Site Refit

Refit notes prior to the first of the current year

2007

October:

• Note: August through October is the "busy season" at my day job, leaving little time or energy to work on the site.
• Ship Data Pages: Slight modification of the layout to provide better separation between event entries. Event dates color-coded.

September:

• Training Carriers: Added information about Glenview Naval Air Station.
• Site & Page Layout: Added additional information on section headers.
• The Battle off Samar: Moved some information from the Other Ships - Destroyers and Other Ships - Destroyer Escorts pages to this page.
• CSS: Modified the font specification to eliminate requirement for fixed-height font. Font will now display at the user's default size. My default is 13 point Arial.

29 August:

• All pages: Added several blog links to the left-column menu.
• Home page and Complete Site Map & Menu: Reworked the Legal Stuff section.
• The Real World has intruded on my time recently, causing delays in updating the site. The following changes were actually all accomplished in July.
• Carrier Timeline: Split out this section into separate pages for each time period.
• Origin of Carrier Names: Completed.
• Site (general): Updated all "boilerplate" (incomplete) pages to current structural and graphical standards.
• Site (general): Changed most background images from line art to photographs.

27 June:

• Site (general): I'm posting an incomplete update because Chaotic Synaptic Activity was kind enough to put up a reference to the site. Some of the CSS calls have not yet been updated/corrected, so some pages may look a bit odd...
• Site (general): Renamed many files to shorten the filenames and to group similar files together in my directory listing.
• Site Menus: Reworked both the sidebar navigation menu and the Site Table of Contents slightly.
• CSS:
  • Eliminated some redundant or unused specifications.
  • Renamed some specifications for consistency.
• All pages: Text links are now bold black text.
• Various pages: Reformatted some lists/menus slightly to create visually distinct buttons. Eliminated buttons from some menus; these are now simply boldface lists.
• Home Page: Moved the list of previous versions of the site to the Site Refit - Older Notes page.
• Battle of the Atlantic: Updated page, added charts for typical task unit and sinking summary.
• List of Ships: Destroyers: Added entry for DD-255 USS Osmond Ingram.
• List of Ships: Destroyer Escorts: Corrected entry for DE-62 USS George W. Ingram.
• Origin of Carrier Names:
  • Base page:
    • Removed graphics from names.
    • Reformatted from four- to five-column layout.
  • List pages:
    • Added links to the appropriate ship/class page or Other Ships entry.
    • Moved additional information (mostly links) for non-carrier ships to the Other Ships section. Eliminated links from carrier entries; these will appear on the individual class/ship pages.
    • Eliminated redundant links for carriers and amphibious assault ships (those links appear on the individual ship pages).
    • Pages K through O effectively completed.
    • Changed many remaining links to the standard button-bar type.

5 April - 2 May:

• The usual clean-up, correction of errors, standardisation, etc.
• New format for these refit entries. Each entry will begin with a link to the page involved, followed by a description of the changes made.
• Main Menu (left column): Reconfigured slightly so that each item is on a visually-distinct button.
• Carriers in the Space Age: Added links to carrier pages; added mission recovery summary chart.
• About the Site: Split this page into separate sections for site concept, standard usages, site & page format, graphics and technology.
• Carrier Timeline: Added internal menu, allowing the user to jump to a selected decade.
• Web references: Reformatted the page, grouping the websites by general subject/type; added several links.
• Video references: Added and expanded many entries; added icon to indicate reference items that I own copies of; added links to Internet Movie Data Base; split the file into an index page and separate pages for documentaries and feature films.
• Print references: Added icons to indicate source of items listed; added several new references:
  • War in the Pacific, a two-volume set by Jerome T. Hagen
  • Guadalcanal, by Edwin P. Hoyt
  • Kamikaze: Japan's Suicide Samurai by Raymond Lamont-Brown
  • Clash of the Carriers by Barrett Tillman
• Print references, author subpages: Added submenus with direct links to all author pages.
• Carrier Names: Reformatted the page slightly.
• Carrier Names, name subpages: Added submenus with direct links to all carrier names pages.
• Table of Contents: Reformatted this page again, back to a (modified) vertical format, to emphasize the heirarchal layout of the site; moved page descriptions from table cells to TITLE attributes.

