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American carriers

WW2 General Discuss American carriers in the World War II - General forums; I have a number of questions regarding American carriers at the time of Pearl Harbor. At the day of the ...

  1. #1
    Senior Member Thorlifter's Avatar
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    American carriers

    I have a number of questions regarding American carriers at the time of Pearl Harbor. At the day of the attack, the US had 7 large carriers in the Pacific; Yorktown, Langley, Saratoga, Enterprise, Hornet, Lexington, and Wasp. They also had the Ranger in the Atlantic.

    Langley was lost in February 42 near Australia
    Lexington was lost in May 42 at Coral Sea
    Yorktown was lost in June 42 at Midway
    Wasp was lost in Sept 42 in the south pacific
    Hornet was lost in Oct 42 at Santa Cruz

    1942 was a bad year for Carriers.....

    1. How soon after Pearl Harbor did a keel for a new carrier get started?
    2. I'm assuming it was the Essex class carrier, right?
    3. How soon did the new carriers become operational?
    4. When did the smaller carriers start being produced and what class were they?
    5. Are the smaller carriers what they call escort carriers?
    6. Other than the Ranger in the Atlantic, were there any others pre Pearl Harbor?

    Yes, some of this stuff I could look up. I just thought it would make for a good discussion here.



    As a side note, the Saratoga, Ranger, and Enterprise were the only carriers to survive the entire war.

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    Langley at time was a seaplane tender, yes they can embark landplanes but sure it's not a large carrier, i think is not best of a CVE
    Wasp was in Atlantic same for Yorktown and Hornet

    Essex and Yorktown (essex class) operate vs marcus island 31st august 1943

    the first CVE go in operation in summer '42, the first CVL in august '43
    Last edited by Vincenzo; 01-09-2012 at 12:45 PM.

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    Senior Member Thorlifter's Avatar
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    Vincenzo, the Yorktown was sunk in June of 42. No way it was at the Marcus Islands in August. And I believe she was a Yorktown class, not Essex.

    U.S.S. Essex was not even commissioned until December of 42.
    Last edited by Thorlifter; 01-09-2012 at 04:19 PM.

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    Senior Member ToughOmbre's Avatar
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    Thor, Vincenzo is talking about the the second Yorktown (CV-10) which was an Essex class.


    “Let's get Enterprise and Hornet turned into the wind."

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    Senior Member Aaron Brooks Wolters's Avatar
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    This site will give you all the dates you are looking for. Launch, Commissioned, Retired lost etc. And it has a boat load of photos.
    http://www.navsource.org/

    1.) Yorktown/CV5 Lost on June 7th, 1942.
    2.) Yorktown/CV10-Initially named Bon Homme Richard after Captain John Paul Jones' Bonhomme Richard (note different spelling), in turn named to honor Benjamin Franklin. Renamed, 26 September 1942, in tribute to USS Yorktown (CV-5), lost three months earlier at the Battle of Midway, thus becoming the fourth US warship to bear the name of a town in Virginia, where the climactic battle of the American Revolution was fought in the autumn of 1781. The name Bon Homme Richard was subsequently assigned to CV-31.

    There were carriers being built already which is the reason they came back as quick as they did. Once the United States knew that war was unavoidable they started ramping up. And once they started they didn't look back. If a carrier was lost, one already being built was renamed or they immediately laid down another keel as with the case of the Wasp CV7 lost on the 15th of September 1942 and the new keel was laid on the 18th of September 1942 and she was commissioned on November 24th 1943.

    As for the Jeep Carriers or Escort Carriers the Independence CVL22 was the first. Launched on August 22nd,1942 and commissioned January 14th, 1943.
    Prewar list of carriers.
    LANGLEY (CV 1)
    LEXINGTON (CV 2)
    SARATOGA (CV 3)
    RANGER (CV 4)
    YORKTOWN (CV 5)
    ENTERPRISE (CV 6)
    WASP (CV 7)
    HORNET (CV 8 )


    Hope this helps.
    Last edited by Aaron Brooks Wolters; 01-09-2012 at 07:43 PM.

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    thor you need read again my reply.

    n.b. operational get also several months later of commission

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    Senior Member Thorlifter's Avatar
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    My mistake Vincenzo. I forgot about the CV-10 Yorktown so you are correct. And thanks for the website link ABW. I'll study that in more detail today.

    So if I understand the timeline regarding the Yorktown, CV5 was lost on June 7th '42. CV10 was renamed to the Yorktown on September 26th '42.
    Last edited by Thorlifter; 01-10-2012 at 08:53 AM.

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    Senior Member Aaron Brooks Wolters's Avatar
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    According to the website that would be correct. He does his best to keep it updated and correct. So if folks find something that is not correct they are encouraged to let him know and he will set it right.

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    Senior Member machine shop tom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Brooks Wolters View Post
    .......................

    As for the Jeep Carriers or Escort Carriers the Independence CVL22 was the first. Launched on August 22nd,1942 and commissioned January 14th, 1943.
    The Independence was not a Jeep or Escort Carrier---she was a "light" (hence the CVL designation). Jeep, or Escort Carriers were designated CVE.

    Here is some info on CVE classes and origins:

    Escort Carrier Notes

    tom
    MSNBC says to "Lean Forward". What they REALLY mean is "Bend Over".

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    Senior Member Aaron Brooks Wolters's Avatar
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    Thank you for the correction Tom. Sorry about that.

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    Senior Member machine shop tom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Brooks Wolters View Post
    Thank you for the correction Tom. Sorry about that.
    Hey, no problem. My dad was on the Fanshaw Bay, CVE 70.

    tom
    MSNBC says to "Lean Forward". What they REALLY mean is "Bend Over".

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    Senior Member Aaron Brooks Wolters's Avatar
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    For your dad sir.

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    Senior Member oldcrowcv63's Avatar
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    USN Carriers in the Pacific, December, 1941

    Thor,

    Only Enterprise (CV-6), Sara (CV-3) and Lex (CV-2) were in the Pacific December 7, 1941. Yorktown (CV-5), Hornet (CV- and Wasp (CV-7)were in the Atlantic and came later to the Pacific theater and in that order.

    Keel of the Essex was laid: 4/28/41 (Source: wikipedia), launched 7/31/42 commissioned: 12/31/42. First
    wartime operation: Marcus Island 8/31/43. Yorktown (CV-10) followed by about 4-6 months later. but went to war with Essex.

    The light carriers (with sufficient speed and protection to play with the big boys (fleet (full sized) carriers) were based on light cruiser hulls
    introduced starting with Independence (CVL-22), laid May 41, lanched August 42, and commissioned in January of 43. The initial nine were
    in commission by December of 43. The first operational use of a CVL was in the company of Essex (CV-9) and Yorktown (CV-10) on the
    Marcus Island raid. The first fiver were in action by the Fall of 1943.

    CVE escort (or jeep) carriers were based on commercial freighter or tanker hulls and about 10-15 knots slower, operating an airgroup
    complement of roughly similar size as a CVL (but different in composition and aircraft types).

    Best source-reading (and a great read with lots of detail on carriers and aircraft) is Lundstrom's First Team covers carrier operations
    (with enphasis on fighter squadrons) through Midway (June 1942). He has a sequal First Team that covers the Guadacanal campaign
    through early 1943.

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    Senior Member Thorlifter's Avatar
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    Excellent. This is exactly what I was looking for.

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    Senior Member Messy1's Avatar
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    Are their any light/escort carriers preserved?

    Bryon O.




    "When you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!" Franklin Roosevelt


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