Aircraft Carriers (up to 1945) - USA: Books - History (1/4)

Fighting Ships of the U.S. Navy 1883-2019 (Volume One) : Fleet Carriers, Battle Carriers And Light Carriers

The first in a four-part series which provides details of all USN warships from 1893 to the present day. Every class and individual ship has an entry providing details of the procurement, dimensions and characteristics, and a summary of each ship's history and development.
Volume One covers Fleet Carriers, Battle Carriers and Light Carriers.

U.S. Aircraft Carriers - An Illustrated Design History

This account of U.S. carrier development, based on the internal files of the U.S. Navy, presents a complete evolutionary design history at a level of detail and accuracy never before approached. The author, a recognized authority on U.S. warships, uncovers the issues behind the emergence of today's carrier, explaining the reasons for the periodic but always aborted attempts to trim back its dimensions. As a result, "U.S. Aircraft Carriers" is relevant to both current and future plans for new carrier construction.

Norman Friedman points out many features of carrier design that have recurred over the years. For example, he shows how recent interest in the conversion of merchant hulls to limited-capability ASW carriers harks back to a major conversion program of the 1930s and to the escort-carrier program of World War II. Both programs are fully described here, as are those for the proposed VSTOL carrier, the sea-control ship, and the VSTOL support ship.

This book treats the reader to detailed information on every U.S. carrier class, from the gigantic warships of the Nimitz class to the "side-wheeler" training carriers that operated on the Great Lakes during World War II. Included in this comprehensive history are flight deck plans, outboard profiles, sketches of major design studies, and descriptions of several unique carrier proposals that never got beyond the designer's table but still had a major influence on contemporary design thinking.

Here, too, is Friedman's lucid explanation of the changing function of U.S. carriers, from their origin as auxiliaries to their present role as the main components of the battle force. The post-World War II controversy over the role of carrier operations is also covered. Extensive appendices provide additional data on the carriers and synopses of developments in the design of their catapults and arresting gear.
The talented draftsman A. D. Baker III has drawn carefully detailed scale profiles and plan views for each major class of carrier. Numerous photographs, many never before published, also complement the text.

US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1922-45 - Pre-war Classes

The USS Langley, the first American aircraft carrier, entered service in 1922. Despite being converted into an aircraft tender, it was the first step in a new direction for the US Navy and naval warfare.

This book covers the design, development and operation of USN aircraft carriers built prior to World War II, including their aircraft and weaponry. It also explains their various successes and losses such as the first carrier vs carrier battle at Midway; the battle of the Coral Sea; the battle of the Philippine Sea; and the Operation Torch landings.

Contents: Introduction - Design and development of the IJN carrier - Classes of carrier - including individual names and their background, specific design and construction, wartime modifications, operational history, evaluation, principal armament, radar sytem, and aircraft - Bibliography - Color plate commentary - Index.

US Navy Escort Carriers 1942-45

While not as famous as their larger and faster sister ships such as the Essex- and Yorktown-class carriers, escort carriers made an enormous contribution towards Allied victory both in the Pacific and Atlantic theatres.
Rather than relying on size or speed, it was their sheer numbers that made them so effective. Indeed, the Casablanca-class escort carrier was the most-produced aircraft carrier in history.

In partnership with the Royal Navy, they provided the backbone of Allied anti-submarine efforts in the Atlantic, finally and irrevocably turning the tide of the war against the U-boats in 1943.
In the Pacific, they provided the air cover for the series of landings which led to the doorstep of Japan by 1945. These robust ships faced submarine, air, and even surface threats from the Japanese, but proved able to contend with everything thrown their way.

Fully illustrated with contemporary photographs and unique specially commissioned artwork, this book shines a new light on these unjustly overlooked workhorses of the US Navy - ships that helped usher in the Allied victory over the Axis powers in the Atlantic and Pacific.

US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1939-45 - WWII-built Ships

Aircraft carriers were the US Navy's principal weapon against Japan during the Pacific War. Development of the Essex class began in 1939, becoming the largest class of carrier ever to be built. Early in the Pacific War it became renowned for its 'Sunday Punch' of 36 fighter planes, 36 dive bombers, and 18 torpedo planes. Alongside the lighter Independence class, these carriers formed the formidable Fast Carrier Force in the Pacific.
Featuring artwork detailing the interior and exterior features of the ships, this book explores their design, development, and the action they saw in the Pacific, including the climactic battles of Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa.

Contents: Origins - Development - Chronology - The Essex Class - The Independence Class - Bibliography - Color Plate Commentary - Index.