What is the internal structure of an aircraft carrier?

I. America's First Aircraft Carrier - USS Langley

The United States was one of the first countries to develop aircraft carriers, and its interest in this very revolutionary type of ship was almost synchronized with that of the pioneering countries of aircraft carriers, the United Kingdom and Japan, which were both born in the late World War I to the early 1920s, in a period of time such as this.

Compared with the United Kingdom and Japan, the first U.S. aircraft carriers came out a little later, but the construction mode is extremely similar - are using the existing ship for conversion. Tracing back, the origin of the U.S. aircraft carriers and a displacement of 5,500 tons of coal carrier "Jupiter" together, because the first U.S. aircraft carrier "Langley" is from the "Jupiter" conversion. "Jupiter. This project began in June 1919 at the Norfolk Naval Station, three years later, "Jupiter" transformed and appeared in the U.S. Navy under the name of "Langley" in active service, thus starting the history of the U.S. aircraft carriers.

The Langley, designated CV-1, had an increased standard displacement of 11,500 tons and a speed of 15 knots. The flight deck was of the all-pass type, carrying 34 aircraft without elevators, and in November 1922 the aircraft was successfully tested for catapult takeoff using compressed air catapults.

The Langley was used for training after commissioning and made an outstanding contribution to the US Navy's exploration of the early tactics of aircraft carriers, and in 1936 it was converted into a seaplane carrier (AV-3).

On February 27, 1942, while on a mission to deliver P-40 fighters at Guadalcanal, she was sunk by Japanese naval land attack aircraft.

The USS Langley, photographed in September 1922. Interestingly, she had a pigeon loft on her stern which was used to house carrier pigeons to navigate the pilots.

Two Lexington-class aircraft carriers

Photo of the USS Lexington taken Feb. 2, 1933

Saratoga in 1942, with the main guns replaced by Mark 12 twin 127-mm guns

The USS Saratoga, with the main guns replaced by Mark 12 twin 127-mm guns

The USS Saratoga was the first aircraft carrier of the class to be built. 127mm guns

After Langley, the Lexington-class carriers joined the ranks of American carriers.

Like the Langley, the Lexington-class carriers were designed as prototypes for the two South Dakota-class battlecruisers that began construction in January 1921 and were converted to aircraft carriers by the Washington Naval Treaty prior to their completion, and were named Lexington

The Lexington class was launched in October 1925 and commissioned in December 1927, with a standard displacement of 36,000 tons. Standard displacement was 36,000 tons. It had a closed bow and a flight deck 270.8 meters long. Speed 34 knots, can carry 90-120 aircraft. Compared with several British and Japanese carriers converted from the hull of the main ship in the same period, the Lexington-class is more characteristic of modern aircraft carriers and is the strongest carrier.

"Lexington" on May 8, 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea by the Japanese Combined Fleet Fifth Air Force was sunk. "Saratoga survived World War II before being used as a nuclear test ship at Bikini Island on July 25, 1946, when it was sunk.

The USS Raider, the first aircraft carrier designed specifically as an aircraft carrier

The USS Raider in June 1944 is shown here. The picture shows her with her inverted chimney pulled up and the new SP and SC-2 radars mounted on her masthead. Due to being overweight, all of her 127mm guns have been removed.

The Raider (CV-4) was the first U.S. aircraft carrier designed as an aircraft carrier from the start, with a displacement about half that of the Lexington class. Due to the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty (13,500 tons), it was designed in 1927 at 13,800 tons, and built with an additional 700 tons. One of her outstanding features was the installation of six inverted chimneys with winch chains, three on each side. The chimneys were connected internally to vent the smoke downwind to minimize interference with flight operations.

"Raider" in World War II in the second line of forces mainly used as the Atlantic aircraft carrier, escort, training ship, decommissioned on October 18, 1946, January 28, 1947 was sold demolished.

Four, Yorktown-class aircraft carriers

Yorktown-class is a new type of aircraft carriers started in 1933, *** there are three ships, respectively: "Yorktown" (CV-5, completed in 1937), "Enterprise" ( CV-6, built in 1938, and Hornet (CV-8, built in 1941). Compared to the Raider, the Yorktown class had an increased hull and speed, as well as improved horizontal and underwater protection. It is also important to note that it was with the Yorktown class that the island superstructure and smokestacks of the American carriers were integrated, thus forming the basic type of American aircraft carrier.

