87-910: The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy , was a small and slower type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy , the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II . They were typically half
174-599: A destroyer and smaller than a cruiser. In other navies, such a ship generally was referred to as a " flotilla leader ", or "destroyer leader". Hence the U.S. Navy's use of "DL" for "frigate" prior to 1975, while "frigates" in other navies were smaller than destroyers and more like what the U.S. Navy termed a " destroyer escort ", " ocean escort ", or "DE". The United States Navy 1975 ship reclassification of cruisers , frigates, and ocean escorts brought U.S. Navy classifications into line with other nations' classifications, at least cosmetically in terms of terminology, and eliminated
261-439: A hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number ) to identify their ships by type and by individual ship within a type. The system is analogous to the pennant number system that the Royal Navy and other European and Commonwealth navies use. The U.S. Navy began to assign unique Naval Registry Identification Numbers to its ships in the 1890s. The system was a simple one in which each ship received
348-687: A capability for operations exceeding 48 hours on the high seas without support. This notably included Brown Water Navy /Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War. Few of these ships are in service today. Amphibious warfare vessels include all ships having an organic capability for amphibious warfare and which have characteristics enabling long duration operations on the high seas. There are two classifications of craft: amphibious warfare ships , which are built to cross oceans, and landing craft , which are designed to take troops from ship to shore in an invasion. The U.S. Navy hull classification symbol for
435-451: A complement of aircraft only one-half to two-thirds the size of a full-sized fleet carrier . A light carrier was similar in concept to an escort carrier in most respects; however, light carriers were intended for higher speeds to be deployed alongside fleet carriers, while escort carriers were typically relatively slow and usually defended equally slow convoys, as well as providing air support during amphibious operations. In World War II ,
522-672: A completely enclosed hangar when operating in the North Atlantic and in support of the Arctic convoys . Of the U.S.-built escort carriers, Nabob and Puncher sailed on launch from Tacoma to the port of Vancouver , where they were lightly refitted to Royal Navy standard and then crewed by Royal Canadian Navy personnel. Both ships served in the North Atlantic while nominally under the British fleet and carrying aircraft of
609-630: A component of the United States Department of Commerce , includes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (or "NOAA Corps"), one of the eight uniformed services of the United States , and operates a fleet of seagoing research and survey ships. The NOAA fleet also uses a hull classification symbol system, which it also calls "hull numbers," for its ships. After NOAA took over
696-426: A full-size fleet carrier. The aircraft hangar typically ran only 1 ⁄ 3 of the way under the flight deck and housed a combination of 24–30 fighters and bombers organized into one single "composite squadron". By comparison, a late Essex -class fleet carrier of the period could carry 103 aircraft organized into separate fighter, bomber and torpedo-bomber squadrons. The island (superstructure) on these ships
783-494: A limited period. Once all major aircraft were equipped with refueling probes, it became much easier to fly the aircraft directly to its base instead of shipping it. The last chapter in the history of escort carriers consisted of two conversions: as an experiment, USS Thetis Bay was converted from an aircraft carrier into a pure helicopter carrier (CVHA-1) and used by the Marine Corps to carry assault helicopters for
870-400: A need for carriers to defend its trade routes in the 1930s. While designs had been prepared for "trade protection carriers" and five suitable liners identified for conversion, nothing further was done – mostly because there were insufficient aircraft for even the fleet carriers under construction at the time. However, by 1940 the need had become urgent and HMS Audacity was converted from
957-811: A number which was appended to its ship type, fully spelled out, and added parenthetically after the ship's name when deemed necessary to avoid confusion between ships. Under this system, for example, the battleship Indiana was USS Indiana (Battleship No. 1), the cruiser Olympia was USS Olympia (Cruiser No. 6), and so on. Beginning in 1907, some ships also were referred to alternatively by single-letter or three-letter codes—for example, USS Indiana (Battleship No. 1) could be referred to as USS Indiana (B-1) and USS Olympia (Cruiser No. 6) could also be referred to as USS Olympia (C-6), while USS Pennsylvania (Armored Cruiser No. 4) could be referred to as USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4). However, rather than replacing it, these codes coexisted and were used interchangeably with
