Preface
When you look at the progress of US Navy aircraft carrier design over the past eighty years, the development is nothing short of amazing. Allied to the development of the vessels themselves are the aircraft that flew from them. The first US Navy carrier was a converted collier that would become the USS Langley, featuring a flight deck of 524 feet. Within five years the next carriers were beginning to show a consistent trait: that of larger hulls and flight decks that were capable of operating a reasonable number of aircraft. After the Lexingtons, built on the hulls of cancelled battlecruisers, came the Yorktowns, of a similar size but built as carriers from the outset. By 1941 the service achieved consistency in carrier design when the Essex class was commissioned. Eventually a total of twenty-four ships would enter the Navy List and would serve through the Pacific campaign, the Korean war and on to the Vietnam war.
While the Essex class as built had a flight deck of 860 feet, it would come as no surprise to find that the Midways were even longer, at 932 feet, in order to cater for any increase in aircraft size and capability. Just after the end of the Second World War, the plan to build carriers of an even greater size were derailed slightly when the USAF opposed their construction. These vessels would have been the United States class, and their cancellation caused a rift between the Navy and Air Force. The latter was determined to be the service to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons, and it managed to gain the funding for the Convair B-36s to carry them, even though the Navy managed to prove eventually that the carrier was a more flexible and viable platform.
Although the United States class had been cancelled, the design work that had gone into it would have a profound effect on the ships that followed. The first to benefit would be the Forrestal class, whose flight deck had grown to over 1,000 feet. The extra length plus an angled deck and deck extensions meant that this new breed of carrier could operate more than eighty modern aircraft. It would be the launch of the USS Enterprise in 1960 that would introduce another new and important feature to the carrier fleet–that of nuclear power. From that point on the US Navy would invest in nuclear-powered carriers only, with their conventional cousins going out of service throughout the 1990s. Over the next few years the US Navy will be introducing carriers that border on science fiction in their use of technology.
It should also be remembered that the US Navy would invest in the smaller escort, or jeep, carriers as there was a desperate need for flight decks to support the war in the Pacific. The quickest way to produce such a vessel was to take a standard merchant hull and add aviation capabilities. The resultant ships were gainfully employed in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, although they were quickly disposed of at the end of the Second World War, except for a handful that remained in service as transports.
Matching the progress of carrier development was that of the aircraft that operated from them. Like the rest of the world’s navies that operated aircraft carriers, the initial aircraft types operated were biplanes, although the monoplane was just starting to appear. When the United States entered the war after Pearl Harbor, the manufacturers rose to the occasion by providing a range of fighters and attack aircraft that were big, powerful, well armed and capable of delivering and taking great punishment. At the pinnacle of this effort was the Grumman Corporation, which would create most of the carriers’ fighters, the line ending with the F-14 Tomcat. The current fighter attack aircraft is the Boeing Super Hornet, although this will soon be joined by the Lockheed Martin F-35C.
Given the history of the US Navy aircraft carriers, it should come as no surprise to find that this book is very much a primer for the history of this service. Even so, it could not have been assembled without the help of my good friend Dennis R. Jenkins, who assisted with the US Navy, the Library of Congress and the National Archive and Records Agency. I would also like to thank Rick Harding, Trevor Jones and John Ryan for their help in tracking down those elusive photographs.
CHAPTER ONE
On 25 November 1917 the four vessels of Battleship Division Nine, accompanied by the destroyer USS Manley as escort, departed from Lynnhaven Roads, Virginia, bound for the anchorage of the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. Regarded as an uneventful transit, it was complicated by storms that increased in ferocity as the voyage continued. After battling through the weather, Battleship Division Nine arrived at Scapa Flow on 7 December.
Having survived their introduction to the Atlantic, the four battleships were assigned to the Sixth Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet. While their role would be one of blockade, one thing did impinge itself thoroughly upon the US Navy officers, was the number of aircraft being carried aboard the ships of the Royal Navy. Not only were the battleships and battlecruisers complete with a range of aircraft, the fleet’s cruisers also carried aircraft, and even the destroyers were capable of launching aircraft, although these smaller vessels towed their aircraft for launching on lighters.
The irony is that the US Navy was the pioneer in launching aircraft from naval vessels. The first attempt was courtesy of Samuel P. Langley, whose model of the ‘Aerodrome’ was undertaking successful flight trials in 1896. Such was their success that the US Government would issue a contract in 1898 for a full-scale version of the ‘Aerodrome’. While Langley was building his aerial machine, the US Army and the Navy convened a joint board to study the future of flight in both services. Unfortunately for both, the Langley ‘Aerodrome’ failed its flight trials from the Potomac river at the end of 1903. It would be another five years before the US Navy took an interest in flying machines again. Two officers would be present when the Wright Model ‘A’ undertook its flight demonstrations at Fort Myer in September 1908. Other officers would observe flight demonstrations at home and abroad, and all would report enthusiastically upon the benefits to the US Navy of aircraft that could operate from ships. While the views within the US Navy concerning aviation were diverse, an important step was taken on 26 September 1910 when Captain W.I. Chambers was designated as the officer in charge of naval aviation, a position he would hold for the next three years. As for Langley, while his aircraft was a failure, he would be commemorated by the naming of Langley Field in Virginia to celebrate his efforts.
The pioneer of US naval aviation was Eugene Burton Ely. Between 22 and 30 October 1910 Captain Washington I. Chambers, who was responsible for aviation matters at the Navy Department, would travel to Belmont Park, New York, to inspect the participating aircraft and meet pioneer aviators at the International Air Meet. While discussing the prospects for taking aircraft to sea, he was impressed by the technical abilities of Eugene Ely, a test and demonstration pilot working with the aircraft constructor Glenn Curtiss. From New York the captain would visit another air show near Baltimore, Maryland, where again he saw Ely undertaking flight demonstrations. After discussions between the pilot and Captain Chambers concerning the possibility of flying an aircraft from a ship, Ely volunteered for the task.
It took less than two weeks to start the process with financial help from a wealthy aviation enthusiast, John Barry Ryan, official backing from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Beekman Winthrop, and the drive of Eugene Ely for Chambers to achieve the event that marked the beginning of flying by the US Navy. At the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, an 83 ft wooden platform was rapidly constructed over the foredeck of the cruiser USS Birmingham. Designed by the naval constructor William McEntree and paid for by John Barry Ryan, this structure sloped down five degrees from the cruiser’s bridge to the bow to provide a gravity-assisted 57 ft take-off run for the Curtiss pusher aeroplane supplied for the trials.
