At the beginning the 20th century put the aviation still in their infancy. But all sorts of things have already happened with ship-based take-offs and landings try it carried out. Japan, Great Britain, Russia and the USA were the main leaders.
What started out as risky attempts quickly turned into an efficient tactic modern warfare. After the First World War, for example, the USA tried to build a ship that Airplane take-offs and landings allows.
The first US ship to be considered a type of aircraft carrier is the USS Langley. It was the result of a radical remodeling in 1920.
links: © US Navy
right: © US Navy
Left: The USS Jupiter before its conversion to an aircraft carrier / Right: The USS Langley – the first aircraft carrier in the USA
hour of birth of aircraft carrier
In doing so, the deck of the transporter USS Jupiter removed and complete with a runway-like device equipped, which was partly made of wood. Of a control tower or other facilities that are known from modern aircraft carriers, there was no trace of the first ship of its kind.
After the conversion was completed, the USS Jupiter was renamed the USS Langley: this rather primitive-looking barge is considered the birth hour the US aircraft carrier. The USS Langley served as a kind of testbed in the years that followed. For example, this was done on her Catapult and the catching technique developed for take-offs and landings.
The first “real” aircraft carriers
However, the USS Langley quickly reached its limits as an aircraft carrier and the plan to build a “real” aircraft carrier came to the fore. The USS Lexington and USS Saratoga were originally still as battlecruiser planned. During construction, however, it was decided to complete the two ships as aircraft carriers – the starting signal for the Lexington class.
With a tower and a more advanced runway, the layout of these ships is much more reminiscent of the current US aircraft carriers. 1927 the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga were put into service with the US Navy. The two ships were the first fully operational fleet carrier of the USA.
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The end of the USS Langley
The USS Langley was not spared another conversion. She still served until 1936 as an aircraft carrier before becoming one Seaplane supply ship was repurposed. The USS Langley then came to an end during World War II.
Near Australia she was attacked by Japanese fighter bombers and badly damaged. She was abandoned by her crew and by her own escort destroyers sunk.
