Not on topic to carriers per se, but at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor the US Navy was experimenting with different woods for battleship decks. I came across documentation (including wood chips!) in the national archives discussing sections of Colorado and Maryland which were laid in Manggachapui and one other that I can’t remember off the top of my head. The Navy wasn’t particularly blown away by either.
It would have been another wood that would have been cut by the fighting in the Pacific. Its from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Some of the trees in the genus Hopea. Probably, pre-war, the idea to gather lumber from the forests of the Philippines was a subject to study.
Mike T.
In the mid-70’s I went with my Dad to a Society of Experimental Test Pilots Convention in San Diego. While there, we toured the Carrier Bon Homme Richard that was in port, docked behind a more current, and much, much larger carrier (don’t remember the name). They were repairing part of the rear flight deck, which was wooden, covered by a tar-like/painted surface that had some coarse grit in it for added traction.
The rear end of the deck, the angled part mentioned below, was steel, and wore the marks (some deep, tire-shaped dents) of low approaches. They were replacing the damage done by such low approaches. I got a piece of the surface at the house somewhere. I seem to remember it was either black, or a very dark green.
Gene Beaird,
Pearland, Texas
The angle deck was steel in 1975. The waist and forward part of the flight deck was still wood.
I serve on Carriers in Korean war, and the Lexington in 1956, , No essex class carrier of that time had steel decks and we had jets, Most the time Paint if any was worn off and repairs was plane teak wood no paint, I was IN VF111 on 1956 West Pack and cat trouble shooter but cant remember what forward deck was made of, USS Princeton cva 37 CAG 19 Korean war, In going back to A flight deck picture of me and two ship mates fixing a Tail hook problem on a F9F8 on port cat USS Lexington 1956 west pack cruise it dose appear that the deck was Metal, The Lex on that cruise had been refurbished from the old decks and an angel deck Huricane Bow added, However during Korean war decks never had TAR or Non Skid, Just wood and maybe paint Called Light Deck, Only Tar was like grout between planks, The deck used Ash Or Fir then Teak on top, There were jets in Korean war But non had after burners then so didnt effect wood decks,
Bamboo makes a nice deck with the long parallel grain. Carve in the planks with a saw and wash the groves and stain
Battleships & cruisers often used 4 x 4 for their decks; carrier decks appear to have favored 4x6 planks.
The planks were screwed down to steel “Z” flanges (aka sleepers) over the framing and such sheel plating as would be in place. The sleepers were staggered and perforated to allow drainage. Screw oles were counter-bored and fitted with plugs.
This becomes an issue at the flightdeck edge. There will be a channel to capture the ends of the planks, but will have some sort of drain channel for water under the planking. All of which would drain into the flightdeck edge catapaults. (The latter rather complicating a “simple” base for aircraft models.)
Even the Midway class had wood in odd spots like the edge deck elevator.
I gather from the Korean vet that his ships were pre angle deck. And the conversion schedules aren’t always as didactic as they seem.
I’ve seen some photos where Essex Class still have wood forward of the island, steel back of that.
As for lumber size my memory of research of that is asleep right now, but they were timber sized, like 4x8 or larger.
Good grief if you are still active, I would love to pick your brain on all that. It certainly suggests that mods were made when ships were sen t to yards for upgrades as per their patrols or deployments.
Please write me if you are still looking in.
Bill