Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
MIGHTY PLANE-CARRIERS
TO TAKE SEAS THIS YEAR
Launching of Saratoga and Lexington
Will Give u. S. Greatest Vessels
of Type Ever Built.

rent to light and otherwise supply the
electricity demanded of tho entire city
or Boston. The principal use OF the
| big ships electrical power will be for
| propulsion. 1t will drive them through
the seas at a speed of 80 knots, euuiy~
| alent to about 80 miles an hour, op
! about as fast as the average express
train.
Are Sister Ships.
The chief dimensions of the Sara.
toga and Lexington. which are sister
ships, are as follows: Length, $50 feet
on waterline and SS8 feet over all.
beam. los feet; mean draft, 81 feet
normal displacement, $4,000 tons;
steam furnished by IS oil-burning
boilers. The carriers will mount a
main battery of eight S-nch guns i'm
| four turrets. They will be about 12i5
knots faster than our speediest battle,
ships. The carriers are armored with
| a 1O-inch belt 600 feet in length. They
| have triple hulls and bulge protection
for torpedo defense.
The flight deck" of the Saratoga
and Lexington is $50 feet long, 80
feet wide, and so feet above the
water FLAMES will be transported TO
IL from the hangar deck" by the use
OF TWO T-shaped elevators. Catapults
are fitted onto the flight deck for.
the launching of seaplanes and the
vessels are equipped with powerful
| cranes on each side to lift the sea
planes out of the water.
me landing of the landplanes on
the flight deck will be Accomplished
as q result of extensive tests con
quoted on L. S. s. Langley. These
rests are secrets OF the Navy. and the
"DETAILS Oh landing gear equipment like
wise are confidential. The carriers
VIII be we'll supplied with spare parts.
as well as with replacement planes IN
the extent of 80 per cent.
Officers Carefully Picked.
Men. after all, and not machinery.
are what make ships of war effective
The Navy has picked the roster of
o'hcers who are to have command of
the Saratoga and Lexington with the
care appropriate in the case OF so
valuable additions to Americas
strength at sea. The Saratoga will be
commanded by Capt. II. v. Butler.
and the Lexington by Cant, waiter
n. Gherardi. Both of these officers
rank among the brilliant men of the
meet and each has had a fine train
ing In practical experience with the
NaVy'S aircraft Squadrons.
| capt. Butler and Capt. Gherardi are
superintending, respectively at Cam
den and Quincy, the completion of the
magnificent vessels which soon will
ny their flags. AS a corps of officers
the Navy has assigned to Butler and
Gnerardi Junior officers who. like
themselves. are skilled in the aviation
branch of the sea service. The com
PIGMENT of each aircraft carrier. ex
elusive of actual flying personnel,
| will be 1219
| When the Saratoga and Lexington
are ready for duty, the expectation is
that both of them will be assigned to
the battle fleet based on the Pacific
Coast. Their officers and men will he
as prepared for service as the carriers
themselves. The task of perfecting
the shipboard administration and or.
ganization Of such vessels. represent
ing an absolutely new type of naval
architecture, is gigantic one. It is
being carried out while the ships are
approaching completion.
Hundreds of their future crews arc
at the shipbuilding plants. acting as
inspectors and familiarizing them.
selves with the responsible task
| shortly to be theirs.
(CoDyright. 1927