Hello all ; my CV-13 Franklin is coming right along. I made a base for it and turned the supports on a Lathe. I hope to do PE on her , and have it done by end of June.


Haze gray and under way SG61 ..........

Looking good, Mitch! Keep going, mate!
~Gunny

I'm looking forward to seeing this one progress!

As a high school kid, I lived just down the street from the Norfolk Navy Yard. Sometime in the late 60's the Franklin was towed up the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth river and broken up for scrap. I used to drive by every day for months and watch as that proud ship disappeared piece by piece. When you think of the effort of those men who brought her home after the kamikaze attack and the fact that due to the end of the war she was never really repaired, it's enough to break your heart.

And there's a MYSTERY associated with this as well. Her island was removed intact and was SUPPOSED to be kept and set up someplace as a memorial. You wouldn't think something that big could "disappear", but it is no where to be found.

I don't know whether some group was supposed to buy it from the salvage company, and the deal fell through so they simply scrapped it as well or what. Sure would be interested to know what happened.

Tom

The Franklin is my favorite. I met a man that survived both kamakazi attacks. The heroics of the captain and crew of the Santa Fe are awesome, too. I plan on doing the two of the sailing side by side for the Leyte Gulf campaign.