The aircraft was lifted aboard the cruiser on the morning of 14 November 1910, and after it had been secured to the deck the engine was installed by Ely and the accompanying mechanics as the ship prepared to leave port. Shortly before noon USS Birmingham steamed down the Elizabeth river toward Hampton Roads where the flight was to take place. However, the weather deteriorated rapidly, with squalls rolling by, thus threatening to put a stop to the trials. Unable to carry out the trials, the USS Birmingham anchored to await an improvement in conditions. By mid-afternoon, with conditions showing signs of improvement, the vessel began to raise the anchor chain. Eugene Ely was occupied in warming up the aircraft’s engine and checking its controls, waiting for the weather to clear. Noticing that visibility was again deteriorating, he concluded that the flight had to be made as soon as possible, even though the ship was still stationary. At 3.16 p.m. the pilot opened the engine throttle to full power, gave the release signal, rolled down the ramp and was airborne. Getting airborne was a bit of a struggle, as the Curtiss briefly touched the water, throwing up enough spray to damage its propeller, which caused heavy vibration through propeller imbalance as it climbed to height. Eugene Ely, a non-swimmer, realised that a quick landing on dry land was a priority, especially as his goggles were covered with spray. Fortunately Ely was able to land on nearby Willoughby Spit after some five minutes in the air. This two-and-a-half-mile flight, the first time an aircraft had taken off from a warship, was seen as something of a stunt, although it would receive wide publicity. After this flight Ely was made a lieutenant in the California National Guard to qualify for a $500 prize offered to the first reservist to make such a flight. On 18 January 1911, in San Francisco Bay, Eugene Ely would again operate from a ship, landing and taking off from the armoured cruiser USS Pennsylvania. During the landing the Curtiss pusher touched down on a platform on the Pennsylvania, which was anchored in San Francisco Bay, using the first-ever tail hook system to arrest the landing. This innovative item had been designed and built by circus performer and pioneer aviator Hugh Robinson.
A most important photograph, the Eugene B. Ely taking off from the cruiser USS Pennsylvania in January 1911.
(Library of Congress/ Dennis R. Jenkins)
Having successfully shown the US Navy that aviation from ships was possible, Ely contacted the US Navy for a job. However, the service was not organised for such a role yet, and he was informed that his application would be kept in mind. Unfortunately this would never happen, as on 19 October 1911 while flying at an exhibition in Macon, Georgia, his aircraft was late pulling out of a dive and crashed. Ely managed to jump clear of the wrecked aircraft, but his neck was broken and he died a few minutes later. In 1933, in recognition of his contribution to naval aviation, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross posthumously by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
On the day following Ely’s landing aboard the Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Theodore G. Ellyson began the flight training that would make him the first aviator in the US Navy. Ellyson had been ordered to the Curtiss aviation camp at North Island, San Diego, California, to undergo flight training. He would qualify for his Aero Club of America licence on 6 July 1911, using the Curtiss A-1 Triad, this being the first aircraft purchased by the Navy. He subsequently became Naval Aviator No. 1 on 4 March 1913. The Curtiss A-1 Triad was also utilised in the Navy’s first attempt to launch an aircraft using a compressed air catapult developed from a naval torpedo launcher, at Annapolis in 1912. The launching from a purpose-built deck failed due to a crosswind gust that blew the A-1 into the water. Also contributing to the launch failure was the inadequate restraining of the aircraft during engine run-up, so that the A-1 was airborne before the control surfaces became effective. A further attempt on 12 November was successful when a Curtiss A-3 piloted by Ellyson was launched at the Washington Navy Yard. The A-1, as the only naval aircraft at the time, would set numerous records, including flying from Annapolis, Maryland, to Milford Haven, Virginia, in 122 minutes, with Ellyson as pilot and Lieutenant John H. Towers as passenger. The A-1 would also be the first naval aircraft to carry a radio, although this was not very successful. More successful was the setting of a seaplane record of 900 feet on 21 June 1912.
That same year, the US Marine Corps entered the world of aviation, and from that time Marine aviation would develop in parallel with its naval counterpart. To celebrate this, Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham USMC reported to the aviation camp at Annapolis for duty in connection with aviation, arriving on 22 May 1912. He undertook his flight training at the Burgess aircraft factory in Marblehead, Massachusetts, being awarded his certificate as Naval Aviator No. 5.
Deployment of a small group of flyers, the entire aviation complement of the Navy, took place during January 1913, to cover fleet manoeuvres at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. These demonstrated the operational capabilities of the available aircraft and stimulated further interest in aviation within the Navy. The first test of naval aviation at sea revealed some deficiencies in existing aircraft when two aviation detachments took their aircraft to Veracruz in the spring of 1914 to bolster US forces during the Mexican crisis. During one reconnaissance flight Lieutenant P.N.L. Bellinger returned to base with holes from hostile bullets through the skin of his aircraft, this being the first combat damage received by a Navy aircraft.
The Glenn L. Curtiss Aircraft Company would be the first manufacturer to supply the US Navy with aircraft. This is one of the early hydroplanes.
(Library of Congress/ Dennis R. Jenkins)
When the Great War began in Europe in July 1914, naval aviators were sent there as observers to report on aviation developments from bases in London, Paris and Berlin. The importance of aviation in the future of the US Navy was officially recognised in November 1914 with the creation of a Director of Naval Aeronautics. This appointment was followed during 1915 and 1916 by advances in technology, experimentation and new administrative procedures, all of which pointed to an increased role for aviation in the US Navy. During this period of change the first contract was awarded for the provision of a lighter-than-air craft, while the Aeronautical Engine Laboratory was set up at the Washington Navy Yard. This was followed by a Naval Appropriations Act that provided for a Naval Flying Corps that would be reinforced by a Naval Reserve Flying Corps.
During the nineteen-month period that the Naval Flying Corps was involved in the Great War the service saw a rapid expansion in its size. In April 1917 the corps had fifty-four aircraft on strength, manned by forty-eight qualified and student pilots, all at one base. By the end of the war the Navy had twelve air bases in America, plus a further twenty-seven in Europe from which the Naval Flying Corps had attacked twenty-five U-boats, sinking or damaging at least half of them. Operating from these bases were 6,716 officers and 30,693 enlisted men, and attached to them were 282 officers and 2,180 enlisted men from the USMC. This manpower operated 2,107 aircraft and fifteen dirigibles.