The Yorktown class was the backbone of the U.S. Navy at the beginning of the Pacific War. From the battle of Midway alone, it can be asserted that they had an incalculable effect on the course of World War II. Of the three, only the lucky USS Enterprise saw the end of the war, while Yorktown sank at Midway in 1942 and Hornet at Santa Cruz later in the war. The

The story of the three Yorktown-class carriers is extremely sad and touching, as they were the carriers that held the U.S. Navy together in the early days of the Pacific War. We won't recount those stories here for the sake of space, but will add to them later when we have the chance.

Yorktown-class performance:

Standard displacement (tons): 19,576

Full load displacement (tons): 25,484

Plane (aircraft): 80-90

Speed (knots): 32.5

Crew (men): 2,120.

(Note.) The Hornet was the first carrier of the Pacific War: "There is a difference in the tonnage of the Hornet.)

Yorktown

Enterprise

Hornet

V. Essex-class aircraft carriers

The Essex-class aircraft carrier occupies a very prominent place in the history of American aircraft carriers, which is why we're going to talk about it in detail below.

Most U.S. war historians agree that naval aviation played a major role in the Pacific War, and that the Essex-class carriers played a significant role. They gave naval aviation the mobility, staying power and offensive power that enabled the Allied navies to wrest control of the Pacific from the Japanese fleet and ensured that Allied forces pushed into the Japanese homeland with overwhelming force. The Essex class was the largest class of aircraft carriers ever built by the U.S. Navy, and the largest number of main ships built during the steam era.

△ Construction background

Before the outbreak of World War II, although the United States has five aircraft carriers, but at that time the battleships are still regarded as the backbone of the sea power, aircraft carriers are only a kind of floating airfield at sea, from which to take off and land reconnaissance planes and attack planes have not yet proved its power. The strategy and tactics of naval aviation and its role were still the subject of theoretical debate. Nor did aircraft carriers occupy a major place in the U.S. shipbuilding program. At the outbreak of World War II, some of the combat activity in the Atlantic Ocean left the proponents of aircraft carriers with little reason to justify their views, for the British carriers HMS Brave, HMS Glory, and HMS Ark Royal were all destroyed in succession. "The British carriers HMS Brave, HMS Glory and HMS Ark Royal were all sunk.

However, with the progress of the war in Europe and the increasing exposure of Japan's expansionist ambitions, the U.S. felt the need to strengthen the construction of aircraft carriers; in the strong support of President Roosevelt, the U.S. Congress decided to build 11 ships in fiscal year 1940, the construction of two Essex-class aircraft carriers in fiscal year 1941, but to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, there are only five to begin construction. Pearl Harbor led to a radical change in the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding mindset. Overnight, the aircraft carriers replaced the battleships and became the main ship, remaining in the Pacific Ocean of the U.S. naval forces categorically to the aircraft carriers as the core of the resistance force. It was only then that the Americans realized that the shortage of carriers and the obsolescence of their aircraft had forced them to fight the superior Japanese fleet with inferior forces. "The USS Lexington, USS Yorktown, USS Wasp and USS Hornet were sunk in 1942. The USS Enterprise was the only carrier left in the Pacific. In this critical situation, the U.S. decided to accelerate the construction of the Essex-class carriers: 10 more in fiscal year 1942, 3 in 1943, and 6 in 1944. At the same time, in order to meet the urgent needs of the war, Roosevelt also proposed a plan to rapidly convert the Cleveland-class cruisers under construction into light aircraft carriers, and vigorously rebuild and construct several classes of escort carriers.

△ Design and Construction

As early as 1937, when the Yorktown class began service, it became clear that these standard 19,900-ton carriers were no longer adequate. The size, weight, and performance of the new carrier aircraft being designed at that time required the Navy to build larger, more efficient, and better deck-protected carriers. 20,000 tons was the standard displacement for the Essex class carriers when they were designed in the late 1930's. However, the U.S. Navy was not satisfied with the design of the Essex class, which had a displacement of 20,000 tons. However, the U.S. Navy imposed a number of requirements on the class that proved difficult for the designers, the most significant of which included: 1) a larger flight deck to carry an additional squadron of carrier aircraft; 2) a larger hull to allow for greater reserves of aviation gasoline (240,000 gallons, compared to 178,000 gallons for the Yorktown class); and 3) an increase in the thickness of the armor: to 101.6 millimeters (mm) along the draught line, and to 76.2 mm along the major bulkheads; 4) an increase in the thickness of the armor to 76.2 mm; and 5) an increase in the thickness of the armor to 101.6 mm along the draft line. bulkheads to 76.2 mm; 4. Increase the power of the propulsion system to 150,000 shaft horsepower to meet the design requirement of 30 knots; 5. Increase the size of the hangar decks to allow for the stockpiling of more aircraft parts, engines, etc.; and 6. Increase the ship's defensive weapons. Obviously, these requirements could not be achieved in a ship with a standard displacement of only 20,000 tons.

