Diving the USS Saratoga,

Bikini Atoll, summer 2006...


The United States Navy aircraft carrier Saratoga...


 

PLEASE NOTE: These are some of the very last photographs ever taken in or around the bridge.

 

Click on any of the thumbnail pictures below to show a bigger image...




Unicorn fish swimming across the flight deck of CV3, the USS Saratoga. Binkini Atoll, July 2006...

The edge of the forward aircraft lift adjacent to the bridge island on the Saratoga...

On the hangar deck level at 35 metres on the USS Saratoga...

US Navy pottery gathered from inside the wreck and placed on the hangar deck level...

Martin with a cup on the hangar deck of the Saratoga at 35 metres...

Cockpit of a Helldiver within the hangar deck of the USS Saratoga...

The engine mounts have corroded on this plane and the engine has fallen off onto the hangar floor...

A small collection of artifacts gathered together in front of a pile of 500lb bombs on the hangar deck...

Ascending from the hangar deck this twin 5" gun turret is just forward of the island bridge structure at the side of the flight deck...

The second wave of divers are still below the flight deck within the hangar deck and their bubbles rise in a plume next to the island...

A solitary juvenile Black Snapper swims across the flightdeck...

Adult Black Snappers with Fusiliers on the flightdeck...

Twin Bofors anti-aircraft guns in a gun pit on the side of the ship...

Martin swims past skeletal superstructure remains...

Our guide Jen shows us the starboard side running light...

The starboard side running light...

Aircraft take-off ready light assembly - note the red and green glass...

A doorway gives entry to the island...

Having entered through the doorway Tracy swims along the corridor...

A wash hand basin within the corridor in the island...

Washhand basin...

A drinking water fountain or urinal - we're far from sure which!

What a sight!!! A Siebe Gorman standard hard hat diving helmet retrieved from the Petty Officer's quarters and placed in a room within the island...

Tracy with a clarinet on the bridge of the Sara...

A small collection of artifacts in a corridor within the Saratoga's island...

Jen with a US Navy teacup...

This would look ever so nice on my mantlepiece!!!

The island superstructure is riddled with interesting corridors and rooms, each containing a myriad surprises...

Speaking tubes in the Air Controller's Ready Room...

The helm and the compass binnacle on the Saratoga's bridge...

The Saratoga's helm... not quite what you might expect on a ship!

Sara's compass binnacle minus the compass...

A collection of artifacts including the ship's chronometer on the bridge of Saratoga...

Running and navigation lights switch panel within the bridge...

Bridge viewing embrasure closed up to battle stations...

Saratoga used a real bugle piped through the ship's Tannoy for signalling...

Martin with the Saratoga signaller's bugle...

The bridge observation embrasure closed up for battle viewed from outside the island...

Quad Bofors AA guns...

The imposing bow of the Saratoga...

The bow hawse hole for passing the Saratoga's mooring lines out...

Bob drops down onto a Helldiver blown off Saratoga's flightdeck by the A-bomb blast...

The Helldiver lies upside down on the lagoon bottom at 51 meters...

Two live 500lb bombs in the Helldiver's belly...

Grumman Avenger on the seabed at 51 meters...

The Avenger's drop tank...

Yoshio in hot pursuit of a Spotted Eagle Ray past the bridge island on the USS Saratoga...