USS Yorktown (CV-5)
The keel of USS Yorktown (CV-5) was laid down on the 21st of May 1934 at Newport News, Virginia. Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co constructed the vessel that would become the lead ship of a new class of aircraft carriers. Eleanor Roosevelt sponsored the launch on the 4th of April 1936. The ship entered active service at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, on the 30th of September 1937. Captain Ernest D. McWhorter took command during this commissioning ceremony.
Yorktown's design drew heavily from lessons learned by operating with converted battlecruisers like Lexington and Saratoga. It also incorporated insights gained from smaller purpose-built carriers such as Ranger. These earlier experiences shaped the engineering choices for the flight deck and hangar spaces. The Navy sought to create a more efficient platform for launching and recovering aircraft compared to previous models.
Training exercises began shortly after fitting out. Hampton Roads, Virginia served as the primary location for carrier qualifications. The air group conducted drills off the Virginia capes into January 1938. This period allowed crews to master the complex operations required for naval aviation. The ship then sailed for the Caribbean Sea on the 8th of January 1938.
Arrival at Culebra, Puerto Rico occurred on the 13th of January. Over the following month, Yorktown touched at Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It visited Gonaïves in Haiti and Guantánamo Bay in Cuba before reaching Cristóbal in the Panama Canal Zone. Departing Colón Bay on the 1st of March, the vessel returned to Hampton Roads by the 6th of March. Post-shakedown availability took place at the Norfolk Navy Yard starting the next day.
Yorktown departed Pearl Harbor on the 20th of April 1941 with destroyers Anderson, Hammann, and Monaghan. The fleet transited the Panama Canal during the night between the 6th and the 7th of May. Arrival at Bermuda came on the 12th of May. From that point until the United States entered the war, Yorktown conducted four patrols across the Atlantic Ocean.
The patrol area stretched from Newfoundland down to Bermuda. The ship logged thousands of miles steaming while enforcing American neutrality policies. Although Adolf Hitler had forbidden his submarines from attacking American ships, naval crews operated under wartime conditions without full knowledge of this policy.
On the 28th of October, Yorktown screened a convoy alongside battleship New Jersey. A destroyer picked up a submarine contact and dropped depth charges. The convoy made an emergency starboard turn as the first of three course changes. Engine repairs to Empire Pintail reduced the group's speed significantly.
During the night, American ships intercepted strong German radio signals indicating nearby submarines. Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt sent a destroyer to sweep astern of the convoy. The next day, Yorktown and cruiser Augusta fueled escorting destroyers as dusk fell. On the 30th of October, sound contacts led to ten emergency turns by the convoy.
Destroyers Anderson and Hammann dropped depth charges while Vireo assisted in developing the contact. Anderson later made two more attacks, noting considerable oil slicks but no wreckage. Elsewhere on that same date, U-boat U-568 torpedoed the destroyer USS Reuben James, sinking it with heavy loss of life. This marked the first loss of an American warship in World War II.
Task Force 17 rendezvoused with Task Group 11.7 southwest of the New Hebrides Islands on the 1st of May 1942. Yorktown set course northward at dawn on the 4th of May. Launches began at 07:01 with eighteen F4F-3 Wildcats from VF-42. Twelve TBD Devastators from VT-5 joined twenty-eight SBD Dauntlesses from VS and VB-5.
Yorktown's air group attacked enemy ships and shore installations at Tulagi and Gavutu on Florida Island. The planes expended twenty-two torpedoes and seventy-six bombs across three consecutive attacks. They sank a destroyer, three minesweepers, and four barges. Five enemy seaplanes were destroyed by Air Group 5.
The battle intensified on the morning of the 8th of May when Lexington search planes spotted Admiral Takeo Takagi's carrier striking force. Yorktown planes scored two bomb hits on Shōkaku. These strikes damaged her flight deck and prevented aircraft launches. Explosions in gasoline storage tanks killed one hundred eight Japanese sailors and wounded forty more.
At 11:27, a single semi-armor-piercing bomb struck the center of Yorktown's flight deck. It penetrated four decks before exploding in an aviation storage room. The blast caused severe structural damage to superheater boilers rendering them inoperable. Sixty-six men were killed or seriously wounded while up to twelve near misses damaged the hull below the waterline.
Despite the heavy damage, Yorktown managed to evade eight torpedoes during the engagement. The ship returned to Hawaii for repairs even though experts estimated three months would be required to restore fighting trim. Naval intelligence had decoded messages indicating a major Japanese operation aimed at Midway Island.
Yorktown arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 27th of May 1942. She entered dry dock the following day where Navy Yard inspectors estimated at least two weeks of repairs were needed. Admiral Nimitz ordered the vessel ready to sail alongside Task Force 16 despite these estimates.
