List of aircraft carriers operational during World War II

Naval historians such as Evan Mawdsley, Richard Overy, and Craig Symonds concluded that World War II's decisive victories on land could not have been won without decisive victories at sea.[1][2][3] Naval battles to keep shipping lanes open for combatant's movement of troops, guns, ammunition, tanks, warships, aircraft, raw materials, and food largely determined the outcome of land battles. Without the Allied victory in keeping shipping lanes open during the Battle of the Atlantic, Britain could not have fed her people or withstood Axis offensives in Europe and North Africa.[4] Without Britain's survival and without Allied shipments of food and industrial equipment to the Soviet Union,[a] her military and economic power would likely not have rebounded in time for Russian soldiers to prevail at Stalingrad and Kursk.[5][6][7][8][9]

Without victories at sea in the Pacific theater, the Allies could not have mounted amphibious assaults on or maintained land forces on Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Saipan, The Philippines, Iwo Jima, or Okinawa. Allied operations in the Atlantic and Pacific war theaters were interconnected because they frequently competed for scarce naval resources for everything from aircraft carriers to transports and landing craft.[10] Effective transport of troops and military supplies between the two war theaters required naval protection for shipping routes around the Cape of Good Hope, through the Suez canal, and through the Panama Canal. In both theaters, maritime dominance enabled combatants to use the sea for their own purposes and deprive its use by adversaries. As naval historian Admiral Herbert Richmond stated, "Sea power did not win the war itself: it enabled the war to be won".[11]

Aircraft carriers played a major role in winning decisive naval battles,[12] supporting key amphibious landings, and keeping critical merchant shipping lanes open for transporting military personnel and their equipment to land battle zones. This article is part of a series that covers World War II from the vantage point of aircraft carrier operations and is focused upon the types and names of the carriers themselves. It contains complete lists of aircraft carriers that operated at some point during the period from 1937 to 1945. For each carrier, the list includes date of commissioning and loss, if it was sunk during the war, and its location and operational status at the end of each month during the year after Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Lists of aircraft carriers

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Four types of ships are included in the list: fleet carriers, light carriers, escort carriers, and merchant aircraft carriers.

Fleet and Light Carriers. The number of each combatant's operational fleet and light carriers provides an indication of that country's offensive naval capability at any point in time. These carriers, typically with thirty to ninety aircraft, tended to form the core around which naval striking task forces were assembled during World War II. They could be used effectively in groups capable of launching hundreds of aircraft for massed attacks. At its peak at Pearl Harbor, Japan's main striking force, the Kidō Butai, included six fleet carriers[b] with a total of over 400 aircraft. Later in the war, at the Battle of Iwo Jima, American Task Force 58 included 18 fleet and light carriers carrying more than 1,000 aircraft.

Escort carriers were smaller and slower than fleet or light carriers, but they were also less expensive to build and could virtually be mass-produced. Escort carriers typically carried twenty to thirty aircraft and were widely used for transport and defensive operations. Such operations included ferrying aircraft, troops and supplies and protecting convoys from attacks by submarines, merchant raiders, and land-based aircraft. Escort carriers were nonetheless highly capable and used for offensive operations as well. Such operations included providing close air support for ground forces during amphibious invasions, raids on enemy installations, and for hunting down enemy submarines and disrupting their refueling operations.

Merchant Aircraft Carriers. The British converted several commercial grain transports and oil tankers to merchant aircraft carriers (MACs). These ships transported critical supplies in their holds but, in addition, typically carried three or four Swordfish torpedo planes for defense. They had flight decks and were capable of launching and recovering aircraft at sea. Although these carriers were initially planned as stop gap measures until enough escort carriers became available, MACs proved effective and all but four of them continued in service until the end of the European war.[c]

The lists includes only ships with flight decks that could launch and retrieve aircraft at sea. Ships without flight decks but relying upon catapults to launch and cranes to recover aircraft contributed more to defensive scouting and protection against enemy warships, submarines, and aircraft than to offensive operations. Fighter catapult ships (FACs) and catapult aircraft merchant ships (CAMs) were used early in the Atlantic Theater for convoy protection as stop-gap measures until more escort carriers became available. In the Pacific Theater, some battleships and cruisers had catapult-launched aircraft principally for scouting. These ships without flight decks are not included as "aircraft carriers" in the lists.

US hull numbers are included, when appropriate, to help avoid double-counting of the thirty-eight carriers transferred to Britain under Lend-Lease agreements. They also help with identifying carriers with the same names, such as Yorktown (CV-5) and Yorktown (CV-19).

Operational vs. non-operational carriers

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The planning and outcomes of naval initiatives involving carriers were a function of the number that were "operational", ready for combat. The lists below indicate the number of carriers that were "operational," not just "afloat". Carriers are included as non-operational if they are in port being repaired for combat damage or undergoing an overhaul or refitting. They are also included as non-operational if they have been commissioned but were still undergoing shakedown trials. Finally, they are included as non-operational if they are in use only as a barracks ship or for storing goods. Carriers kept in port or otherwise not engaged in naval initiatives because of shortages of aircrews or fuel remain included as "operational."

The year 1942 was pivotal for the war. Axis powers worldwide reached their maximum territorial expansion before mid-year but were virtually contained by year-end. In the global maritime war, the Allies had won decisive victories in the Pacific and had kept the vital shipping lines open in both the Pacific and the Atlantic theaters.[13] Aircraft carriers contributed significantly to this result. Four of the war's six major carrier battles were fought in 1942. Twelve of the combatants' fleet and light carriers were sunk, more than any other year and equal to 46% of the total lost during the entire war. The lists indicate the location, combat activity, and operational status of all carriers during 1942.

Abbreviations

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Letters in these lists indicate the war zone, combat activity, and operational status of each carrier. For example, a carrier's location is indicated with an "a" if she were in the Atlantic Ocean and an "m" if in the Mediterranean Sea. If she were engaged in one of the six carrier battles during the month, a "B" is included. If she were lost in combat, an "L" is included. Entries in the "Carrier Battles" row indicate the month of major carrier battles, specifically Coral Sea (CS), Midway (MI), Eastern Solomons (ES), and Santa Cruz Islands (SC). Other abbreviations used in the lists are shown below.

1. Combat action during month

  • B Engaged in one of the six carrier battles
  • C Commissioned
  • L Lost due to sinking or scuttling as a result of combat.
  • Q Provided air cover for amphibious invasion
  • R Engaged in carrier raid

2. Ship location at end of month

  • a Atlantic Ocean
  • g Arctic Ocean
  • i Indian Ocean
  • m Mediterranean Sea
  • p Pacific Ocean

3. Operational status at end of month

  • d Non-operational due to combat-related damaged.
  • k Non-operational in use as a barracks or for storage.
  • o Non-operational due to being refitted or overhauled.
  • s Non-operational due to still in initial shakedown period or in transit to place for completing fitting-out or for initial embarkation of aircraft. This includes carriers transporting a load of aircraft from US to UK as part of going to UK to undergo completion to become fully operational.
  • t Operational as a training vessel and/or engaged only in trials.
  • v Non-operational, in reserve.
  • x Operational but lacked sufficient crew, aircraft, or fuel to engage in combat operations.

The Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Arctic Ocean are included with the "Atlantic theater." The Pacific Ocean and Indian Oceans are included with the "Pacific theater."

Entries on the "Operational Carriers" rows indicate separately the total number of carriers available for combat in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters at the end of each month that were afloat and not undergoing repairs due to combat damage, overhauling or refitting to upgrade performance, or otherwise not available for combat activity.

US hull numbers are included, when appropriate, to help avoid double-counting of the thirty-eight carriers transferred to Britain under Lend-Lease agreements. They also help with identifying carriers with the same names, such as Yorktown (CV-5) and Yorktown (CV-19).

Operational during World War II

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United States

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The following table lists all American aircraft carriers that were operational between December 1941 and August 1945. It also includes information about their combat activity, location, and operational status for the end of each month from November 1941 to December 1942. The table reflects how America's carriers made hit-and-run raids on Japanese conquests, possessions, and even the homeland itself for the first five months of the war and then engaged in carrier-against-carrier battles. These four battles resulted in major attrition of naval strength on both sides. For a short period around the end of October 1942, America did not have an operational aircraft carrier in the Pacific Theater. But because of the losses inflicted upon Japan's carrier fleet during these battles, America gained the strategic initiative for the rest of the war.