The Essex class drew on the strengths of the previous classes of carriers and also improved the protection of the carriers. This included, among other things, the separation of the hull into more watertight compartments, a structure that allowed some ships in the class to take heavy damage during the war, but none were sunk.

The total number of carriers authorized for this class was 32, but 24 were actually built. During World War II*** there were 17 built into service, they are: the first ship "Essex" (CV-9), "Yorktown" (CV-10), "courageous" ( CV-11), USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Franklin (CV-13), USS Ticonderoga (CV-14), "USS Randolph (CV-15), USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), USS Wasp (CV-17), and USS Baker (CV-17). "(CV-18), USS Hancock (CV-19), USS Bennington (CV-20), USS Boxer (CV (CV-21), Goodman Richard (CV-31), Antietam (CV-36), Shangri-La (CV-38) and Lake Chamberlain. "Lake Chamberlain (CV-39). After the war, seven ships were built: Princeton (CV-37), Tarawa (CV-40), and Chisaya (CV-33), "USS Leyte (CV-32), USS Philippine Sea (CV-47), USS Fuguigu (CV-45) and USS Oriskany (CV-45). (CV-47), "Fugitani" (CV-45) and "Orris Canyon" (CV-34).

The scale of construction of the Essex-class carriers reflected the enormous industrial potential of the United States. At the outset of the Pacific War, the United States decided to concentrate on mass production of Essex-class carriers in accordance with the standard Essex-class design, thus enabling the shipyards to adopt assembly-line operations. In addition, there was a high degree of standardization in areas such as steel shapes and plates, shipboard equipment, machinery, and weapons. The production of anti-aircraft weapons was concentrated almost entirely on the manufacture of the 127mm gun, the Bofors 40mm gun and the Erlikon 20mm gun. As a result, the construction period for this class of carriers was dramatically shortened, with several being commissioned in as little as 14 to 16 months.

△Performance and armament

The class of carriers has a standard displacement of 27,200 tons and a full load displacement of 34,880 tons. Length (full length) 265.79 meters, flight deck length 262.13 meters; ship width 28.35 meters, flight deck width 29.26 meters; average draft 7.01 meters.

Propulsion: 4 geared turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 150,000 shaft horsepower, speed 32.7 knots. Fuel capacity 6,300 tons, range 15,000 nautical miles/15 knots.

The ship was armed with 12 127mm anti-aircraft guns for use against long range targets. The number of anti-aircraft guns varied considerably throughout the war, from ship to ship, but in general there was a gradual increase in power. When the first Essex-class carriers were built, each ship was equipped with eight quad 40-mm "Bofors" guns, **** 32; and 46 single-barrel 20-mm "Erlikon" anti-aircraft guns. By the end of the war, the number of 40mm Bofors guns on Essex class carriers had increased to 68, and the number of 20mm Erlikon guns to 55.

△Carrier aircraft

Initially, the air group consisted of the following squadrons: two fighter squadrons (36 aircraft), one reconnaissance bomber squadron (18 aircraft), one dive bomber squadron (18 aircraft), one torpedo aircraft squadron (18 aircraft), and one liaison pseudo-dive bomber, *** totaling 91 aircraft; and nine spares (three each of fighter, dive bomber, and torpedo aircraft). There were nine spare aircraft (three each of fighters, dive bombers and torpedo planes). With the development and widespread use of radar, the need for reconnaissance aircraft diminished, and in 1944 the reconnaissance and dive-bomber squadrons were merged to form 24 dive-bombers***, with the original 12 reconnaissance bombers being replaced by fighters, for a total of 91 aircraft. By the summer of 1945, the typical Essex-class carrier's air brigade consisted of one fighter squadron (36-137), one fighter-bomber squadron (36-37), one dive-bomber squadron (15), and one torpedo squadron (15), for a total of 103 aircraft.

Not only was it the mainstay of the U.S. Navy in the latter part of World War II, but the Essex-class carriers also showed resilience in the long postwar Cold War era, with its presence in the Cuban Crisis, the decade-long Vietnam War, the invasion of Panama, and other battles. The Essex-class era ended in 1991 when the last Essex-class carrier, the USS Lexington (CV-16), was withdrawn from active service.

