With a notable lack of fuss, the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. last week launched Hull No. 439. To the U.S. Navy, Hull No. 439 was the aircraft carrier Midway, biggest warship in the world.
In its sleek, V-shaped hull, the 45,000-ton Midway has enough electric power to light up a city of 1,000,000, enough steel for 25,000 autos. It is wider and almost half again as heavy as the Essex class carriers, now the first line craft of the U.S. fleets. But the tin-hatted, horn-handed men who built the Midway are accustomed to superlatives. They have long bragged...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