As with all services, the Naval Flying Corps underwent serious contraction at the cessation of hostilities, although the Bureau of Aeronautics did pursue the development of emerging technologies with vigour, including both aircraft and their carriers. This was not without its problems, as the US Army was determined to be the only aerial operator in America. However, the Navy managed to outflank the Army as its mission requirements were always different from those of land-based air forces. Eventually a legal termination to the various wrangles was needed, and the MacArthur-Pratt agreement of January 1931 defined the naval air force as an element of the fleet that was designed to move with it and assist it in carrying out its primary task.
To promote the aerial side of the Navy, the Bureau of Aeronautics was formed in August 1921 to assume responsibility for all matters concerning aircraft, personnel and their usage. The BuAer became the aviation department of the Secretary of the Navy’s office, and would remain so until 1959. While the USN and the Marine Corps operated a similar range of aircraft, their aircraft needs were dealt with by the Director of Aviation at Headquarters, Marine Corps. During the period of inter-war contraction, the aircraft strength of the Navy fell to 1,000 machines in the 1920s, although it slowly climbed to 2,000 aircraft by 1938. Meanwhile rumblings of discord in Europe were becoming more perceptible, and there were signs of the Japanese thinking about spreading their influence over the whole of the Pacific, all of which was increasing global tension. The American answer to that was the Naval Expansion Act, which authorised the number of usable aircraft to increase to at least 3,000. This had risen to 4,500 by June 1940, although this was quickly added to by increases in the following months, which saw the level reaching 15,000 aircraft.
The third service with an interest in sea-going affairs was the US Coast Guard, this organisation being seen as an extension of the US Navy in periods of war. In more peaceful times, however, the USCG regarded the aircraft as a possible search and rescue tool, and in 1915 three Coast Guard officers based at Hampton Roads, Virginia, developed the concept of air patrols to search for disabled vessels along the Atlantic seaboard. To that end Captain R.M. Chiswell, commander of the Coast Guard cutter Onondaga, enlisted the support of two junior officers, Lieutenants Norman B. Hall and Elmer F. Stone, to test this theory. Their experiments with a Curtiss plane were so successful that the two junior officers obtained permission to pursue their interest in flying. Lieutenant Hall was assigned to the Curtiss plant at Hammondsport, New York, where he learned the art of aircraft construction. In contrast Lieutenant Stone was sent to the Naval Training School at Pensacola, Florida, in company with other Coast Guard personnel to undertake flight training. Lieutenant Hall would earn his Gold Navy Wings later, becoming Coast Guard Aviator No. 1.
Having provided the Navy with its first aircraft, the A-1, in 1911, Curtiss would follow this with the A-2, which was delivered to the Navy on 13 July 1911 configured as a land plane. The A-2 would be converted to seaplane configuration in mid-1912 by adding a superstructure to house the crew. In this form the aircraft set an endurance record of six hours and ten minutes on 6 October 1912. A further modification saw the installation of a retractable tricycle undercarriage, which saw the machine redesignated as the E-1. It was also known as the OWL (Over Water and Land), and for a short period the AX-1. Following the A-1 and the A-2 came the A-3 and the A-4, both being Curtiss pushers. The former would achieve a small degree of fame when, on 13 June 1913, it established an American altitude record of 6,200 feet. Soon after the A-3 and A-4 were delivered, the Navy changed the designation of its aircraft to reflect their usage, and so the Curtiss aircraft joined the AH series (Airplane Hydro), which reflected their role. Curtiss would continue to deliver further aircraft in this series, and the AH-8 to AH-13 models were delivered to the US Navy in varying quantities.
The Curtiss Company would supply a range of patrol flying-boats to the US Navy during the First World War. This is an H5L, some of which were supplied to Britain.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Having supplied flying-boats to the Navy, Curtiss would then supply the ubiquitous JN-4, or Jenny, to the American services.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Curtiss would continue to deliver flying-boats to the Navy, each model being more reliable and substantial than the last. The first was the Model F, which featured a proper fuselage with a planing hull, although it still retained its pusher engine. The company would deliver some of its tractor-engined aircraft to the Navy, all being from the JN series of biplanes. Better known as the Jenny, the JN series gave the US Navy its first taste of a series aircraft built to a fixed design, and this aircraft remained in service from 1916 to 1922. Curtiss continued to build flying-boats for the US Navy, and it was close to the war’s end in March 1918 that the service ordered its first wheeled fighter –the 18-T. Only two of these two-seat triplanes were ordered, but what they brought to the table was an advance in airframe construction to which was matched an engine specifically designed for its airframe. The 18-T managed to establish a world record of 163 mph on 19 August 1918, this being followed by the setting of an altitude record of 30,100 feet on 25 July 1919, which was increased to 34,610 feet on 19 November.
The Curtiss SBU Helldiver was designed as a dive-bomber for the Navy. This aircraft was on the strength of VS-3 aboard the USS Ranger when photographed.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Curtiss would continue to develop and deliver various biplane fighters and racing-type aircraft to the Navy for development purposes, and they were therefore well placed to manufacture the F6C Hawk series of aircraft when the contract was placed. The first batch consisted of nine airframes, of which seven were delivered without arrester gear, while the final pair, designated F6C2, were fitted with arrester hooks and strengthened undercarriage for trial operations by VF-2 from the USS Langley. Having got off to a good start with the F6C Hawk, Curtiss had high hopes for the F11C Goshawk series, of which twenty-eight were delivered. Unlike its earlier fighters, Curtiss added a fighter-bomber capability to this design, all loads being carried on an under-fuselage station. Deliveries of this new type began in February 1933 to VF-1B for operations from the carrier USS Saratoga, while a further batch of twenty-seven were delivered under the new designation of BF2C-1 to VB-5 for service aboard the USS Ranger. The use of this type by the US Navy was short lived, as the type suffered from insurmountable undercarriage problems. These aircraft were destined to be the last fighters delivered by Curtiss to the US Navy.
The company would reap greater benefits from its fighter-bomber types, the first being the F8C-4 Helldiver, twenty-five of which were delivered to VF-1B aboard the USS Saratoga during 1931. A further sixty-three were delivered as O2C-1, although they primarily served with the USMC. Curtiss would have a second bite at the Helldiver cherry with the SBC Helldiver. Originally intended as a monoplane, this would be the last combat biplane produced for the US Navy. The contract for the final version was issued in August 1936 and covered the delivery of eighty-three production machines. The first deliveries were made in July 1937, the recipient being VS-5. The initial batch was followed by 174 further machines, of which fifty were diverted to France. Deliveries of this modified version began in March 1939, although by this time the type was obsolescent. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941 the US Navy had 186 Helldiver biplanes in service, mainly with VB-8 and VS-8 aboard the carrier USS Hornet and with the USMC, although most had already been passed to second-line units.
