The Blue Ghost Nov 7

The Blue Ghost

During World War II this aircraft carrier was painted dark blue and was the only carrier not to have camouflage paint (because they didn't have time to paint the camouflage design).  The "ghost" nickname came from the fact that the Japanese believed that they had sunk this ship four times during the course of the war.  It survived and was the first US carrier to enter Tokyo harbor at the end of the war.

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On the aft bridge you can see a painted Japanese flag.  This is where a Japanese kamikazi  airplane crashed into the aft control tower island.  This killed over 50 sailors and wounded over a 100.  With a huge fire burning on the ship the Japanese believed that they finally destroyed the Blue Ghost. 

 Wrong..... 

The sailors quickly and heroically put out the fire and sailed to port for repairs.  It was fun to hear Tokyo Rose on the radio say that they had sunk the Blue Ghost while they were in port for repairs.

Here is Grandpa sitting in the Captain's Chair

Grandma is guarding the starboard side with her twin 40mm anti aircraft guns

Grandma aiming for incoming kamikazi........Ok, it was just a bird.

This is the helm (small steering wheel for such a huge ship)

There are two big turbine engines, one for each propeller.  When the captain calls for "All ahead, full" he wants both engines to go forward at full speed.

The helmsman telegraphs the order to the engine room with the control (called the telegraph) to the left of the steering wheel. Down in the engine room, pictured below, there are two engine control panels, one for the port engine and one for the starboard engine.  The Master Chief in the engine room acknowledges the order for both engines and then orders the engine room sailors to turn the big red valve on the right to go faster forward.  If they want to stop....they close that valve.  If they want to go in reverse.....they open the red valve on the left.   The big black valve on the roof  is the master steam valve for that engine.

An aircraft carrier had about 1,500 men on board and it was like a small town.  It had a library (with 40,000 books), dental office, and chapel.  It had its own hospital where they could perform operations 

It even had a post office.

Do you know what aircraft carrier Grandma & Grandpa are on?  

Do a Google search on "The Blue Ghost"

Grandpa is standing on the edge of the landing strip at the very back of the ship and at the end of the white striped line is a blue airplane.  This was all the space available to land a 125 mph airplane.  If you went past the blue airplane.....you were off the end of the ship!  Grandpa would not want to try that  landing even in his slow airplane going 60 mph.

Love Grandma & Grandpa

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