This is in fact pretty
awesome. During WWII, the Navy commissioned two passenger steamers and turned
them into fresh-water aircraft carriers: the USS Wolverine and USS Sable.
These ships were used exclusively in the Great Lakes for training Navy pilots. Their flight decks were
somewhat shorter than a regular aircraft carrier, so the Navy figured that if
the pilots could take off and land from them, real carriers would be easy!
Another advantage to
training over Lake Michigan was that recovery operations were much easier in
the relatively shallow water, and if a pilot did end up in the drink, he was
unlikely to get eaten by sharks.
Between 1942 and 1945, as
many as 35,000 pilots trained and qualified over Lake Michigan , flying between the Naval Air Station in Glenview and Wolverine and Sable. In fact, the majority of
carrier qualifications during World War II occurred over Lake Michigan . Pilots trained on these carriers played a
critical role in helping American forces win the Battle of Midway. Navy pilot
George HW Bush trained aboard the Sable.
During this time there
were over 200 accidents and as many as 128 losses. Eight pilots were killed. Six
of the crashed aircraft were recovered during the war.
Every so often one of
these old planes gets pulled out of the lake and restored. Because the water of
Lake Michigan is cold and fresh, they are very well preserved. Aircraft
have been found with tires inflated, parachutes preserved, leather seats
maintained, and engine crankcases full of oil. The paint on the fuselage is often
still bright, allowing for easier identification.
On April 24, 2009 an SBD Dauntless dive bomber, similar to
the one on display at Midway Airport, was salvaged from 315 feet of water about
27 miles out from Waukegan. On November 8, 2010 an F4U-1 "Birdcage Corsair" fighter was retrieved from about
250 feet of water approximately 33 miles out, and the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat at O’Hare airport was recovered from the lake, as well.
So! The next time you are out enjoying that Great Lake we keep so handy,
imagine that old airplane graveyard, and think about the part it played in winning World War II!
