Yorktown class aircraft carrier

The Yorktown class was a class of 3 american aircraft carriers built for the US Navy. They were USS Yorktown, USS Enterprise, and USS Hornet. The first ship was commissioned in 1937 and the last ship was commissioned in 1942. They saw service during World War 2 at the Battles of Coral Sea, Midway, Santa Cruz, Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf,^[1] among others. 2, USS Yorktown and Hornet, were sunk.

Design

The island is the top part of the carrier, usually the command center

USS Lexington

The Yorktown class were designed from the Lexington class aircraft carriers, which were built before the Yorktown class. Under the Washington Naval Treaty, naval size was greatly limited. This led to the scrapping of many ships. Some ships that were not completed yet were changed into aircraft carriers, and these included the Lexington class. The Yorktown class was built from the start as a carrier, which had some good sides. Early designs called for no island. However, the drawbacks from having no island were known, and the designs were switched.^[2]

In 1937, the Washington Naval Treaty was put out of use, and the US began building more carriers. A third member of the class, USS Hornet, was built. This also allowed the Essex class carriers to be built.

Combat History

During the Pearl Harbor attack, Enterprise was at sea. It later helped in the first battles of the war. Yorktown arrived in the Pacific ocean on December 16th, and later joined Enterprise. Yorktown later fought in the Battle of Coral Sea, and with USS Lexington, sank the japanese carrier Shoho.

Battle of Midway

On July 4th, one of the most important battles of the Pacific campaign of WW2 began. In the Battle of Midway, Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet fought against 4 IJN carriers: the Akagi, the Kaga, the Soryu, and the Hiryu. Over the next 3 days, the US sank all of them. At the end of the battle, Yorktown was sunk by a Japanese submarine.

The Japanese carriers under air attack at the Battle of Midway

1943-1945

USS Hornet during the battle of the santa cruz islands

The next year, Hornet was sunk in an air attack at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, leaving Enterprise the only allied carrier in the entire Pacific theater. After being upgraded and repaired, she joined the new Essex class carriers in the Pacific Campaign. She fought at the battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. Finally, a Kamikaze attack in May 1945 damaged it, requiring repairs until the end of the war. It helped in bringing soldiers back to the US. Not needed after the war, Enterprise was put into the reserve fleet. After efforts to make it into a museum ship failed, she was scrapped. In total, the class won 27 Battle Stars.