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Posts:
2
Registered:
7/27/08
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(1 of 7)
Jul 27, 2008 8:39 PM
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I hate to be ignorant on this, but could someone please explain the meaning of CV-6. My guess is 'Carrier Vessel 6', but I'm not sure that is correct. I know Enterprise was reclassified as CVA-6 and then CVS-6 for Attach and Submarine, but I'm not sure of 'CV'.
Thanks
Frank
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Posts:
70
From:
so cal
Registered:
3/28/08
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(2 of 7)
Jul 28, 2008 12:38 PM
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CV-6 is the hull number the navy assigned it
nuff said
bob
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For those that fought for it,Freedom has a taste and meaning, The protected will never know!
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Posts:
278
Registered:
8/8/05
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(3 of 7)
Jul 29, 2008 5:01 PM
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Aircraft carriers were originally considered to be part of the fleet's cruiser scouting force and were thus lumped together with cruisers. "C"
In USN parlance of the day the letter "V" denoted heavier-than-air type craft (airplanes as opposed to lighter-than-air type craft, balloons, blimps, and dirigibles), Same reason airplane squadrons were, and are, designated as "Vx", e.g., VF = fighting squadrons, VB = bombing squadrons, VPB = patrol-bombing squadrons, and so on. Later the definition of what was a V and what was not was refined to mean heavier-than-air-winged when the helicopter squadrons came on the scene and were labeled "Hx". Lighter-than-air had "Zx".
So an aircraft carrier was a cruiser of the scouting force that carried heavier-than-air craft, CV. Starting with Langley CV-1.
World War II led to types such as CVE (cruiser, heavier-than-air craft, escort), CVL (cruiser, heavier-than-air craft, light), and CVB (cruiser, heavier-than-air craft, large), whilst the surviving pre-war Saratoga, Ranger, Enterprise, and also the wartime Essex types retained their vanilla CV designation.
Kind of all goes back to the early 1920's when all these types of designations were worked out as a result of the Naval Treaties. Also, they are uniquely USN. Some, even yours truly, use the designators as a short hand even when referring to the ships of another nation, but technically they do not apply. Certainly the Royal Navy or the Imperial Japanese Navy, as examples, had light cruisers, but they did not designate them "CL" any more than they designated their carriers "CV".
Interesting, light cruisers (CL) were originally to be designated as scouting cruisers until someone in the Navy Department realized that they really did not want any USN ship type to have a designation of "CS". Heavy cruisers' designation came from armored cruisers, thus CA, not CH.
The "6" for Enterprise, of course, means she was the 6th aircraft carrier . . . Langley CV-1, Lexington CV-2, Saratoga CV-3, Ranger CV-4, Yorktown CV-5, Enterprise CV-6.
Around my house, when you said "Yorktown" you meant CV-5; if you were talking about the Essex class carrier with the same name, she was referred to as "CV-10".
Enterprise was kind enough to provide my father with a place a VF-3 F4F sorely in need of fuel to land on the afternoon of 4 June 1942.
Regards,
Rich
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Edited by R Leonard at 07/29/2008 7:39 PM
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Posts:
2
Registered:
7/27/08
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(4 of 7)
Aug 12, 2008 1:27 PM
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Rich,
Thanks so much for the explanation. That was a well crafted response. Nice to know CV-6 assisted in your father's landing. You should be proud.
Frank
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Posts:
9
Registered:
6/26/09
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(5 of 7)
Jun 26, 2009 10:00 PM
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Hey Rich, I'm an old tin-can sailor who's chased a lot of carriers and always heard that the "V" in squadron-talk was for "fixed wing" as opposed to "heavier-than-air craft." Have I been misled?
Good post, by the way!
Steve
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Posts:
278
Registered:
8/8/05
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(6 of 7)
Jun 27, 2009 9:48 PM
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Hi Steve -
V for fixed wing works today since there are Helo squadrons, all of which start with H and, of course, are rotary wing. But the V as used in the heavier-than-air squadron designations pre-dates the H types by a comfortable margin, from the days when everything was fixed wing thus not needing to be so identified. And then there's the Z for lighter then air ships where Z comes from Zeppelin. So, after WWI when they came up with V (probably from the french "voler" meaning to fly) they meant heavier-than-air as opposed to lighter-than-air Z. Fixed versus rotary was not even a gleam in a eye at that point.
Rich
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Posts:
9
Registered:
6/26/09
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(7 of 7)
Jun 27, 2009 10:12 PM
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Works for me!
Thanks Rich!
Steve
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