Pictured here is the 10th ship of the Essex class, USS Wasp, photographed in the latter part of World War II, when it still had a through-flight deck, which shows the ship's original appearance

Pictured here is the 7th ship of the Essex class, USS Randolph. After the war, most of the Essex class carriers served as anti-submarine carriers and were modernized in batches by replacing the straight flight decks with angled flight decks. As shown in the picture of the scene more comprehensive display of the 50's U.S. anti-submarine forces constitute the situation: aircraft carriers in the center, in front of and on both sides of the submarine and Fletcher-class destroyers, respectively, the air for anti-submarine aircraft

Sixth, light aircraft carriers and escort carriers

It has already been said that, after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. President Roosevelt put forward in the construction of the Cleveland-class cruisers will be quickly converted into light aircraft carriers. After Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt proposed to quickly convert the Cleveland-class cruisers under construction into light aircraft carriers, and at the same time build several classes of escort carriers, which gave birth to the several types of aircraft carriers we will talk about below.

▲ Light aircraft carriers

1. Independence class

In the U.S. Navy was busy building Essex-class carriers, the Pacific War broke out, the United States urgently need to put new aircraft carriers to deal with the mighty Japanese Combined Fleet, and for this reason, decided to be building the light cruiser Cleveland class to pull out nine converted to light aircraft carriers of the Independence class. This class of ships were commissioned in 1943, and later with the Essex class, across the Pacific theater. Except for the No. 2 Princeton, which was sunk on October 24, 1944, in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the rest of the ships survived the war unscathed. After the war, because the Independence class did not meet the requirements for carrying jet airplanes, all but three ships (two on loan to the French Navy and one sold to the Spanish Navy) were decommissioned and scrapped by 1963.

The nine ships were the USS Independence (CVL-22, decommissioned in 1951), USS Princeton (CVL-23, sunk in 1944), USS Bellawood (CVL-23, sunk in 1944), and USS Battlefords (CVL-23, sunk in 1944). " (CVL-24, decommissioned 1960), "Cowpens" (CVL-25, decommissioned 1959), "Monterey" (CVL-26, decommissioned 1970), "Langley" (CVL-27, decommissioned 1963), "Cabot" (CVL-28, decommissioned 1989) "Bataan" (CVL-29. decommissioned in 1959), "San Jacinto" (CVL-30, decommissioned in 1970).

The Independence class has a standard displacement of 11,000 tons, a length of 189.9 meters, a speed of 32 knots and carries 45 aircraft.

2. Saban Class

The Saban class, converted from the Baltimore-class heavy cruiser, did not make it to the war. ***There were two ships: the USS Saipan (CVL-48) built in 1946 and decommissioned in 1975, and the USS Wright (CVL-49) built in 1947 and decommissioned in 1977.

They were similar in appearance to the Independence class, but had a slightly larger displacement. It was used as an aircraft carrier for some time, and later as a command ship.

▲ Escort carriers

Unlike light carriers, which were converted from combat ships, escort carriers were converted from merchant ships, making them a much smaller type of carrier used to escort merchant ships. They are generally deployed ahead of convoys of shipping, using their aircraft to scout for and attack submarines, or to guide surface ships in attacks. In addition to escorting, escort carriers often take on the role of transport ships.

During World War II, the United States, with its strong industrial strength, **** built 124 escort carriers, of which 38 were provided to the Royal Navy. The escort carrier type designation was initially AVG, then changed to ACV, and soon to AVE.

1. USS LONG ISLAND (AVG-1)

Because of a simple conversion from a merchant ship, the USS LONG ISLAND, and all of the The USS Long Island and all escort carriers share one ****ing characteristic: they are simple and rudimentary

The U.S. Navy's first escort carrier, the USS McMeel, was converted from a cargo ship in 1941 and decommissioned in 1946.

Standard displacement 7886 tons, overall length 150 meters, width 21.2 meters (waterline), 31.1 meters (maximum), 8500 horsepower, speed 16 knots. Equipped with 127 mm single barrel gun 1, 20 mm gun 2, 76 mm single barrel gun several. Carrying 21 aircraft, the ship's crew of 970.

2. Archer class

In 1941, the United States under Lend-Lease began the implementation of aid to the British shipbuilding program, with the C3-type standard cargo ships converted into five Archer-class escort aircraft carriers, respectively: "Archer", "Deceiver", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", "Warhorse", and "Warhorse". The Archer, Deceiver, Horse, Shocker, and Avenger were converted from standard C3 freighters into five Archer-class escort carriers. The remaining four ships were transferred to the British in March 1942, except for Horse, which was retained by the U.S. Navy as a training ship.

