USS Yorktown (CV/CVA/CVS-10) is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. Initially to have been named Bonhomme Richard, she was renamed Yorktown while still under construction, after the Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), which was sunk at the Battle of Midway. She is the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, though the previous ships were named for 1781 Battle of Yorktown. Yorktown was commissioned in April 1943, and participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.
Decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in February 1953 as an attack carrier (CVA), and served with distinction during the Korean War. The ship was later modernized again with a canted deck, eventually becoming an anti-submarine carrier (CVS) and served for many years in the Pacific, including duty in the Vietnam War, during which she earned five battle stars. The carrier served as a recovery ship for the December, 1968, Apollo 8 space mission, the first crewed ship to reach and orbit the Moon, and was used in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, which recreated the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and in the 1984 science fiction film The Philadelphia Experiment.
Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and in 1975 became a museum ship at Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, where she was designated a National Historic Landmark.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Yorktown_(CV-10)
Construction and career
Mistral at the military port of Toulon in 2006
Mistral began sea trials in January 2005, and was commissioned in February 2006. She departed from Toulon for her first long-range journey in March, sailing through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, and the Red Sea to Djibouti and India, before returning to France. In July, to ensure the safety of European citizens in the context of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, France set up Opération Baliste. Mistral was the flagship of the fleet unit off Lebanon, escorted by the frigates Jean Bart and Jean de Vienne, and along with another amphibious assault ship, Siroco.
On 16 May 2008, the Burmese United Nations (UN) ambassador accused France of deploying Mistral to the Burmese coast for military purposes. The French UN ambassador denied this, stating that she was instead carrying 1,500 tons of relief supplies.[1]
In March 2011 Mistral was deployed to Libyan waters to help aid the joint NATO effort to repatriate tens of thousands of Egyptian refugees fleeing the violence in Libya.[2]
In January 2013, escorted by Chevalier Paul, Mistral took part in the ill-fated operation to retrieve Denis Allex,[3] a DGSE officer held hostage in Bulo Marer.
On 22 May 2022, Mistral, operating in the Gulf of Guinea in conjunction with the La Fayette-class frigate, Courbet, was involved in the seizure of almost two tons of drugs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Mistral_(L9013)
Ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme, she was laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong shipyard at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1937 and launched two years later in 1939. Her commissioning was delayed until 1941 due to the greater need for escort vessels for service in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Her service in 1941 and 1942 included famous actions against the battleship Bismarck, several Arctic convoys, and Operation Pedestal. She was loaned to the United States Navy in 1943 and served in the south west Pacific as part of the Third Fleet. In 1944 Victorious contributed to several attacks on the Tirpitz. The elimination of the German naval threat allowed her redeployment first to the Eastern Fleet at Colombo and then to the Pacific for the final actions of the war against Japan.
After the war, her service was broken by periods in reserve and, between 1950 and 1958, the most complete reconstruction of any Royal Navy carrier. This involved the construction of new superstructure above the hangar deck level, a new angled flight deck,[1] new boilers and the fitting of Type 984 radar and data links and heavy shipboard computers, able to track 50 targets and assess their priority for interrogation and interception. The reduction of Britain’s naval commitment in 1967, the end of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, and a fire while under refit, prompted her final withdrawal from service, three to five years early, and she was scrapped in 1969.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Victorious_(R38)
She was launched 28 September 1901 by Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, sponsored by “Miss R. Hanna” (probably Ruth Hanna McCormick), and commissioned 2 November 1903, with Commander William Henry Hudson Southerland in command.