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#17328008214471044-610: A result, construction between the World Wars had been insufficient to meet operational needs for aircraft carriers as World War II expanded from Europe. Too few fleet carriers were available to simultaneously transport aircraft to distant bases, support amphibious invasions, offer carrier landing training for replacement pilots, conduct anti-submarine patrols, and provide defensive air cover for deployed battleships and cruisers. The foregoing mission requirements limited use of fleet carriers' unique offensive strike capability demonstrated at
1131-450: A ship with a well deck depends on its facilities for aircraft : Ships Landing Craft Operated by Military Sealift Command, have ship prefix "USNS", hull code begins with "T-". Mine warfare ships are those ships whose primary function is mine warfare on the high seas. In 1955 all mine warfare vessels except for degaussing vessels had their hull codes changed to begin with "M". Coastal defense ships are those whose primary function
1218-636: A ship's hull classification symbol begins with "W", it is a commissioned cutter of the United States Coast Guard . Until 1965, the Coast Guard used U.S. Navy hull classification codes, prepending a "W" to their beginning. In 1965, it retired some of the less mission-appropriate Navy-based classifications and developed new ones of its own, most notably WHEC for " high endurance cutter " and WMEC for " medium endurance cutter ". The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
1305-448: A single 5-inch (127 mm) dual-purpose gun mounted on the stern, but the pursuing Japanese cruisers closed to within range of these guns. One of the guns damaged the burning Japanese heavy cruiser Chōkai , and a subsequent bomb dropped by an aircraft hit the cruiser's forward machinery room, leaving her dead in the water. A kamikaze attack sank USS St Lo ; kamikaze aircraft attacking other ships were shot down. Ultimately
1392-644: A time when available carrier decks had been reduced to Enterprise and Saratoga in the Pacific and Ranger in the Atlantic. In addition, they had enough speed to take part in fleet actions with the larger carriers while escort carriers did not. Late in the war, a follow on to the Independence class, the Saipan class , was designed. Two vessels in this class— Saipan and Wright —were completed after
1479-542: A unique hull number separated by a space rather than a hyphen; for example, the third Coast and Geodetic Survey ship named Pioneer was an ocean survey ship officially known as USC&GS Pioneer (OSS 31) . The Coast and Geodetic Survey ' s system persisted after the creation of NOAA in 1970, when NOAA took control of the Survey ' s fleet, but NOAA later changed to its modern hull classification system. The Fish and Wildlife Service, created in 1940 and reorganized as
1566-403: A unique identifying number. They eventually were renumbered under the modern NOAA hull number system. The U.S. Navy instituted its modern hull classification system on 17 July 1920, doing away with section patrol numbers, "identification numbers", and the other numbering systems described above. In the new system, all hull classification symbols are at least two letters; for basic types the symbol
1653-414: A unique method of categorizing ships of all types: combatants, auxiliaries and district craft. Although considerably changed in detail and expanded over the years, this system remains essentially the same as when formally implemented in 1920. It is a very useful tool for organizing and keeping track of naval vessels, and also provides the basis for the identification numbers painted on the bows (and frequently
1740-563: Is coastal patrol and interdiction. An auxiliary ship is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations. Ships which have the capability to provide underway replenishment (UNREP) to fleet units. Mobile logistics ships have the capability to provide direct material support to other deployed units operating far from home ports. Support ships are not designed to participate in combat and are generally not armed. For ships with civilian crews (owned by and/or operated for Military Sealift Command and
1827-430: Is the first letter of the type name, doubled, except for aircraft carriers. The combination of symbol and hull number identifies a modern Navy ship uniquely. A heavily modified or re-purposed ship may receive a new symbol, and either retain the hull number or receive a new one. For example, the heavy gun cruiser USS Boston (CA-69) was converted to a gun/missile cruiser, changing the hull number to CAG-1. Also,
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#17328008214471914-469: Is the post-1975 type code for "Frigate." The hull classification codes for ships in active duty in the United States Navy are governed under Secretary of the Navy Instruction 5030.8D. Warships are designed to participate in combat operations. The origin of the two-letter code derives from the need to distinguish various cruiser subtypes. Aircraft carriers are ships designed primarily for
