.
My father was an Aviation Bosun's Mate aboard the USS Essex during the Cuban Missile Crisis. My family and I made it to Patriot's Point in July of 2022. We loved touring the USS Yorktown. I think my father would have had the time of his life if he was still with us. The F-4 Phantom II is my all-time favorite aircraft. We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Patriot's Point. The tour of the USS Laffy is a worthwhile venture as well. She has a fascinating history. I do wish the submarine had been open for tours. That just means we'll have the perfect excuse to go back one day.
As always a totally awesome tour of a museum ship. I only wish that Great Britain had done the same, but I have been aboard HMS Victory and HMS warrior both splendidly done and in Japan Mikasa.
I am glad we kept these ships. Warspite, Vanguard, ....... The list is long. But we scrapped Enterprise, CV 6, Nevada and every single one of the Wickes/Clemson class destroyers.
If I could wish an American ship back into existence it would be Enterprise. If I could wish one of yours, it would be Warspite.
An old saying goes: wish in one hand.........
Another great video. Chronometers were still in use in the US Navy in the 1980s and 90s when I served. Based on the logic you never know when electronic aids will disappear due to conflict or equipment failure.
Visited her in October and she is an absolute beauty of a ship. There's even a few relics salvaged from USS Yorktown(CV-5), and they finished up the paint job on the SH-3 Sea King in the colors of "Old 66" which recovered Apollo 10. Cannot wait to go back again!
Nice reference to USS Hornet CV12. Can’t wait for you to come out and see her.
I have visited all the ships at Patriots Point. The Yorktown was a treat; First time I had been aboard an Essex Class, and also going aboard the historic Laffey; My dad served aboard one of her sisters, the USS Moale, DD693, during WWII, and along with the USS Laffey at Okinawa. I’d been hearing about the Laffey since I was a kid, and had read about her, “the ship that would not die,” so it was a privilege to be able to go board and visit such a historic ship, of the same class my dad served aboard. My dad also visited the ships and took photos by the hatch near his old battle station, the stern 20 mm antiaircraft guns, which were removed after World War II.
It's wild to think that this ship launched a decade before the B-52
Nicely done! I've read the comments, it's heartening to see the joys and happy memories that old girls given people.
I haven't been there since a dreary cold spring morning (like 2 am morning) in 1976, being in charge of a work crew from our ship to go down and tie her up when she first arrived. The Cooper River Bridge stood there then.
I guess I need to wander down to Charleston and see her again.
I wish they preserved an Essex class carrier with 1940s or pre 1950s configuration with 4x twin 5"/38 mounts, two each in front of and in the back of the island section, the most interesting armament configuration on an aircraft carrier.
Or preserved Enterprise.
None survived; even the old ones converted to LPHs were different and late or post-war builds.
@@ph89787 the problem with Enterprise being saved was no one was saving ships at the time, and no one wanted to pony the money up. There was a museum ship scraped in WW2 the Oregon, she was supported by her state for a while, but she was becoming a money pit. If FDR survived Cv-6 might have survived because he planned a National US Navy Museum, and even had a few ships set aside for it, the Olympia, and the Sloop Hartford.
Alternatively, the 4x twin 5"/38s were used on Saratoga to replace her 8-inch guns. Shame she was blown up at Bikini Atoll.
@@ph89787 tbh preserving pre WWII or early WWII era ships are quite difficult in post war, 80-90% chance of the ship would most definitely go to the scrappers. Well for the British it was even worse 90-100% chance the ship would be scrapped.
Even though this is slightly passed the time period you said you prefer to cover, this is still full of the details longtime fans would expect. Outstanding work sir, look forward to your video on the only museum aircraft carrier that is not an essex!
"The train kills might make the submarines jealous" -- I imagine the USS Barb might have something to say about that. (5-minute guide candidate?)
We just toured the Yorktown today while we are staying next door at the Charleston Harbor Marina. Very cool museum.
I grew up not far from patriot's point and visited York Town, Laffey and Clamagore many times. It is so sad what is happening to Clamagore now... I wish they had pulled her out of the water to preserve her better.
I hope you you have a tour of Laffey coming soon. She has such a good story in her own right.
I toured that ship around 1984-85. It was awesome. One of my favorite boyhood memories. It was like WWII came alive for me. Around that time I also toured the BB-60 Alabama in Mobile and CV-16 Lexington when it was in Pensacola. I got to tour the BB-63 Missouri from 1999-2003 when I was a U.S. Marine stationed in Hawaii.