21 March - 4 April:

• Darkened some of the gradient bars (gray, brown & red).
• Reformatted the main Print References page.
• Reformatted the main Carrier Names page.
• Completed Carrier Names pages I & J
• Added homeport locations to all completed Carrier Names pages

21 March:

• Completed the Other Ships - General Specifications pages
• Reformatted the Other Ships - General Specifications pages
• Added specifications for the Cimarron-class fleet oilers

7 March:

• Added information on British escort carrier losses to the Escort Carriers page.
• Removed many DIV elements and replaced them with non-deprecated HTML elements; I had a bad case of DIV-itis for a while...
• Moved change notes prior to the first of the year to another page.
• Reformatted the site Table of Contents to horizontal rather than vertical orientation.

23 February:

• Replaced the IFRAMES for the page header and the background-image information (on some pages) with replaceable tags that XChange can use to insert the HTML code for these sections. Also inserted a replace-tag for the menu column IFRAME statement. Eliminating the excess code in the page makes editing a bit easier; the pre-processing needed to replace the various tags is a trivial matter.

21 February:

• Broke out the Origins of Carrier Names page into separate pages for each letter. The file was much too large to remain as a single page.
• Broke out the Other Ships specifications page into separate pages for each general type of ship - battleships, cruisers, destroyers, etc. Another file that had grown much too large.
• Reconfigured the Print References page to conform to the style of similiar pages on the site.
• Added section submenus to all Reference pages.
• Reformatted several other pages and submenus to standard formats.
• Added links to the "breadcrumbs" lines at the top of most pages, and made the breadcrumbs "inline" rather than "block" to save space on the page.

1 February:

• Simplified and overhauled the design of the page and section headers. (At one point; I had nine different specifications in the CSS!)
• Continuing to simplify and clean up the CSS.
• Stripped some un-necessary items from the page menu and added explanatory notes to many buttons (which will appear as pop-up "Tool Tips").
• Revised and expanded the Complete Site Map & Menu into a proper table of contents
• Eliminated a couple of redundant pages.
• Removed the link icon () from the site. It was a bit intrusive and used filespace better devoted to information.

24 January:

• Finished the submarine specifications on the General Specifications page.

21 January:

• Finished all basic specifications on the General Specifications page for destroyers and destroyer escorts.
• Added backlinks between the General Specifications page and the various Other Ships pages.

15 January:

• Finished the basic cruiser specifications on the General Specifications page.

14 January:

• Corrected some ship class name and type errors on several pages.
• Corrected some spelling and grammar errors on several pages.
• Renamed the "Specifications of Other Ships" page to General Specifications and added data for Battleships & Battlecruisers and some Cruisers (Light & Heavy).
• Changed all ship name and class links to italic black. From now on, all ship and class names in the text (i.e. "USS Langley", "Lexington-class") will be links to additional information. They will turn gold-on-black when selected (if it doesn't change color, I forgot to put the link in). Button-bars remain unchanged. (NOTE: links are temporarily in boldface while I track down all names and install the links.)

11 January:

• I got it. I got it! I GOT IT!!! *ahem* Well, I don't have it yet, but it's on order. Thanks to a most generous holiday bonus from my boss, I've been able to order Samuel Eliot Morison's 15-volume series "History of United States Naval Operations in World War II" from the University of Illinois Press. This is a must-have reference for any student of U. S. Navy activity during World War II.
  (Update: The books arrived on 30 January...)

8-11 January:

• Added "current status of page" markers to the Full Page Site Map & Menu.
• Modified the link colors slightly and removed the boldface to make links in the text less obtrusive.
• Updated and added cross-reference links throughout the site.
• Created the Specifications of Other Ships page and moved the ship specifications tables from other pages to there. This is still in work at this time.

7 January:

• Added Wikipedia links to the Other Ships pages.
• Added more data and links to the Origins of Carrier Names page (through letter "H").
• Added the Slow Carrier Task Group page.
• Reformatted the Battle off Samar page to match other pages with fleet composition lists.
• Reformatted the List of all U.S.-built Carriers page and the submenus on the various "Era" pages to match the format of the Full Page Site Map & Menu page.
• Made some minor modifications to the section header and bar-button designs.

2006

31 December:

• Made some minor changes to the color choices throughout the site.
• Updated and added cross-reference links throughout the site.
• Reformatted the Other Ships, Carrier Timeline and Origins of Carrier Names pages to make cross-reference linking easier, and to smooth out scrolling in the browser.
• Added considerable data and links to the Origins of Carrier Names page.
• Added information regarding ship designations and prefixes to the Site Information page.