2001-600: The Blue Ridge class . Unlike almost all other major classes of ships and patrol boats from World War II, most of which can be found in a museum or port, no escort carrier or American light carrier has survived; all were destroyed during the war or broken up in the following decades. The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships records that the last former escort carrier remaining in naval service—USS Annapolis —was sold for scrapping 19 December 1979. The last American light carrier (the escort carrier's faster sister type)
2088-496: The Battle of Leyte Gulf . They lacked the speed and weapons to counter enemy fleets, relying on the protection of a Fast Carrier Task Force . However, at the Battle off Samar , one U.S. task force of escort carriers and destroyers managed to successfully defend itself against a much larger Japanese force of battleships and cruisers. The Japanese met a furious defense of carrier aircraft, screening destroyers, and destroyer escorts. Of
2175-683: The Battle of Taranto and the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Conversion of existing ships (and hulls under construction for other purposes) provided additional aircraft carriers until new construction became available. Conversions of cruisers and passenger liners with speed similar to fleet carriers were identified by the U.S. as " light aircraft carriers " ( hull classification symbol CVL) able to operate at battle fleet speeds. Slower conversions were classified as "escort carriers" and were considered naval auxiliaries suitable for pilot training and transport of aircraft to distant bases. The Royal Navy had recognized
2262-458: The Battle of the Atlantic , escort carriers were used to protect convoys against U-boats . Initially escort carriers accompanied the merchant ships and helped to fend off attacks from aircraft and submarines. As numbers increased later in the war, escort carriers also formed part of hunter-killer groups that sought out submarines instead of being attached to a particular convoy. In the Pacific theater, CVEs provided air support of ground troops in
2349-520: The Colossus class, though two of these were modified whilst under construction into aircraft maintenance carriers. An additional five carriers, none of which were completed in time for service in World War II, were built with revisions upgrading the design to handle larger and heavier aircraft, receiving the designation Majestic class. In the post-war period, the Royal Navy operated a force of
2436-413: The Colossus class, was a scaled-down version of their Illustrious -class fleet carrier. The design could be built in a yard with little or no experience of warship construction. Although built to merchant standards, the design incorporated better watertight subdivision . Expected to have a lifetime of about three years, the last of the design was taken out of service in 2001. The first ten were built as
2523-593: The Fleet Air Arm . The attack on Pearl Harbor brought up an urgent need for aircraft carriers , so some T3 tankers were converted to escort carriers; USS Suwannee is an example of how a T3 tanker hull , AO-33, was rebuilt to be an escort carrier. The T3 tanker size and speed made the T3 a useful escort carrier. There were two classes of T3 hull carriers: Sangamon class and Commencement Bay class. The U.S. discovered their own uses for escort carriers. In
2610-520: The Korean War , when it was determined that a sudden temporary need arose for a ship for which there was no official Navy designation. During World War II , for example, a number of commercial vessels were requisitioned, or acquired, by the U.S. Navy to meet the sudden requirements of war. A yacht acquired by the U.S. Navy during the start of World War II might seem desirable to the Navy whose use for
2697-786: The Maritime Administration ), the prefix T- is placed at the front of the hull classification. Support ships are designed to operate in the open ocean in a variety of sea states to provide general support to either combatant forces or shore-based establishments. They include smaller auxiliaries which, by the nature of their duties, leave inshore waters. Service craft are navy-subordinated craft (including non-self-propelled) designed to provide general support to either combatant forces or shore-based establishments. The suffix "N" refers to non-self-propelled variants. Although aircraft, pre-World War II rigid airships were commissioned (no different from surface warships and submarines), flew
Escort carrier - Misplaced Pages Continue
2784-611: The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1956, adopted a hull number system for its fisheries research ships and patrol vessels . It consisted of "FWS" followed by a unique identifying number. In 1970, NOAA took control of the seagoing ships of the USFWS's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, and as part of the NOAA fleet they were assigned new hull numbers beginning with "FRV," for Fisheries Research Vessel, followed by
