Munitions Elevator

This is a munitions/weapons elevator. Personnel in red shirts and helmets, consistent with ordnance handling crew ("red shirts" on carriers), are placing a bomb or aerial ordnance being transported on a platform.

These elevators transported bombs, missiles, and other munitions from the ship's magazines (deep inside the ship for protection) to the flight deck, where they were loaded onto aircraft. The secure, vertical configuration allowed rapid and safe ordnance movement in combat operations.

Munitions elevators were typically powered by hydraulic or electric motors and designed with redundancy to ensure operation even under combat damage. Speed and reliability were critical for rapid sortie generation during intense flight operations.

Strict Safety Protocols: Handling live ordnance on elevators required tight procedural control. Only trained ordnance crews ("red shirts") were allowed near the elevators during operations. Safety interlocks, secure hoists, and blast-proof compartmentalization were built to minimize risks from accidental detonation.