Aircraft Carriers: Essex Class

[Brian James]

USS Intrepid, USS Saratoga, USS Independence pictured as they celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Naval Aviation.

[Brian James]

Grumman F9F Panther pictured being fueled by crewmen on the flight deck of USS Boxer, during Korean War operations in July 1951.

[Brian James]

USS Lexington pictured in 1955.

[designeraccd]

HANCOCK in 1944 and 1968. Like most of the ESSEX class the USN got tremendous use out of this carrier and the design! DFO

[Brian James]

Grumman F9F-2 Panther pictured on the elevator of Carrier USS Bon Homme Richard prior to a strike launch to Korea on November 27th 1952.

[Brian James]

USS Antietam pictured as she takes aboard a Douglas F3D Skyknight during testing of the Bell Automatic Landing System, in 1957. An F3D Skynight, command pilot Lt Cdr Don Walker, landed aboard the Antietam hands-off on August 12th 1957. This landing was the first shipboard test of an automatic landing system designed to recover aircraft in all weather conditions.

[Brian James]

Launch day for Essex Class Carrier USS Hancock at Bethlehem Steel Co. Yard, Quincy, Massachusetts, on January 24th 1944.

[Brian James]

USS Bon Homme Richard pictured at San Diego on January 21st 1952.

[Brian James]

Essex Class Carrier USS Wasp pictured c1952.

[Brian James]

Essex Class Carrier USS Valley Forge CVA-45 pictured in the Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal on November 15th 1954.