Big E Brought Nuclear-Powered Ships into Combat Operations

摘要

A half century ago, the nuclear aircraft carrier Enterprise, commanded by CAPT James L. Hollo-way Ⅲ, arrived off South Vietnam at a location in the Gulf of Tonkin designated as Dixie Station to join the fight against Communist aggression in Southeast Asia. On the flight deck, and down below in its hangar, were the aircraft of Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), a mixture of combat aircraft embarked to take advantage of the additional capacity the nuclear-powered flat-top provided. By not having to maintain fuel bunkers for conventional oil-fired boilers, Enterprise had a 90 percent greater aviation fuel capacity and a 50 percent larger ordnance capacity than its conventionally powered sister super carriers.