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For smaller vessels, see also List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons. Some uncompleted Axis ships are included, out of historic interest. Ships are designated to the country under which they operated for the longest period of World War II, regardless of where they were built or previous service history.
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.
HMS Argus in 1918 – the world's first full-flight-deck aircraft carrier. USS Ronald Reagan in 2005. In less than 100 years aircraft carriers have developed into a powerful tool for the projection of power in pursuit of national interests. Aircraft carriers have their origins during the days of World War I. The earliest experiments consisted ...
Named World War II military operations involving aircraft carriers Name Navy Action Begin End Task Force Carriers 1940: Hurry: RN: Deliver Aircraft to Malta: 31 July 1940: 4 August 1940: Force H: Argus, Ark Royal: Hat: RN: Reinforce Eastern Mediterranean Fleet; Deliver Supplies to Malta: 30 August 1940: 5 September 1940: Force H & Force F: Ark ...
Japanese carrier Shinano, the largest aircraft carrier of World War II The reign of the battleship as the primary component of a fleet finally came to an end when U.S. carrier-borne aircraft sank the largest battleships ever built, the Japanese super battleships Musashi in 1944 and Yamato in 1945.
The carriers are listed in order of hull number. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Ships with hull numbers 35, 44, 46, and 50 through 58 were cancelled or never commissioned and are not shown.
The first true aircraft carrier was HMS Argus, [2] [4] launched in late 1917 with a complement of 20 aircraft and a flight deck 550 ft (170 m) long and 68 ft (21 m) wide. [4] The last aircraft carrier sunk in wartime was the Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi , in Kure Harbour in July 1945.
It became apparent early in the war that control of the air was prerequisite for successful surface action both on land and at sea. [b] [9] For much of the war, Britain and America fought mainly on the seas, [10] [clarification needed] where successful Allied naval operations permitted effective support and reinforcement of troops in North Africa, the Soviet Union, western Europe and the Pacific.