Name Commissioned Sunk/Scrapped N 41 D 41 J 42 F 42 M 42 A 42 M 42 J 42 J 42 A 42 S 42 O 42 N 42 D 42
Battles: CS MI ES SC
CV & CVL CARRIERS
1 Saratoga CV-3 [14][15] 16-Nov-1927 25-Jul-1946 p p pd pd pd pd p p p Bpd pd pd Rpd p
2 Lexington CV-2 [16][17] 14-Dec-1927 8-May-1942 p p p p Rp p BLp
3 Ranger CV-4 [18][19] 4-Jun-1934 31-Jan-1947 a a a a ao a a a a a a a a
4 Yorktown CV-5 [20][21] 30-Sep-1937 7-Jun-1942 a p p Rp Rp p Bp BLp
5 Enterprise CV-6 [22][23] 12-May-1938 1958 p p p Rp Rp Rp p Bp p Bpd pd Bpd p p
6 Wasp CV-7 [24][25] 25-Apr-1940 15-Sep-1942 a ao a a a a a p p Qp Lp
7 Hornet CV-8 [26][27] 20-Oct-1941 27-Oct-1942 a a a p p Rp p Bp p p p Lp
8 Essex CV-9 [28][29] 31-Dec-1942 1975 Cas
9 Independence CVL-22 14-Jan-1943 1951
10 Lexington CV-16 17-Feb-1943 --
11 Princeton CVL-23 25-Feb-1943 24-Oct-1944
12 Belleau Wood CVL-24 31-Mar-1943 21-Nov-1960
13 Yorktown CV-10 15-Apr-1943 --
14 Bunker Hill CV-17 25-May-1943 1973
15 Cowpens CVL-25 28-May-1943 1960
16 Montery CVL-26 17-Jun-1943 1971
17 Cabot CVL-28 24-Jul-1943 2002
18 Intrepid CV-11 16-Aug-1943 --
19 Langley CVL-27 31-Aug-1943 1963
20 Bataan CVL-29 17-Nov-1943 1961
21 Wasp CV-18 24-Nov-1943 1973
22 Hornet CV-12 29-Nov-1943 --
23 San Jacinto CVL-30 15-Nov-1943 Dec-1971
24 Franklin CV-13 31-Jan-1944 1966
25 Hancock CV-19 15-Apr-1944 1-Sep-1976
26 Ticonderoga CV-14 8-May-1944 15-Aug-1974
27 Bennington CV-20 6-Aug-1944 1994
28 Shangri-La CV-38 15-Sep-1944 1988
29 Randolph CV-15 9-Oct-1944 1975
30 Bon Homme Richard CV-31 26-Nov-1944 1992
31 Antietam CV-36 28-Jan-1945 28-Feb-1974
32 Boxer CV-21 16-Apr-1945 Feb-1971
33 Lake Champlain CV-39 3-Jun-1945 Apr-1972
CVE CARRIERS
1 Langley CV-1 [30][31] 20-Mar-1922 27-Feb-1942 p p p Lp
2 Long Island CVE-1 *1 [32][33] 2-Jun-1941 1977 a a at at at at p p p p pt pt pt pt
3 Charger BAVG-4/CVE-30 *2 [34] 3-Mar-1942 1969 Cas as at at at at at a at at
4 Copahee CVE-12 *3 [35][36] 15-Jun-1942 1961 Cps ps ps p po po po
5 Nassau CVE-16 *3 [37][38] 20-Aug-1942 1961 Cps ps p p p
6 Santee CVE-29 *4 [39][40] 24-Aug-1942 5-Dec-1959 Cas as a Qad a
7 Sangamon CVE-26 *4 [41][42] 25-Aug-1942 Aug-1960 Cas ao a Qa a
8 Altamaha CVE-18 *3 [43][44] 15-Sep-1942 1961 Cps ps p p
9 Chenango CVE-28 *4 [45][46] 19-Sep-1942 12-Feb-1960 Cas a ad p
10 Suwannee CVE-27 *4 [47][48] 24-Sep-1942 Jun-1962 Cas a a p
11 Bogue CVE-9 *3 [49][50] 26-Sep-1942 1960 Cas as as as
12 Card CVE-11 *3 [51][52] 8-Nov-1942 1971 Cps ps
13 Core CVE-13 *3 [53][54] 10-Dec-1942 1971 Cps
14 Barnes CVE-20 *3 20-Feb-1943 1-Mar-1959
15 Block Island CVE-21 *3 8-Mar-1943 29-May-1944
16 Prince William CVE-31 *3 9-Apr-1943 1961
17 Breton CVE-23 *3 12-Apr-1943 1972
18 Croatan CVE-25 *3 28-Apr-1943 1971
19 Casablanca CVE-55 *5 8-Jul-1943 1947
20 Liscome Bay CVE-56 *5 7-Aug-1943 24-Nov-1943
21 Coral Sea/Anzio CVE-57 *5 27-Aug-1943 24-Nov-1959
22 Corregidor CVE-58 *5 31-Aug-1943 28-Apr-1959
23 Mission Bay CVE-59 *5 13-Sep-1943 30-Apr-1959
24 Guadalcanal CVE-60 *5 25-Sep-1943 30-Apr-1949
25 Manila Bay CVE-61 *5 5-Oct-1943 2-Sep-1959
26 Natoma Bay CVE-62 *5 14-Oct-1943 30-Jul-1959
27 St. Lo/Midway CVE-63 *5 23-Oct-1943 25-Oct-1944
28 Triipoli CVE-64 *5 31-Oct-1943 Jan-1960
29 Wake Island CVE-65 *5 7-Nov-1943 19-Apr-1946
30 White Plains CVE-66 *5 15-Nov-1943 29-Jul-1968
31 Kalinin Bay CVE-68 *5 27-Nov-1943 8-Dec-1946
32 Solomons CVE-67 *5 21-Nov-1943 22-Dec-1946
33 Kasaan Bay CVE-69 *5 4-Dec-1943 2-Feb-1960
34 Fanshaw Bay CVE-70 *5 9-Dec-1943 26-Sep-1959
35 Kitkun Bay CVE-71 *5 15-Dec-1943 18-Nov-1946
36 Tulagi CVE-72 *5 21-Dec-1943 8-May-1946
37 Gambier Bay CVE-73 *5 28-Dec-1943 25-Oct-1944
38 Nehenta Bay CVE-74 *5 3-Jan-1944 29-Jun-1960
39 Hoggatt Bay CVE-75 *5 11-Jan-1944 31-Mar-1960
40 Kadashan Bay CVE-76 *5 18-Jan-1944 13-Aug-1959
41 Marcus Island CVE-77 *5 26-Jan-1944 29-Feb-1960
42 Savo Island CVE-78 *5 3-Feb-1944 29-Feb-1960
43 Ommaney Bay CVE-79 *5 11-Feb-1944 4-Jan-1945
44 Petrof Bay CVE-80 *5 18-Feb-1944 30-Jul-1959
45 Rudyerd Bay CVE-81 *5 25-Feb-1944 Jan-1960
46 Saginaw Bay CVE-82 *5 2-Mar-1944 27-Nov-1959
47 Sargent Bay CVE-83 *5 9-Mar-1944 30-Jul-1959
48 Shamrock Bay CVE-84 *5 15-Mar-1944 May-1958
49 Shipley Bay CVE-85 *5 21-Mar-1944 2-Oct-1959
50 Sitkoh Bay CVE-86 *5 28-Mar-1944 30-Aug-1960
51 Steamer Bay CVE-87 *5 4-Apr-1944 29-Aug-1959
52 Cape Esperance CVE-88 *5 9-Apr-1944 14-May-1959
53 Takanis Bay CVE-89 *5 15-Apr-1944 29-Jun-1960
54 Thetis Bay CVE-90 *5 12-Apr-1944 Dec-1964
55 Makassar Strait CVE-91 *5 27-Apr-1944 2-May-1961
56 Windham Bay) CVE-92 *5 3-May-1944 31-Dec-1960
57 Makin Island CVE-93 *5 9-May-1944 1-Jan-1947
58 Lunga Point CVE-94 *5 14-May-1944 3-Aug-1960
59 Bismarck Sea CVE-95 *5 20-May-1944 21-Feb-1945
60 Salamaua CVE-96 *5 26-May-1944 18-Nov-1946
61 Hollandia CVE-97 *5 1-Jun-1944 31-Dec-1960
62 Kwajalein CVE-98 *5 7-Jun-1944 11-Jan-1961
63 Admiralty Islands CVE-99 *5 13-Jun-1944 2-Jan-1947
64 Bougainville CVE-100 *5 18-Jun-1944 29-Aug-1960
65 Matanikau CVE-101 *5 24-Jun-1944 27-Jul-1960
66 Attu CVE-102 *5 30-Jun-1944 3-Jan-1947
67 Roi CVE-103 *5 6-Jul-1944 31-Dec-1946
68 Munda CVE-104 *5 8-Jul-1944 17-Jun-1960
69 Commencement Bay CVE-105 *6 27-Nov-1944 >1971
70 Block Island (2nd) CVE-106 *6 30-Dec-1944 23-Feb-1960
71 Gilbert Islands CVE-107 *6 5-Feb-1945 1-Nov-1979
72 Kula Gulf CVE-108 *6 12-May-1945 1971
73 Cape Gloucester CVE-109 *6 5-Mar-1945 1962
74 Salerno Bay CVE-110 *6 19-May-1945 1962
75 Vella Gulf CVE-111 *6 19-Apr-1945 22-Oct-1971
76 Siboney CVE-112 *6 14-May-1945 1971
77 Puget Sound CVE-113 *6 18-Jun-1945 1962
78 Bairoko CVE-115 *6 16-Jul-1945 1961
NUMBER OF CARRIERS AFLOAT
CVs & CVLs
Pacific Theater 3 4 4 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 2 2
Atlantic Theater 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Total 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 5 5 5 4 3 3 4
CVEs
Pacific Theater 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 8
Atlantic Theater 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 6 6 6 4
Total 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 3 6 10 10 11 12
CVs, CVLs, & CVEs
Pacific Theater 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 6 7 10
Atlantic Theater 5 4 4 3 4 4 3 2 2 4 7 7 7 6
Total 9 9 9 8 9 9 8 8 8 11 14 13 14 16
NUMBER OF CARRIERS OPERATIONAL
CVs & CVLs
Pacific Theater 3 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 1 0 1 2
Atlantic Theater 4 2 3 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Total 7 6 6 6 5 6 6 5 5 3 2 1 2 3
CVEs
Pacific Theater 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 5
Atlantic Theater 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 3 3
Total 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 7 6 8
CVs, CVLs, & CVEs
Pacific Theater 4 5 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 3 3 2 4 7
Atlantic Theater 5 3 4 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 6 4 4
Total 9 8 8 7 6 7 8 7 7 5 5 8 8 11
The location, combat activity, and operational status for each American aircraft carrier at the end of each month over the entire war is available at the "Collection of Statistics on US Aircraft Carriers" in the reference document section at the World War II Database.[55]

Notes:

  • 1 Long Island-class converted from the C-3 hulled Mormacmail by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester PA.
  • 2 Charger-class converted from C-3 cargo ship hulls by Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester PA.
  • 3 Bogue-class converted from C-3 cargo ship hulls by Seattle-Tacome Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma WA, Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula MS, or Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco CA.
  • 4 Sangamon-class converted from fast fleet, T3 tanker Cimarron-class oiler hulls by Federal Shipbuilding or Dry Dock Company of Kearney NJ and Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Chester PA.
  • 5 Casablanca-class (aka Kaiser-class) built on S-4-S2-BB3 merchant hulls by Kaiser Company at its Vancouver Yard in Washington state.
  • 6 Commencement Bay-class built on T3 tanker hulls at Todd Pacific Tacoma.

