Paddlewheel aircraft carrier

[george britnell]

I was just perusing the FineScale Modeler site and they have a
special issue this month. One of the articles is about a large
paddlewheel aircraft carrier. For those of you that don't subscribe
to this publication you might like to pick one up at your local hobby
store and see what this article is all about. For those of you that
do subscribe maybe you could let us know what it's about.
George D. Britnell (Suter)

[B Worden]

Two large Great Lakes sidewheel steamers were converted to training
aircraft carriers during World War II, serving on Lake Michigan.
The first to be converted was Greater Buffalo, built in 1924 and one
of the two largest paddlers ever built at 535 feet and 12,000
horsepower. Her top hamper was torn off, a flight deck built, and
she was rneamed U.S.S. Sable. About a year later, the slightly
smaller Seeandbee was requisitioned and converted likewise, being
renamed U.S.S. Wolverine. The elder George Bush trained as a Navy
pilot on one of them. After the war, the passenger trade was not
strong enough to justify reconstruction, and both were scrapped.