Sunk, Sold for Scraps, or Saved? What Happened to WWII’s Great Aircraft Carriers

The USS Bennington was in service during the invasion of Okinawa. It later helped troops in Japan, before being recommissioned in 1952 for use in the Vietnam War. The Bennington was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. It was removed from the Naval Vessel Register in 1989.

In both WWII and the Korean War, the Bon Homme Richard was a major player. It fought Japan and launched attacks on Okinawa as a member of the Pacific Fleet before famously transporting troops home during Operation Magic Carpet. In 1951, it was recommissioned for service against North Korean adversaries. Later, the Bon Homme Richard was upgraded before being decommissioned in 1971. In 1992, it was dismantled and scrapped.

As part of the Essex-class carriers, the USS Bunker Hill fought in two important battles: Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the latter, kamikaze attacks resulted in a disastrous fire, which caused an abundance of casualties. The carrier was shipped back to the U.S. and decommissioned in 1947. After failed attempts to transition the Bunker Hill into a museum ship, it was taken apart and sold for parts in 1973.

As the second World War’s most decorated naval vessel, the USS Enterprise proved itself on the mighty Pacific. It sank several enemy ships at the famous Battle of Midway. After playing a role in the Guadalcanal campaign, the Enterprise was active in the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands, as well as the Battle of Leyte Gulf. It also participated heavily in the Marianas and Philippine Sea. It continued to support U.S. troops, even after kamikaze attacks, and was eventually decommissioned and sold for scraps.

The leading Essex-class ship, the USS Essex, was an active part of the following campaigns: Wake Island, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, and Palau. After a process of post-war modernization, it was utilized as an attack carrier. It was later recommissioned as an anti-submarine aircraft carrier. Most of its career took place on the Atlantic, where it took on the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Korean War. It further acted as the main recovery carrier for the Apollo 7 mission. For its tremendous role in WWII, the Essex was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, as well as 13 battle stars.

The USS Franklin aircraft carrier performed many impressive roles during WWII. This remarkable ship conducted strikes in the Mariana Islands, battled at Cape Engano, fought on the Sibuyan Sea, and aided amphibious landings at Peleliu and Leyte. It returned to the Pacific after being targeted by kamikazes in 1944. During the Okinawa landings, the flight deck was bombed by the Japanese, killing 807 American men. Two troops on board, Lt. Cmdr. Joseph T. O’Callahan, and Lt. Donald A. Gary earned the prestigious Medal of Honor for their courage during the attack. The USS Franklin was ultimately sold for scraps.

The USS Hancock was a member of Adm. W. F. Halsey’s 3rd Fleet after it was constructed in 1944. The aircraft it carried targeted adversaries in the Philippines. The ship later continued its military career in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It collected four battle stars before retirement and scrapping in 1976.

The USS Hornet was a major player in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, during which its craft decimated enemy planes. It was a member of the Fast Carrier Task Force 20, taking aim in the Philippines and assisting American troops on the ground. Though decommissioned in 1970, it soon transitioned to a museum located in Alameda, CA.

The USS Hornet (CV-8), which preceded the second ship of the same name, was an integral component in WWII. It was an active part of several significant conflicts, including the Doolittle Raids, the Battle of Midway, and the Battle of the Coral Sea. Its craft helped sink Mikuma, a Japanese cruiser. Though it survived damage incurred during the Battle of Santa Cruz, it met its end at the hands of Japanese submarines. It was later found near the Solomon Islands in 2019.

The USS Intrepid was built in 1943. It participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands, raided the Japanese, and helped sink the Musashi battleship. Additionally, it backed the attack on Okinawa, enduring, despite several kamikaze attacks. After post-war renovation, the Intrepid helped recover astronauts from Mercury and Gemini. It eventually became an NYC museum.