Eight CVEs commissioned after the end of the war or acquired by the Navy but never commissioned are not included in the list.[d]

United Kingdom

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British aircraft carriers of all types that had flight decks, were capable of launching and recovering aircraft, and that were operational sometime during the period from September 1939 to August 1945. Battleships, cruisers, seaplane carriers, seaplane tenders (SPT), catapult aircraft merchant ships (CAM) fighter catapult ships (FCS), and aircraft maintenance carriers (AMC) that launched using catapults and recovered using cranes are not included in the counts. During the war, the Royal Navy had at least thirty-five CAM, five FCS,[e] one SPC,[f] and one AMC[g] that are not included in the table.

During the war, two escort carriers – HMS Nabob and Puncher were crewed by Royal Canadian Navy but the aircrews aboard these carriers were British Fleet Air Arm.

Thirty-eight of Britain's forty-four escort carriers were built in the United States and transferred to Britain under the US Lend-Lease. These carriers were typically assigned hull numbers and names by the US but these were replaced by British names and pennant numbers. Notes below the table identify the shipyard from which the ship was launched. A total of one-hundred twenty-eight American-built escort carriers (with US hull numbers BAVG 1 to 6 and CVE 1 to 122) were commissioned during the war, into either the US or UK navy. Thirty-eight of these were commissioned into the Royal Navy (with UK pennant numbers between D01 and D98) and engaged during World War II.

[56][57]
Name Class/type Commissioned Sunk/Scrapped N 41 D 41 J 42 F 42 M 42 A 42 M 42 J 42 J 42 A 42 S 42 O 42 N 42 D 42
Battles: CS MI ES SC
CVs & CVLs
1 Furious [58][59] Courageous-class 1925 1948 ao ao ao ao ao ao ao ao a a a a a m
2 Argus [60] 16 Sep 1918 5-Dec-1946 Med Med Med Med Med a a a a a a a Qa a
3 Hermes [61][62] 18 Feb 1924 9-Apr-1942 i io io i i Li
4 Eagle [63] 26 Feb 1924 11-Aug-1942 ao ao a a ao a Med Med Med Lm
5 Courageous [64][59] Courageous-class 21 February 1928 17-Sep-1939
6 Glorious [65][59] Courageous-class 24 February 1930 8-Jun-1940
7 Ark Royal [66][59] 16 Dec 1938 14-Nov-1941 Lm
8 Illustrious[67][68][59] Illustrious-class 25 May 1940 Nov-1956 a ad ad ad a i i i i i i io ao i
9 Formidable [69][70][59] Illustrious-class 15 Oct 1940 Jan-1953 a a a i i i i i i a a a Med m
10 Victorious [71][70][59] Illustrious-class 29 Mar 1941 1969 a a a a Ra a a a a ad ao ao Qm a
11 Indomitable [72][70][59] Illustrious-class 10 Oct 1941 1955 ao i i i i i Qi io Med md ad ad ad ad
12 Unicorn Light carrier/maintenance ship 12 Mar 1943 15-Jun-1959
13 Indefatigable Implacable-class Mar 1944 Sep-1956
14 Implacable Implacable-class June 1944 27-Oct-1955
15 Colossus Colossus class light fleet carrier 16 Dec 1944 22-Jan-1974
16 Venerable Colossus class 17 Jan 1945 2000
17 Vengeance Colossus class Mar 1945 2004
18 Glory Colossus class 2 Apr 1945 23-Aug-1961
19 Warrior Colossus class 2 Apr 1945 1971
20 Ocean Colossus class 8 Aug 1945 1962
CVEs
1 Audacity [73] converted merchant ship 20 Jun 1941 21-Dec-1941 a La
2 Archer [74] Long Island class 17-Nov-1941 1962 Cas as ad ad a ao a a ao ao ao ao Qa ao
3 Avenger [75] Avenger-class escort carrier 2-Mar-1942 15-Nov-1942 Cas ao ao ao ao a a a QLm
4 Biter [76] Avenger-class escort carrier 6-Apr-1942 1966 Cas as as as as as a Qa a
5 Dasher [77] Avenger-class escort carrier 2-Jul-1942 27-Mar-1943 Cas as as Med Qao ao
6 Activity [78] converted merchant ship 29 Sep-1942 1967 Cas as as as
7 Attacker [79] Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 30-Sep-1942 1946 Cps ps ps as
8 Battler [80] Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 31 October 1942 1946 Cas ad as
9 Stalker [81] Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 21-Dec-1942 1975 Cas
10 Hunter Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 20-Jan-1943 1965
11 Tracker Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 31-Jan-1943 1964
12 Fencer Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 20-Feb-1943 1975
13 Searcher Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 7-Apr-1943 1976
14 Chaser Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 9-Apr-1943 1972
15 Ravager Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 25-Apr-1943 1973
16 Striker Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 28-Apr-1943 1948
17 Emperor Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 31-May-1943 1946
18 Pursuer Bogue/Attacker class escort carrier 14-Jun-1943 1946
19 Atheling Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 3-Jul-1943 1967
20 Ameer Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 20-Jul-1943 1969
21 Begum Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 22-Jul-1943 1974
22 Pretoria Castle converted ocean liner 29-Jul-1943 1962
23 Trumpeter Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 4-Aug-1943 1971
24 Slinger Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 11-Aug-1943 1969
25 Empress Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 12-Aug-1943 1946
26 Khedive Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 25-Aug-1943 1975
27 Nabob Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 7-Sep-1943 1977
27 Shah Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 27-Sep-1943 1966
29 Patroller Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 23-Oct-1943 1974
30 Premier Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 3-Nov-1943 1974
31 HMS Ranee Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 8-Nov-1943 1975
31 Thane Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 19 Nov-1943 >1945
33 Speaker Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 20-Nov-1943 1972
34 Vindex Nairana class 3-Dec-1943 Aug-1971
35 Queen Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 7-Dec-1943 1972
36 Nairana Nairana class 12-Dec-1943 1971
37 Ruler Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 20-Dec-1943 1946
38 Arbiter Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 31-Dec-1943 1972
39 Rajah Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 17-Jan-1944 1975
40 Smiter Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 20-Jan-1944 1967
41 Trouncer Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 31-Jan-1944 1973
42 Puncher Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 5-Feb-1944 1973
43 Reaper Bogue/Ruler class escort carrier 18-Feb-1944 1967
44 Campania Nairana class 7-Mar-1944 1955
MACs
1 Empire MacAlpine MAC grain carrier 14-Apr-1943 1970
2 Rapana MAC oil tanker Jul-1943 1958
3 Empire MacAndrew MAC grain carrier 7-Jul-1943 1970
4 Amastra MAC oil tanker Sep-1943 1955
5 Empire MacRae MAC grain carrier 20-Sep-1943 1971
6 Ancylus MAC oil tanker Oct-1943 1954
7 Acavus MAC oil tanker Oct-1943 1963
8 Empire MacKay MAC oil tanker 5-Oct-1943 1959
9 Empire MacColl MAC oil tanker Nov-1943 1962
10 Alexia MAC oil tanker Dec-1943 1954
11 Empire MacCabe MAC oil tanker Dec-1943 1962
12 Empire MacMahon MAC oil tanker Dec-1943 1960
13 Empire MacKendrick converted grain carrier 12-12-1943 1975
14 Empire MacCallum converted grain carrier 22-Dec-1943 1960
15 Miralda MAC oil tanker Jan-1944 1960
16 Adula MAC oil tanker Feb-1944 1953
17 Gadila MAC oil tanker Mar-1944 1958
18 Empire MacDermott MAC grain carrier 31-Mar-1944 1991
19 Macoma MAC oil tanker 1-Apr-1944 1959
CARRIERS AFLOAT
CVs & CVLs:
Pacific 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 0 1
Atlantic 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 5
Total 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6
CVEs:
Pacific 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0
Atlantic 2 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 5 7
Total 2 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 6 7 6 7
CVs, CVLs, and CVEs:
Pacific 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 2 1 1
Atlantic 9 7 7 6 7 7 7 7 9 9 10 11 11 12
Total 10 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 10 12 13 12 13
CARRIERS OPERATIONAL
CVs & CVLs:
Pacific 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 1
Atlantic 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 5 3 3 3 4 4
Total 5 4 5 6 6 6 6 5 7 4 4 3 4 5
CVEs:
Pacific 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Atlantic 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 3 2 1
Total 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 3 2 1
CVs, CVLs, and CVEs:
Pacific 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 1
Atlantic 5 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 4 6 6 5
Total 6 4 5 6 7 6 7 6 7 5 5 6 6 6
CV & CVL RECAP
Operational 5 4 5 6 6 6 6 5 7 4 4 3 4 5
Non-Operational 3 4 3 2 2 1 1 2 0 2 2 3 2 1
Total Afloat 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6

Japan

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The following table lists all Japanese aircraft carriers that were operational between July 1937 and August 1945. It also includes information about their combat activity, location, and operational status for the end of each month from November 1941 to December 1942. The table reflects how Japan's six fleet carriers[h] of the Kidō Butai effectively raided and supported invasions during the first five months of the war, and how battle attrition over the following eight months materially weakened Japan's ability to project naval power.

