Evening star., 1943-01-21
Mrs. Roosevelt Takes
Swings 10 Crash
Bottle on Yorktown
New Carrier Slides
Down Ways 5 Minutes
Before Schedule
BY CLAUDE A. MAHONEY,

star staff Correspondent.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va, Jan. 2l.-
A swiftly running tide nearly sent
the new carrier Yorktown into the
James River today without the ira
ditional champagne christening,
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the sponsor,
being forced to make a second
swing at the receding prov in order
to break the bottle.
The ceremony was advanced five
minutes in order to catch a favora-
BILE tide, and the change made 1t
impossible for Artemus l.. Gates,
Secretary Of the Navy for Air to de-
liver a prepared speech in which he
declared that carrier based air
craft prevented the enemey from
making the first Allied landing in
Africa an extremely costly affair,
both In men and equipment.
Christened by Mrs. Roosevelt.
The rearrangement caught Mrs.
Roosevelt unawares, as she stood
poised on the launching platform,
but she captured the swinging bottle
as 1t bounced back from her first
unsuccessful attempt to break 1t
and once more hurled it against the
prov OF the carrier, this time sue
cessfully.
Mr.. Gates reported for the first
time on the part plane carriers
played In the November landings.
He said planes from the carriers
strafed attacking ships, bombed a
battleship out OF commission, at
tackled anti-aircraft batteries, gun
emplacements, tanks and submarines
and even acted as torpedo spoilers.
The new carrier was first known as
the Bonhomme Richard and later
renamed the Yorktown in honor of
the other fighting Yorktown lost
In the battle of Midway June T.
Mrs. Roosevelt christened the other
Yorktown on April 4, 1886. Al
though the ceremonies today had a
sonlber, wartime tinge, there were
several officers and men present
from the other ship. Rear Admiral
Elliott Buckmaster, who was cap
tain of the sunken ship, spoke briefly
as the new vessel slid down the ways
Of the Newport News Shipbuilding
g. Dry Dock Co.
Tells Of Landings.
After reviewing activities of car
y Da
told OF their major role" In the
North African landings.
Our landing forces were actively
opposed at sea by submarines and
warships," he said, while fixed bat
teries and large numbers of shore
based aircraft further threatened
the success of this impending action
"At one of the most crucial points
Of the operation, an opposing cruiser
accompanied by four destroyers,
took position to attack our trans
ports and landing boats while our
troops were debarking. Grumman
Wildcat fighters from one of our
carriers, diving into strong anti
Rircraft fire from these ships, strafed
them repeatedly, and inflicted so
much punishment that they were
forced to reverse course and head
for shore.
During the action our dive
bombers took off from the carriers
to attack battleship which was
shelling our flagship On this bat
tleship were dropped several thou
sand-pound bombs, which effective
ly silenced her fire for that en-
gagement.
Many opposing aircraft were
shot down in air combat or de-
stroyed on the ground by squadrons
OF our carrier-based fighters, while
other fighters were employed with
remarkable success against anti
aircraft batteries, gun emplace-
ments and even against tanks.
Subs Kept at Bay.
THE dive bombers and torpedo
planes, ably assisted by scouting
and observation planes, kept a wolf
ho@h VA VifNkily HTS dt DdY,
attacking them with bombs. depth
charges and gunfire. Several times
our ships were warned by airplanes
overhead In the nick of time to
avoid approaching torpedoes.
Thus once more has the con-
ception and development of naval
aviation as an integral part of the
Navy justified the farsightedness
OF Its champions"
The new Yorktown is of 25,000
tons and is the fourth of its class
to be launched since Pearl Harbor.
Others are the Lexington. renamed
from the original Cabot; the Bunker
Hill and the Essex.
Rear Admiral Elliott Buckmaster,
captain of the first aircraft carrier
Yorktown. said I'VE deem it our
sacred duty to continue this fight
and to destroy utterly those who are
endeasoring to enslave us"
Admiral Buckmaster spoke only a
few moments before the new York
town. heaviest warship ever
launched at the Newport News
Shipbuilding IL Drydock Co. yard,
began sliding down the ways.