| Original caption: “Aerial of USS Yorktown (CV-10), the Fighting Lady.” The 4th United States Navy warship named Yorktown (CV-10) was laid down on December 1, 1941, at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company as Bon Homme Richard; renamed Yorktown on September 26, 1942; launched on January 26, 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962); and commissioned on April 15, 1943, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, Captain Joseph J. (“Jocko”) Clark (November 12, 1893 – July 13, 1971) in command. Yorktown remained in the Norfolk area until May 21, 1943, at which time she got underway for shakedown training in the vicinity of Trinidad. She returned to Norfolk on June 17 and began post-shakedown availability. The aircraft carrier completed repairs on July 1 and began air operations out of Norfolk until July 6. The next day she exited Chesapeake Bay on her way to the Pacific Ocean. She transited the Panama Canal on July 11 and departed Balboa, Panama the next day. The warship arrived in Pearl Harbor on July 24 and began a month of exercises in the Hawaiian Islands. On August 22, she stood out of Pearl Harbor, bound for her 1st combat of the war. Photo by Lieutenant Charles E. Kerlee (March 28, 1907 – January 23, 1981), United States Naval Reserve. Kerlee was already well-known as a professional, award-winning commercial photographer. As such, he was approached by a United States Navy Reservist, Lieutenant Commander Edward Steichen (March 27, 1879 – March 25, 1973), himself a famous commercial photographer from New York. Steichen had a simple proposal — that Kerlee consider joining the United States Navy, not as a sailor or soldier, but as a cameraman. The top brass within the United States Navy, realizing that Steichen’s talents could help foster public support, had tasked him to assemble into a special naval unit the world’s best photographers and videographers to document the war effort. Steichen, in turn, called on his circle of friends, associates, and competitors, including Kerlee. Within a few months, Charles Kerlee found himself on board the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) and headed out to sea and into battle. His camera remained at work until the last days of the war, when he documented the flight crews and actions of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-12) in the South China Sea, not far from the coast of Japan. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1644.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.81 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2224 x 2906 |
| Photographer | Charles E. Kerlee |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | May 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Hampton Roads |
| State or Province | Virginia |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-80-G-414666 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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