Carrier Name Commis-

sioned

Sunk/

Scrapped

N 41 D 41 J 42 F 42 M 42 A 42 M 42 J 42 J 42 A 42 S 42 O 42 N 42 D 42
Battles: CS MI ES SC
Fleet & Light
1 Hōshō CVL 12/27/1922 2-Sept-1946 p p p p p p p Bp pt p p pt pt pt
2 Akagi CV 25-Mar-1927 5-Jun-42 p Rp Qp Rp Qp Rp p BLp
3 Kaga CV 30-Nov-1929 5-Jun-42 p Rp Qp Rp Qpd pd p BLp
4 Ryūjō CVL 9-May-1933 24-Aug-1942 p Qp Qp Qp Qp Rpo p Bp p BLp
5 Sōryū CV 29-Dec-1937 4-Jun-1942 p RQp Qp Rp Qp Rp p BLp
6 Hiryū CV 5-Jul-1939 5-Jun-1942 p RQp Qp Rp Qp Rp p BLp
7 Zuihō CVL 27-Dec-1940 25-Oct-1944 p p p p p p p Bp po p p Bpd pd p
8 Shōkaku CV 8-Aug-1941 19-Jun-1944 p Rp Qp po p Rp Bpd p p Bp p Bpd pd pd
9 Zuikaku CV 25-Sep-1941 25-Oct-1944 p Rp Qp p p p Bx px po Bp p Bp p p
10 Shōhō CVL 30-Nov-1941 7-May-1942 Cp ps p p p p BLp
11 Jun'yō CV 3-May-1942 1946 Cp Bp p p p Bp p p
12 Hiyō CV 31-Jul-1942 20-Jun-1944 Cps ps ps pd pd pd
13 Ryūhō CVL 30-Nov-1942 1946 Cps pd
14 Chiyoda CVL 31-Oct-1943 25-Oct-1944
15 Chitose CVL 1-Jan-1944 25-Oct-1944
16 Taihō CV 7-Mar-1944 19-Jun-1944
17 Unryū CV 6-Mar-1944 19-Dec-1944
18 Amagi CV 10-Aug-1944 29-Jul-1945
19 Katsuragi CV 15-Oct-1944 22-Dec-1946
20 Shinano CV 19-Nov-1944 29-Nov-1944
CV & CVL Afloat 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 6 7 6 6 6 7 7
CV & CVL Operational 9 9 10 9 9 8 9 6 4 5 5 3 3 4
Escort
1 Taiyō CVE 2-Sep-1941 18-Aug-1944 p p p p p p p p p p pd p p p
2 Un'yō CVE 31-May-1942 17-Sep-1944 Cp p p p p p p p
3 Chūyō CVE 25-Nov-1942 4-Dec-1943 Cps p
4 Shin'yō CVE 15-Nov-1943 17-Nov-1944
5 Kaiyō CVE 23-Nov-1943 10-Aug-1945
CVE Afloat 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3
CVE Operational 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 3
Total
Total Afloat 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 8 9 8 8 8 10 10
Total Operational 10 10 11 10 10 9 11 8 6 7 6 5 5 7
The location, combat activity, and operational status for each Japanese aircraft carrier at the end of each month over the entire war is available at the "Collection of Statistics on Japanese Aircraft Carriers" in the reference document section at the World War II Database.[82]

The Imperial Japanese Navy typically named their aircraft carriers after flying creatures, real and mythical. Several carriers, however, retained the names they had before being converted to aircraft carriers. Names and their meanings are included in the following table. Also included are alternative names/spellings used for the carriers in various publications.

Carrier Name & Type Date Commissioned Named After Name Meaning Alternate Name/Spelling
Hosho (CVL) 27-Dec-22 Flying creature Flying phoenix Hosyo
Akagi (CV) 25-Mar-27 Extinct volcano
Kaga (CV 30-Nov-29 Ancient Japanese province
Ryujo (CVL) 09-May-33 Flying creature Heavenly dragon Ryuzyo, Rjudzo
Soryu (CV) 29-Dec-37 Flying creature Green dragon
Hiryu (CV) 05-Jul-39 Flying creature Flying dragon
Zuiho (CVL) 27-Dec-40 Flying creature Lucky phoenix
Shokaku (CV) 08-Aug-41 Flying creature Soaring crane Syokaku
Taiyo (CVE) 02-Sep-41 Flying creature Great hawk
Zuikaku (CV) 25-Sep-41 Flying creature Lucky crane
Shoho (CVL) 30-Nov-41 Flying creature Happy phoenix
Junyo (CV) 03-May-42 Flying creature Peregrine Falcon Hayataka
Unyo (CVE) 31-May-42 Flying creature Hawk in the clouds
Hiyo (CV) 31-Jul-42 Flying creature Flying falcon Hitaka, Haytaka, Hijo
Chuyo (CVE) 25-Nov-42 Flying creature Heaven-bound hawk
Ryuho (CVL) 30-Nov-42 Flying creature Dragon phoenix Rjuho
Chitose (CVL) 01-Nov-43 Japanese city
Shinyo (CVE) 15-Nov-43 Flying creature Godly hawk
Kaiyo (CVE) 23-Nov-43 Flying creature Sea hawk
Chiyoda (CVL) 21-Dec-43 Japanese city
Taiho (CV) 07-Mar-44 Flying creature Great phoenix
Unryu (CV) 06-Aug-44 Flying creature Heaven-bound dragon Unrju
Amagi (CV) 10-Aug-44 Extinct volcano
Katsuragi (CV) 15-Oct-44 Japanese mountain
Shinano (CV) 19-Nov-44 Ancient Japanese province
Principal source: The Imperial Japanese Navy In The Pacific War[83]

Other countries

edit

France had one operational fleet carrier during the war, the Béarn. She patrolled in the Atlantic until the fall of France, after which she spent most of the war in Martinique and US ports. Her aircraft were never launched in combat. Construction of another carrier, the Joffre was begun but discontinued in 1940 when Germany occupied northern France. France also had a seaplane carrier, the Commandant Teste, that provided some aircraft transport service for Vichy France until she was scuttled in November 1942.

Germany worked on building aircraft carriers during the war but did not complete any in time for combat operations. The German fleet carrier, Graf Zeppelin, was launched in 1938 but was still under construction in 1945 as the war in Europe was ending. It was scuttled by the Germans but raised by the Russians, who used it as a target ship, sinking it in 1947.

Italy worked on but did not complete the aircraft carriers Sparviero and Aquila.

Aircraft carriers sunk

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In the early years of the war, the combatants risked and lost a high percentage of their carriers. By October 1942, after the carrier battles for the year, America, Britain, and Japan had, in both theaters, lost 15 fleet and light carriers between them. With new commissionings, they then had 15 such carriers afloat compared with the 18 they had in August 1939 at the beginning of war and 24 in December 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The following table shows the number of such carriers sunk each year of the war. The total number of escort carriers (CVE) sunk during the war is also shown.

Number of aircraft carriers lost during World War II[84]
Year United States United Kingdom Japan Total
1939 not at war 1 not at war[i] 1
1940 1 1
1941 1 1
1942 4 2 6 12
1943 0 0 0 0
1944 1 0 9 10
1945 0 0 1 1
1939–1945 CV & CVL 5 5 16 26
1939–1945 CVE 7 3 5 15
1939–1945 CV, CVL, & CVE 12 8 21 41

Fleet and Light Carriers. Fifty-five new fleet and light carriers were commissioned between September 1939 and August 1945. Nineteen were operational at the beginning of the war and forty-eight were operational at the end; twenty-six were sunk.

Country As Of Sep-1939 Comm. 1939–41 As Of Dec-1941 Comm. 1942–45 Sunk 1939–45 As Of Aug-1945
United States 5 +2 7 +26 -5 28[j]
United Kingdom 7 +4 11 +9 -5 15
Japan 6 +3 9 +11 -16 4[k]
France 1 0 1 0 0 1[l]
Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0
Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 19 +9 28 +46 -26 48

Escort Carriers.

One-hundred twenty-seven escort carriers were commissioned between September 1939 and August 1945. Fifteen were sunk. Only one was operational at the beginning of this period and one-hundred thirteen were operational at the end. The US constructed and launched 115 escort carriers, 38 of those were transferred to the Royal Navy.

Escort carriers[85][86][87][88][89]
Country As Of Sep-1939 Comm. 1939–41 As Of Dec-1941 Launched 1942–45 Transferred 1942–45 Comm. 1942–45 Sunk 1939–45 As Of Aug-1945
United States 1[m] +1[n] 2 +114[o] -38[o] +76 -7 71
United Kingdom 0 +1[p] 1 +5[q] +38[o] +43 -3 41
Japan 0 +1 1 +4 0 +4 -5[r] 0
Total 1 +3 4 +123 0 +123 -15 112

Merchant Aircraft Carriers. Britain converted a total of nineteen merchant ships to Merchant Aircraft Carriers during the war. Nine of these were converted Royal Dutch Shell oil tankers, two of which operated under the flag of the Netherlands.[s] All served in the Atlantic theater and typically carried three or four Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. None were sunk during the war. Although they were initially envisioned as temporary, stop-gap measures until enough escort carriers became available for convoy protection, all but four served until the end of the war.