Archer class standard displacement of 8,200 tons, overall length of 150 meters, 20.2 meters wide, 8,500 horsepower, speed of 16.5 knots, mounted one 127-mm gun, two 76-mm guns, 10-11 20-mm guns, carrying 15 aircraft, the crew of 555.

The Avenger and Shocker were sunk in 1942 and 1943, respectively, while the Archer and Deceiver were destroyed in 1943. The Avenger and Impaler were sunk in 1942 and 1943 respectively, while the Archer and Deceiver were returned to the United States after the war.

3. Borg/Prince Williams Class

Like the Archer class, the Borg/Prince Williams class was an escort aircraft carrier converted from C3 standard cargo ships. However, compared to the Archer class, its main engine was changed to a steam turbine, the flight deck was widened, hangar space was enlarged, and the number of elevators was increased to two. The original plan was to convert 24 ships, but only 20 were actually converted, with the remaining 4 used for the Sangamon class. Over 20 more were built directly under the same program, both collectively known as the Borg/Prince William class. The United States kept 11 of these ships and transferred the rest to the United Kingdom.

4. Ruler class

The last escort carriers on Royal Navy lease from May 1943 to February 1944 were originally part of the US Navy's Prince William class, ***26 ships, similar in size to the Archer class but with improved equipment. Due to their late completion, in addition to escorting convoys, they were also tasked with supporting landing operations and aiding the carriers.

Given the saturation of U.S. shipbuilding capacity, 14 conversions of this class were completed by Canadian shipyards.

5. Sangamon class

Converted in 1942 with the tanker escort aircraft carrier, at that time, the C3 cargo ship hull is not enough, and the development of the war and the urgent need for escort aircraft carrier. Considering that the tankers built under the 1936 Merchant Marine Construction Program were larger and faster, four of them were converted to the Sangamon class. The Sangamon class was built to participate in the Allied landing operations in North Africa, thus creating a precedent for the use of escort carriers as fleet carriers.

6. Casablanca Class

The most numerous type of U.S. aircraft carrier, with 50 carriers. What is even more amazing is that they were born within a year, which can not help but marvel at the industrial strength of the United States. During the war, the Casablanca class was used both as escort carriers and sometimes as transports, and five of them were sunk in battle, while most saw the day of victory.

7. COMMONS MANTE BAY CLASS

A first-class escort carrier built on the hull of an oil tanker, the main dimensions and shape were very similar to those of the Sangamon class, with the smokestacks arranged on both sides of the center aft and a rather simple island superstructure. The first ship was registered on January 23, 1943 and commissioned in November 1944. Originally planned to build 35 ships, 16 were canceled after the end of World War II, and 19 were eventually completed.

Seven: Midway-class aircraft carriers

The USS Midway, photographed in November 1953, with its flight deck.

The Midway-class aircraft carriers, registered in August 1942, were a class of large aircraft carriers built by the U.S. Navy during World War II to increase the number of aircraft carried. The first two ships, USS Midway and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, were built in 1945, and the third, USS Coral Sea, was built in 1947.

World War II ended before the Midway-class carriers were able to make it to the war effort, but in the years that followed they served as the mainstay of the Korean War, the Middle East Crisis, and the Gulf War. "The USS Midway remained in service until August 1991, making it one of the longest-serving aircraft carriers in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The class of ships standard displacement of 45,000 tons, overall length of 295.2 meters, 34.5 meters wide (waterline), 41.5 meters, speed of 33 knots, carrying 80-145 aircraft, crew of 4,140.

In 1974, the USS Midway was modernized for the second time, and its elevators were moved to the front and rear of the island and the port side aft, and converted into an angled flight deck

Eight, the first class of aircraft carriers built by the U.S.A. in the post-war period-- the Forrestal class

The Forrestal class was the first class of aircraft carriers built by the U.S.A. in the post-war period. Forrestal class

Forrestal class **** 4, commissioned in the 1950s, is the first class of aircraft carriers built by the United States after the war, designed to equip the new jet fighters.

The class of ships for the first time using steam catapults, the flight deck to learn from the British aircraft carrier design experience, the traditional straight-through flight deck to the oblique angle, straight through the mixed arrangement of the flight deck, so that the entire flight deck to form the takeoff, standby and landing three areas, can be simultaneously takeoff and landing operations, thus forming the United States today, the basic model of the air carrier.