Competing with Curtiss would be the Lewis and Vought Corporation, later the Chance Vought Corporation, who produced a range of successful aircraft that served with the US Navy throughout the Great War. The corporation’s first step towards producing carrier-compatible aircraft was the Vought O2U Corsair that was delivered to the Navy for use in the observation role. Designed as a two-seat aircraft, the Corsair featured a fuselage built round a steel-tube framework and the first examples of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp as its powerplant. The Navy began to accept the first of its 130 production machines in 1927, by which time it had been named the Corsair. So that the maximum use could be gained from the type it was capable of being fitted with floats, this allowing it to operate from battleships and large cruisers. The carrier complement was allocated to VS-1B aboard the USS Langley. After three years in front-line service these Corsairs were superseded by the improved O3U versions that served aboard the carriers USS Saratoga and Lexington, the operating units being VS-14M and VS-15M respectively–the only two USMC units to serve aboard aircraft carriers prior to the Second World War.
Boeing would be the third major manufacturer to enter the US Navy aircraft market, a sharp contrast to later years when the corporation would be better known for its strategic bombers and long-range airliners. Boeing’s initial contribution to the ranks of the Navy was the ‘C’ series, although these were not very successful due to the poor performance of the Hall-Scott engine, and many were disposed of after the war, still in their original packing crates. While the C series was not successful, the FB fighter was a far greater success. This was a biplane fighter that was ordered by the Navy in 1925, the initial contract calling for sixteen machines. While these were not equipped for carrier use, a pair of FB-2s, complete with strengthened fuselage and undercarriage, were ordered for trials purposes. These were followed by a production order of twenty-seven aircraft designated the FB-5. After initial company flight testing the aircraft were loaded aboard barges at Seattle and transferred by water to the carrier USS Langley, where they equipped VF-1B and VF-6B, while VF-3B would fly the type from the USS Saratoga. These initial aircraft were followed by the F2B and F3B, these being ordered in March 1927. Deliveries of the F2B-1 began in January 1928, the first recipients being VF-1B and VB-2B, both based aboard the USS Saratoga. Even as the F2Bs were being delivered to the Navy, the F3B was already in production, with deliveries beginning in 1928. A total of seventy-four were ordered, the first examples being accepted by VF-2B aboard the Langley, while VF-2B would accept its aircraft aboard the Saratoga. It would be the Lexington that would receive the greater share, as both VF-3B and VB-1B would equip. Both of these aircraft had been passed to second-line units by 1932, where they were used in the communications role.
The Vought O2U-1 Corsair would be supplied to the Navy for observation purposes.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The Boeing Stearman NS-1 replaced the Curtiss Jenny as the Navy’s primary trainer, a role that it undertook for the USAAC as well.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The Boeing FB2-1 was one of a range of biplane fighters supplied to the Navy in the inter-war period. (
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The XF-11C Goshawk was one of a series of Hawk fighters built by Curtiss for the US Navy.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The Grumman F3F-2 was delivered to both the US Navy and the USMC between 1937 and 1938, although its period in service was short as technology overtook it.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Following on from the F2B and F3B series of aircraft came the famous F4B fighter, which became the primary Navy biplane fighter prior to 1939. Initially twenty-seven production aircraft were ordered, to which were added the two prototypes after their conversion to production standard. Deliveries of these aircraft, which featured separate undercarriage legs and a P&W Wasp engine, were undertaken between June and August 1939, the first units to equip being VB-1B and VF-2B aboard the Lexington and Langley respectively. The initial model was followed by the F4B-2, this version featuring a ring cowling, Frise ailerons, a tailwheel and a spreader-bar axle between the main wheels. Deliveries were undertaken between January and May 1931, the first batch consisting of forty-six machines. Initial deliveries were made to VF-6B aboard the Saratoga, being followed by VF-5B aboard the Lexington. The appearance of the dash 3, of which twenty-one were ordered in April 1923, saw the introduction of the semi-monocoque fuselage and other improvements. Deliveries were undertaken between December 1931 and January 1932, the receiving unit being VF-1B aboard the USS Saratoga. This small batch was followed by a larger order for ninety-four aircraft designated the F4B-4, which had larger fins and rudders. Deliveries began in July 1932 and were completed by February 1933. F4B-4s were first delivered to VF-3B aboard the Langley, followed by VF-6B on the Saratoga, while some were delivered to the USMC. The Boeing fighters remained in service aboard the carriers until 1937, when the first deliveries of Grumman’s faster and more portly fighters entered service. The replacement of the Boeings was completed by 1938, after which they were relegated to secondary duties, including some as drones. The final examples were withdrawn in 1941, having lain unused at various naval shore bases for several years. These would be the final fighters that Boeing would build, as they would soon turn to other aviation avenues.
The Grumman SF-1 was the first of these famous barrel-shaped fighters delivered to the US Navy. It was intended that the thirty-three production machines would act as command aircraft for the similar F1F-1 fighters.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
One of the biggest hitters for the US Navy was the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which would win its first contract to build naval aircraft on 2 April 1931, thus beginning a relationship that would last for more than forty years. Its first offering would be the FF-1, or Fifi, which boasted a retractable undercarriage and full-length canopy that covered both cockpits. First deliveries were made to VF-5B, which was operating from the USS Lexington. The FF-1 was also delivered in another version, the SF-1, which also operated from the Lexington from March 1934 with VS-3B. The next in line from Grumman continued the dumpy fuselage that would feature for quite a period in the company’s products, these being the F2F and F3F models. These were intended to be single-seat fighters, and so the new aircraft’s dimensions were reduced accordingly. In common with the FF-1 the new fighters featured a retractable undercarriage, metal skin covering on the fuselage and a canopy for the pilot. A total of fifty-four F2F-1s were ordered by the Navy, with deliveries beginning in 1935. The F2F-1s were delivered to VF-3B aboard the Lexington, while VF-3B aboard the USS Ranger would receive the remainder. VF-5B would retain its ‘flying barrels’ until 1940, while VF-3B would later become VF-7B aboard the Lexington, this being followed by a move to the USS Wasp, where the unit was redesignated VF-5.
