Carriers Never Built
Over the years, several carriers were proposed, contracted, or even started, but never completed or commissioned.
A second Langley type conversion was briefly considered, but the idea was dropped when the Washington Naval Treaty
of 1921 resulted in the conversion of Lexington and Saratoga.
Six carriers of the Essex-class were cancelled at the end of World War II, as they were no longer needed. Although
authorisation had been made and contracts awarded, construction was never begun and none was ever assigned names. Two
other Essex-class ships were begun, but construction was halted and the hulls were destroyed.
Similarly, three Midway-class battle carriers were cancelled at the end of World War II (CVB-44, CVB-56, CVB-57).
Several merchant ships were considered for conversion to escort carriers, even to the point of having hull numbers assigned, but work was never commenced. These included:
Many Commencement Bay-class escort carriers never joined the Fleet. Twelve were cancelled at the end of the war before construction was begun, four were laid down but never launched and two were completed but never commissioned.
- Cancelled: CV-50 thru CV-55
- Scrapped before completion: CV-35 Reprisal and CV-46 Iwo Jima
Similarly, three Midway-class battle carriers were cancelled at the end of World War II (CVB-44, CVB-56, CVB-57).
Several merchant ships were considered for conversion to escort carriers, even to the point of having hull numbers assigned, but work was never commenced. These included:
- AVG-2: reserved for conversion of transport AP-21 USS Wakefield, ex-SS Manhattan
- AVG-3: reserved for conversion of transport AP-22 USS Mt. Vernon, ex-SS Washington
- AVG-4: reserved for conversion of transport AP-23 USS West Point, ex-SS America
- AVG-5: reserved for conversion of troopship SS John Ericsson, ex-liner M/S Kungsholm
Many Commencement Bay-class escort carriers never joined the Fleet. Twelve were cancelled at the end of the war before construction was begun, four were laid down but never launched and two were completed but never commissioned.
- Cancelled: CVE-128 thru CVE-139
- Scrapped before completion: CVE-124 Bastogne, CVE-125 Eniwetok, CVE-126 Lingayan, CVE-127 Okinawa
- Not commissioned: CVE-121 Rabaul, CVE-123 Tinian. Since these ships were never commissioned, they did not receive the "USS" prefix to their names
CV-58 United States would have been our first supercarrier. A radical design, incorporating a flush deck and
capable of carrying nuclear-armed bombers, she was cancelled only days after her keel was laid as a result of political
infighting between the armed services.
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