Mar 24, 2024
USS Langley
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USS Langley
Launched August25, 1912, USS Langley. Built as a collier and named Jupiter (Collier # 3), she was the first surface ship propelled by electric motors. Conversion to an aircraft carrier authorized, and design work completed, in July 1919. Converted into the first US aircraft carrier at the Norfolk Navy Yard. Renamed Langley, 21 April 1920. Reclassified as an aircraft carrier and redesignated CV-1. Converted to a seaplane tender at the Mare Island Navy Yard (25 October 1936-26 February 1937). Redesignated AV-3, 21 April 1937. Fate: Bombed by Japanese aircraft, 27 February 1942, and scuttled by her escorting destroyers, about 75 miles south of Tjilatjap, Java.
NERK NERK NERK WE ARE ALL OK SO FAR ... MAMA SAID THERE WOULD BE DAYS LIKE THIS ... SHE MUST HAVE KNOWN ... HIT ON FLIGHT DECK ON PLANES AND ONE ON WELL DECK ONE ON FOCL ... GAS FUMES ON THE WELL DECK.
USS Langley radio room transmission
A Langley radio operator (likely Claud Hinds Jr.) waxes philosophical after his ship suffers 5 direct bomb hits, 5 near misses, and 20mm machine gun fire raking her deck. "NERK” was an odd shorthand prefacing messages about air raids, and would be transmitted many times on February 27, 1942.
USS LANGLEY (CV-1) with fleet.
Today in History
76 years ago today, on February 27, 1942, the USS Langley (AV-3) sunk in the Indian Ocean south of Java.
Since her escorts fled the area before finishing the scuttling, no one knows the exact time of her sinking. She was last seen at 2:46 pm, GST+12
Tjilatjap was only about 100 miles away from Java, but it might as well have been a million miles away on Jupiter. Commander McConnell stood on the bridge, seething with rage at the incompetence that had just doomed his ship and his crew. A pawn of war was needlessly about to be sacrificed. The skipper told Commander Divoll that it might be a good time to say something to the crew about the imminent air attack. The popular executive officer picked up the microphone: “Boys, I’m just a little bit scared. We’re going to catch hell and I want everybody to concentrate and do his job. I wish you all the best of luck.”
Rising Sun, Falling Skies, by Jeffrey R. Cox
The USS Langley’s mission to deliver badly-needed P-40 Warhawks and other supplies to Java required that it arrive in Tjilatjap early in the morning, to avoid daytime attacks from unopposed Japanese air forces. However, Allied political maneuvering and meddling from Dutch Admiral Helfrich had forced her to zigzag between rendezvous points all night long, putting her well behind schedule. As a result, the Langley and her escorting destroyers Edsall and Whipple found themselves on open ocean, in broad daylight, in range of Japanese air bases. They were quickly spotted by a Japanese scout plane, and 6 hours later Langley would slip beneath the waves of the Indian Ocean.
The brave and historic USS Langley (CV-1)
Un barco de película: el portaaviones "USS Langley"
El primer portaaviones de la marina de guerra de los Estados Unidos y su primera y única película, un Top Gun de finales de los años ’20. Un barco: el portaaviones “USS Langley”