23 December:

• Made some more minor changes throughout the site, cleaned up the CSS a bit.

9 December:

• Rebuilt the About The Carrier Project page, adding considerable new information about the development of the site
• Replaced the awful green colors that had been used on the Marines pages with camouflage patterns
• Made some minor formatting changes throughout the site
• Updating will be sporadic for a while. I work in a retail stockroom/warehouse, and this is the busy season. By the time I get home, all I want to do is curl up and sleep.

23 November:

• Still fiddling with the link colors
• Updated many offsite links
• Added many cross-reference links
• Converted the Other Ships pages to the button-bar link style

19 November:

• Basic data for the following ships has been added, and cross-reference pages updated:
  • CV-9 USS Essex
• Basic data for the following aircraft has been added:
  • Grumman C-2 Greyhound (1966)

18 November:

• Reformatted the Carrier List page to bring it into line with the new link/button design
• Explanation of color codes:
  • Early era, color-coded BROWN: The color symbolises the sand that marks the transition between the land and the sea. The early carriers were the transition between the gun-line Navy and the Aviation Navy.
  • World War II, color-coded RED: Red symbolises danger; there is nothing more dangerous than a war.
  • The Jet Age, color-coded coded CYAN: The new jet engines gave the naval aviator greater speed, range and altitude. The color symbolises the sky that was their new home.
  • Nuclear power/modern era, color-coded PURPLE: Radiation warning signs are usually purple (and yellow, but yellow doesn't show well on a monitor).
  • Marines, color-coded GREEN: Green aircraft, green trucks, green uniforms; the military loves the color for combat troops.
• Overhauled the CSS control file and the sidebar menu file; removed a ton of redundant code

15 November:

• Did a bit of "tweaking" on the presentation
• Broke out the Aircraft Operated from U. S. Aircraft Carriers page to a number of sub-pages, color-coded to match the aircraft carrier eras:
  • Early Aircraft: 1921-1941 (coded brown)
  • World War II: 1941-1945 (coded red)
  • Jet Age: 1945-1961 (coded cyan)
  • Modern Aircraft: 1961-Present (coded purple)
  • Helicopters (coded green)
• Input basic aircraft data, based on the Wikipedia entry on U.S. Naval Aircraft:
  • Boeing/British AeroSpace AV-8B Harrier II (1985)
• A local windstorm keeps making the power blink on and off; I'm stopping here for today.

12 November:

• Beginning to build the Aircraft Operated from U. S. Aircraft Carriers page.

6 November:

• Correcting errors, housekeeping, fine-tuning the colors (ha!)
• Reworked the default colors of the links:
  • Available links
  • Selected links
  • Visited links
• Recolored the menu bars to switch the leading block between available links and selected links, in line with the default link colors
• Added a link button and code for those who want to use it link to The Carrier Project

1 November:

• Checked and updated all broken links on all pages
• Reworked the presentation on the Battle off Samar page
• Added information on the Xenu link checker on the Site Information page

29 October:

• Updated broken links on the Carriers in the Space Age page
• Added references and sources to the Battle of the Atlantic page

28 October:

• Still adjusting the colors ("Hey, Martha! Turn the antenna a little to the right! No, your other right!")

25 October:

• Rewrite of the Fast Carrier Task Group page, adding considerable additional information
• Adjustments to the color scheme

18 October:

• A sharp-eyed reader noted an historical inconsistency on the Training Carriers page; this has been corrected.

11 October:

• Cleanup of CSS, including elimination of redundant specifications and moving some options up in the heirarchy

8 October:

• Reworked the default background colors
• Basic data for the Essex-class fleet carriers has been posted

27 September:

• Basic data for the following ship has been posted: CV-7 USS Wasp

20 September:

• Began filling in the Carrier Timeline page.

10 September:

• Added several books to the Print References page.

4 September:

• Added Glossary page
• Added links to Other Ships pages on all existing pages.

27 August:

• Basic data for the following ship has been posted: Yorktown-class fleet carrier CV-8 USS Hornet
• Added "Disposition" column to the Comparison of Carrier Classes page
• Added basic page and references for Wasp-class amphibious assault ship LHD-8 USS Makin Island, currently under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi.

14 August:

• Updated Order of Battle information for the Battle off Samar.

