USS Ranger
The USS Ranger was one of the early aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy, notable for its role during World War II. Launched in 1933 and christened by First Lady Lou Hoover, the Ranger exemplified the Navy's capabilities to adhere to the constraints of the Washington Naval Treaty, which limited naval tonnage after World War I. Unlike its larger predecessors, such as the Lexington and Saratoga, the Ranger was significantly smaller, measuring over 150 feet shorter and displacing half the weight of these carriers. Throughout the 1930s, it engaged in various trials and notable voyages, including traversing the Panama Canal and conducting cold-weather carrier tests in Alaska. With the onset of World War II, the Ranger participated in Neutrality Patrol, contributing vital support to the Allies, especially in the European theater. Although less recognized than its counterparts in the Pacific, the USS Ranger played an important role in early 20th-century naval history and the evolution of aircraft carrier design.
USS Ranger
Identification First vessel built specifically as an aircraft carrier
Date Launched on February 25, 1933
Place Christened at Newport News, Virginia
The USS Ranger(CV-4) was the first vessel built specifically to be an aircraft carrier from the keel up. It participated in several training voyages during the 1930’s and was a part of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet during World War II.
The Ranger was one of the early aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. It was important largely because of its participation in World War II. Ranger was christened at Newport News, Virginia, by First Lady Lou Hoover in 1933. The vessel represented the ability of the Navy to work within the parameters of the Washington Naval Treaty, which limited the amount of tonnage that naval powers could construct after World War I. The Ranger’s predecessors, Langley, Lexington, and Saratoga, were all carriers converted from other ship types. Because of the limitations placed on the Navy, Ranger was much smaller than the other ships: It was shorter by more than 150 feet and displaced one-half the weight of Lexington and Saratoga.
Ranger spent the majority of the 1930’s on trial runs and other voyages. Some of its more illustrious achievements included traversing the Panama Canal in April, 1935, after visiting South American cities on its shakedown voyage. Ranger also participated in the first cold-weather carrier tests near Alaska and visited the coast of Peru while in the Pacific. At the end of the 1930’s, the Ranger served on Neutrality Patrol with the outbreak of World War II.
Impact
The USS Ranger was a remarkable vessel in early twentieth century naval history. It represented one of the Navy’s best efforts to construct an aircraft carrier within the limitations of the Washington Treaty. Though less known than its Pacific counterparts, Ranger provided important protection to the Allies in the European theater.
Bibliography
Baer, George W. One Hundred Years of Sea Power: The U.S. Navy, 1890-1990. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1994.
Cressman, Robert J. USS Ranger: The Navy’s First Flattop from Keel to Mast, 1934-1946. Dulles, Va.: Brassey’s, 2003.
O’Connell, Robert. Sacred Vessels: The Cult of the Battleship and the Rise of the U.S. Navy. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1991.