The Martin BM-1 dive-bomber served with the US Navy during the 1930s before it and other similar types were replaced by the more modern Douglas Dauntless.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Grumman would offer the Navy an updated version of the F2F, which as the F3F featured a longer fuselage and a slightly increased wingspan. Fifty-four aircraft were ordered, with deliveries being undertaken during 1936. These machines equipped VF-5B aboard the Ranger and VF-6B aboard the USS Saratoga, these units later being redesignated VF-4 and VF-3 respectively in 1939, both units retaining the F3F until 1940. One final model of this aircraft was produced, which was the F3F-2. The major change between this and the original version was the installation of the bigger Wright R-1820-22 engine, which, although larger, improved the aircraft’s performance. Eventually eighty-one were ordered by the Navy in March 1937, and they were delivered to VF-6 aboard the USS Enterprise and the USS Yorktown with VF-5. The remainder of this batch were delivered to the USMC serving with VMF-1 and VMF-2, but by the end of 1941 all of these units had dispensed with their Grumman biplane fighters, although some did remain in use later as station hacks.
One of the lesser suppliers of aircraft to the US Navy was the Glenn L. Martin Company, which was better known for providing aircraft for the US Army Air Corps. Having gained experience building the SC-1 torpedo scouts for the Navy, the company was able to offer an improved version when requested by the Bureau of Aeronautics. The contract for this aircraft, designated the T3M-1, was placed in October 1925. In a similar manner to its contemporaries the T3M-1 could operate on wheels or floats as required. Only twenty-four aircraft were ordered, these being followed by the T3M-2, which was fitted with a more powerful engine. In response the Navy ordered a hundred of this type for service with VT-1S aboard the Lexington and VT-2B aboard the carrier Langley. Martin would take a T3M-2 and fit it with a P&W Hornet as the XT3M-1, which improved the type’s performance. This aircraft was passed on to the Naval Aircraft Factory for the installation of a Wright Cyclone, which also showed an improvement in performance. As a result of these experiments the Navy ordered 102 aircraft as the T4M-1, the contract being placed in June 1927. Although these aircraft could operate using both floats and wheels, it was the latter that came to prominence as the aircraft carrier became more important. Deliveries were made to VT-2B aboard the Saratoga in 1928, these being followed later by VT-1B aboard the Lexington. The T4M-1s were to remain in use until 1937, although they had left front-line service five years earlier.
Following on from the T-series aircraft, Martin developed a dive-bomber, designated the BM. A contract for a single prototype was issued to Martin as the XT5M-1, while another was issued to the Naval Aircraft Factory to construct a competitor designated the XT2N-1. Both were designed as two-seat torpedo-bombers, both being metal-framed biplanes with fabric-covered wings. The XT5M-1 passed its trials with aplomb, and so a contract was issued for twelve aircraft in April 1931. The production machines were designated BM-1, with deliveries beginning in September 1931. The first unit to accept the type was VT-1S, Navy Torpedo Squadron One, serving aboard the USS Lexington. A slightly modified version was known as the BM-2, deliveries of which began in October 1931, with a further four BM-1s being ordered soon afterwards. VT-1S would be the recipient, although this unit was redesignated as VB-1B, Bombing Squadron One. A second unit, VB-3B, was formed in 1934 to operate a mix of both types aboard the USS Langley. Both units would dispense with their Martin machines in 1937, although some would remain in use for test and utility duties until 1940, when the final one was scrapped.
Unlike most other services, the US Navy would have its own manufacturing facility, known as the Naval Aircraft Factory. Normally employed in manufacturing designs from other manufacturers, the NAF also managed to design and manufacture aircraft for the Navy. Its first effort was the Model TS, designed by the Bureau of Aeronautics, which would issue a contract for thirty-four machines to Curtiss Aircraft. A further order for five aircraft was awarded to the NAF to act as a manufacturing and cost check. The first machine was rolled out in May 1922, just after the commissioning of the USS Langley. In common with other aircraft of the period, the TS-1 was capable of operating with a land undercarriage or floats as required. The first Curtiss TS-1 was delivered to the Langley in December 1922, equipping VF-1. The NAF machines were modified after construction for trials and evaluation purposes, being mainly involved in engine development. Curtiss would deliver two more TS-1s, although these were of metal construction. These were designated F4C-1 in the new naval nomenclature after delivery. This would be the last design built under the aegis of the Bu.Aer and the NAF, as the latter would henceforth build aircraft designed by other manufacturers.
Pictured at anchor in Pearl Harbor is the USS Langley, which had been converted from the fleet collier Jupiter.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Although a minor player in naval affairs, the Northrop Corporation would deliver one significant aircraft to that service. Headed by John K. Northrop, designer of the Lockheed Vega, the Northrop Corporation was founded in 1929, where he could continue developing designs for an all-metal aircraft. The only design delivered to the US Navy was the XBT-1, which featured a semi-retractable undercarriage and split trailing-edge flaps. Accepted by the Navy, fifty-four production machines were ordered as the BT-1, with deliveries beginning to VB-5 in April 1938. One airframe underwent rebuilding to create the XBT-2. This was a seemingly insignificant designation. However, by this time the Northrop Corporation had become the El Segundo division of Douglas Aircraft, and so the XBT-2 would finally appear as a Douglas product better known as the SBD Dauntless.
When the USS Langley had been superseded by larger aircraft carriers, the forward part of the flight deck was removed, while the remainder was used to support flying-boats and space for aircraft transport.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
While the US Navy concentrated upon developing aircraft for the service, it was very cautious about developing aircraft carriers, even though it had observed the Royal Navy vessels in Scapa Flow during the Great War. The seeds of the first Navy carrier were sown by Congress in July 1919 when funding was approved to convert the naval collier Jupiter into a vessel that could carry, launch and recover aircraft while at sea. The decision to use an existing vessel meant that the creation of the first naval carrier could be expedited at a greater speed, thus allowing the service to catch up with the Royal Navy. The decision to use the Jupiter was that it had the cubic capacity to house aircraft below deck and that there was sufficient room to house the required stores, including fuel. The Jupiter also featured boiler uptakes that vented to both port and starboard, instead of centrally, as in most other vessels. Also pushing forward the conversion was the introduction of oil-fired boilers into the ships of the fleet, and so the life of the colliers was limited. The Jupiter was seven years old when it was taken in hand at the Norfolk Navy Yard in March 1920. Four of the vessel’s six holds were adapted to hold thirty-four complete aircraft, or fifty-five if they were dismantled. One of the unused holds was modified as a lift well, while the remaining one was utilised as the fuel store. Much of the rear superstructure was removed and replaced by a steel framework that acted as the support for the wood-planked flight deck, which ran almost the full length of the ship. To navigate the ship the forward bridge was retained, while to handle the aircraft a pair of 35 ft gooseneck cranes were installed, one each being fitted port and starboard. These served the lift and also allowed the aircraft to lift any assigned float-planes in and out of the water.