2871-466: The United States Navy produced a number of light carriers by converting cruiser hulls. These Independence -class aircraft carriers , converted from Cleveland -class light cruisers , were unsatisfactory ships for aviation with their narrow, short decks and slender, high- sheer hulls; in virtually all respects the escort carriers were superior aviation vessels. These issues were superseded by Independence -class ships' virtue of being available at
2958-454: The helicopter and the jet fighter , and with this a complete rethinking of its strategies and ships' tasks. Although several of the latest Commencement Bay -class CVE were deployed as floating airfields during the Korean War , the main reasons for the development of the escort carrier had disappeared or could be dealt with better by newer weapons. The emergence of the helicopter meant that helicopter-deck equipped frigates could now take over
3045-429: The island-hopping campaign. In this role they provided air cover for the troopships and flew the first wave of attacks on beach fortifications in amphibious landing operations. On occasion, they even escorted the large carriers, serving as emergency airstrips and providing fighter cover for their larger sisters while these were busy readying or refueling their own planes. They also transported aircraft and spare parts from
3132-592: The 151 aircraft carriers built in the U.S. during World War II, 122 were escort carriers, though no examples survive. The Casablanca class was the most numerous class of aircraft carrier, with 50 launched. Second was the Bogue class , with 45 launched. In the early 1920s, the Washington Naval Treaty imposed limits on the maximum size and total tonnage of aircraft carriers for the five main naval powers. Later treaties largely kept these provisions. As
3219-639: The British asked the U.S. to build on their behalf six carriers of an improved Audacity design, but the U.S. had already begun their own escort carrier. On 1 February 1941, the United States Chief of Naval Operations gave priority to construction of naval auxiliaries for aircraft transport. U.S. ships built to meet these needs were initially referred to as auxiliary aircraft escort vessels ( AVG ) in February 1942 and then auxiliary aircraft carrier ( ACV ) on 5 August 1942. The first U.S. example of
3306-594: The British, the first U.S. escort carriers were converted merchant vessels (or in the Sangamon class , converted military oilers). The Bogue -class carriers were based on the hull of the Type C3 cargo ship . The last 69 escort carriers of the Casablanca and Commencement Bay classes were purpose-designed and purpose-built carriers drawing on the experience gained with the previous classes. Originally developed at
3393-516: The CVE's role in a convoy while also performing their usual role as submarine hunters. Ship-mounted guided missile launchers took over much of the aircraft protection role, and in-flight refueling eliminated the need for floating stopover points for transport or patrol aircraft. Consequently, after the Commencement Bay class, no new escort carriers were designed, and with every downsizing of
3480-488: The CVEs were called "Kaiser coffins" in honor of Casablanca-class manufacturer Henry J. Kaiser . Magazine protection was minimal in comparison to fleet aircraft carriers. HMS Avenger was sunk within minutes by a single torpedo, and HMS Dasher exploded from undetermined causes with very heavy loss of life. Three escort carriers— USS St. Lo , Ommaney Bay and Bismarck Sea —were destroyed by kamikazes ,
3567-423: The NOAA fleet is divided into two broad categories, research ships and survey ships. The research ships, which include oceanographic and fisheries research vessels, are given hull numbers beginning with "R", while the survey ships, generally hydrographic survey vessels, receive hull numbers beginning with "S". The letter is followed by a three-digit number; the first digit indicates the NOAA "class" (i.e., size) of
Escort carrier - Misplaced Pages Continue
3654-655: The Navy's modern hull classification system's introduction in 1920, which included Coast Guard ships and craft. Like the U.S. Navy, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey – a uniformed seagoing service of the United States Government and a predecessor of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – adopted a hull number system for its fleet in the 20th century. Its largest vessels, "Category I" oceanographic survey ships , were classified as "ocean survey ships" and given
3741-458: The Navy. The SP/ID numbering sequence was unified and continuous, with no SP number repeated in the ID series or vice versa so that there could not be, for example, both an "SP-435" and an "Id. No. 435". The SP and ID numbers were used parenthetically after each boat's or ship's name to identify it; although this system pre-dated the modern hull classification system and its numbers were not referred to at
3828-475: The North Atlantic, they supplemented the escorting destroyers by providing air support for anti-submarine warfare. One of these escort carriers, USS Guadalcanal , was instrumental in the capture of U-505 off North Africa in 1944. In the Pacific theater , escort carriers lacked the speed to sail with fast carrier attack groups, so were often tasked to escort the landing ships and troop carriers during
