These Aircraft Carriers Kickstarted US Naval Supremacy

The United States Navy recently announced plans to retire the USS Nimitz, which is currently the oldest aircraft carrier in operation for our navy. The USS Nimitz first entered service in 1976. Its history has been varied, from a mission to rescue hostages from Iran in 1979 through Operation Evening Light to South China Sea operations in 2023. A plan for deactivation has been set for November 2024, with the official deactivation to come by 2027 at the latest. While the USS Nimitz has been beneficial in projecting U.S. naval power, our use of aircraft carriers in the military actually began five decades before. (Here are the biggest American aircraft carriers in service, ranked.)

Aircraft carriers are warships that can carry, arm, deploy, and recover aircraft. This strongly supports military operations, allowing the military to quickly respond to potential crises or conflicts. Aircraft carriers also allow more ease, since we don’t have to rely on local military bases. Modern aircraft carriers are undoubtedly more technologically advanced than past ships, and contain more equipment. But the aircraft carriers of the American past did contribute to significant victories during major conflicts, especially during World War II. Here, 24/7 Wall St. identified all 33 aircraft carriers from our Navy’s early history using U.S. naval archives and other sources. We also included when these ships were commissioned and how long they remained in service. Carriers are listed in order of hull classification symbols.

Why We’re Covering the US Navy History

Prior to, and throughout, World War II, the United States used naval power to gain a strategic advantage over enemies. The Navy aircraft carriers allowed for farther-reaching attacks. Soon, the entire world saw the power of the U.S. Navy, positioning us as a world leader in armed forces. Navy aircraft carriers have evolved over time but remain important for shaping military strategy – and even addressing humanitarian needs worldwide. (Are aircraft carriers still relevant for defense?)

These are the 33 aircraft carriers that kickstarted US naval history:

1. CV-1 Langley

• Class: Langley
• Commissioned: March 20, 1922
• Service Life: 19 years, 11 months, and seven days
• Status: Scuttled and sunk south of Java

2. CV-2 Lexington

• Class: Lexington
• Commissioned: December 14, 1927
• Service life: 14 years, 4 months, and 24 days
• Status: Sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea

3. CV-3 Saratoga

• Class: Lexington
• Commissioned: November 16, 1927
• Service life: 18 years, 8 months, and 12 days
• Status: Sunk in nuclear test target near Bikini Atoll

4. CV-4 Ranger

• Class: Ranger
• Commissioned: June 4, 1934
• Service life: 12 years, 4 months, and 14 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1947

5. CV-5 Yorktown

• Class: Yorktown
• Commissioned: September 30, 1937
• Service life: 4 years, 8 months, and 8 days
• Status: Sunk in the Battle of Midway

6. CV-6 Enterprise

• Class: Yorktown
• Commissioned: May 12, 1938
• Service life: 8 years, 9 months, and 5 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1960

7. CV-7 Wasp

• • Class: Wasp
  • Commissioned: April 25, 1940
  • Service life: 2 years, 4 months, and 21 days

• Status: Sunk during the Guadalcanal campaign

8. CV-8 Hornet

• Class: Yorktown
• Commissioned: October 20, 1941
• Service life: 1 year and 6 days
• Status: Sunk in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands

9. CV-9 Essex

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: December 31, 1942
• Service life: 26 years, 5 months, and 20 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1975

10. CV-10 Yorktown

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: April 15, 1943
• Service life: 27 years, 2 months, and 12 days
• Status: Preserved at the Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum–Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

11. CV-11 Intrepid

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: August 16, 1943
• Service life: 30 years, 6 months, and 27 days
• Status: Preserved at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum–New York, New York

12. CV-12 Hornet

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: November 20, 1943
• Service life: 26 years, 6 months, and 6 days
• Status: Preserved at USS Hornet Museum–Alameda, California

13. CV-13 Franklin

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: January 31, 1944
• Service life: 2 years, 11 months and 17 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1966

14. CV-14 Ticonderoga

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: May 8, 1944
• Service life: 29 years, 3 months, 24 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1975

15. CV-15 Randolph

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: October 9, 1933
• Service life: 24 years, 4 months, and 4 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1975

16. CV-16 Lexington

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: February 17, 1943
• Service life: 48 years, 8 months, and 22 days
• Status: Preserved at USS Lexington Museum On The Bay–Corpus Christi, Texas

17. CV-17 Bunker Hill

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: May 25, 1953
• Service life: 4 years, 1 month, and 14 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1973

18. CV-18 Wasp

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: November 24, 1943
• Service life: 28 years, 7 months, and 7 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1973

19. CV-19 Hancock

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: April 15, 1944
• Service life: 31 years, 9 months, and 15 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1976

20. CV-20 Bennington

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: August 6, 1944
• Service life: 25 years, 5 months, and 9 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1944

21. CV-21 Boxer

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: April 16, 1945
• Service life: 24 years, 7 months, and 15 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1971

22. CVL-22 Independence

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: January 14, 1943
• Service life: 3 years, 7 months, and 14 days
• Status: Scuttled in 1951

23. CVL-23 Princeton

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: February 25, 1943
• Service life: 1 year, 7 months, and 29 days
• Status: Sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf

24. CVL-24 Belleau Wood

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: March 31, 1943
• Service life: 3 years, 9 months, and 13 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1960

25. CVL-25 Cowpens

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: May 28, 1943
• Service life: 3 years, 7 months, and 16 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1960

26. CVL-26 Monterey

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: June 17, 1943
• Service life: 12 years, 6 months, and 30 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1971

27. CVL-27 Langley

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: August 31, 1943
• Service life: 3 years, 5 months, and 11 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1964

28. CVL-28 Cabot

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: July 24, 1943
• Service life: 11 years, 5 months, and 28 days
• Status: Scrapped in 2002

29. CVL-29 Bataan

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: November 17, 1943
• Service life: 10 years, 4 months, and 23 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1961

30. CVL-30 San Jacinto

• Class: Independence
• Commissioned: December 15, 1943
• Service life: 3 years, 2 months, and 14 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1972

31. CV-31 Bon Homme Richard

• Class: Essex
• Commissioned: November 26, 1944
• Service life: 26 years, 7 months, and 6 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1992

32. CV-32 Leyte

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: April 11, 1946
• Service life: 13 years, 1 month, and 4 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1970

33. CV-33 Kearsarge

• Class: Essex (extended bow)
• Commissioned: May 2, 1946
• Service life: 23 years, 8 months, and 13 days
• Status: Scrapped in 1974

The post These Aircraft Carriers Kickstarted US Naval Supremacy appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..