The US Warship That Died at Midway—Then Rose From the Dead to Win WWII

Two USS Yorktowns: From Midway to Apollo

The USS Yorktown story spans two ships born from one legacy.

The first Yorktown fought at Midway in 1942, where her planes sank a Japanese carrier before she took fatal torpedo hits.

After she went down, the Navy built a new Yorktown to carry on.

This “Fighting Lady” earned 11 battle stars across the Pacific, then served in Korea and Vietnam. In 1968, she even picked up the Apollo 8 astronauts after their moon orbit.

Today, she rests in Charleston harbor at Patriots Point, where you can walk her decks and see the Apollo 8 capsule replica that brought America’s first lunar travelers home.

America’s First Yorktown Carrier Hit the Water Before WWII

The USS Yorktown (CV-5) first splashed into the water in September 1937 as America built up its navy.

Workers at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia created this powerful new tool.

The Navy named her after the Revolutionary War battle where American and French troops beat the British in 1781.

CV-5 brought fresh ideas to carrier design with better ways to handle planes and control damage. At 809 feet long, she held 90 aircraft and moved at 32. 5 knots.

Lucky Ship Missed Pearl Harbor Attack

Yorktown sat safely at sea when Japanese planes hit Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This stroke of luck kept one of America’s few carriers ready for action when needed most.

The ship quickly headed to the Pacific, where her crew attacked Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands during January and February 1942.

Captain Elliott Buckmaster pushed his sailors and pilots to train hard between missions. They practiced launching planes faster, loading bombs quicker, and fighting fires better.

Yorktown Crew Fought First Carrier Showdown

The Battle of the Coral Sea tested Yorktown in May 1942 during the first carrier-versus-carrier battle ever. The ships never saw each other, only their planes met in combat.

Yorktown’s pilots found and bombed the Japanese carrier Shōhō on May 7, sinking her with the radio call: “Scratch one flattop.”

The next day, Japanese bombers hit Yorktown with an 800-pound bomb that killed or wounded 66 men. The ship stayed afloat and kept fighting, helping stop Japan from taking Port Moresby.

Pearl Harbor Workers Fixed Her in Just Three Days

After Coral Sea, Yorktown limped back to Pearl Harbor with a hole in her flight deck and damaged systems. Navy leaders wanted her ready for another fight fast.

Intelligence showed Japan planning something big at Midway. Repair crews swarmed the ship, working around the clock.

They patched her flight deck, fixed boilers, and sealed fuel tanks in just 72 hours. On June 4, 1942, her planes helped find and sink the Japanese carrier Sōryū at Midway.

Japanese dive bombers struck back with three bombs and two torpedoes.

Brave Sailors Fought to Save Their Sinking Ship

Yorktown’s damage control teams jumped into action after the Midway attack. They put out fires, patched holes, and pumped water from flooded areas.

The ship leaned badly to port but stayed afloat. Captain Buckmaster ordered men back aboard to save her.

Repair ships rushed to help, and for a while, it looked like they might succeed. Tugboats began towing the hurt carrier toward Pearl Harbor on June 6.

Then Japanese submarine I-168 slipped past the escort ships and fired four torpedoes, hitting Yorktown twice and sinking the destroyer USS Hammann.

The Fighting Lady Carried On Her Predecessor’s Name

The Navy renamed a new Essex-class carrier under construction to honor Yorktown’s sacrifice. This ship, first planned as Bon Homme Richard, became USS Yorktown (CV-10) instead.

Workers at Newport News Shipbuilding finished her quickly, and she joined the fleet on April 15, 1943. The new Yorktown stretched 872 feet long and carried 90-100 aircraft with a crew of 3,448.

Sailors called her “The Fighting Lady. ” Her new design included better armor, more anti-aircraft guns, and a stronger flight deck.

New Yorktown Brought Firepower to Japanese-Held Islands

CV-10 headed to the Pacific in late 1943, ready to fight Japan. Her first combat mission hit Marcus Island in August 1943, with her planes dropping 79 tons of bombs.

The Fighting Lady then joined attacks against the major Japanese base at Truk Lagoon in February 1944, helping sink dozens of ships and destroy aircraft.

Her planes supported Marines landing on beaches across the Pacific, giving crucial air cover. By mid-1944, Yorktown’s air group had flown over 11,000 sorties in just nine months.

Sailors Weathered Typhoons and Kamikazes on the Road to Tokyo

As American forces pushed closer to Japan, Yorktown joined the massive carrier task forces hitting the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Her planes struck airfields, ships, and troop positions.

The ship survived both natural and man-made threats, including the deadly December 1944 typhoon that sank three destroyers, and waves of kamikaze attacks that damaged many other carriers.

In 1945, Yorktown’s aircraft flew strikes directly against the Japanese home islands. When Japan gave up, the Fighting Lady had earned 11 battle stars without suffering major damage.

Cold War Missions Took Yorktown Around the Globe

The Navy updated Yorktown in the 1950s, adding an angled flight deck that let planes land and take off at the same time. Workers also added steam catapults and a mirror landing system to handle heavier jet aircraft.

The ship served during the Korean War, launching strikes against North Korean targets. Later, she made multiple trips to Vietnam, where her aircraft bombed Viet Cong positions.

Between wars, Yorktown trained thousands of pilots and sailors, cruising the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Pacific as part of America’s Cold War naval power.

Space Travelers Splashed Down Next to a WWII Veteran

NASA picked Yorktown for a special mission in December 1968, recovering the Apollo 8 astronauts after their trip around the moon.

The ship waited in the Pacific on December 27 as the capsule carrying Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders splashed down.

Yorktown’s helicopters quickly spotted the capsule and brought the astronauts aboard.

The sailors welcomed these space travelers with cheers and a band. This mission connected America’s naval past with its space future.

South Carolina Gave the Fighting Lady a Permanent Home

After 27 years of service, the Navy decommissioned Yorktown in 1970. Instead of scrapping this historic ship, officials found her a new purpose.

In 1975, the carrier moved to Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, becoming the first ship at the new Patriots Point Naval Museum.

Today, visitors walk her decks, see her aircraft, and learn about the sailors who served aboard both Yorktowns.

The museum added other historic vessels nearby, including the destroyer USS Laffey and submarine USS Clamagore.

The Fighting Lady now stands as a National Historic Landmark, telling the story of naval aviation from World War II through the space age.

Visiting USS Yorktown, South Carolina

You can explore the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval Museum, 40 Patriots Point Road in Mount Pleasant. The museum opens 9am-6:30pm daily with tickets sold until 4pm.

Your admission covers the Yorktown, USS Laffey, Vietnam Experience, and Medal of Honor Museum. Check out the Apollo 8 capsule replica on the hangar deck with original mission recordings.

The Captain’s Tour ($18) takes you to restricted Apollo 8 recovery areas, while the audio app ($7. 99) features veteran stories.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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