USS Midway (CV-41)
Even before Pearl Harbor, the US Navy was acutely aware that their carriers lacked an armored flight deck: enemy bombs could penetrate the wood overlay and steel below to detonate in the hangar deck--and if the hangar deck was packed with aircraft being loaded with ordnance, the effects would be devastating. This lesson was brought home during the Battle of Midway, when the Japanese lost four carriers to uncontrollable fires due to bomb hits. The Essex-class carriers were already in production and were direly needed, so the Navy held off on a new design until late 1942, which was named the Midway-class for the recent victory.
The Midways were originally classified as "CVBs"--battlecarriers. This was due to their size, which could accomodate 130 aircraft--50 more than even the long-hull Essex-class--armored flight deck, and planned armament of 8-inch guns. Moreover, the hangar deck was subdivided to avoid fires. The Midway-class was inspired by the British Invincible-class, which were much smaller but used armored flight decks, as the British anticipated using them in the close confines of the Mediterranean. The engineering spaces used the same armored subdivision as the planned Montana-class battleships. To save weight, the 8-inch guns were replaced by single 5-inch mounts. The Midways were certainly impressive, but were so heavy and wide that they rode low in the water and couldn't pass through the Panama Canal; the former made for a "wet" ship that got much more water over the bow in heavy seas.
Had World War II ended with the invasion of Japan, the first of the class--USS Midway (CV-41)--would have seen action. The atomic bombs ended that possibility, and so it was commissioned a week after V-J Day. Two more would be built--USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) and USS Coral Sea (CV-43)--before production ended in 1946; the other three planned were never built. Though the Midway-class proved to be uncomfortable for the crew, they were the only carriers that could operate nuclear-capable bombers such as the P2V Neptune (which couldn't return once launched) and the AJ-2 Savage, so they were kept out of the Korean War.
In the 1950s, all three were heavily modified with angle decks, Fresnel landing light systems, and steam catapults for better jet operations. The Midways would finally see action during the Vietnam War, where they were heavily utilized. By this time, they were no longer the largest carriers in the Navy: the Forrestal and Kitty Hawk-classes had entered service, as well as the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The Midway was subsequently "jumboized" in an effort to improve heavy sea handling, accomodation, and jet operations, but was so expensive that the Navy could've simply built another carrier for the same cost.
By the late 1970s, the Midway-class was showing its age, and though the Midway was kept in service thanks to the expensive refit, the Coral Sea and Franklin D. Roosevelt were getting too old--they could not operate the F-14 Tomcat, for instance. The Roosevelt was retired in 1977 and scrapped, and the Coral Sea was destined for the same fate (though the British briefly considered buying it). The Reagan administration halted the Navy's attempt to retire the Coral Sea, and modernized it instead, though not to the same extent as the Midway. The Midway itself went through yet another modernization, removing its heavy armor belt, but this actually made things worse--now the carrier had a tendency to pitch and roll in heavy seas. The retirement of the F-4 Phantom II proved not to be an issue for the Midways: its place was taken by the F/A-18 Hornet.
After the end of the Cold War, the Coral Sea was retired in 1990; the Midway would see service during the First Gulf War, then was also retired in 1992. While the Coral Sea followed the Franklin D. Roosevelt to the scrapyard, the Midway was saved as a museum ship--the largest in the world--and was moored in San Diego harbor.
I'd always wanted to visit the Midway with my dad, but his passing in 2013 unfortunately ended that hope. I did finally get to go aboard her in May 2021, so at least part of the dream was fulfilled. It's beautifully maintained, and I was stunned at just how big it was--I've been aboard Dad's carrier, the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) in Charleston, South Carolina, but the Midway dwarfs the Yorktown. It's so large that I couldn't get a good shot of the entire ship, so I settled for this picture of the island structure.
USS Midway (CV-41)
Even before Pearl Harbor, the US Navy was acutely aware that their carriers lacked an armored flight deck: enemy bombs could penetrate the wood overlay and steel below to detonate in the hangar deck--and if the hangar deck was packed with aircraft being loaded with ordnance, the effects would be devastating. This lesson was brought home during the Battle of Midway, when the Japanese lost four carriers to uncontrollable fires due to bomb hits. The Essex-class carriers were already in production and were direly needed, so the Navy held off on a new design until late 1942, which was named the Midway-class for the recent victory.
The Midways were originally classified as "CVBs"--battlecarriers. This was due to their size, which could accomodate 130 aircraft--50 more than even the long-hull Essex-class--armored flight deck, and planned armament of 8-inch guns. Moreover, the hangar deck was subdivided to avoid fires. The Midway-class was inspired by the British Invincible-class, which were much smaller but used armored flight decks, as the British anticipated using them in the close confines of the Mediterranean. The engineering spaces used the same armored subdivision as the planned Montana-class battleships. To save weight, the 8-inch guns were replaced by single 5-inch mounts. The Midways were certainly impressive, but were so heavy and wide that they rode low in the water and couldn't pass through the Panama Canal; the former made for a "wet" ship that got much more water over the bow in heavy seas.
Had World War II ended with the invasion of Japan, the first of the class--USS Midway (CV-41)--would have seen action. The atomic bombs ended that possibility, and so it was commissioned a week after V-J Day. Two more would be built--USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) and USS Coral Sea (CV-43)--before production ended in 1946; the other three planned were never built. Though the Midway-class proved to be uncomfortable for the crew, they were the only carriers that could operate nuclear-capable bombers such as the P2V Neptune (which couldn't return once launched) and the AJ-2 Savage, so they were kept out of the Korean War.
In the 1950s, all three were heavily modified with angle decks, Fresnel landing light systems, and steam catapults for better jet operations. The Midways would finally see action during the Vietnam War, where they were heavily utilized. By this time, they were no longer the largest carriers in the Navy: the Forrestal and Kitty Hawk-classes had entered service, as well as the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise (CVN-65). The Midway was subsequently "jumboized" in an effort to improve heavy sea handling, accomodation, and jet operations, but was so expensive that the Navy could've simply built another carrier for the same cost.
By the late 1970s, the Midway-class was showing its age, and though the Midway was kept in service thanks to the expensive refit, the Coral Sea and Franklin D. Roosevelt were getting too old--they could not operate the F-14 Tomcat, for instance. The Roosevelt was retired in 1977 and scrapped, and the Coral Sea was destined for the same fate (though the British briefly considered buying it). The Reagan administration halted the Navy's attempt to retire the Coral Sea, and modernized it instead, though not to the same extent as the Midway. The Midway itself went through yet another modernization, removing its heavy armor belt, but this actually made things worse--now the carrier had a tendency to pitch and roll in heavy seas. The retirement of the F-4 Phantom II proved not to be an issue for the Midways: its place was taken by the F/A-18 Hornet.
After the end of the Cold War, the Coral Sea was retired in 1990; the Midway would see service during the First Gulf War, then was also retired in 1992. While the Coral Sea followed the Franklin D. Roosevelt to the scrapyard, the Midway was saved as a museum ship--the largest in the world--and was moored in San Diego harbor.
I'd always wanted to visit the Midway with my dad, but his passing in 2013 unfortunately ended that hope. I did finally get to go aboard her in May 2021, so at least part of the dream was fulfilled. It's beautifully maintained, and I was stunned at just how big it was--I've been aboard Dad's carrier, the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) in Charleston, South Carolina, but the Midway dwarfs the Yorktown. It's so large that I couldn't get a good shot of the entire ship, so I settled for this picture of the island structure.