3915-449: The Royal Navy to provide air scouting, to ward off enemy long-range scouting aircraft and, increasingly, to spot and hunt submarines. Often additional escort carriers joined convoys, not as fighting ships but as transporters, ferrying aircraft from the U.S. to Britain; twice as many aircraft could be carried by storing aircraft on the flight deck as well as in the hangar. The ships sent to the Royal Navy were slightly modified, partly to suit
4002-488: The U.S. Navy for heavier-than-air craft and possibly comes from the French volplane . Aircraft carriers are designated in two sequences: the first sequence runs from CV-1 USS Langley to the very latest ships, and the second sequence, "CVE" for escort carriers, ran from CVE-1 Long Island to CVE-127 Okinawa before being discontinued. Surface combatants are ships which are designed primarily to engage enemy forces on
4089-427: The U.S. Navy system, once an older NOAA ship leaves service, a newer one can be given the same hull number; for example, "S 222" was assigned to NOAAS Mount Mitchell (S 222) , then assigned to NOAAS Thomas Jefferson (S 222), which entered NOAA service after Mount Mitchell was stricken. The U.S. Navy's system of alpha-numeric ship designators, and its associated hull numbers, have been for several decades
4176-500: The U.S. ensign from their stern and carried a United States Ship (USS) designation. Rigid airships: Lighter-than-air aircraft (e.g., blimps ) continued to fly the U.S. ensign from their stern but were registered as aircraft: United States Navy Designations (Temporary) are a form of U.S. Navy ship designation, intended for temporary identification use. Such designations usually occur during periods of sudden mobilization, such as that which occurred prior to, and during, World War II or
4263-727: The U.S. to remote island airstrips. A battle in which escort carriers played a major role was the Battle off Samar in the Philippines on 25 October 1944. The Japanese lured Admiral William Halsey, Jr. into chasing a decoy fleet with his powerful 3rd Fleet . This left about 450 aircraft from 16 small and slow escort carriers in three task units ("Taffies"), armed primarily to bomb ground forces, and their protective screen of destroyers and slower destroyer escorts to protect undefended troop and supply ships in Leyte Gulf. No Japanese threat
4350-625: The advent of new Air Independent Propulsion /Power (AIP) systems, both SSI and SSP are used to distinguish the types within the USN, but SSP has been declared the preferred term. SSK, retired by the USN, continues to be used colloquially and interchangeably with SS for diesel-electric attack/patrol submarines within the USN, and, more formally, by the Royal Navy and British firms such as Jane's Information Group . Patrol combatants are ships whose mission may extend beyond coastal duties and whose characteristics include adequate endurance and seakeeping, providing
4437-623: The behest of the United Kingdom to operate as part of a North Atlantic convoy escort, rather than as part of a naval strike force, many of the escort carriers produced were assigned to the Royal Navy for the duration of the war under the Lend-Lease act. They supplemented and then replaced the converted merchant aircraft carriers that were put into service by the British and Dutch as an emergency measure until dedicated escort carriers became available. As convoy escorts, they were used by
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#17328008214474524-407: The big carriers, and procedures for launch and recovery were the same as well. The crew size was less than 1 ⁄ 3 of that of a large carrier, but this was still a bigger complement than most naval vessels. U.S. escort carriers were large enough to have facilities such as a permanent canteen or snack bar, called a gedunk bar , in addition to the mess. The bar was open for longer hours than
4611-498: The brunt of the fight. The Taffy ships took dozens of hits, mostly from armor-piercing rounds that passed right through their thin, unarmored hulls without exploding. USS Gambier Bay , sunk in this action, was the only U.S. carrier lost to enemy surface gunfire in the war; the Japanese concentration of fire on this one carrier assisted the escape of the others. The carriers' only substantial armament—aside from their aircraft—was
4698-548: The captured German merchant ship MV Hannover and commissioned in July 1941. For defense from German aircraft, convoys were supplied first with fighter catapult ships and CAM ships that could carry a single (disposable) fighter. In the interim, before escort carriers could be supplied, they also brought in merchant aircraft carriers that could operate four aircraft. In 1940, U.S. Admiral William Halsey recommended construction of naval auxiliaries for pilot training. In early 1941