Workers labored around the clock to patch the flight deck and hull. Inspections revealed that flight elevators remained undamaged. The damaged superheater boilers were left untouched, limiting top speed but allowing the ship to put to sea again in forty-eight hours. By the 30th of May, Yorktown sailed as the core of Task Force 17.
Northeast of Midway, Yorktown rendezvoused with Task Force 16 under Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance. Patrols flew from both Midway and the carriers during early June. At dawn on the 4th of June, Yorktown launched a ten-plane group of Dauntlesses searching a northern semicircle one hundred miles out.
The ship's radar detected incoming aircraft at 13:29. Captain Elliott Buckmaster cleared the deck for action while returning dive bombers moved to open areas for antiaircraft fire. An auxiliary gasoline tank was pushed over the fantail to eliminate fire hazards. Fuel lines were drained and compartments secured before fighters vectored out to intercept.
Wildcats broke up an organized attack by eighteen Vals and six Zeroes. Three bombs scored hits despite intensive barrages. One bomb hit just abaft number two elevator creating a hole about thirty feet square. Another bomb ruptured uptakes for three boilers disabling them completely. Smoke filled firerooms of six boilers yet Number One boiler maintained steam pressure.
At 15:50 Chief Engineer Delaney reported readiness to make twenty knots or better. Damage control parties patched the flight deck within an hour restoring power to several boilers. Yorktown resumed air operations while refueling fighters then on deck. Radar picked up an incoming air group at twelve thousand yards.
At 16:00 maneuvering Yorktown churned forward making twenty knots. Fighters launched to intercept planes identified as Kates. Wildcats shot down at least three but others approached while the carrier mounted heavy antiaircraft fire. Two torpedoes struck the port side within minutes of each other starting at 16:20.
The carrier lost power and went dead in water with a jammed rudder. The list increased to port reaching twenty-six degrees. Commander Clarence E. Aldrich reported flooding looked impossible without power. Lieutenant Commander John F. Delaney confirmed all boiler fires were out and correcting the list was impossible.
Buckmaster ordered the ship abandoned to save company members. Crew lowered wounded into life rafts striking out for nearby destroyers. Executive Officer Dixie Kiefer left down a line on the starboard side. Buckmaster toured the ship one last time before lowering himself into water by means of a stern line.
Salvage efforts began the morning of the 6th of June with Hammann providing pumps and electric power alongside. At 15:36 lookouts spotted four torpedoes approaching from the starboard beam. One torpedo hit Hammann directly amidships breaking her back. Two torpedoes struck Yorktown at the turn of the bilge.
On the 19th of May 1998 oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard located and photographed the wreck of Yorktown. The vessel sat upright in excellent condition deep within the Pacific Ocean floor. Despite spending fifty-six years underwater much paint and equipment remained visible.
A more extensive survey occurred in September 2023 conducted by NOAA Ocean Exploration. A livestreamed exploration via remotely operated vehicle took place on the 19th and the 20th of April 2025. Observers saw a car suspected to be a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Station Wagon inside the hangar along with three intact SBD Dauntless dive-bombers.
The ROV also found murals still intact on ship walls. The wreck lies within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Yorktown earned three battle stars for World War II service including significant roles stopping Japanese expansion at Coral Sea and Midway.
CV-10 was renamed Yorktown in honor of the lost vessel while under construction as Bonhomme Richard. It was preserved after decommissioning in 1970 becoming a museum ship in 1975. The original Yorktown remains a testament to naval engineering and sacrifice.
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Common questions
When was the keel of USS Yorktown CV-5 laid down?
The keel of USS Yorktown (CV-5) was laid down on the 21st of May 1934 at Newport News, Virginia. Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co constructed the vessel that would become the lead ship of a new class of aircraft carriers.
What happened to USS Yorktown CV-5 during the Battle of Midway?
USS Yorktown (CV-5) sustained critical damage from two torpedoes striking its port side on the 4th of June 1942 which caused it to lose power and list twenty-six degrees to port. The carrier was subsequently sunk by Japanese torpedoes fired from I-168 on the morning of the 6th of June 1942 after salvage efforts failed.
Where is the wreck of USS Yorktown CV-5 located today?
The wreck of USS Yorktown (CV-5) lies within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument deep within the Pacific Ocean floor. Oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard located and photographed the site on the 19th of May 1998 while more extensive surveys occurred in September 2023.
How many battle stars did USS Yorktown CV-5 earn for World War II service?
USS Yorktown (CV-5) earned three battle stars for World War II service including significant roles stopping Japanese expansion at Coral Sea and Midway. These honors recognize the ship's contributions before its sinking on the 6th of June 1942.
When was the keel of USS Yorktown CV-5 laid down and who sponsored its launch?
The keel of USS Yorktown (CV-5) was laid down on the 21st of May 1934 at Newport News, Virginia. Eleanor Roosevelt sponsored the launch on the 4th of April 1936.