Computer line drawing by Alexander van Maanen, Thanks to Kim for the CoA. And many thanks to Timothy C for the support.
The building of this enormous carrier at the shipyard of the Newport News Shipbuilding at Newport News, Virginia was ordered on 1 August 1942, the keel was laid down on 27 October a year later and she was launched on 20 March sponsored by the spouse of Bradford William Ripley junior and nine months later on 10 September commissioned just after the Second World War. She was not earlier decommissioned as on 11 April 1992 at the Naval Air Station North Island 17 March 1997 . Nowadays can she be visited as museum ship at San Diego. Since 1 October reclassified as the CVA-41 instead of VCB.
Of the Midway-class for which class the design was used of the never build battleships of the Montana-class.(1) With a displacement of 45,000 (when commissioned)-74,000 (when decommissioned) tons were her dimensions 296 x 34,4-72,5 (at flight deck after modernisation) x 10,5 metres or 972 x 113-238 x 34.5 feet. These dimensions made it impossible for her to use the Panama Canal when underway from the Pacific to the Atlantic of vice versa.
The four Westinghouse geared turbines and twelve boilers allowed a speed of 33 knots. Her crew in service numbered no less as 4,104 men. The original armament consisted of 18-5” guns, 84-4cm Bofors guns and 68-2cm Oerlikon guns and at the end of her actual service of 2-8 cell Sea Sparrow launchers and 2 Phalanx CIWS. She was able to carry with a maximum of 137 aircraft, during the Korean War actually 100 and during the Vietnam
Between 29 June 1955 and 30 September 1957 extensively overhauled at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard including a fitting out with steam catapults, a so-called Hurricane bow and a now angled flight deck. Between 11 February 1996 and 31 January 1970 started a second intensive modernisation at the San Francisco Bay Naval Yard including the enlarging of her flight deck from 11,300 to 16,200 square metres, new catapults and new and relocated elevators. In stead of the planned 88.000.000 American dollars were the final costs 202.000.000 American dollars and even worse her original performance and ability at was decreased to a lower level.
She was involved in the so-called Operation Sandy in September 1947 when a former German V-2 rocket was launched from her flight deck. This was the first time that such a rocket was launched from a moving platform.
Note
1. This class was to have a displacement of 66,040 (standard)-72,104 (full load) tons and as dimensions 280,57 x 36,88 x 11,00 metres and to succeed the Iowa-class. Building two of these ships was already in 1939 approved and on 19 July 1940 was the number of totally five units authorized although never realized as was chosen for aircraft carriers of the Essex-class. If realized these Montana-class battleships would have been the largest ever in the UD Navy and real opponent of the Japanese Yamato-class battleships. Their main armament was to be 4x3-16”guns with a secondary armament of 10x2-5”guns, 10/40-4cm Bofors anti aircraft guns and 56-2cm Oerlikon anti aircraft guns.