4785-440: The designation "OSS". Intermediate-sized "Category II" oceanographic survey ships received the designation "MSS" for "medium survey ship," and smaller "Category III" oceanographic survey ships were given the classification "CSS" for "coastal survey ship." A fourth designation, "ASV" for "auxiliary survey vessel," included even smaller vessels. In each case, a particular ship received a unique designation based on its classification and
4872-505: The first wave of amphibious warfare operations. Later, Thetis Bay became a full amphibious assault ship (LHP-6). Although in service only from 1955 (the year of her conversion) to 1964, the experience gained in her training exercises greatly influenced the design of today's amphibious assault ships . In the second conversion, in 1961, USS Gilbert Islands had all her aircraft handling equipment removed and four tall radio antennas installed on her long, flat deck. In lieu of aircraft,
4959-509: The former fleets of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in 1970, it initially retained the Coast and Geodetic Survey's hull-number designations for its survey ships and adopted hull numbers beginning with "FRV", for "Fisheries Research Vessel", for its fisheries research ships . It later adopted a new system of ship classification, which it still uses today. In its modern system,
5046-479: The hangar deck now had 24 military radio transmitter trucks bolted to its floor. Rechristened USS Annapolis , the ship was used as a communication relay ship and served dutifully through the Vietnam War as a floating radio station, relaying transmissions between the forces on the ground and the command centers back home. Like Thetis Bay , the experience gained before Annapolis was stricken in 1976 helped develop today's purpose-built amphibious command ships of
5133-558: The high seas. The primary surface combatants are battleships, cruisers and destroyers. Battleships are very heavily armed and armored; cruisers moderately so; destroyers and smaller warships, less so. Before 1920, ships were called "<type> no. X", with the type fully pronounced. The types were commonly abbreviated in ship lists to "B-X", "C-X", "D-X" et cetera—for example, before 1920, USS Minnesota (BB-22) would have been called "USS Minnesota , Battleship number 22" orally and "USS Minnesota , B-22" in writing. After 1920,
5220-408: The largest ships to meet such a fate. Allied escort carriers were typically around 500 ft (150 m) long, not much more than half the length of the almost 900 ft (270 m) fleet carriers of the same era, but were less than 1 ⁄ 3 of the weight. A typical escort carrier displaced about 8,000 long tons (8,100 t ), as compared to almost 30,000 long tons (30,000 t) for
5307-555: The length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers , more-lightly armed and armored, and carried fewer planes. Escort carriers were most often built upon a commercial ship hull, so they were cheaper and could be built quickly. This was their principal advantage as they could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable, and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVL)
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#17328008214475394-447: The mess and sold several flavors of ice cream , along with cigarettes and other consumables. There were also several vending machines available on board. In all, 130 Allied escort carriers were launched or converted during the war. Of these, six were British conversions of merchant ships: HMS Audacity , Nairana , Campania , Activity , Pretoria Castle and Vindex . The remaining escort carriers were U.S.-built. Like
5481-581: The navy, the CVEs were the first to be mothballed. Several escort carriers were pressed back into service during the first years of the Vietnam War because of their ability to carry large numbers of aircraft. Redesignated AKV (air transport auxiliary), they were manned by a civilian crew and used to ferry whole aircraft and spare parts from the U.S. to Army, Air Force and Marine bases in South Vietnam . However, CVEs were useful in this role only for
5568-836: The older system until the modern system was instituted on 17 July 1920. During World War I , the U.S. Navy acquired large numbers of privately owned and commercial ships and craft for use as patrol vessels , mine warfare vessels , and various types of naval auxiliary ships , some of them with identical names. To keep track of them all, the Navy assigned unique identifying numbers to them. Those deemed appropriate for patrol work received section patrol numbers (SP), while those intended for other purposes received "identification numbers", generally abbreviated "Id. No." or "ID;" some ships and craft changed from an SP to an ID number or vice versa during their careers, without their unique numbers themselves changing, and some ships and craft assigned numbers in anticipation of naval service were never acquired by
5655-750: The other battles). Many escort carriers were Lend-Leased to the United Kingdom, this list specifies the breakdown in service to each navy. In addition, six escort carriers were converted from other types by the British during the war. The table below lists escort carriers and similar ships performing the same missions. The first four were built as early fleet aircraft carriers. Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) carried trade cargo in addition to operating aircraft. Aircraft transports carried larger numbers of planes by eliminating accommodation for operating personnel and storage of fuel and ammunition. tons (standard) The years following World War II brought many revolutionary new technologies to naval aviation, most notably
