John S Smith

Artist: John S Smith
Medium: Gouache on Board
Size: 22" x 15" (560mm x 380mm)
Date: 1981
Signature: Signed by Artist
Description: The Flying Sailors: (Main pic) USS Nimitz; (inset) the Russian carriers Moskva and Kiev (top) and USS Tripoli (bottom). Original artwork from Look and Learn no. 1026 (7 November 1981).
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier in the United States Navy, the lead ship of its class. She is one of the largest warships in the world. She was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68, but was redesignated CVN-68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of the fleet realignment of that year.
The ship was named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the Pacific fleet in World War II and was the Navy’s last five-star admiral. Unlike all subsequent Nimitz class carriers, Nimitz only uses its namesake's surname. Nimitz has been homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 1987 until her nuclear reactor refueling in 1998 in Newport News, Virginia, and is currently homeported at NAS North Island.