Aircraft Carriers Sunk. A total of forty-one fleet, light, and escort carriers were sunk between September 1939 and August 1945. The following table shows how they were sunk and the country whose military accomplished the sinking.

Sinkings[85][86][87][88][89]
Country Carrier-launched aircraft Submarines Gunfire From warships Land-based aircraft Total
United States 13 8 0[t] 0 21
Japan 4 2[u] 4[v] 2 12
Germany 0 6 0 1 7
United Kingdom 1 0 0 0 1
Total 18 16 4 3 41

Japanese CVEs were frequently attacked, damaged, and sunk by American submarines. During the war, these five CVEs served mostly as transports for aircraft, troops, and supplies and as cover for convoys doing the same. They made deliveries to and from destinations within Japan's defensive perimeter as far east as the Marshall Islands and as far west as Singapore. Destinations included Formosa, the Marianas, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (Java) the Palaus, and the Carolines (Truk). Four of the five CVEs were sunk by submarines, as were four fleet and light Japanese carriers. During the war, American submariners, while making up less than two percent of American naval personnel, sank over 30% of Japanese warship tonnage[91] and 55% of merchant shipping tonnage.[92][93] This effectiveness came at a high price. Fifty-two American submarines were lost during the war, all but three in Pacific waters.[94] Over 3,500 men died.[95] Three British submarines were sunk by the Japanese.[w]

Sinkings[85][86][87][88][89]
Carrier War Service Began War Service Ended Months War Svc. Submarine Attacks Sunk By
1 Taiyō CVE 8-Dec-1941 18-Aug-1944 32 5 Submarine
2 Un'yō CVE 31-May-1942 17-Sep-1944 28 8 Submarine
3 Chūyō CVE 25-Nov-1942 4-Dec-1943 12 3 Submarine
4 Shin'yō CVE 15-Nov-1943 17-Nov-1944 12 1 Submarine
5 Kaiyō CVE 23-Nov-1943 9-Aug-1945 21 0 Carrier Aircraft

The following table provides some detail for each of the forty-one aircraft carriers sunk during the war.[x]

Carrier Date sunk Location Planes lost People lost Sunk by
HMS Courageous CV 17-Sep-1939 Off Iceland ? 519 2 Torpedoes from Sub German U-29
HMS Glorious CV 8-Jun-1940 North Sea off Norway ? 1,207 Guns from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau
HMS Ark Royal CV 14-Nov-1941 Off Gibraltar ? 1 1 Torpedo from Sub German U-81
HMS Audacity CVE 21-Dec-1941 North Atlantic off Spain ? 73 3 Torpedoes from German Sub U-751
USS Langley SPT 27-Feb-1942 Off Java ? >16 Bombs from IJN LBA from Bali
HMS Hermes CVL 9-Apr-1942 Off Ceylon 0 307 Bombs from IJN Carrier Aircraft
IJN Shōhō CVL 7-May-1942 Coral Sea ? 834 7 Torpedoes,13 bombs from CA
USS Lexington CV 8-May-1942 Coral Sea 8? 216 CA from Shōkaku and Zuikaku
IJN Kaga CV 4-Jun-1942 Midway 90? 811 DB from USS Enterprise
IJN Sōryū CV 4-Jun-1942 Midway 70? 711 DB from USS Yorktown
IJN Akagi CV 5-Jun-1942 Midway 90? 267 DB from USS Enterprise
IJN Hiryū CV 5-Jun-1942 Midway 70? 389 DB from USS Yorktown
USS Yorktown CV 7-Jun-1942 Midway ? 141 2 Torpedoes from Hiryū CA & Torpedo from Sub IJN I-168
HMS Eagle CV 11-Aug-1942 Off Majorca 16 131 Torpedoes from Sub German U-73
IJN Ryūjō CVL 24-Aug-1942 Battle of the Eastern Solomons ? 120 1 Torpedo from TB and 3 Bombs from USS USS Saratoga
USS USS Wasp CV 15-Sep-1942 Off San Cristobal Is., Solomon Is. 45 193 3 Torpedoes from Sub IJN I-19
USS Hornet CV 27-Oct-1942 Santa Cruz ? 140 TB & DB from Zuikzku & Jun'yō
HMS Avenger CVE 15-Nov-1942 Off Algeria ? 514 1 Torpedo from Sub German U-155
HMS Dasher CVE 27-Mar-1943 Off Scotland 15? 379 Internal explosion
USS Liscome Bay CVE 24-Nov-1943 Off Makin Island ? 702 1 Torpedo from Sub IJN I-175[96]
IJN Chūyō CVE 4-Dec-1943 Off Japan ? 1,250 Torpedoes from Sub USS Sailfish
USS Block Island CVE 29-May-1944 Off Canary Is. >6? 6 3 Torpedoes from Sub German U-549
IJN Shōkaku CV 19-Jun-1944 Philippine Sea ? 1,272 3 Torpodoes from Sub USS Crevalle
IJN Taihō CV 19-Jun-1944 Philippine Sea ? 1,650 1 Torpedo fromSub USS Albacore
IJN Hiyō CV 20-Jun-1944 Philippine Sea ? 247 2 DB bombs & 1 Torpedo from USS Belleau Wood|
IJN Taiyō CVE 18-Aug-1944 Off Philippines ? 790 1 Torpedoe from Sub USS Rasher
IJN Un'yō CVE 17-Sep-1944 Convoy HI-74 from Singapore ? 1,000e 2 Torpedoes from Sub USS Barb
USS Princeton CVL 24-Oct-1944 Off Luzon ? 108 Single bomb from LBA
USS Gambier Bay CVE 25-Oct-1944 Off Samar ? ? Gunfire from IJN Chikuma and possibly also from IJN Yamato
USS St. Lo CVE 25-Oct-1944 Off Samar ? 113 Kamikaze
IJN Zuikzku CV 25-Oct-1944 NE of Cape Engano 0 20? US CA bombs & torpedoes
IJN Zuihō CVL 25-Oct-1944 NE of Cape Engano 0 215 US CA bombs & torpedoes
IJN Chiyoda CVL 25-Oct-1944 NE of Cape Engano 0 1,470 US CA bombs, torpedoes & gunfire
IJN Chitose CVL 25-Oct-1944 NE of Cape Engano 0 903 US CA bombs, torpedoes & gunfire
IJN Shin'yō CVE 17-Nov-1944 East China Sea 10? 1,130 4 Torpedoes from Sub USS Spadefish
IJN Shinano CV 29-Nov-1944 Off Japan 50 1,435 Torpedoes from Sub USS Archerfish
IJN Unryū CV 19-Dec-1944 East China Sea 30 1,238 2 Torpedoes from Sub USSRedfish
USS Ommaney Bay CVE 4-Jan-1945 Sulu Sea off Philippines ? 95 Kamikaze
USS Bismarck Sea CVE 21-Feb-1945 Iwo Jima ? 318 2 Kamikaze
IJN Amagi CV 29-Jul-1945 Kure Harbor, Japan 0 few Bombs from Allied CA
IJN Kaiyō CVE 24 July to 10 August 1945[r] Beppu Bay, Japan 0 20 Attacked by naval aircraft and USAAF bombers

Abbreviations:

  • "DB" Indicates Dive Bombers
  • "CA" Indicates Carrier Aircraft
  • "Ger" Indicates German
  • "IJN" indicated Imperial Japanese Navy
  • "LBA" Indicates Land-Based Aircraft
  • "Sub" Indicates Submarine
  • 'TB" Indicates Torpedo Bomber

The following table shows how each combatant's carriers were sunk.

cause[85][86][87][88][89]
USN RN IJN Total Percent
Bombs 2 1 7 10 24%
Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes 2 0 5 7 17%
Kamikazes 3 0 0 3 7%
Aerial & Submarine Torpedoes 1 0 0 1 2%
Aerial Torpedoes 0 0 0 0 0%
Submarine Torpedoes 3 5 8 16 39%
Warship Gunfire 1 1 0 2 5%
Mines 0 0 1 1 2%
Mechanical Failures 0 1 0 1 2%
All Causes 12 8 21 41 100%

Non-operational aircraft carrier time

edit
edit

The table below shows the combat-related actions during the war that resulted in carriers not being "operational", i.e., not available for combat activity.