5742-550: The perceived "cruiser gap" with the Soviet Navy by redesignating the former "frigates" as "cruisers". If a U.S. Navy ship's hull classification symbol begins with "T-", it is part of the Military Sealift Command , has a primarily civilian crew, and is a United States Naval Ship (USNS) in non-commissioned service – as opposed to a commissioned United States Ship (USS) with an all-military crew. If
5829-428: The purpose of conducting combat operations by aircraft which engage in attacks against airborne, surface, sub-surface and shore targets. Contrary to popular belief, the "CV" hull classification symbol does not stand for "carrier vessel". "CV" derives from the cruiser designation, with one popular theory that the V comes from French voler , "to fly", but this has never been definitively proven. The V has long been used by
5916-446: The same designation as naval ships but preceded by a "W" to indicate Coast Guard commission. The U.S. Coast Guard considers any ship over 65 feet in length with a permanently assigned crew, a cutter. Light aircraft carrier A light aircraft carrier , or light fleet carrier , is an aircraft carrier smaller than the standard carriers of a navy . The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have
6003-537: The ship's name would have been both written and pronounced "USS Minnesota (BB-22)". In generally decreasing size, the types are: Submarines are all self-propelled submersible types (usually started with SS) regardless of whether employed as combatant, auxiliary, or research and development vehicles which have at least a residual combat capability. While some classes, including all diesel-electric submarines, are retired from USN service, non-U.S. navies continue to employ SS, SSA, SSAN, SSB, SSC, SSG, SSM, and SST types. With
6090-404: The sterns) of most U.S. Navy ships. The ship designator and hull number system's roots extend back to the late 1880s when ship type serial numbers were assigned to most of the new-construction warships of the emerging "Steel Navy". During the course of the next thirty years, these same numbers were combined with filing codes used by the Navy's clerks to create an informal version of the system that
6177-463: The superior Japanese surface force withdrew, believing they were confronted by a stronger force than was the case. Most of the damage to the Japanese fleet was inflicted by torpedoes fired by destroyers, and bombs from the carriers' aircraft. The U.S. Navy lost a similar number of ships and more men than in the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway combined (though major fleet carriers were lost in
6264-409: The system of symbols has changed a number of times both since it was introduced in 1907 and since the modern system was instituted in 1920, so ships' symbols sometimes change without anything being done to the physical ship. Hull numbers are assigned by classification. Duplication between, but not within, classifications is permitted. Hence, CV-1 was the aircraft carrier USS Langley and BB-1
6351-540: The ten Colossus carriers, while the five Majestic carriers were sold, during construction, to Australia, Canada and India. The Majestics were followed, after the war, by the four light carriers of the Centaur class. In the 1970s the Royal Navy introduced a new type of light carrier, designed to operate the V/STOL Hawker Siddeley Harrier . Originally classed as "through-deck cruisers",
6438-654: The time as "hull codes" or "hull numbers," it was used in a similar manner to today's system and can be considered its precursor. The United States Revenue Cutter Service , which merged with the United States Lifesaving Service in January 1915 to form the modern United States Coast Guard , began following the Navy's lead in the 1890s, with its cutters having parenthetical numbers called Naval Registry Identification Numbers following their names, such as (Cutter No. 1), etc. This persisted until
6525-435: The time of construction, what they should be used for. Many of these were vessels in the 150 to 200 feet length class with powerful engines, whose function could be that of a minesweeper , patrol craft , submarine chaser , seaplane tender , tugboat , or other. Once their destiny, or capability, was found or determined, such vessels were reclassified with their actual designation. Prior to 1965, U.S. Coast Guard cutters used
6612-401: The traditions of that service. Among other things the ice-cream making machines were removed, since they were considered unnecessary luxuries on ships which provided a grog ration. The heavy duty washing machines of the laundry room were removed, since "all a British sailor needs to keep clean is a bucket and a bar of soap" (quoted from Warrilow). Other modifications were due to the need for