This ship gets a ten for visiting. Love it and love to support it
Great video. I took a tour in the winter of 2000 when I was station at Weapons Station Charleston for training. It's a great ship She is, still in top shape. I enjoy the engineering part of the tour better. Nothing like standing Throttleman watch on Sea & Anchor detail with a set of Phones on answering Bells smartly and precisely. Though my Machinery was decades newer, it's really amazing how much they all are the same. 🤘🏻
Nice job covering this great ship!
I only live about 80 miles north of there, so I have no excuse for not making the trip!
I remember visiting this ship as a child! A beautiful vessel with a remarkable history
Love the story from C&Rsenal's podcast where Othais goes to find Drach on the ship.
No way! You went to Patriots Point! I loved going there as a kid! I hope you had fun.
Oh my gosh I was just there with my son in early February. His Trail Life troop went there for a weekend. We had a blast, except it was fairly cold.
I was very impressed. There was so much to see and do. One thing we both liked was all the various scale models they had of ships and aircraft. And I’m not talking little plastic ones. I mean huge, six and seven foot hand built models of aircraft carriers, battleships, and cruisers. They were truly impressive.
I want to go back with the whole family at some point.
Round about 1983, I took my younger brother and toured USS Yorktown. At that time, the NS Savannah was also there.
I had my brother sort of freaking out because while we were in the island structure, I found some open hatch ways and started exploring the spaces within. These areas were of course off limits at the time, but, a open door was just too inviting. The joys of doing a self guided tour. No one to tell you to keep out.
I am so jealous of your awesome trip.
I visited Yorktown and Laffey when I was there in either May or June of 2022. I'm a merchant mariner cadet and sailed to Charleston on my summer training cruise aboard USTS KENNEDY. Kennedy is a steam ship like Yorktown and Laffey so it was really cool for me to get to see the engine room and machinery spaces knowing what everything was and what it did.
Drach, I live In South Carolina and have been on Yorktown several times, but it's been many years. I was planning to come down to see you last year. Unfortunately those plans were torpedoed due to other people's irresponsibility and I missed out. Hopefully I will be able to make it if you are able to pay us another visit in the future.
Thank you. You're bringing up a lot of memories. In 1968, my ship, the U.S.S. John R. Craig DD 885 escorted the Yorktown during part of our Westpac cruise. We were enroute to Vietnam, when word was received that the North Koreans had taken the U.S.S. Pueblo, and we and another tin can, the U.S.S. Herbert J. Thomas DD 833 were diverted up to the Sea of Japan to await further orders. From my watch station, as Quartermaster of the watch, I saw the Yorktown take green water, not merely foam, over her bow, and almost completely engulf her island. her fight deck is 60 feet above her waterline! Now imagine what we, a little destroyer were experiencing! Destroyers are nicknamed "tin cans" for a reason.
But the destroyers are called "destroyers" for a reason too. They destroy stuff. Lol
@@southernwolfgaming That's correct. And WE did! But the name comes from around 1900, when a British visitor to France observed that the French were building larger, more sea-worthy torpedo boats. When he returned home, he told Jackie Fisher, First Sea Lord, about it, and he ordered the Admiralty to design even larger and more sea-worthy torpedo boats to destroy the French torpedo boats. All that thinking apparently wore him out, because of instead of giving them a really cool name like "Dreadnought" or something similar, he merely called them "torpedo boat destroyers". I attribute this to the British custom of drinking tea instead of coffee. After a while, the name was shortened to "destroyers", as their role expanded to meet new threats to the battleships.
Great to see this, I live in Charleston and have been an annual pass holder for a few years
It's great to see Yorktown's airgroup getting fresh paint. We were lucky enough to visit in September 2021, and the jets on the flight deck were looking pretty tired. The older aircraft, kept on the hanger deck, were in much better shape. The ship also pays great tribute to its contributions during the early days of space exploration. Yorktown was used to recover capsules after splashdown. Laffey was incredibly memorable. Standing in turret 5-3 gave me chills. Please give yourselves enough time to check out Charleston. It's an wonderful city.
Laffey was my first ship - 1973 I had a month underway as a Sea Cadet from Alexandria VA to Boston and Rockland Maine.
Ah, the good'ol Essex class. Worked on Intrepid as a tour guide back in the 90s...fun times.
Great tour Drach. I visited the ships at Patriots Point a couple times when I was a student at the USN nuclear power school in nearby Goose Creek, early in my naval career, but that was before I developed my current interest in naval history. I need to make trip down there at some point and tour the ships again.
Drachinifel, @ approx 14:30, I thought it was USS Midway that you were referring too. And speaking of USS Midway, I am very much looking forward to your USS Midway tour. I was aboard her in 2015 and spent the entire day there. Just as with USS North Carolina, a museum ship in my home state that I have spent countless hours aboard, I still manage to miss a lot of very interesting areas. Your videos get me in to the places I will never get to sea or see... Sincerely, Thank You!