13 August:

• Added basic page and references for Nimitz-class supercarrier CVN-77 USS George H. W. Bush, currently under construction at Newport News.
• Updated "Other Ships" pages with links to the U. S. Naval Historical Center On-Line Library of Selected Images.
• Expanded the full site map & menu page, and added a link in the regular menu. This page was formerly only accessible as a default if the IFRAME menu did not load.

9 August:

• Basic data for the following ship has been posted: Yorktown-class fleet carrier CV-6 USS Enterprise
• Removed all "Links open in new browser window" references, as well as the code that caused new windows to open. From now on, the user has the option to open a new window, new tab, or let the link open in the current browser window. Links to offsite URLs will usually be indicated by the link icon ()

12 July:

• No updates for the last ten days; I threw out my back moving furniture on Independence Day . Sitting at the computer doing research and writing HTML has not been high on my list of Fun Things to Do.

2 July:

• Cleaned up the CSS considerably, removing duplicate lines, condensing, renaming...
• Moved some style codes (CSS) to individual files
• Renamed some graphics files to be more descriptive
• "Tweaked" the color scheme a bit

23 June:

• Added menu column link to Michael Yon's Online Magazine

21 June:

• Basic data for the following ships has been posted:
  • Yorktown-class fleet carriers
    • CV-5 USS Yorktown

14 June:

• Added links on this page to the pages that have been completed
• Performed some "housekeeping" on ship designations and page headers
• Basic data for the following ships has been posted:
  • CV-4 USS Ranger

11 June:

• I am experimenting a bit with page headers and FOOTERs. I invite comments from readers; please look at the test page of CV-9 USS Essex
  (Update - 29 October 2006) This page has been deleted; I decided to go a different route
• Basic data for the following ships has been posted:
  • CV-1 USS Langley
  • Lexington-class carriers
    • CV-2 USS Lexington
    • CV-3 USS Saratoga

29 May:

• Other Ships pages brought up to date. Additional information will be added as it turns up during the rest of the refit.

28 May:

• I have been informed by Grande Communications that Server-Side Includes will not be enabled for personal webspace; only those who subscribe to web hosting have access. While considering alternatives to SSI, I discovered the IFRAME element. This appears to perform a function very similar to SSI; I'm still experimenting. I have, however, implemented IFRAME for:
  • The banner header on each page
  • The menu on each page
  • The background image block at the bottom of the menu column on most pages

24 May:

• Add Refit Status page (this page)

21 May:

• Page header redesigned to add color title photo (home page only) and thumbnails of CVE and amphib
• Beginning rework of Other Ships pages

19 May:

• Origins of Carrier Names page completed. Additional information, such as lists of previous ships bearing the names, will be added as needed.

17 May:

• Menus updated and locked
• Retained pages checked & corrected as necessary
  • The Battle off Samar
  • Technical Comparison of Carrier Classes
  • Carriers in the Space Age
  • Carriers Never Built
  • Lists of all carriers - with links; textfile, by era; textfile, by type
  • Battle of the Atlantic
• Reference pages checked & corrected

10 May:

• Basic layout completed and locked
  • Color scheme designed
  • Menus redesigned
  • Page format designed
  • Filenames reworked
  • Directory structure reworked
  • Primary links verified
• Pages replaced with boilerplate outlines

Previous Versions

29 May 2006, hosted by Grande
1 December 2005, hosted by Grande

V 3.x (9 October 2005): First implementation of Cascading Style Sheets

July 2005: The Carrier Project is now being hosted on GrandeCom.Net

7 Feb 2005, hosted by TexasNet

V 3.5 (Feb 2005): Expanded frames version (unpublished)

V 3.0 (Oct 2004): First experiments with frames (unpublished)

20 Feb 2004, hosted by TexasNet
4 Feb 2003, hosted by TexasNet

V 2.0 (2003): Begin adding color and images, revamp file structure

12 Aug 2002, hosted by FlashNet
5 Feb 2002, hosted by TexasNet
10 Apr 2001, hosted by TexasNet
10 Feb 2001, hosted by FlashNet

V 1.0 (Mar 2001): First draft

26 Feb 2000, hosted by FlashNet

Dated archives courtesy of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine

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About The Carrier Project
General Site Organization	Page Layout	Technology
Site Conventions	General Information	The Site Refit
Images	Ship Class Data	The Site Refit (Older Notes)
Glossary: Words and Abbreviations	Individual Ship Data	List of Page Dedications

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