Carrier damage[85][86][87][88][89]
Carrier Date Location Action Cause category Principal cause of carrier damage
HMS Courageous 17 September 1939 Off Iceland Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
HMS Eagle 14 March 1940 Mechanical failure explosion of bomb in magazine
HMS Glorious 8 June 1940 Norwegian Sea Battle of Norway Gunfire from warships Sunk, Battleship gunfire
HMS Illustrious 10 January 1941
follow-up attacks on
16-01-1941, 19-01-1941
South of Sicily Operation Excess supply convoy to Malta
Under repair in harbour
Air attack Bombs- land based aircraft
HMS Ark Royal 22 March 1941 Atlantic Search for Scharnhorst and Gneisanau Aircraft accidents Ran over own aircraft and depth charge detonated
Hermes 15 May 1941 Collision Collision with RMS Corfu
Formidable CV-R67 26 May 1941 passage to launch strikes on Scarpanto Air attack Bombs- land based aircraft
Indomitable CV-R92 3 November 1941 Groundings Ran aground
Ark Royal CV-91 4 November 1941 Off Gibraltar Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Illustrious CV-R87 16 December 1941 Collision Collision with friendly warship
Audacity CVE-D10 21 December 1941 Off Gibraltar Convoy escort to Convoy HG 76 Submarine attack Sunk, Torpedoed by U-boat
Saratoga CV-3 1/11/42 Submarine attack Submarine attack
Kaga CV 2/9/42 Palau -- Groundings Run Aground
Langley CV-1 2/27/42 Off Java Air attack Sunk, Bombs- land based aircraft
Wasp CV-7 3/16/42 Collisions Collision with warship
Hermes CVL-95 4/9/42 Off Ceylon Air attack Sunk, Bombs from carrier launched dive bombers
Ryuho CVL 4/18/42 Japan Doolittle Raid Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Shoho CVL 5/7/42 Coral Sea Battle of Coral Sea Air attack Sunk, Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes
Lexington CV-2 5/8/42 Coral Sea Battle of Coral Sea Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes Sunk, Aerial torpedoes & bombs
Shōkaku CV 5/8/42 Coral Sea Battle of the Coral Sea Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Yorktown CV-5 5/8/42 Coral Sea Coral Sea Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Akagi CV 6/4/42 Off Midway Island Battle of Midway Bombs Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft dive bombers
Kaga CV 6/4/42 Off Midway Island Battle of Midway Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft dive bombers
Sōryū CV 6/4/42 Off Midway Island Battle of Midway Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft dive bombers
Yorktown CV-5 6/4/42 Off Midway Island Battle of Midway Aerial & Submarine attack Sunk, Aerial torpedoes & Submarine attack
Hiryū CV 6/5/42 Off Midway Island Battle of Midway Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft dive bombers
Eagle 11-08-1942 off Cape Salinas , Majorca Operation Pedestal Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Indomitable CV-R92 8/12/42 Air attack Bombs- land based aircraft
Victorious CV-R38 8/12/42 Air attack Bombs- land based aircraft
Ryūjō CVL 8/24/42 Solomon Islands Battle of Eastern Solomons Air attack Sunk, Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes
Enterprise CV-6 8/24/42 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Saratoga CV-3 8/31/42 Submarine attack Submarine attack
Wasp CV-7 9/15/42 Off San Cristobal Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine attack
Taiyō CVE 9/28/42 Truk Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Hiyō CV 10/17/42 Guadalcanal Mechanical Failure Shipboard accident- Fire in generator room
Hornet CV-8 10/27/42 Santa Cruz Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes Sunk, Aerial torpedoes & bombs
Shōkaku CV 10/26/42 Santa Cruz Islands Battle of Santa Cruz Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Enterprise CV-6 10/26/42 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Zuihō CVL 10/26/42 Santa Cruz Islands Battle of Santa Cruz Islands Air attack Bombs
Santee CVE-29 10/30/42 Atlantic Escort duty Aircraft Accidents Accidental bomb damage during launch
Hiyō CV 11/13/42 Truk Air attack Bombs
Avenger CVE BAVG-2/D14 11/15/42 Off Algeria Operation Torch Submarine attack Sunk, Torpedoed by U-boat
Sangamon CVE-26 11/20/42 Weather Atlantic storm
Chenango CVE-28 11/20/42 Weather Atlantic storm
Hiyō CV 11/27/42 Truk Air attack Bombs
Ryūhō CVL 12/12/42 Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Dasher (D37) 2/18/43 UK Convoy escort Weather Extreme weather
Dasher (D37) 3/27/43 Clyde estuary Returning for repair Mechanical Failures Sank following internal explosion
Taiyō CVE 4/9/43 Saipan/Truk Submarine attack Submarine torpedo (detonated prematurely)
Chūyō CVE 4/9/43 Saipan/Truk Convoy escort Submarine attack Submarine torpedo (did not detonate)
Searcher CVE-D40 5/27/43 Atlantic Ocean Weather Atlantic storm
Hiyō CV 6/10/43 Mijake Island Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Chaser CVE-32 7/7/43 England Mechanical Failures Explosion in boiler room
Indomitable CV-R92 7/16/43 Ionian Sea Invasion of Sicily Aerial Torpedoes Torpedoed by land based aircraft
Taiyō CVE 9/24/43 Truk/Yokosuka Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Cowpens CVL-25 10/18/43 Collisions Collisions with friendly warships
Jun'yō CV 11/5/43 Bungo Suido Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Biter CVE BAVG-3/D97 11/16/43 Atlantic Convoy escort Aircraft Accidents Damage from ditched aircraft
Independence CVL-9 11/20/43 Gilberts Galvanic Aerial Torpedoes Aerial torpedoes
Liscome Bay CVE-56 11/24/43 Off Makin Island Battle of Makin Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine attack
Ravager CVE-24/D70 11/29/43 Scotland Collisions Collision with HMS Pretoria Castle
Pretoria Castle CVE 11/29/43 England Collisions Collision with HMS Ravager
Chūyō CVE 12/4/43 Off Japan Convoy escort Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Lexington CV-16 12/4/43 Kwajalein Raid on Kwajalein Aerial Torpedoes Aerial torpedoes
Belleau Wood CV-24 1/7/44 Collisions Collisions with friendly warships
Un'yō CVE 1/19/44 Guam Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Vindex CVE-D15 1/22/44 Scotland Collisions Dragged anchor, collided with HMS Pursuer
Attacker CVE-7/D02 1/22/44 Scotland Collisions Collision with HMS Chaser, which dragged anchor in gale
Attacker CVE-7/D02 1/24/44 Scotland Collisions Collision with HMS Fencer, which dragged anchor in gale
Sagamon CVE-26 1/25/44 Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Sagamon CVE-26 1/26/44 Collisions Collision with warship (CVE Suwannee)
Queen CVE-49/D19/R320 1/26/44 Canada Groundings Ran Aground
Suwannee CVE-27 1/26/44 Enroute Marshalls Collisions Collision with warship (CVE Sangamon)
Slinger CVE-32/D26 2/5/44 Off Lowestoff, England During work-up Mines Hit a mine
White Plains CVE-66 2/7/44 Marshalls Transport Collision Collision with warship
Intrepid CV-11 2/17/44 Aerial Torpedoes Aerial torpedoes
Vindex CVE-D15 2/25/44 Scotland Flying exercises Aircraft Accidents Aircraft crashes (water in fuel)
Chaser CVE-D32 3/14/44 Scotland Collision Collision with HMS Attacker, then grounded
Khedive CVE-39/D62 3/22/44 England Collision Collision with merchant ship
Fencer CVE-D64 May-44 Arctic Ocean Convoy Escort Weather Arctic storm
Block Island CVE-106 5/29/44 Off Canary Islands Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine attack
Tracker CVE BAVG-6/D24) 6/10/44 England Operation Neptune Collisions Collision warship
Fenshaw Bay CVE-68 6/17/44 Saipan Invasion of Saipan Air attack Bomb
Mission Bay CVE-59 6/17/44 New York Harbor Transporting aircraft Collisions Collision with a dredge
Taihō CV 6/19/44 San Bernardino Straits Battle of Philippine Sea Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Shōkaku CV 6/19/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Bunker Hill CV-17 6/19/44 Air attack Bomb near miss
Hiyō CV 6/20/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft
Jun'yō CV 6/20/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Chiyoda CVL 6/20/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Zuikaku CV 6/20/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Ryūhō CVL 6/20/44 Philippine Sea Battle of Philippine Sea Air attack Bombs- Near miss by aerial bomb
Taiyō CVE 8/18/44 Off Philippines Convoy escort Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Nabob CVE-41/D77 8/22/44 Norway? Submarine attack Torpedoed by U-boat
Biter CVE BAVG-3/D97 8/24/44 Scotland During conversion Mechanical Failures Fire damage
Khedive CVE-39/D62 9/8/44 Alexandria Collisions Collision with merchant ship
Breton CVE-23 9/13/44 ? ? Collisions Collision with warship
Un'yō CVE 9/17/44 Off Singapore Convoy escort Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Vindex CVE-D15 9/26/44 Scotland Collisions Dragged anchor, collided with troop ship
Franklin CV-13 10/13/44 Aircraft Accidents Enemy plane crash on deck
Franklin CV-13 10/13/44 Aircraft Accidents Near crash of plane
Hancock CV-19 10/14/44 Air attack Bomb- land based aircraft
Saratoga CV-3 10/14/44 Collisions Collisions with friendly warships
Franklin CV-13 10/16/44 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Sagamon CVE-26 10/20/44 Off Leyte Battle of Leyte Gulf Air attack Bombs- Land based bombers?
Princeton CVL-23 10/24/44 Off Luzon Battle of Leyte Gulf Air attack Sunk, Bombs- land based aircraft
Zuikaku CV 10/25/44 Cape Engano Battle off Cape Engano Air attack Sunk, Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes- carrier aircraft
