How about this great series of shots taken on the Essex-class fleet carrier USS Wasp (CV-18) as her crew passed the equator some 80 years ago today, 11 July 1944. All of these are official U.S. Navy photographs, via the Library of Congress (Lot-2263).
“Court’s in Order. The court of Neptunus Rex, Ruler of the Raging Main, convenes on the deck of the aircraft carrier as the ship nears the equator. While the court prepared to go into action to convert ‘pollywogs’ (men who have never crossed the line) into “shellbacks”, other members of the crew keep a sharp look-out for the enemy. Neptunus counts among his royal officers such followers as Davy Jones, a Chief Executioner, High Chief Justice, Royal Torturer, and a Royal Embalmer.”
“It looks as if the crewman is emerging as a ‘shellback’ after a rollicking initiation at the hands of the followers of Neptunus Rex. Even in wartime, with an adequate guard posted, Neptunus Rex occasionally finds time to hold his traditional court for the crossing of the equatorial line.”
“Those Clippers Full. Judging from the look of anguish on the face of the man in the stock, the clippers running up and down his scalp are none too gentle. For that matter, the man performing the operation looks as if he’s had going over himself. It was all part of the traditional crossing of the line initiation held by the court of Neptunus Rex.” Note the SBD dive bomber in the background.
Her war diary for July 1944 actually notes her position on the 11th as being around 13 degrees North Latitude– about 700nm from the equator while steaming off Guam. With no air operations, her diary only lists her as refueling three escorting destroyers that day. She had just recovered from a raid on the Bonin Islands (30 June to 4 July) and was in a lull during air operations against the Japanese-held Marianas that would continue until the end of the month.
So why celebrate on 11 July? Well, it may have been because, on the day prior, her skipper, Capt. Clifton Albert Frederick “Ziggy” Sprague (USNA 1918), had just been frocked a rear admiral and a new admiral can do just about anything he wants.
Laid down at Fore River in Massachusetts, our subject carrier was commissioned on 24 November 1943. Originally named Oriskany, she entered service as the 9th USS Wasp after the 8th, CV-7, was sunk by Japanese submarine I-19 in September 1942.
Of course, this Wasp would prove much luckier than her immediate predecessor and, besides earning eight battle stars for her World War II service, held the line in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic during Korea, then, transforming to an ASW carrier (CVS), played a prominent role in the manned space program, serving as the recovery ship for five Project Gemini missions.
USS Wasp (CVS-18) In formation with destroyers and aircraft of Anti-submarine Task Group Bravo, in the Mediterranean Sea, 19 August 1961. All escorts are Gearing class DDEs. Planes overhead include ten S2F and two AD-5Ws. Two HSS-1 helicopters are flying just above the ships. Official U.S. Navy Photograph.
Catalog #: USN 1057640
She was retired in 1972, and sold for scrap in 1973.
While several of her Essex class sisters (Intrepid, Lexington, Yorktown) were retained as museums, you can’t save them all.