Calling all USS Hornet CV-8 fans

[Max61]

Difficult to tell, but in the last pic I posted, the more I look at it the more I think the overheads are metal and the bulkheads are white.

[FRED BRANYAN]

HORNET WRECK PHOTOS

I now have all Hornet wreck photos taken by the Petrel. So does Martin Quinn.

As with Juneau for anyone willing to accept facts and photos there was no repainting of the hull. The island paint is pretty deteriorated or coated in crud.

If you want the photos email me.

[MartinJQuinn]

A few stills, all courtesy of RV Petrel:

1.1 inch gun under forward end of flight deck

Forward bow and hull number. Note the "scalloped" camo coming DOWN from the deck. Most modelers miss this on their Hornet models.

Portside forward 5 inch gun tubs. Note the stripe camo on the sides of the gun tubs

Portside forward 5 inch gun tubs. Note the stripe camo on the sides of the gun tubs

Portside forward 5 inch gun tubs. Note the stripe camo on the sides of the gun tubs

Note how the camo is on the aft side of the gun tub as well. This is mirrored on the starboard side

Same as above

[MartinJQuinn]

More...

20mm guns on the port side hangar deck, somewhere before the break in the hull

20mm guns on the port side hangar deck, somewhere before the break in the hull

20mm gun tub on the aft port quarter of the flight deck

Looks like primer on the bulkhead behind the 20mm

Bomb hole in a deck. I think this is inside the hangar deck

[gscott]

Incredible pictures! Thanks for posting them, Martin. Hornet looks to be in great condition...

[MartinJQuinn]

Yes, considering the pounding she took, parts of her are in great shape. And all the thanks goes to Fred, for pestering Petrel for access to these! All photos courtesy of RV Petrel.

I had downloaded a few more, which I neglected to post. Here is the first batch.

Note the camo on the corner of the gun tub platform

[MartinJQuinn]

Last few....again, courtesy RV Petrel

[MartinJQuinn]

gms350-21M.jpg (56.59 KiB) Viewed 8622 times

GMM includes these access ladders/platforms from the catwalks to the flight deck. After going through this entire thread, looking at the Maryland Silver Plans and also photos, I'm still not sure where they go. Anyone have an idea?

I want to add them to the catwalks before I go much further:

As an aside, after reading this whole thread, I'm aghast to see just how many years this model has been kicking around.

[MartinJQuinn]

Enterprise 1940 plans alright? shows 2 of those inclined stairs on either end of the 5" gun decks. 2 of them at the forward end of the aft boat bay, 1 from the catwalk to a platform halfway down & the 2nd from that platform down to hanger deck level.

Thanks. I'm not sure those are the same things, and I can't find my Yorktown plans. These are short inclined ladders that lead from the catwalks to a railed platform just below the deck edge.

[MartinJQuinn]

CV-5 � USS Yorktown � Booklet of General Plans, 1940, Yorktown Class https://www.hnsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/cv5.pdf

Duh. Forgot about those. Thanks David.

[MartinJQuinn]

Well, after looking at more plans and more photos, I don't think these platforms actually exist. Not sure why they were included, but all I can find are some short vertical ladders leading up to the flight deck from the catwalks.

[MartinJQuinn]

Thanks. I never trust anyone else's models for accuracy, as I don't know where they are getting their information from. I could just be repeating someone else's misinterpretation.

[MartinJQuinn]

Are the circled items floater nets?

[MartinJQuinn]

Thanks. I've got different views of them, just trying to confirm that's what they are. I think that's what they are, but I wanted to be sure.

[John W.]

Are the circled items floater nets?

HornetIsland02a.jpg

Martin -
Those are refueling hose segments. They don't show up anywhere else on the ship that I've seen. Just that one location, and near the two small platforms used for refueling just forward of the where the boat crane mechanism was housed (and removed after commissioning). Don't see the hoses on YKTN or ENT, though that's not definitive of anything.
See Doyle's USS HORNET (CV-8) book, page 55 or Wiper's YORKTOWN Class carriers Page 53 for better copies of that photo.

[John W.]

David -
Yes, they are located pretty high at first glance. But in the photo you posted one can see the black fueling hose that loops along the side of the ship, hanging from strongbacks, hooks or eyes, that attach to the underside of the flight deck. The forwardmost end of this hose (or one of the hoses if there are two) comes up and over the platform just below the objects under discussion here. The two platforms visible aft of that point are, I believe, the platforms from which the RAS is conducted, not on the main deck. I recall reading that somewhere. In the following picture, a framework with three vertical posts (but without any horizontal walkway) is attached to the underside of the flight deck and visible right under where the objects being discussed are mounted in your picture, so handling the objects which I believe to be hose segments would be fairly simple.

I have gone back over the MD Silver plans and there are several plans that show these platforms, but their function is never named. Each platform has a vertical ladder from it to the main deck attached to the bulkhead from which the platform is cantilevered.
And to be honest, I cannot explain why the object(s) are not black, or why they seem to have stripes every foot or so. Those could be markings, or joints, or separations consistent with floater nets. If they are the latter, why are they only located there? Did the USN have them that early in the war? And why are they not in the traditional mesh baskets? One other explanation is that they are connected together and used as an oil spill containment boom. And located close to the refueling station where the accidental release of oil in-port is most likely. I don't think the USN was all that worried about those issues in those days, but I offer that for grins.

[Ian Roberts]

I really don't think those are fueling at sea hoses -- attaching a blown up view from that same photo linked above. You can clearly see the rubber sections of the floater net in the larger view:



For what it's worth, I've noticed floater nets stored this way on many ships early in the war (I suspect before the "neat and seamanlike" baskets became more widespread) -- cruiser and battleship installations come to mind, with floater nets simply piled on turret roofs.

[John W.]

Ian -
Thanks for posting the high res blow up. Seems to pretty well settle it - floater nets. You can see bits of the netting too. I'm still a bit surprised, but the photo makes it pretty clear. I should note there is one of the Santa Cruz photos of the attempted salvage taken just off the starboard bow looking aft (pretty sharp photo in Doyle's book) that shows something there in the same location. It seems to be thicker - almost like the usual floater net baskets had been installed.
John

[MartinJQuinn]

Interesting. They look like they are just tied to the rails. Now, what to make them out of....

Thanks fellas!

[Iceman 29]

Ian -
Thanks for posting the high res blow up. Seems to pretty well settle it - floater nets. You can see bits of the netting too. I'm still a bit surprised, but the photo makes it pretty clear. I should note there is one of the Santa Cruz photos of the attempted salvage taken just off the starboard bow looking aft (pretty sharp photo in Doyle's book) that shows something there in the same location. It seems to be thicker - almost like the usual floater net baskets had been installed.
John