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