PHOTO GALLERY
FLIGHTDECK CATWALK GUNS - 1944
CLICK THE PICTURE FOR A CLOSE UP
CLOSE THE CLOSE UP WINDOW TO RETURN HERE
CLICK THE PICTURE FOR A CLOSE UP
CLOSE THE CLOSE UP WINDOW TO RETURN HERE
Here is a picture very few guys have seen, I believe Bennington only had guns on the flight deck catwalk for about 18 months.
(I used to sleep on these same aft port catwalks, while we were on station in the South China Sea. It would get so hot, inside the ship, we would go and sleep inside the a/c refueling stations, aft port because we hardly used that side. It was much cooler, of course, you could only sleep 3 1/2 hours, because every 4 hours you had 35 airplanes landing on your "bedroom ceiling")
Any of you CV 20 guys want to fill us in on how many guns Bennington actually had on the catwalks? Or any other memories you have?
Bill Copeland
Above I mentioned I was surprised at the number of 20 mm guns in the flightdeck catwalk, I didn't think to go through my files, thanks to an "anonymous" benefactor (right, Don Fitzgerald?) I have a set of blueprints for the whole damn ship!!! If we ever decide to build one ourselves, ........................ we are all set.
Anyway, Don remminded me there were ............. 62ea. 20 mm guns all around the ship. plus, 12ea. 5" guns and up to 18ea. 40 mm guns.
whew, quite a ways from CVS 20 in the 60's we only had four 5" guns.
Thanks, Don for the info!
Bill Copeland
RETURN TO:
INTRODUCTION