Service history
The Cleveland cruised with the European Squadron, in West Indies and Cuban waters, along the east coast between Hampton Roads and Boston, and on a midshipmen training cruise until 17 May 1907. She then sailed from New York via Gibraltar, Port Said, Aden, Colombo and Singapore to Cavite, arriving 1 August 1907. After three years on the Asiatic station, the Cleveland returned to Mare Island Navy Yard 1 August 1910. Decommissioned 3 August 1910, she was placed in second reserve 8 April 1912, and returned to full commission 31 August 1912.[4]
The Cleveland alternated patrols in waters off Mexico and Central America with reserve periods at Mare Island Navy Yard between 1912 and 1917, protecting American lives and interests from the turmoil of revolution. On 31 March 1917, she arrived at Hampton Roads, and from 9 April to 22 June, patrolled from Cape Hatteras to Charleston. Assigned to escort convoys to a mid-ocean meeting point, the Cleveland made seven voyages between June 1917 and December 1918.[4] In November 1919, Cleveland returned the body of former Salvadoran president Carlos Meléndez (who had died in New York in August 1919) to La Libertad, El Salvador.[5]
USS Cleveland
Returning to patrols off Central and South America, the Cleveland was assigned to the Pacific Fleet once more from 16 February 1920, returning to Caribbean waters from time to time. She was reclassified CL-21 on 8 August 1921. During her continued service in the Caribbean and along the South American coasts, the Cleveland made courtesy calls, supported diplomatic activities, gave disaster relief, and represented American interests in troubled areas. She was decommissioned at Boston 1 November 1929, and sold for scrapping 7 March 1930 in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty limiting naval armament.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cleveland_(C-19)
January 18, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić
Austal has revealed that USNS Cody (EPF-14) has been delivered to the US Navy.
Constructed at Austal USA’s Mobile Alabama shipyard, EPF-14 is the first ‘Flight II’ Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship that features enhanced medical facilities and naval medicine afloat capabilities that will provide critical combat care in austere and contested operating environments.
Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the ‘Flight II’ EPF’s provide a Role 2E medical capability that allows surgeons to perform medical procedures in an onboard operating suite, underway.
“Cody is the US Navy’s first EPF to include enhanced medical facilities that enable a broader range of surgical procedures to be undertaken at sea, with 2 operating rooms and an onboard pharmacy, blood bank and laboratory to support missions,” Gregg said.
“The Flight II variants also have the added capability to support V-22 Osprey flight operations and launch and recover 11 metre RHIB’s.”
Austal USA and the Navy’s Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program team completed acceptance trials of EPF 14 in the Gulf of Mexico in December 2023. The vessel was christened in February 2023.
Alex Candlin
17th January 2024 at 1:47pm
A Royal Navy team of submariners have crossed the finish line in first place in the World’s Toughest Row after sailing across 3,000 miles of the Atlantic Ocean in 35 days, four hours and 30 minutes.
HMS Oardacious arrived in Antigua with a significant lead over the remaining 36-boat fleet – and their time also makes them the fastest Oardacious crew to complete the row as well as the fastest military team.
Commander Matthew Main, Commander Daniel Seager, Commander Michael Forrester, Petty Officer Ian Allan and Lieutenant Rob Clarke also became the first team to travel 100 nautical miles in 24 hours during the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, better known as the World’s Toughest Row.
“Sometimes it seemed like it would never end,” said Cdr Main.
This year was the third time an HMS Oardacious team had taken part in the competition.
Beginning their journey on 13 December, the team set off from San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary Islands in their boat Captain Jim, named in memory of a former colleague.
They were unable to beat the world record, but did become the fastest military crew to complete the race and also became the first five-man team to lift the title as the race is typically won by teams of four due to the weight advantage.
Their efforts this year have become a major fundraising initiative for the submarine community.
The team have raised £15,000 since leaving the Canaries, and around £70,000 for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
Cdr Main said: “It was pretty challenging. It’s a really long way. I don’t recommend rowing it – fly it!”
He added: “It was amazing. We had a real mixture. We had some really challenging conditions.
“We thought going in challenging weather would make it good for us.
“But overall, it’s been a brilliant experience. It’s demanded a lot of love – and tolerance at times – but these four men are amazing. We made a real bond.
“We had some beautiful times rowing in the moonlight. Racing through the night on big waves. Brilliant fun.”
