USS Charger anchored in Hampton Roads, 1944. The island was built out over the side of the ship, to entirely clear the flight deck, and was not supported by the hull or the hangar side, thus requiring dedicated supports (one of them clearly visible under the island structure). Charger was armed with a single 5"/51 gun, aft, and two single 3"/50s forward (visible here); a light battery of .50-cal machine guns was initially planned, but, as shown, 20-mm machine cannon were mounted instead.
The "X" superimposed on the ship's hull number, aft, indicated that the flight deck was not usable for landings.
