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The World at War
Fleet Carriers

Essex-class Heavy Carriers


USS Essex
USS Essex (CV-9) underway at sea during the Okinawa Campaign, 20 May 1945.
Note that her air group contains both F4U and F6F fighters.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
Photo source:
U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ]
The Essex-class fleet carriers were the most numerous class of heavy attack carriers built by any nation, and formed the core of the Fast Carrier Task Groups which operated in the Pacific during World War II. Carrying one hundred aircraft, each carrier was capable of projecting considerable firepower over great distances. It was the Essex-class carrier which ultimately brought the war to the doorstep of the Japanese.

Although several Essex-class carriers were damaged in combat, some severely, none was ever lost to enemy action.

After the war, many of the ships were mothballed pending disposal, as there was thought to be no further use for them. Then came Korea, and the Essex-class carriers returned to service. With upgrades and refits, the carriers flew missions in support of the ground troops and behind enemy lines, proving again their versatility.

They continued to serve after Korea, forming the core of anti-submarine task groups during the Cold War, tracking potential enemy submarines. Several ships were converted to serve as Marine assault transports, carrying a Marine battleforce along with the helicopters to bring them ashore and the fighter aircraft to cover the landings and subsequent operations.

The Vietnam War was the final achievement of the venerable Essex-class ships. Flying missions from Yankee and Dixie Stations, they continued their tradition of being where they were needed when they were needed. However, advances in technology, both naval and aviation, doomed these veterans and, one by one, they were replaced by newer, bigger carriers. Eventually, they were relegated to support and training use only.

The last serving Essex-class carrier, USS Lexington, was decommissioned in 1991.

Five of the ships continue to perform useful work, however; Yorktown, Intrepid, Hornet and Lexington as museum ships, and Oriskany as an artificial reef off Pensacola, Florida.
USS Ticonderoga
USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14) with her rails manned, circa 1970-72, following conversion to an anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier.
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.
Photo source:
U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ]


Construction Data


Dimensions


Displacement Length A modification of the class included the addition of a second quad 40mm mount on the bow, along with a gun director for the now twin quad mounts. This resulted in an increase in hull length of 16 feet. Ships so modified are referred to as "long-hull" Essex-class, or occasionally as Ticonderoga-class, after the first ship to receive the modification.

Beam Draft

Design


Machinery:
Speed: 33 knots
Range/Endurance:

Personnel


Ship's Company: 3,448
Air Group:


Armament


Weapons: 12 x 5" naval guns
Aircraft:


Refits


SCB-27A Modernization
(1948 - 1953)

Applied to CV-9, CV-10, CV-12, CV-15, CV-18, CV-20, CV-33, CV-39. CV-34 completed to SCB-27A standards.

SCB-27C Modernization (Phase 1)
(1951 - 1954)

Applied to CV-11, CV-14, CV-19.
All features of SCB-27A, plus

SCB-27C Modernization (Phase 2)
(1951 - 1955)

Applied to CV-16, CV-31, CV-38.
Includes SCB-27C (Phase 1) and SCB-125 (Phase 3).

SCB-125 Modernization (Phase 1)
(1951-1955)

Applied to CV-16, CV-31, CV-38.
Includes SCB-27C (Phase 1) and SCB-125 (Phase 3), plus

SCB-125 Modernization (Phase 2)
(1955-1957)

Applied to CV-11, CV-14, CV-19.
Includes SCB-125 (Phase 3), plus

SCB-125 Modernization (Phase 3)
(1951-1957)

Applied to CV-9, CV-10, CV-12, CV-15, CV-18, CV-20, CV-33.

SCB-125A Modernization
(1959)

Applied to CV-34 only.
Included both SCB-27C and SCB-125 modifications, plus

SCB-144 Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) II
( -1965)



Notes


Production of Essex-class carriers continued throughout the Second World War. Lessons learned in combat caused continuing changes to the design of the ships. As a result, no two Essex-class carriers are identical. The most visible differences are in the number and locations of the catapults, the weapons fit, the type and arrangement of radio and radar antennae, and the design of the command and control spaces in the island.

Ships in Class

CV-9 USS Essex CV-10 USS Yorktown CV-11 USS Intrepid CV-12 USS Hornet CV-13 USS Franklin CV-14 USS Ticonderoga * CV-15 USS Randolph * CV-16 USS Lexington CV-17 USS Bunker Hill CV-18 USS Wasp CV-19 USS Hancock * CV-20 USS Bennington CV-21 USS Boxer * CV-31 USS Bon Homme Richard CV-32 USS Leyte * CV-33 USS Kearsarge * CV-34 USS Oriskany CV-35 Reprisal * CV-36 USS Antietam * CV-37 USS Princeton * CV-38 USS Shangri-La * CV-39 USS Lake Champlain * CV-40 USS Tarawa * CV-45 USS Valley Forge * CV-46 Iwo Jima * CV-47 USS Philippine Sea * CV-50 CV-51 CV-52 CV-53 CV-54 CV-55
An asterisk indicates long-hull, or Ticonderoga-class ships. All others are short-hull, or Essex-class.

Sources

Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - U. S. Naval Historical Center - CV-9 USS Essex  [ Flag of United States ] Essex class - U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ] Ticonderoga class - U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ] SCB-27 modernization of Essex/Ticonderoga class aircraft carriers - U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ] SCB-125 modernization of Essex/Ticonderoga class aircraft carriers - U. S. Naval Historical Center  [ Flag of United States ] Essex class aircraft carrier [ Wikipedia icon ] SCB-27 [ Wikipedia icon ] SCB-125 [ Wikipedia icon ] The Essex Aircraft Carriers by Andrew Faltum [ book icon ]