Chiyoda CVL 10/25/44 Cape Engano Battle off Cape Engano Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft & cruiser gunfire
Zuihō CVL 10/25/44 Cape Engano Battle off Cape Engano Air attack Sunk, Bombs & Aerial Torpedoes
Chitose CVL 10/25/44 Cape Engano Battle off Cape Engano Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft & cruiser gunfire
Gambier Bay CVE-73 10/25/44 East of Sumar Battle off Sumar Warship Gunfire Sunk, Battleship(?) and cruiser gunfire
St. Lo/Midway CVE-63 10/25/44 East of Sumar Battle off Sumar Kamikazes Sunk, Kamakaze
White Plains CVE-66 10/25/44 Off Sumar Battle off Sumar Kamikazes Kamikaze
Kalinin Bay CVE-67 10/25/44 Off Sumar Battle off Sumar Kamikazes Kamikaze
Fenshaw Bay CVE-68 10/25/44 East of Sumar Battle off Sumar Warship Gunfire Cruiser and destroyer gunfire
Santee CVE-29 10/25/44 Leyte Kamikazes Kamikaze
Kitkun Bay CVE-71 10/25/44 East of Sumar Battle off Sumar Kamikazes Kamikaze
Sagamon CVE-26 10/25/44 Off Leyte Battle of Leyte Gulf Kamikazes Kamikaze
Suwannee CVE-27 10/25/44 Off Layte Battle off Sumar Kamikazes Kamikaze
Sagamon CVE-26 10/26/44 Off Leyte Battle of Leyte Gulf Kamikazes Kamikaze
Franklin CV-13 10/30/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Belleau Wood CV-24 10/30/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Intrepid CV-11 10/30/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Lexington CV-16 11/5/44 Leyte Leyte Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Saginaw Bay CVE-80 11/10/44 Manus Explosions Nearby Explosion of nearby ammunition ship
Petrof Bay CVE-79 11/10/44 Manus Explosions Nearby Explosion of nearby ammunition ship
Shinyo CVE 11/17/44 East China Sea Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Intrepid CV-11 11/25/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Cabot CV-28 11/25/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Independence CVL-9 11/25/44 Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Essex CV-9 11/25/44 Philippines KING II Kamikazes Kamikazi
Hancock CV-19 11/25/44 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Shinano CV 11/29/44 Off Japan Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Jun'yō CV 12/8/44 Mako Submarine attack Submarine torpedo
Reaper CVE-54/D82/R324 12/9/44 Scotland Ferry Service Collisions Collision with merchant ship
Premier CVE-42/D23 12/15/44 Norway Minelaying Weather Weather damage
Trumpeter CVE-37/D09 12/15/44 Norway Weather Weather damage
Marcus Island CVE-77 12/15/44 Mindoro LOVE3 Kamikazes Kamikaze
Cape Esperance CVE-88 12/18/44 Philippine Sea Weather Typhoon Cobra
Nehenta Bay CVE-74 12/18/44 Philippine Sea Weather Typhoon Cobra
Monterey CVL-26 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
Cabot CVL-28 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
Cowpens CVL-25 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
San Jacinto CVL-30 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
Altamaha CVE-18 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
Kwajalein CVE-98 12/18/44 Philippine Sea Weather Typhoon Cobra
Coral Sea/Anzio CVE-57 12/18/44 Weather Typhoon
Unryū CV 12/19/44 East China Sea Returning from transport mission Submarine attack Sunk, Submarine torpedo
Sargent Bay CVE-82 1/3/45 Philippine Sea Collisions Collision with warship
Ommaney Bay CVE-79 1/4/45 Off Philippines Kamikazes Sunk, Kamikaze
Manila Bay CVE-61 1/5/45 Sulu Sea Invasion of Mindoro Kamikazes Kamikaze
Savo Island CVE-78 1/5/45 Lingayen Invasion of Lingayen Kamikazes Kamikaze
Kitkun Bay CVE-71 1/8/45 Luzon Invasion of Luzon Kamikazes Kamikaze
Kadashan Bay CVE-76 1/8/45 Luzon Mike1 Kamikazes Kamikaze
Salamaua CVE-96 1/13/45 Luzon Invasion of Luzon Kamikazes Kamikaze
Thane CVE-48/D48 1/15/45 Scotland Submarine attack Torpedoed by U-boat
Hoggatt Bay CVE-75 1/15/45 Luzon MIKE1 Aircraft Accidents Crash landing with bomb explosion
Vindex CVE-D15 1/16/45 Arctic Ocean Weather Extreme weather
Langley CVL-27 1/16/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Nehenta Bay CVE-74 1/17/45 Philippines Weather Storm
Ticonderoga CV-14 1/21/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Hancock CV-19 1/21/45 Aircraft Accidents Crash Landing
Ravager CVE-D70 1/28/45 England Collisions Collision with merchant ship
Bismark Sea CVE-95 2/21/45 Off Iwo Jima Invasion of Iwo Jima Kamikazes Sunk, Kamikazes
Saratoga CV-3 2/21/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Langley CVL-27 2/21/45 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Lunga Point CVE-94 2/21/45 Off Iwo Jima Invasion of Iwo Jima Kamikazes Kamikaze
San Jacinto CVL-30 2/27/45 Collisions Collisions with friendly warships
Randolph CV-15 3/11/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Enterprise CV-6 3/18/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Yorktown CV-10 3/18/45 Off Japan Raids on Japan home islands Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Ryūhō CVL 3/19/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs
Franklin CV-13 3/19/45 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Amagi CV 3/19/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Wasp CV-18 3/19/45 Air attack Bombs- land based aircraft?
Kaiyō CVE 3/19/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Essex CV-9 3/19/45 Friendly Fire Friendly fire
Hōshō CVL 3/19/45 Inland Sea Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Katsuragi CV 3/19/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Enterprise CV-6 3/20/45 Friendly Fire Friendly fire
Sagamon CVE-26 3/25/45 Okinawa ICEBERG Collisions Collision with warship
Illustrious CV-R87 4/1/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi
Indefatigable CV-R10 4/1/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi
Indomitable CV-R92 4/1/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi
Essex CV-9 4/2/45 Collisions Collisions with friendly warships
Wake Island CVE-65 4/3/45 Okinawa Invasion of Okinawa Kamikazes Kamakaze
Illustrious CV-R87 4/6/45 Kamikazes Kamikaze
San Jacinto CVL-30 4/6/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Hancock CV-19 4/7/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Chenango CVE-28 4/9/45 ICEBERG Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Essex CV-9 4/11/45 Air attack Bombs- Carrier launched aircraft
Enterprise CV-6 4/11/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Intepid CV-11 4/16/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Bataan CVL-29 4/17/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Corregidor CVE-58 4/20/45 East of Marianas Weather Typhoon
Steamer Bay CVE-87 4/25/45 Okinawa area Collisions Collision with warship
Sagamon CVE-26 5/4/45 Kerama Retto ICEBERG Kamikazes Kamikaze
Formidable CV-R67 5/4/45 Kamikazes Kamikaze
Indomitable CV-R92 5/4/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi
Formidable CV-R67 5/9/45 Kamikazes Kamikaze
Victorious CV-R38 5/9/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi
Bunker Hill CV-17 5/11/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Bataan CVL-29 5/13/45 Friendly Fire Friendly fire
Enterprise CV-6 5/14/45 Kamikazes Kamikazi attacks
Shipley Bay CVE-85 5/16/45 Okinawa area Refueling Accidents Damaged oil tanks refueling
Formidable CV-R67 5/18/45 Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Indomitable CV-R92 5/20/45 Collisions Collision with friendly warship
Suwannee CVE-27 5/24/45 Sakishima Gunto ICEBERG Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Belleau Wood CVL-24 6/4/45 Weather Typhoon
Hornet CV-12 6/5/45 Weather Typhoon
Bennington CV-20 6/5/45 Weather Typhoon
Salamaua CVE-96 6/5/45 Okinawa Invasion of Okinawa Weather Typhoon
Bougainville CVE-100 6/5/45 Off Okinawa Weather Typhoon
Attu CVE-102 6/5/45 Off Okinawa Weather Typhoon
Windham Bay CVE-92 6/5/45 Okinawa area Weather Typhoon
San Jacinto CVL-30 6/6/45 Weather Typhoon
Natoma Bay CVE-62 6/7/45 Okinawa Invasion of Okinawa Kamikazes Kamakaze
Randolph CV-15 6/7/45 Leyte Aircraft Accidents Crash landing of P-38
Randolph CV-15 6/7/45 Aircraft Accidents Crash landing P-38
Steamer Bay CVE-87 6/11/45 Okinawa area Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Block Island CVE-106 6/15/45 Okinawa ICEBERG Collisions Collision with warship
Santee CVE-29 7/7/45 Okinawa Aircraft Accidents Crash landing
Kaiyō CVE 7/18/45 Sada Straights Training exercise Mines Magnetic mine
Amagi CV 7/19/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Admiralty Islands CVE-99 7/20/45 Off Okinawa Aircraft Accidents Exploding external fuel tank
Kaiyō CV 7/24/45 Beppu Bay, Japan Raids on Home Islands Mines Magnetic mine
Hōshō CVL 7/24/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Amagi CV 7/24/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Katsuragi CV 7/24/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Kaiyō CVE 7/25/45 Air attack Rockets- carrier aircraft
Katsuragi CV 7/26/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Amagi CV 7/28/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Kaiyō CVE 7/28/45 Hiji harbor, Beppu Bay Raids on Home Islands Air attack Rockets- carrier aircraft
Hōshō CVL 7/28/45 Kure Raids on Home Islands Air attack Bombs- carrier aircraft
Amagi CV 7/29/45 Kure Harbor, Japan Air attack Sunk, Bombs- carrier aircraft
Begum CVE-36/D38/R305 8/4/45 Indian Ocean Groundings Grounded
Kaiyō CVE 8/10/45 Raids on Home Islands Air attack Sunk, Bombs
Wasp CV-18 8/25/45 Weather Typhoon