Built in 1927, the USS Lexington predated WWII by several years. This particular carrier brought necessary aircraft to Midway Island before diverting enemy troops to the Marshall Islands. It was also a key player in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Interestingly, the Lexington was the first American aircraft carrier lost to the war after it was struck multiple times and scuttled.

Named in honor of its scuttled predecessor, the second Lexington played an essential role in the Pacific war front. It fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, a conflict most notable for the destruction of the Japanese Navy. Though utilized in different ways after WWII, it ultimately became the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay in Corpus Christi, TX. Incredibly, it remains the oldest existing fleet carrier in the world.

The USS Randolph hit the Pacific Ocean in 1945, engaging in airstrikes against enemy lines in the Bonins. As part of the Iwo Jima invasions, the ship was damaged by kamikaze. After repairs, Randolph returned to the Pacific just in time for the Okinawa campaign. It continued to fight Japanese targets through the end of the war. Post-war, Randolph continued its career as part of the Atlantic fleet, undergoing many renovations. In 1969, it was decommissioned. It was later scrapped in 1975.

The first carrier to be built from scratch, as opposed to being repurposed from an older hull, the USS Ranger was used for the purposes of escort, aircraft transport, and amphibious support. Though it was not as fast or as large as other carriers, it was one of only three pre-war carriers to survive WWII. This ship went through a post-war renovation at Norfolk Navy Yard. It was sold for scraps in 1947, after being decommissioned in 1946.

Commissioned as early as 1927, the USS Saratoga was a battlecruiser-turned-aircraft carrier. It acted as the Navy’s original fast carrier, operating during the Guadalcanal campaign. This ship offered air cover for landings and sank the Ryujo, Japan’s aircraft carrier. Ever resilient, the Saratoga was able to function through the end of the war, despite numerous torpedo strikes. However, it was later decimated at Bikini Atoll during atomic bomb testing.

This Essex-class carrier, named the USS Shangri-La, was built in September of 1944 to commandeer Task Forces 38 and 58. It participated in strikes on Okinawa and other Japanese areas of interest. The Shangri-La was decommissioned in 1947, recommissioned in 1951, and modernized to serve in Vietnam. Though it was decommissioned once again in 1971, it wasn’t scrapped until 1988.

Built in May of 1944, the Essex-class Ticonderoga earned five battle stars in WWII. Later, in the 1950s, it transitioned to both an attack carrier and an anti-submarine carrier. Following its part in the Vietnam War, it was decommissioned in 1973. Two years later, it was sold for scraps in 1975.

The short-lived USS Wasp was a smaller model of the Yorktown-class carriers. Commissioned in 1940, it was tragically lost at sea in 1942. Though starting in the Atlantic campaign, it was later moved to the Pacific and fought in the Guadalcanal invasion. Unfortunately, this infamous ship was destroyed by three torpedoes and abandoned in September of 1942.

Built in November of 1943, the USS Wasp was first called Oriskany but was renamed to honor the original Wasp (which sank in 1942). During its eventful time on the open ocean, it received 8 battle stars and crossed the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Atlantic. After its initial decommission, it was recommissioned as an attack carrier and an anti-submarine carrier. Following the successful retrieval of multiple Gemini mission astronauts, the second Wasp retired in 1972. It was broken down for scraps a year later.

The USS Yorktown offered reinforcement to the Pacific Fleet in the time period following Pearl Harbor. It was heavily damaged during the Battle of the Coral Sea but still went on to fight in the Battle of Midway. Though it played a vital role in taking down Japanese carriers, the Yorktown paid the price when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Interestingly, the wreck was not discovered until 1998.

The USS Yorktown CV-10 was commissioned in April of 1943. It was originally named for the Bon Homme Richard, which tragically went down during the Battle of Midway. It earned the Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle stars for its integral part in several Pacific battles. A mid-century renovation led to its new position as an attack and anti-submarine carrier. The mighty ship later served in Vietnam and recovered the crew of Apollo 8. Though decommissioned in 1970, it is not lost to time. The Yorktown stands as part of the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.