Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Ports San Francisco, Hawaii, and Guam

The yearbook finished with a scrapbook of the tour's ports of call.  Regrettably, this was mostly just pictures, but the guys on the carrier weren't there as tour guides after all.

The tour started in San Francisco. 

They stopped at Hawaii.

And made a quick stop at Guam.

Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Air Group Nine Squadrons

Finally, we present the aircraft squadrons aboard the Ranger for this tour.

First up are the big boys, or "Whales" as they called them.  The plane is the  Douglas A-3D Sky Warrior.  It was a carrier-borne strategic nuclear-capable bomber.  This was before sub-based nukes became more prevalent.

The main daytime interceptor for the carrier was the Vought F-8 Crusader flown by the Red Lightning squadron.

This was the squadron that the owner of the yearbook served in.  Stanley Rhodes is in the top left picture.  I was lucky I found him.  There's also a note he put on the next page that one of his pilots was killed flying into a mountain in Japan.

These was also a reconnaissance version of the Crusader used by another unit.

The McDonnell F3H Demon was the nighttime/all-weather interceptor for the carrier.

The Ranger carried two squadrons of Douglas A-4 Skyhawks.  The Skyhawk was an amazingly capable little plane.  It could engage in air-to-air combat, function as a bomber (nuclear-capable even), and act as a fuel tanker.  The Skyhawks were used by the Blue Angels and I saw them perform in person.  This squadron was the Blue Blazers.

This squadron was the Shrikes.

Lastly, we have the Spads.  The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was indeed a prop plane in the jet age.  It was mainly a tactical ground attack bomber, but could also drop torpedoes and act as a fuel tanker.  This was the Sky Knights squadron.

A variant Spad functioned as an airborne radar unit.

Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Air Group Nine Pictures

Alright, here we go.  The reason for aircraft carriers is to serve as a seaborne airfield.  In this case, there are over 70 aboard.  There are small fighters, large bombers, and even prop planes in its complement.  We'll start off with some pictures of the planes in action.

Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Air Department

Okay, okay.  We're almost to the fighter squadrons.  This is the Air Department.  I love these guys doing the carrier deck ballet.

V-1 moves the planes.

V-2 is the shooters that load the catapults.  (I hope nobody is taking my notes as actual knowledgeable commentary.  I probably should have said up front that I don't really know anything about carrier operations and I've barely skimmed this book.)

V-3 loads and unloads planes from the hanger deck.

V-4 fuels the planes.

V-6 maintains the aircraft.  (No, there isn't a V-5.  I rechecked the book.  There isn't one.)

I'm not sure why the ship's two helicopters are listed in this section. The birds are named Pixie and Dixie after the cartoon mice.  The text is a bit cutoff in the picture, but this unit has made 837 rescues since its inception.

Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Gunnery Department

Okay, we finally get to the guns with the Gunnery Department.

The Anchormen.  They keep the forecastle (the bow) of the ship clean.  

The Second Division takes care of the quarterdeck (the aft of the ship).

The Third Division maintains other parts of the ship.

                                     

More maintenance guys.  They are also involved in refueling and replenishing. 

Here are the heroes: the Side Cleaners.  Actually, I'm not kidding.  Talk about an un-glamorous backbreaking job.
 

The fightin' Fifth Division mans the carrier's guns.

          

                                   

The Fox Division provides the gunners with "firing solutions."

                                   

G Division handles the ordinance.

The GM Division handles the guided missiles.

Finally, we have the ship's Marine Detachment.  I wonder if they feel like they're operating in a foreign embassy or something.  They're Navy, but clearly their own separate culture.

Artifacts: USS Ranger 1960 Yearbook Engineering

Up next is the Engineering Department.  The Ranger wasn't a nuclear carrier.

The Auxiliaries Division are the HVAC guys (and other stuff).

B is for Boilermen.

E is for the Electricians. 

OE does the maintenance for the ship's radar, radio, and the carrier's own TV studio.

M runs the main engines.

R is for Repairs and also Damage Control and Firefighting.