6699-430: The type was USS Long Island . Operation Torch and North Atlantic anti-submarine warfare proved these ships capable aircraft carriers for ship formations moving at the speed of trade or amphibious invasion convoys. U.S. classification revision to escort aircraft carrier ( CVE ) on 15 July 1943 reflected upgraded status from auxiliary to combatant. They were informally known as "Jeep carriers" or "baby flattops". It
6786-449: The vessel might not be fully developed or explored at the time of acquisition. On the other hand, a U.S. Navy vessel, such as the yacht in the example above, already in commission or service, might be desired, or found useful, for another need or purpose for which there is no official designation. Numerous other U.S. Navy vessels were launched with a temporary, or nominal, designation, such as YMS or PC, since it could not be determined, at
6873-432: The vessel, which NOAA assigns based on the ship's gross tonnage and horsepower , while the next two digits combine with the first digit to create a unique three-digit identifying number for the ship. Generally, each NOAA hull number is written with a space between the letter and the three-digit number, as in, for example, NOAAS Nancy Foster (R 352) or NOAAS Thomas Jefferson (S 222) . Unlike in
6960-511: The war's end. After very brief lives as carriers, the Saipan s were converted to command and communication ships. By the start of World War II, the Royal Navy 's HMS Hermes , the first purpose-built aircraft carrier (launched 1919, sunk 1942) was being considered as equivalent to a light aircraft carrier, due to her small size, small aircraft complement and lack of armour. The British 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier , originally designated
7047-811: Was USS Cabot , which was broken up in 2002 after a decade-long attempt to preserve the vessel. Later in the Cold War the U.S.-designed Sea Control Ship was intended to serve a similar role; while none were actually built, the Spanish aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias and the Thai HTMS ; Chakri Naruebet are based on the concept. For complete lists see: [REDACTED] Media related to Escort carriers at Wikimedia Commons Hull classification symbol The United States Navy , United States Coast Guard , and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use
7134-660: Was a similar concept to the escort carrier in most respects, but was fast enough to operate alongside fleet carriers. Escort carriers were too slow to keep up with the main forces consisting of fleet carriers, battleships, and cruisers. Instead, they were used to escort merchant ship convoys , defending them from enemy threats such as submarines and planes. In the invasions of mainland Europe and Pacific islands, escort carriers provided air support to ground forces during amphibious operations . Escort carriers also served as backup aircraft transports for fleet carriers, and ferried aircraft of all military services to points of delivery. In
7221-495: Was believed to be in the area, but a force of four battleships , including the formidable Yamato , eight cruisers , and 11 destroyers, appeared, sailing towards Leyte Gulf. Only the Taffies were in the way of the Japanese attack. The slow carriers could not outrun 30-knot (35 mph; 56 km/h) cruisers. They launched their aircraft and maneuvered to avoid shellfire, helped by smoke screens, for over an hour. "Taffy 3" bore
7308-568: Was put in place in 1920. Limited usage of ship numbers goes back even earlier, most notably to the "Jeffersonian Gunboats" of the early 1800s and the "Tinclad" river gunboats of the Civil War Mississippi Squadron. It is important to understand that hull number-letter prefixes are not acronyms, and should not be carelessly treated as abbreviations of ship type classifications. Thus, "DD" does not stand for anything more than "Destroyer". "SS" simply means "Submarine". And "FF"
7395-405: Was quickly found that the escort carriers had better performance than light carriers, which tended to pitch badly in moderate to high seas. The Commencement Bay class was designed to incorporate the best features of American CVLs on a more stable hull with a less expensive propulsion system. Among their crews, CVE was sarcastically said to stand for "Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable", and
7482-408: Was small and cramped, and located well forward of the funnels (unlike on a normal-sized carrier, where the funnels were integrated into the island). Although the first escort carriers had only one aircraft elevator, having two elevators (one fore and one aft), along with the single aircraft catapult, quickly became standard. The carriers employed the same system of arresting cables and tail hooks as on
7569-403: Was the battleship USS Indiana . Ship types and classifications have come and gone over the years, and many of the symbols listed below are not presently in use. The Naval Vessel Register maintains an online database of U.S. Navy ships showing which symbols are presently in use. After World War II until 1975, the U.S. Navy defined a " frigate " as a type of surface warship larger than
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