The USS Yorktown CV5 Died Like a Lady

  On June 4, 1942, the U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown fought one of the great naval battles of all time - a battle that historians say turned the momentum of the war in the Pacific away from Japan in favor of the United States. The Yorktown, already battle damaged, endured waves of assaults and tons of explosives from attacking Japanese airplanes that day and the next. Despite the heroic effort of her crew, eighty-four of who died, the assault proved to be too much for the patched-up ship. When the Yorktown could take no more and began to list, more than 2,000 men climbed down ropes or dove into an oily sea. Later, from the decks of rescue ships, they wept inconsolably as the mighty carrier settled to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

  Fifty-six years later, in 1998, undersea explorer Robert Ballard located the Yorktown resting upright on the ocean floor, and efforts to raise the historic ship began. Young and idealistic, the men who carried the sea battle that turned the war with Japan brought with them an uncluttered sense of purpose, patriotism and love of country. They came from all over - from a dirt farm in central Florida, from a trapper's cabin in northern Washington, from an Iowa orphanage, from the streets of Manhattan.

  emailed to www.YorktownSailor.com on 21 Jan 2002
CV-5 & Battle Of Midway
Mon Jan 21 19:45:28 2002


Served aboard USS HUGHES DD-410. Part of the submarine screen for CV-5 at the Battle Of Midway.

I entered this web site www.YorktownSailor.com, and found some of the input from various sources, other than CV-10.

My story will be an eye opener. First let me offer my web site address www.geocities.com/karetkamidway

Was witness to first bomb hit on CV-5.  Read the flag hoist's of the USS Yorktown as they went from break down to standard. Reporting these hoist's to the officer of the deck.

I was on the U.S.S. Hughes DD-410 and witnessed the first bomb hit on the Yorktown June 4, 1942 to June 7, 1942 at 06:59 when the sea accepted the Yorktown into her domain. She slid gracefully like a lady, bow first, beneath the sea. No plume of water, foamy froth, gurgles or screws showing. The American flag fully unfurled, flying stiffly in the final moments as it picked up speed going under. A sad, but proud moment for me.

Before this battle the Japanese were on the offensive, capturing territory throughout Asia and the Pacific. They had planned to capture the island of Midway to use as an advance base as well as to entrap and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Because of communication intelligence successes, the Pacific Fleet surprised the Japanese forces, sinking the four Japanese carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor only six months before. After Midway the Americans and their Allies took the offensive in the Pacific.

U.S.S. Hughes DD-410
Copyright 2000 Peter E. Karetka



We were assigned to stay with the carrier on 4 June for a solitary patrol that evening. Close in to the carrier. As we would just about have way on to handle the ship. Items sliding off all the time.

5 June Norman Pichette one of two INJURED CREW MEMBERS LEFT BEHIND IN SICK BAY. the OTHER SHIPMATE WAS GEORGE WEISSE.

NORMAN SERIOUSLY INJURED DISCONNECTED HIMSELF AND CRAWLED UP TO THE HANGER DECK. FIRING A GUN AT USS HUGHES DD-410 TO GET OUR ATTENTION. RESCUE BOAT SENT OVER TO PICK UP SURVIVOR WHO THEN TOLD MY SHIPMATES ANOTHER MAN WAS STILL ALIVE IN SICK BAY.  PICHETTE'S BLOOD DROPLETS HELPED FIND THE SICK BAY.

I MET GEORGE WEISSE AT THE REUNION IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY.

THE USS YORKTOWN CV-5 DID NOT ROLL OVER BEFORE GOING UNDER. THE USN PHOTO # 95575 IS A HOAX ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

THE CV-5, SLID GRACEFULLY LIKE A LADY BENEATH THE SEA, NO PLUME OF WATER, GURGLE'S OR SCREW'S SHOWING. 

The Yorktown went under with a slight list to the port and bow angle. The open hanger deck was being flooded to a point where it would have neutral buoyancy. This is keeping the carrier level by equal pressure on the hanger deck.

The flight deck is taken over by the sea, creating equal pressure on the top side of the flight deck as well as the underside of the flight deck. This now acts as a horizontal stabilizer.

As the carrier keeps sinking in a glide fashion the island starts disappearing. This now acts as a vertical rudder, if you will, in steerage and helps keep the carrier in an upright position, plus the carrier's deep draft.

Put all of this together it allows for a gentle glide path to the ocean floor, keeping the Yorktown upright during her descent to the ocean floor.

If the carrier had rolled over, the pressure of the water against the guns would have either ripped the guns off or at least changed their positions


Affadavit of Alvin L. Evasius of USS Yorktown CV5 crew

"I was on the hanger deck when the bombs hit.  I got bounced around and bruised up.  When the orders came to abandon ship I jumped off the hanger deck into the water. 

I was on the main deck at the break of the focs'le deck with a group of surviving shipmates (on the USS Hughes DD 410) watching the USS Yorktown go down bow first with a slight list to port."
 
DR.BALLARD, LOCATING THE CARRIER, WITH HIS COMMENT'S AND PHOTO'S CONFIRMS AND SUPPORTS MY EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT. I ALSO SUPPORT HIS COMMENT'S AND PHOTO'S.

I HAVE ASKED THE USN TO GO INTO REVISION TO THE TRUE STORY.

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT, PLEASE WRITE TO SECNAV AND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LOOK INTO THE COVER UP'S ON THIS STORY.

WITH THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY COMING UP 4 JUNE 2002, LET US GET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.

MY SITE TAKES YOU FROM FICTION TO REALITY. ANY QUESTION'S WILL RESPOND EMAIL   Thanks, wishing you all well.


 

Honor and remember your place in history as a member of crew or airgroup of the USS Yorktown.  Remember the heroes that served on your ship and in your Navy...Join the US Navy  click here




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