Next time you come to Philly I can give you a water eye view of NJ Olympia and the actual Navy Yard from my boat. It's one thing to be on the ship but to see them from the water in a boat is truly humbling. I know the JFK was moored there and that is incredible to see. Idk if they scraped it yet
Nice video. Last I was at Patriot's Point the NS Savannah and a diesel boat (Clamagore?? a guppy 2 mod boat) were berthed about where the marina is today.
I was a Machinist's Mate at that point. The equipment at time 35:30 is the steam drum of one of the boilers. As a post below notes, the vertical cylinders are cyclone separators that ensure high quality steam is fed to the turbines. (Steam turbines are notoriously picky about the amount of liquid water in their diet.)
After leaving the Navy, I worked for a while at Newport News Shipbuilding in design and refit of carriers. It is pretty amazing how similar the engine rooms of ships of Yorktown's vintage are to those of today. My prototype experience was at A1W in Idaho, which was the same as Engine Room 3 on the Enterprise CVN-65. Lots stayed the same even up into the Nimitz class as far as general concept and machinery operation. (Capabilities obviously have changed quite a bit. But, outside of the steam source, there is still quite a bit that a WW2 snipe would recognize and know how to operate.)
Thanks!
When I went for a school trip in spring 2004, they also had a WW2 submarine, and a WW2 Coast Guard cutter as well.USS Laffey was not open or was not part of the tour that was booked, I wonder where the sub and cutter went? They were in the vicinity of the Marina you show early in the video (just beyond USS Laffey).
A few years later the Blue Angels did an air show with a fantastic fly over of USS Yorktown. Great memories, and an even better museum. Genuinely the only good part of growing up in SC.
Your picture was a steam drum. The is the top of the boiler. The cylinders in there are moisture separators.
Excellent tour, Drach. Thank you!
if you are still there, see if the ships tactical data folder is still there. it will have turn radius and forward transfer for std and full rudder at full and flank, plus time to turn, this is always good stuff. Also, distance to stop from flank then BFE
I've been to these Amazing American ships, over the years. Now I don't get around as well as I used to and you make it real nice to be able to revisit these worthy vessels
24:57 I’m glad to see a USS Barb reference
Thank you, Drachinifel.
I got to visit Patriots Point back in the 90s when they still also had the submarine CLAMAGORE and USCGC INGHAM on display. Excellent museum!
I have visited the USS Yorktown, I found the ship very interesting and the planes on the deck
The aviation contingent on the Essex class carriers that I had the pleasure of flying from in 1967-1969 referred to that platform seen at the 3 minute mark as "Buzzards Roost". As stated the platform was on the after side of the island at the 07 level (7 levels above the main deck (on Essex class carriers, the main deck was the hanger deck and the flight deck was the 03 level). That platform was a good opportunity for members of the Air Group and Ships Company to watch landings but not be in the way.
The board at the 5:30 mark shows West Coast ASW Squaddrons VS-23 and VS-25 along with the Helo Squadron HS-4. When she came around to the East Coast to replace the decomissioned and scrapped USS Randolph (CVS-15), CAG-56 with VS-24 (the squadron I flew with), VS-27 and the Helo Squadron HS-3.
The piece of equipment in the fire room is a boiler steam drum. The “coffee can” looking appurtenances inside it are steam separators. They reduce the amount of moisture carryover exiting this portion of the boiler.
Grew up in South Carolina and lived in Charleston for 10 years-visited many times: Charleston is spectacular in April, isn't it? Glad you had the opportunity to visit.
I take my kids here one to two times a year. Glad you got to make it to Charleston.
Must have just missed you here. Me and my son were there in April with his scout troop and were able to sleep on the ship for 2 days and explore every inch allowed. This was our second time getting to do this with him. One of my favorite ships to visit and the one that started a lot of my curiosity into these museum ships
That's my town, Drach. Have explored the Yorktown many times, including most of the restricted/off limits areas, in the early 1990s, before the doors and chains were installed. Spent a long weekend on her, as part of a boy-scouts "camping" event.
Well done. Thank you to all the historical military museum ships and their crews for the fantastic job you do keeping them operational.
Very good video tour of CV-10 Yorktown. I think it would be cool, since CV-10 is a legacy ship, to have air group kill boards for CV-5 Yorktown air groups.
Yorktown is on my bucket list. I'm in North Carolina, so it's not all that far away. Thx for sharing the pics & stories!
I was stationed at the weapons station in Charleston. Many of my coworkers reenlisted onboard the Yorktown.