The revamped Jupiter was reclassified as AV-1 and renamed USS Langley, being recommissioned in March 1922. The standard complement of aircraft assigned to this first carrier consisted of twelve pursuit fighter aircraft, twelve scouts and ten torpedo-bombers, of which six would be mounted on floats. The given complement actually varied during the five-year period when the Langley was the only fleet carrier, as it was utilised for numerous trials during this time. Launching and recovery of aircraft required two 60 ft catapults to launch float-planes using trolleys. Recovery of aircraft used either the longitudinal wire system, an idea borrowed from the Royal Navy, or transverse wires that were basic in the extreme, as they used weights on the end of the cables to slow the aircraft down. During its time as a carrier the Langley underwent some modifications that saw the longitudinal wires deleted and the original transverse wires replaced with more modern equipment. The Langley would remain basically unaltered until 1937, when the larger, more modern carriers were established in the fleet, and it was decided to convert the vessel into a seaplane tender. To that end 250 feet of the forward deck was removed to cater for the larger seaplanes then entering service. The ship’s life in this new guise was brief, as on 27 February 1942 it was attacked by Japanese bombers when it was ferrying Curtis P-40s to Java. Hit by five bombs, the Langley began to list rapidly, and so after the crew were removed the ship was sunk by gunfire by the escorting destroyer USS Whipple.
The next round of aircraft carriers owe their existence to two sets of circumstances: the first was the accelerated Dreadnought building programme started near the end of the First World War, while the second was the Washington Naval Disarmament Treaty of 1922. The second would also help lay the seeds of the Second World War, even though the treaty was delivered in good faith, as all of the nations that had fought in the Great War were suffering financial hardship, and plans were made to restrict the number and size of capital ships. While this would pose no real problems to America and Great Britain, it was other nations, especially Japan, which saw this as an attempt to restrict their naval development. From the point of the US Navy it meant that the six 43,000 ton battlecruisers already on the stocks could be better used as aircraft carriers, although in the event only two of the hulls were advanced enough for consideration, the rest being scrapped on the stocks. Helping the US Navy was Stanley Goodall, on secondment from the Royal Navy Directorate of Naval Constructors to the Bureau of Construction and Repair in the United States. The irony is, of course, that a few years earlier the US Navy still regarded the Royal Navy as a definite rival and a possible enemy. Designated the Lexington class, the vessels’ hulls remained virtually unaltered when orders were given to convert them for carrier use. The Saratoga was slated for conversion in October 1922, while the Lexington’s orders came through in November. Above the hull’s main deck a 450 ft long main hangar, 70 ft wide and 21 ft high, was installed. Aft of the hangar was a 105 ft maintenance area, while underneath both was a 120 ft long storage area that was large enough to house dismantled aircraft, as well as spares. This meant that eighty aircraft could be carried, a capacity that would prove invaluable in the Second World War.
Unlike later carriers, the Lexington class had full armour plating up to flight-deck level, pierced for boat stowage, while the bridge superstructure was connected to the large funnel structure via a lightly built walkway. The flight deck itself was teak planked and was pierced by two lifts, the larger of the two, at 30 x 60 ft, was located close to the bridge, while the smaller, at 30 x 36 ft, was located opposite the funnel. To assist in launching heavily loaded aircraft, a 155 ft long catapult was mounted at the bow of the deck. The armament, as allowed by the Washington Treaty, consisted of eight 8-inch guns, whose purpose was to fight off attacking vessels up to cruiser size and motor torpedo boats. The turret-mounted weapons were all concentrated fore and aft of the island, funnel and structures and were of limited value. Further armament consisted of 5-inch guns that were disposed to both port and starboard and could be used against both aircraft and torpedo boats. Initially the Lexington-class vessels were unaltered, although by 1936 some modification had been undertaken, the first being the fitting of sixteen 0.5-inch machine-guns that were mounted in sponsons below flight-deck level. Further machine-guns were disposed onto the turret roofs and a platform fitted to the funnel. As technology advanced, the need for the 8-inch gun turrets was questioned, and so it was decided in early 1940 to remove them and replace them with 5-inch dual-purpose mountings instead. Those of the Saratoga were replaced almost immediately, but the Lexington never received the new weapons. The machine-guns were also replaced with heavier weapons, these being 20 mm initially, although these were replaced by guns of 40 mm calibre as the war progressed.
The Saratoga would serve the Navy well, not leaving service until after the war. In 1946 the carrier performed one more service for its country as a target for the Bikini atom bomb tests.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Structural changes involved widening the forward sections of the flight decks of both vessels, although the Saratoga would undergo remodelling when its flight deck was extended to 900 feet in 1942. Also altered was the height of the funnel, which was reduced by 14 feet; the bridge was also radically altered, while a pole mast was fitted so that radar dishes could be mounted. The hull also received a major modification, this being a large bulge that was fitted to the starboard side, which allowed the 1,100 tons of fuel normally used as ballast to be used to increase the vessel’s range. In 1941 both carriers were fitted with the CXAM-1 search radar, which was the only system carried by the Lexington. The Saratoga would receive the SK unit, augmented by the SC-1 air search in 1942. Further systems fitted as the war progressed included the SG-1 surface search and an FD fire-control radar. The SC-1 unit was replaced by an SC-3 radar, although the SC-1 was reinstated later in the war. By the war’s end the Saratoga sported a Mk 22 fire-control auxiliary radar, SM, height-finding radar, IFF systems and YE/YG radio beacons. Other changes made to both included fitting arrester wires on the forward flight deck and the removal of the catapults. In 1944 the Saratoga had new catapults installed that allowed the carrier to launch heavily loaded Grumman Avengers, while a new forward lift of 45 x 45 ft was installed and the aft one was plated over. As the carriers underwent modifications it allowed the carriers to operate every aircraft type as they became available, so that by the end of the war the Saratoga could carry seventy aircraft, these being a mixture of Grumman Avengers and Hellcats.
