Wasp Class
displacement: 14,700 tons
length: 741 feet 4 inches
beam: 80 feet 8 inch; extreme width at flight deck: 109 feet
height: 19 feet 11 inches
speed: 29½ knots
propulsion: Quadruple Screws, Oil turbines
complement: 2,367 crew
armament: 8 five-inch guns, 16 1.1-inch guns, 16 .50-cal. machine guns
aircraft: 80
Vessels of class: 1
The Wasp class was the last carrier design made prior to WW2, mainly to fill up the US Navies remaining tonnage for carriers, resulting in a carrier the size of the Yorktown class but with the displacement of the smaller Ranger Class.
The Wasp proved itself reliable despite the slow speed and reasonable handling, causing it to be assigned to the task force containing the carrier Enterprise at Halsey's request.
This resourcefulness did not last forever as she was torpedoed and bombed at Leyte Gulf and was abandoned, and orders for her destruction where carried out by her crew and supporting Destroyers, despite of this, she remained afloat, she only succumbed after Japanese surface ships delivered the coup de grace, delivering 11-4" shells into her already burning hull.
Back to Main