USS Sable (IX-81)
Encyclopedia
USS Sable (IX-81) was a training ship of the United States Navy
during World War II
. Originally built as the Greater Buffalo, a sidewheel excursion steamer
, she was converted in 1942 to a freshwater
aircraft carrier
to be used on the Great Lakes
. She was used for advanced training for naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. One aviator that trained upon the Sable was future president George H. W. Bush
.
Following World War II, Sable was decommissioned
on 7 November 1945. She was sold for scrapping
on 7 July 1948 to the H.H. Buncher Company.
of Lorain, Ohio as a sidewheel excursion steamer
designed by marine architect Frank E. Kirby
. When completed, Greater Buffalo was 518.7 ft (158.1 m) in length, a beam of 58 ft (17.7 m), height of 21.3 ft (6.5 m) and had a 7739 LT (7,863.2 t). She was powered by a three-cylinder inclined compound steam engine.
to Detroit
for the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
. She was acquired for Navy use on 7 August 1942 by the War Shipping Administration
and renamed Sable on 19 September 1942.
of the ship were removed leaving the main deck. Along with additional supports, a steel flight deck
was installed instead of the originally planned Douglas-fir
wooden deck similar to what was installed on . Sable lacked a hangar
deck, elevator
s or armament, as her role was for the training of pilots for carrier take-offs and landings. Sable was commissioned on 8 May 1943, Captain William A. Schoech with in command.
Chicago, Illinois on 26 May 1943. Sable along with her sister ship, Wolverine, were assigned to the 9th Naval District Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) and qualified pilots for carrier operations. Sables steel deck was used for testing non-skid material on the flight deck as well as her normal duties. Following the end of World War II, Sable was decommissioned on 7 November 1945 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 28 November 1945. She was sold by the Maritime Commission to H. H. Buncher Company on 7 July 1948 and was reported as "disposed of" on 27 July 1948.
, future President George H. W. Bush
. Of the estimated 135-300 aircraft lost during training, 35 have been salvaged and the search for more is underway.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Originally built as the Greater Buffalo, a sidewheel excursion steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
, she was converted in 1942 to a freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
to be used on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. She was used for advanced training for naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. One aviator that trained upon the Sable was future president George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
.
Following World War II, Sable was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
on 7 November 1945. She was sold for scrapping
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
on 7 July 1948 to the H.H. Buncher Company.
Construction
Formerly named Greater Buffalo, Sable was originally built in 1924 by the American Ship Building CompanyAmerican Ship Building Company
The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. It started as Cleveland Shipbuilding in Cleveland, Ohio in 1888 and opened the yard in Lorain, Ohio in 1898...
of Lorain, Ohio as a sidewheel excursion steamer
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
designed by marine architect Frank E. Kirby
Frank E. Kirby
Frank E. Kirby was a naval architect in the Detroit area in the early 20th century. Kirby was best known for his five huge Lake Erie night boats....
. When completed, Greater Buffalo was 518.7 ft (158.1 m) in length, a beam of 58 ft (17.7 m), height of 21.3 ft (6.5 m) and had a 7739 LT (7,863.2 t). She was powered by a three-cylinder inclined compound steam engine.
History
From 1924-1942, Greater Buffalo was used as an overnight service boat transporting up to 1,500 passengers from BuffaloBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
to Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
for the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company, often abbrievated as D&C, was a shipping company on the Great Lakes.- Operations :The main route was between Detroit, Michigan, and Cleveland, Ohio. Routes also lead to Buffalo, New York with the purchase of the Detroit and Buffalo Steamship Company in...
. She was acquired for Navy use on 7 August 1942 by the War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
and renamed Sable on 19 September 1942.
Refit
Sable was converted at the Erie Plant of American Shipbuilding Company at Buffalo, New York. The cabins and superstructureSuperstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships...
of the ship were removed leaving the main deck. Along with additional supports, a steel flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
was installed instead of the originally planned Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
wooden deck similar to what was installed on . Sable lacked a hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
deck, elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s or armament, as her role was for the training of pilots for carrier take-offs and landings. Sable was commissioned on 8 May 1943, Captain William A. Schoech with in command.
Training duty
The completed Sable departed Buffalo on 22 May 1943 and arrived at her assigned homeport ofChicago, Illinois on 26 May 1943. Sable along with her sister ship, Wolverine, were assigned to the 9th Naval District Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU) and qualified pilots for carrier operations. Sables steel deck was used for testing non-skid material on the flight deck as well as her normal duties. Following the end of World War II, Sable was decommissioned on 7 November 1945 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 28 November 1945. She was sold by the Maritime Commission to H. H. Buncher Company on 7 July 1948 and was reported as "disposed of" on 27 July 1948.
Legacy
Together, Sable and Wolverine trained 17,820 pilots in 116,000 carrier landings. Of these, 51,000 landings were on Sable alone. One of the pilots qualified on Sable was a 20-year-old Lieutenant, junior gradeLieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
, future President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. Of the estimated 135-300 aircraft lost during training, 35 have been salvaged and the search for more is underway.