Connie
- Thread starter Wedge009
- Start date
Ladiesman^
Spaceman
Isn't the Constellation an Aircraft Carrier? I might be wrong...
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
No, you are correct.
The USS CONSTELLATION is a KITTY HAWK-class carrier, CV-64. She was commissioned in October of 1961, and is one of the oldest active carriers in the US Navy (only the KITTY HAWK is older, by about 6 months). "Connie" is about 1060 feet long, better than 80K tons, and carries a typical air wing of 85 craft.
She is NOT a nuclear powered carrier, but driven by steam turbines. Built by New York Naval Shipyard (Brooklyn), home base is San Diego, CA.
Bandit LOAF
Long Live the Confederation!
Isn't there a USS Constellation here in Baltimore?
That is the original USS Constellation and actually it isn't the original. The original was the first of the US Navy's "super"frigates that was made in the late 18th century/early 19th. She was in service for quite a while but by the time of the US Civil War she was decomishioned and the navy used the wood from her to make a Sloop of War, also named the USS Constellation. Then in the 1870's some well meaning people thought the sloop of war was the frigate, and that the navy had "cut it down". these well meaning people "restored" her to her "original" appearance. IN the early 1990's people finally realized that the constellation wasn't the constellation that they thought it was and that the added weight added in the "restoration" was breaking the keel. So she was brought back to the original sloop of war configuration. Since the Constellation in baltimore harbor (the one I was just talking about) is no longer a commissioned ship the navy is free to name any ship they want with the same name, as such they desided to name the carrier the you guessed it USS Constellation. History lessen over
Ladiesman^
Spaceman
Isn't the Constellation in Baltimore still "active" though? At Boston they have a very similar ship, the USS Constitution, and they say it is the "oldest active naval vessel in any fleet in the world". As I understand, every year they throw a crew on it and sail it around Boston harbor and fire off it's cannons, so they can say it's still "active". I assumed the Constellation would be the same way.
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
I'll address several things here:
I'm not sure of the CONSTITUTION in Baltimore, but the USS ARIZONA, devastated at Pearl Harbor, was a commissioned US Navy vessel until recently. I believe (but I'm not positive) that she was decommissioned in the past couple of years.
The USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65), first deployed in November of 1961, a month after the CONSTITUTION, and 7 months after the KITTY HAWK. Therefore, she is the third oldest carrier in the US fleets.
There were actually TWO carriers from WWII-era in active service until fairly recently. The USS LEXINGTON, CVA-16, was converted to a training vessel (in the 60's, I believe), and remained active until the early 90's. She is now a memorial museum in Corpus Cristi, Texes. She is also a movie star, playing the part of the Japanese carrier AKAGI in TORA! TORA! TORA! (1970), and in the forthcoming feature PEARL HARBOR. The other carrier was the USS MIDWAY, commissioned shortly before the end of hostilities of WWII, but never making it to combat. She was part fo Operation Desert Shield, and was decommissioned shortly after the Gulf War.
I'm not sure of the CONSTITUTION in Baltimore, but the USS ARIZONA, devastated at Pearl Harbor, was a commissioned US Navy vessel until recently. I believe (but I'm not positive) that she was decommissioned in the past couple of years.
The USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65), first deployed in November of 1961, a month after the CONSTITUTION, and 7 months after the KITTY HAWK. Therefore, she is the third oldest carrier in the US fleets.
There were actually TWO carriers from WWII-era in active service until fairly recently. The USS LEXINGTON, CVA-16, was converted to a training vessel (in the 60's, I believe), and remained active until the early 90's. She is now a memorial museum in Corpus Cristi, Texes. She is also a movie star, playing the part of the Japanese carrier AKAGI in TORA! TORA! TORA! (1970), and in the forthcoming feature PEARL HARBOR. The other carrier was the USS MIDWAY, commissioned shortly before the end of hostilities of WWII, but never making it to combat. She was part fo Operation Desert Shield, and was decommissioned shortly after the Gulf War.
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
Not sure of what MIDWAY you are talking about here. The only MIDWAY in US Navy history was the carrier MIDWAY, commissioned at the end of WWII, and retired in the early 90's. As a carrier, she certainly touted no "big guns".
ok originalphoenix you have a helluvalot of facts wrong:
1. the Constellation is the ship we are talking about, that is the frigate/sloop of war in baltimore harbor. The Constellation in Baltimore harbor must be decomishioned because there is a carrier named the Constellation, and there can't be two separate ships named the same name.
2. The constitution is the oldest commisioned ship in the US Navy and the second oldest in the world (the HMS Victory is the oldest), the Constitution "old ironsides" is in boston.
1. the Constellation is the ship we are talking about, that is the frigate/sloop of war in baltimore harbor. The Constellation in Baltimore harbor must be decomishioned because there is a carrier named the Constellation, and there can't be two separate ships named the same name.
2. The constitution is the oldest commisioned ship in the US Navy and the second oldest in the world (the HMS Victory is the oldest), the Constitution "old ironsides" is in boston.
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
Perhaps you'd like to explain how I'm wrong, when I didn't state make any comments about either of the two items you mention here....
So where did I state anything that contradicts -- or even addresses -- this information? Yes, I have a typo in a previous post (I said CONSTITUTION, meant CONSTELLATION), but I think anyone following the thread knows full well what I was talking about, given my previous posts in the thread.
Again, where exactly do I make mention of this topic?
Me thinks you need to be a bit more careful when associating posts with who posted them.
[Edited by OriginalPhoenix on 04-07-2001 at 18:31]
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
No sweat, chief. Consider it forgotten.
OriginalPhoenix
Professor Emeritus
It means it was noted as inactive in terms of combat-readiness. The ARIZONA remained commissioned, however.