With its flight deck covered with biplanes, the USS Lexington prepares to launch its fighters and attack aircraft for another aerial exercise.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Both of the Lexingtons were the largest aircraft carriers in US Navy service until the launching of the Midway class. During their early years both carriers were involved in formulating tactics for air operations, which would be put to serious use later after some modification. The Lexington also undertook a very special mission when the ship’s generators were used to provide electrical power to the city of Tacoma, Washington, during the winter of 1929/30. This had been required after the preceding summer’s drought, which caused the hydroelectric systems to fail. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 both carriers were involved with patrols out of Hawaii, during which they were involved in skirmishes with Japanese forces near Rabaul and New Guinea. The Lexington returned to Hawaii in March 1942 for rest and replenishment. The carrier departed in April to the same combat zone, and it was during this patrol that on 8 May the vessel was hit by two torpedoes and two bombs dropped by aircraft from the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaka. The impacts caused fires throughout the carrier, while the near-misses had strained the hull. Although the crew struggled manfully to quench the fires and contain the damage, their efforts were in vain as fresh fires started in other parts of the ship and could not be controlled. Again the crew tried to save their vessel, but the extent of the damage and the spread of the fire meant that the only course of action was evacuation; and so the crew were rescued and the stricken carrier was sunk by torpedoes fired by the destroyer USS Phelps.
The Saratoga was also subject to much attention by the Japanese, although in this case it was submarines that would do the most damage. During a patrol outbound from Hawaii the carrier was hit by a torpedo in January 1942, which caused minor damage that was later permanently repaired at the Puget Sound Naval Yard, Bremerton. A further submarine-fired torpedo would hit the Saratoga in August, and this caused greater damage, which flooded three boiler rooms and immobilised the vessel due to the shock of impact. Taken in tow to Tonga, the carrier was given emergency repairs that allowed it to return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. The Saratoga would spend much of 1943 launching air strikes on land targets and Japanese shipping, all in the south-west Pacific. After adventures in the Pacific the carrier was transferred to the Indian Ocean where she assisted the British fleet. After these operations the Saratoga underwent a three-month refit at Bremerton, being used for pilot training until the end of the year. By February 1945 the carrier had returned to fleet carrier operations. However, the ship was seriously damaged by bombs and kamikaze strikes during the assault on Iwo Jima. Obviously the carrier was leading a charmed life, as she managed to reach Bremerton for repairs. With these completed the Saratoga was utilised for carrier pilot training duties, although after VJ Day the ship was employed in bringing home US troops from the Pacific combat zones. Given the age of the Saratoga, the strains due to war damage and the increasing size and weights of the new aircraft types entering service, it came as no surprise that the vessel was to be retired from service. But the USS Saratoga had one more service to perform for the United States: it was expended as a target during the atomic bomb test at Bikini Atoll in July 1946.
The foredeck of the USS Saratoga is covered by Martin T4M aircraft waiting to be pushed back to the rear section of the deck so that flying can commence.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The USS Ranger, CV-4, was designed within the limits of the Washington Treaty. However, its shortcomings made it a less than useful vessel.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The Vought SBU-1 was designed and built as a dive-bomber, and was the first such aircraft to exceed 200 mph in level flight. This aircraft was assigned to VS-1B aboard the USS Ranger.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The next aircraft carrier to join the US fleet pre-war was the USS Ranger, CV4. Conceived within the confines of the Washington Treaty the Ranger was limited to 14,000 tons. Unlike the earlier carriers, the Ranger was designed purely for the carrying and launching of the maximum number of aircraft, and so armour protection, fixed defensive batteries, speed and even sea-keeping capabilities were sacrificed for this capability. Experience with the earlier carriers also meant that there were significant design changes to the hull of the carrier. Therefore the boiler rooms were grouped close together and placed as far aft as possible, while the trunking uptakes were kept as short as possible and discharged to port and starboard as close to the boiler rooms as possible instead of being grouped together as in the Lexington class. This layout increased the volume available for aviation needs. However, these changes, plus the reduced protection, did make the vessel vulnerable to a direct hit in the wrong zone, which could either disable or sink the ship. Access to the hangar was via a pair of lifts, these being offset to starboard, which allowed landed aircraft to be moved to the forward part of the flight deck quickly. In the original design the Ranger lacked a superstructure. However, this was added during construction as it was needed for command and control purposes. In order to reduce the impact on the flight deck the superstructure was kept as small as possible. The Ranger was lightly armed as it sported four 5-inch guns, while the offensive air group consisted of thirty-six pursuit, thirty-six dive-bomber and four utility aircraft. While on paper the Ranger may have appeared to be an effective weapon, in reality the trimming of the equipment fits meant the ship was too small to operate aircraft effectively. The Ranger was also deemed too small to keep up with the larger fleet carriers, as the lack of available power restricted her speed, while her small size also resulted in poor sea keeping. It was so bad, in fact, that in a moderate swell the Ranger was unable to launch its aircraft.
Due to her deficiencies the USS Ranger was confined to duties in the Atlantic, undertaking a mix of strike and transport duties. In 1943 the carrier was assigned to the British Home Fleet for strike duties against German shipping off the Norwegian coast. In 1944 the carrier returned to American waters, where she was used mainly as a training carrier, although this was interspersed with periods as a transport. The Ranger was decommissioned in October 1946, being scrapped in 1947. During her service the carrier underwent modifications that mainly concerned improving the weapons fit, but the radar systems were also updated and upgraded. In 1942 a CXAM-1 aircraft detection radar was installed, this being followed in 1943 by an SK, replacing the earlier SC-2, search radar, while the fire-control radar was upgraded to the Mk 4 in 1942. As the weight of aircraft was growing as the war progressed, the flight deck underwent strengthening, while a hydraulic catapult was installed.
After the USS Ranger the US Navy would receive the Yorktown class of carriers, which were designed from the outset to counter the deficiencies of the Ranger. Three vessels were constructed at Newport News Yard, these being the Yorktown (CV5), Enterprise (CV6) and the Hornet (CV8). The name ship was commissioned in September 1937, being followed by the Enterprise in May 1938 and the Hornet in October 1941. These three vessels were a quantum leap over the earlier carriers as they were designed from the outset as aircraft carriers, unlike the Langley (a converted coaler), the Lexington and Yorktown (battlecruiser hulls modified) and the Ranger (an attempt to force a quart into a pint pot). The resultant vessels were also an answer to the burgeoning disquiet that was being shown by other nations–in particular the Japanese, who were in the process of creating a fleet that exceeded the Washington Treaty limitations. The Yorktown class featured a combined superstructure and uptakes. The decks were 6-inch wood planks with arrester wires mounted fore and aft, and the launching of aircraft was undertaken using two bow-mounted hydraulic catapults plus a further unit mounted athwartships that was fitted in the forward hangar deck. Inset into the flight deck were three lifts, the centre lift requiring that the flight deck be widened to accommodate the island. The intended complement of ninety-eight aircraft was rarely achieved as the space restrictions limited it to eighty machines, a far more comfortable arrangement. Defensive armament was initially eight 0.5-inch guns. USS Hornet was a late order in response to events in other parts of the world, Congress authorising the funds in 1937 for the construction of this vessel. Ironically, had the Essex design been firmed up the Hornet would not have been built. As a later-built ship the Hornet featured a slight increase in dimensions and an increase in defensive armament.