The following table shows the causes of carriers becoming non-operational due to combat-related damage and sinkings.

Carriers damaged or sunk
USN Ships RN Ships IJN Ships Total Ships Percent
Bombs 15 5 32 52 22%
Kamikazes 40 8 0 48 20%
Bombs & aerial torpedoes 2 0 5 7 3%
Aerial torpedoes 3 1 0 4 2%
Aerial & submarine attack 1 0 0 1 0%
Air attack 61 14 37 112 47%
Submarine attack 5 7 17 29 12%
Mines 0 1 2 3 1%
Warship gunfire 2 1 0 3 1%
Other Weapon Systems 7 9 19 35 15%
Collision 15 16 0 31 13%
Weather 20 6 2 28 12%
Aircraft Accidents 14 4 0 18 8%
Mechanical failure 0 4 1 5 2%
Groundings 0 3 1 4 2%
Friendly fire 3 0 0 3 1%
Explosions nearby 2 0 0 2 1%
Refueling accidents 1 0 0 1 0%
Other causes 55 33 4 92 38%
All causes 123 56 60 239 100%

Carrier non-operational time due to overhauls and refittings

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The following table shows the amount of time during the war that each carrier spent being overhauled or refitted.

List of carriers[85][86][87][88][89]
Carrier Date Cause Approximate months Lost
Glorious 1/17/40 Refit
Furious Mar-40 Refit 1
Furious Jun-40 Refit 2
Eagle CV-94 11/1/41 Refit 2
Furious Nov-41 Refit 8
Hermes Dec-41 Refit 2
Zuikaku CV 12/30/41 Overhaul 0
Shōkaku CV 2/27/42 Refit 1
Eagle CV-94 3/11/42 Repair 1
Ryūjō CVL 4/28/42 Refit 1
Taiyō CVE 5/21/42 Drydock 0
Indomitable Jun-42 Refit 1
Dasher CVE BAVG-5/D37 7/2/42 Fire damage during engine trials 1
Zuikaku CV 7/30/42 Drydock 0
Jun'yō CV 8/13/42 Drydock
Victorious Sep-42 Refit 2
Illustrious Oct-42 Refit 2
Victorious Jan-43 Refit 1
Illustrious Feb-43 Refit 4
Victorious Apr-43 Conversion 1
Zuihō CVL 6/7/43 Refit 0
Zuikaku CV 6/11/43 Drydock 0
Enterprise CV-6 7/20/43 Overhaul 4
Furious Aug-43 Refit 5
Chūyō CVE 8/9/43 refit 0
Ryūhō CVL 9/22/43 Drydock 0
Un'yō CVE 9/30/43 Drydock
Illustrious Oct-43 Refit 1
Victorious Dec-43 Refit 3
Saratoga CV-3 12/9/43 Overhaul 1
Shōkaku CV 12/27/43 Refit 0
Nabob CVE-41/D77 1/1/44 Grounded 1
Formidable Jan-44 Refit 5
Zuikaku CV 1/8/44 Drydock 0
Taiyō CVE 1/11/44 Drydock 3
Ryūhō CVL 1/17/44 Drydock 0
Zuihō CVL 2/23/44 Refit 1
Kaiyō CVE 2/24/44 Drydock
Chitose CVL 3/19/44 Drydock 0
Zuikaku CV 3/25/44 Drydock 1.5
Saratoga CV-3 6/2/44 Overhaul 3
Cowpens CV-25 7/1/44 Overhaul 1
Ryūhō CVL 7/11/44 Drydock 0
Zuikaku CV 7/14/44 Drydock 1
Enterprise CV-6 7/16/44 Overhaul 1
Bataan CVL-29 7/30/44 Overhaul 3
Illustrious Sep-44 Refit 2
Kaiyō CVE 9/6/44 Drydock 0
Jun'yō CV 9/11/44 Refit 0.5
Formidable Oct-44 Refit 4
Bunker Hill CV-17 10/23/44 Overhaul 3
Victorious Nov-44 Repair 1
Ranee CVE-46/D03 1/28/45 Damaged helping HMS Nabob refloat 1
Amagi CV 2/10/45 Drydock 0.5
Indomitable Jun-45 Refit 1
Langley CVL-27 6/3/45 Overhaul 2
Campania 6/5/45 Damage leaving dock 1
Niarana 8/7/45 Damage leaving dry dock 0

Operational Aircraft carrier time

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Carriers operational at the end of each month

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(to be completed)

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Britain and America shipped war-sustaining goods to the Soviet Union via Arctic Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Pacific Ocean routes.
  2. ^ Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku
  3. ^ MV Rapana, MV Amastra, MV Ancylus, MV Acavus were retired from service in October 1944.
  4. ^ Escort carriers commissioned after August 1945 and not included in the counts for this article are Rendova (CVE-114, commissioned 22-Oct-1945)),Badoeng Straight (CVE-116, commissioned 14-Nov-1945), Saidor (CVE-117, commissioned 4-Sep-1945), Sicily (CVE-118, commissioned 27-Feb-1946), Point Cruz (CVE-119, commissioned 16-Oct-1945), Mindoro (CVE-120, 4-Dec-1945), and Palau (CVE-122, commissioned 15 Jan-1946). Escort carriers acquired by the Navy but never commissioned and not included in the counts for this article are Rabaul (CVE-121) and Tinian (CVE-123). Also not included in the counts are four escort carriers laid down but cancelled before launch, namely Bastogne (CVE-124), Eniwetok (CVE-125), Lingayen (CVE-126), and Okinawa (CVE-127).
  5. ^ Also referred to as catapult armed ships (CAS)[citation needed]. HMS Ariguani, Maplin, Patia (sunk 1941), Pegasus, and Springbank (sunk 1941). Each carried a single aircraft and served as convoy escorts. Pegasus was originally commissioned in 1914 as the seaplane carrier HMS Ark Royal and her name changed to Pegasus in 1940 allowing the name to be reused.
  6. ^ HMS Albatross. Served for convoy escort, anti-submarine patrols, and air-sea rescue in the Atlantic and provided trade protection and air cover for landings in the Indian Ocean.
  7. ^ HMS Pioneer. Perseus was not completed until after the war ended. HMS HMS Unicorn was designed with an operational flight deck and served as a light aircraft carrier, including covering the amphibious landing at Salerno, Italy.
  8. ^ Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku
  9. ^ Japan had been involved in land war against China since 1937
  10. ^ Includes Saratoga and Ranger that were used exclusively for training by the end of the war.
  11. ^ Includes Hōshō that was used exclusively for training by the end of the war.
  12. ^ Includes Béarn that was refitted for use as an aircraft transport ship by the end of the war.
  13. ^ Includes Langley, the first US aircraft carrier which was reclassified as a seaplane tender before World War II began. She was used during the early months of the war to ferry aircraft and conduct anti-submarine patrols, just as an escort carrier would do. Because she could still transport, launch and retrieve aircraft,[90] Langley is included here as an escort carrier rather than a seaplane tender.
  14. ^ USS Long Island.
  15. ^ a b c Includes HMS Archer that was transferred on 17 November 1941. Includes thirty-eight CVEs that were constructed in the US and transferred to Britain.
  16. ^ HMS Audacity, converted in the UK from a German merchant ship.
  17. ^ Activity, Pretoria Castle, Vindex, Nairana, and Campania.
  18. ^ a b After uncontrolled flooding due to hitting mines and repeated bombing attacks, Kaiyō was intentionally grounded on July 25, 1945 in Beppu Bay to prevent her from sinking. The last combat crew members manning the anti-aircraft guns left the ship on August 9 and the ship was abandoned on August 10. She was scrapped in place beginning in Sept-1946.
  19. ^ MV Gadila and MV Macoma, which operated under Royal Navy rather than Royal Netherlands Navy control are included in the counts with the British MACs.
  20. ^ Gunfire from cruisers contributed to sinking of IJN carriers at the Battle of Leyte Gulf § Battle off Cape Engaño, part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but these sinkings are included under carrier-launched aircraft.
  21. ^ USS Yorktown was disabled by IJN carrier aircraft. Recovery operations were progressing satisfactorily until it was hit by a torpedo from IJN submarine I-168. Accordingly, this is counted as a submarine sinking. The USS Wasp was also sunk by a submarine torpedo.
  22. ^ Land-base aircraft sinkings includes those caused by kamikazes.
  23. ^ HMS Stratagem, Porpoise, and Stonehenge.
  24. ^ Excludes Japanese seaplane carrier Mizuho sunk 5 May 1942 by torpedoes.

See also

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Citations

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  1. ^ Mawdsley, Evan (2019). The War For The Seas- A Maritime History of World War II. London: Yale University Press. p. 478. ISBN 978-0-300-19019-9.
  2. ^ Overy, p. 61
  3. ^ Symonds, p. 641
  4. ^ Overy, Richard (1995). Why The Allies Won. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-393-03925-0.
  5. ^ Overy p. 19, 254, 321
  6. ^ Mawdsley, p.478
  7. ^ Baranov, Sergey (14 Mar 2018). "Lend-Lease: How American supplies aided the USSR in its darkest hour". Russia. Science & Tech. Retrieved 29 Aug 2019.
  8. ^ Hill, Alexander (July 2008). "Did Russia Really Go It Alone- How Lend-Lease Helped The Soviets Defeat The Germans". History.net. Retrieved 28 Aug 2019.
  9. ^ Toland, John (1965). The Last 100 Days. New York, NY & Toronto, Canada: Bantam Books. p. 102. ISBN 0-553-34208-8.
  10. ^ Symonds, WWII at Sea, p. xi-xii
  11. ^ Mawdsley, ppp xxxix, 477
  12. ^ Symonds, p. 268
  13. ^ Mawdsley, page=xl
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