USS Yorktown - CV5

[kfields]

I've always wondered about this. The Yorktown came back from the battle of Coral Sea badly beat up and in need of at least 90 days worth of repair in dry dock before it could be put back in action. Well as most of us know, that didn't happen. The Navy Yard at Pearl Harbor pulled several all-nighters with hundreds and even thousands of workers involved in repairing the Yorktown so it could leave on time with the rest of the task force on the way to the big battle at Midway. Repairs were not complete but the Yorktown left on time but with many of the Navy Yard personnel on board to complete the repairs.

I always wondered if those guys in the Navy Yard stayed aboard completing repairs up to the point the Yorktown was sunk at Midway.

I figured at least some of those repair guys were off-loaded sometime prior to the Midway destination but did any remain on-board up until the Yorktown was sunk?

I find this whole episode fascinating. The Navy Yard dropped everything else and all effort went to repairing the Yorktown. Men - material - money, nothing was spared. Making the Yorktown seaworthy and battle-worthy was the absolute highest priorty.

Thanks!

Kim

[USMCR79]

My Great Uncle Frank Allen was one of the Yard Workers that repaired the Yorktown after Coral Sea - He recalled to me that the workers were cutting and welding the internal structure without drawings and engineering - he got off the ship prior to it's departure

 

Bill

[rufus_firefly]

As I recall the story they got off as the ship was leaving Pearl. I cant recall the source or vouch for its accuracy.

[kfields]

Material for a good story! I wonder if a book has been written to tell the story of this critical part of our history?

 

USMCR79: What a great bit of history your great uncle lived through!

[Salvage Sailor]

According to the Naval Sea Systems Command, the civilian and Navy work crews (i.e. crewmen from the USS VESTAL) disembarked not later than the day after departing Pearl Harbor:

As the ship sailed to battle, work crews from the repair ship USS Vestal (AR 4) and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard continued their repair work at sea, disembarking onto small boats the following day.

[kfields]

Thanks Salvage Sailor.

The USS Vestal had quite a history itself, having the unfortunate luck of being anchored right next to the Arizona on the day of the attack. The Vestal was badly damaged but managed to pull away before it met the same fate as the Arizona. The Vestal's Commander earned the MOH that day.

So it sounds like the Vestal was still being repaired at Pearl Harbor at the time the Yorktown limped back to Pearl Harbor for repairs. So I surmise that its' crew was available to leave the Vestal and board the Yorktown, since their own ship was undergoing repair.

The crew members of the USS Vestal saw a lot of history within that first 6 months of war.

Very interesting!