The first modern attack aircraft delivered to the US Navy was the Douglas Dauntless. This aircraft was assigned to VT-5 aboard the USS Yorktown in the pre-war period, hence the colourful markings.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Modifications applied to all three carriers included fitting CXAM search radar, these being installed during 1941 to 1942, and these would be the only sets fitted to the Yorktown and Hornet before they were lost. In contrast, the Enterprise would have the CXAM-1 and SC-2 sets fitted in 1943, these later being replaced by the SK, SC-2 and the SP, plus the Mk 4 fire-control units.
The USS Yorktown was deployed to the east coast of America and was docked in the Norfolk Naval Yard when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Once the dust had settled, the Yorktown was transferred to the Pacific and was operating out of New Guinea attacking Japanese shipping and shore installations, during which period the Lexington assisted in the sinking of the Japanese carrier Shoho and the damaging of the Shokaku. Unfortunately during this engagement the Yorktown suffered damage that required repairs at Pearl Harbor. After repair she joined up with the Enterprise and Hornet to deploy to Midway. In concert with the other carriers, the Yorktown launched a combined attack against the Japanese fleet during which the carrier Soryu was left blazing furiously. In response the Japanese mounted a counter-attack during which the Yorktown was hit by both bombs and torpedoes. With her engines out of action, the carrier was taken in tow. However, this made the Yorktown an easy target, and a Japanese submarine managed to hit the carrier with more torpedoes. After much struggle to save their ailing ship, the crew finally abandoned the Yorktown, which sank soon afterwards.
The Hornet had a very short naval career, as it lasted barely more than a year. The carrier’s most famous moment in her short life was to launch the North American B-25 Mitchells of the Doolittle Raiders in April 1942. To accomplish this the Hornet’s air group was stowed below while the eighteen Mitchells were carried on deck. While the attack on the Japanese mainland achieved little in the way of material damage, the propaganda value was tremendous and bore little in common to the ferocity that would assail the Japanese mainland later in the war. After the Doolittle Raid the Hornet participated in the Battle of Midway, later being sunk off Santa Cruz on 27 October 1942 after being hit by both bombs and torpedoes.
In contrast to her sister ships, the USS Enterprise would lead a charmed life. Operating alongside both her sisters ships at Midway, the air wing suffered heavy losses, with many of the Douglas TBD Dauntless torpedo-bombers being shot down. In contrast, the SBD Dauntless units managed to assist in the sinking of the Akagi, the Kaga and the Hiryu. During the battle off Guadalcanal the Enterprise suffered bomb damage that prompted a return to Pearl Harbor for repairs. After repair the carrier resumed her sea duties, undertaking air strikes off Santa Cruz during which further bomb damage was incurred. Further repairs were carried out, allowing the carrier to resume operations during which she assisted in the sinking of the battleship Hiei. After these initial exertions the Enterprise underwent a major refit during 1943. Post-refit the carrier was involved in strikes against Japanese targets that included sinking the battleships Fuso and Musashi. During May 1945 the carrier was hit by a kamikaze that blew out the forward aircraft lift, which meant that the carrier was still in dock undergoing repairs when the war ended. Although the Enterprise was repaired, she was placed straight into the reserve and decommissioned in February 1947. While held in reserve the ship was redesignated as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) carrier in July 1953. The carrier never entered service again, and despite great efforts to bring her into preservation the vessel was sold as scrap in July 1958.
Between the building of the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet enough tonnage was found to construct another smaller carrier, this being the USS Wasp, CV7. This carrier was definitely a product of the Washington Treaty, and had it not been in existence it is likely that such a small carrier would not have been built. The resultant vessel was built within the 15,000 tons limit and incorporated as many of the innovations from the Yorktown class as possible, although this did not result in a successful ship. Not helping was the desire to fit as many aircraft as possible into the hull. To achieve this, low-power propulsive machinery was installed, and the armour initially proposed at the design stage was not fitted. Not only was the armour protection omitted, but the torpedo protection was also omitted, both omissions later proving fatal.
At the design stage the designers had looked at installing lower flight decks to augment the main flight deck, but in the event extra catapults were installed in the hangar in a similar manner to that of the Yorktown. One saving grace was the bulging of the fuselage to compensate for the island, which in turn increased the amount of space for fuel bunkerage. Internally the boiler rooms were situated between the machinery rooms, the theory being that one hit would not stop the ship. As with the other carriers, arrester wires were fitted at both the fore and aft of the flight deck, which allowed landings to be made from either direction. The Wasp also featured three lifts, although the third was based around a movable girder mounted on the deck edge. The deckside lift allowed entry directly into the hangar, and this could be closed off using reinforced shutters. The assigned air wing included a squadron of fighters, two squadrons of scout bombers, but no torpedo-bombers. These would finally be added in August 1942 when space was found to house the torpedoes. Defensive armament of light weapons was dispersed around the edge of the flight deck.
During her short life the USS Wasp underwent few modifications, most of which centred around improving the defensive armament, improving the shell splinter protection and adding radar. Further weaponry was fitted in 1941, while the radar installation was upgraded to CXAM-1 search radar plus the Mk 4 fire-control radar. Given the small size of the carrier and her slow speed, the Wasp was assigned to duties in the Atlantic in 1941, after which the ship was involved in the relief of Malta between March and May 1942. During this period the carrier successfully delivered a hundred Spitfires to the beleaguered island. After its adventures in the Mediterranean the USS Wasp entered the Norfolk Navy Yard, after which it departed in June 1942 for the Pacific theatre. In its new theatre the Wasp was engaged in attacks against Japanese positions around Guadalcanal. However, on 15 September 1942 the carrier was hit by three torpedoes fired by a Japanese submarine, which caused serious fires and explosions throughout the hull. The fire was exacerbated by the leaks caused by ruptured aircraft fuel lines, which hastened the carrier’s end. With no chance of saving the stricken vessel, the crew abandoned the Wasp, and she was later sunk by the destroyer USS Lansdowne.
Having started its adventure in naval aviation, the US Navy would proceed quickly to develop both its carrier fleet and the aircraft. The service was therefore well placed to begin the fight back against the Japanese in the Pacific and to assist the British in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.