The 118 photographs have been arranged in 14 broad categories

The scout planes were constantly being launched, sometimes as bombardment spotters, sometimes on anti-submarine patrol, and sometimes to rescue downed carrier airman. Air crews on these float planes generally hated these launchings. The acceleration of the plane, blasted down the tracks by an explosion of gunpowder, sometimes caused the crew to blackout or lose consciousness. Recovering these planes was a little easier, the Indiana would steer a tight, partial circle (about 90 degrees), smoking float flares were thrown over to mark wind direction, and the Indiana's forward inertia would leave a "lake" of fairly smooth water for a few hundred feet behind for the plane to land on. The plane then taxied to a net, "sea sled", the recess on the bottom of the float hooked onto the sled, and the sled and plane was pulled toward the ship's aft crane. The hook of the ships aft crane was attached to the plane by the planes crew and the plane with crew was lifted and placed back on the catapult.

Getting Ready, Taken USS Indiana, 1945.







Take off, Taken USS Indiana 1945





Landing, Taken USS Indiana 1945





Catching the hook, Taken USS Indiana 1945






Hoisting in, Taken USS Indiana 1945






Changing the prop, Taken USS Indiana 1945

Last Updated 05 March 2002

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