Summary and What You Need to Know: USS Essex (CV-9), the lead ship of the Essex-class aircraft carriers, had a storied career that significantly impacted U.S. naval history. Laid down ...

The Best: During World War II, the United States Navy commissioned 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers, making it the most numerous class of capital warships of the 20th century. These carriers ...

While aircraft carriers used in World War I and II were impressive and large vessels, they pale in comparison to what exists today. The U.S. fielded the Essex class of carriers during WWII ...