The four ships are: "Forrestal" (CVA-59, built in 1955), "Saratoga" (CVA-60, built in 1956), "Raider " (CVA-61, built in 1957), and "Independence" (CVA-62, built in 1959).

In 1992, the Forrestal was converted to a training carrier, the Raider was decommissioned in 1993, the Saratoga was The USS Independence became the first Far East-based aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy when it completed an $800 million, 34-month, extended-service refit program in 1988 and was stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. "In 1998, the USS Independence was decommissioned and the Forrestal class became history.

The U.S. Navy originally planned to build eight Forrestal-class carriers, but four were later incorporated into the Kitty Hawk class because of design improvements.

"USS Forrestal"

"USS Saratoga"

"USS Raider"

"USS Independence

9. Kitty Hawk class carriers

Kitty Hawk class ****4 ships, respectively, "Kitty Hawk" (CV63), "Constellation" ( CV64), USS America (CV66) and USS Kennedy (CV67), all commissioned in the 1960s, were the last and largest class of conventionally-powered aircraft carriers built by the U.S. after the Forrestal class.

In terms of hull structure, it is smaller than the Forrestal class island, located closer to the stern, the overall structure of the ship is more rational, the hangar area increased. The position of the elevator was changed to 2 forward and 1 aft, and the port forward one was changed to the aft one, which greatly improved the surface flight operation, and this layout was adopted as a standard design for all aircraft carriers in the future.

At present, only the USS Kitty Hawk remains in service with the US Navy, while the remaining three ships, the USS America, which was decommissioned in August 1996, and the USS Constellation, which was decommissioned on August 7, 2003, are still in service with the US Navy. The remaining three ships, the USS America, which was decommissioned in August 1996, the USS Constellation, which was decommissioned on August 7, 2003, and the USS Kennedy, which is used as a training ship.

Ten, the first U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - the Enterprise

Enterprise (CVN 65) for the U.S. Navy's first nuclear-powered The USS Enterprise (CVN65) is the first nuclear-powered multi-purpose aircraft carrier of the US Navy, which was built from 1958 to 1960 at a cost of US$450 million. it joined the Atlantic Fleet in November 1961, and was deployed in the Pacific Fleet from 1965 to 1990, and was added to the Atlantic Fleet after a four-year replacement of nuclear fuel and modernization from 1990 to 1994, with its home port at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. Standard displacement of 73,570 tons, full load displacement of 93,970 tons, ship length 342.5 art, flight deck width of 76.88 meters, carrying about 90 aircraft, by eight A2w-type nuclear reactors for the four gear-driven turbines to provide steam, speed of 33 knots, a replacement of the nuclear fuel can be 200,000 nautical miles of continuous voyage. 1964 August to October, the Enterprise "From August to October 1964, the carrier Enterprise, escorted by the nuclear-powered guided-missile cruisers USS Long Beach and USS Bainbridge, formed the world's first all-nuclear-powered task force and made an unprecedented circumnavigation of the globe without refueling or re-supply, lasting 64 days. The voyage lasted 64 days and totaled 32,600 nautical miles, fully demonstrating the tremendous endurance of nuclear power. The ship has participated in the naval blockade of Cuba, as well as the Vietnam War and the Kosovo War, and has changed nuclear fuel four times. The ship is now part of the Atlantic Fleet and carries the 3rd Fleet Air Wing, which is equipped with 78 aircraft of various types.

As the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, its design and construction had a significant impact on the U.S. Nimitz-class second-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

XI, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers

Nimitz-class is the world's largest displacement, the most aircraft, the highest degree of modernization of aircraft carriers, but also after the "Enterprise" nuclear-powered carrier, the United States, the second generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

The first ship, the Nimitz, was commissioned in 1975. The ship's hull and deck using high-strength steel, can withstand half armor-piercing shells, ammunition magazines and nacelles equipped with 63.5 mm thick "Kevlar" armor, the ship is equipped with 23 watertight transverse bulkheads and 10 fireproof septums, firefighting, loss of pipe and impact resistance and other protective measures are complete. It is able to withstand three times as many hits as the Essex-class carriers. It is capable of conducting ocean-going operations to seize air and sea control, attacking enemy targets on sea or land, supporting landing operations and anti-submarine warfare.

The class of ships now nine in service, one under construction, is the backbone of the U.S. Navy's active aircraft carriers.

The nine ships are: USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 69), and USS Baker (CVN 70). Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), and USS Bush (CVN 72). Washington (CVN73), John C. Stennis (CVN74), Harry S. Truman (CVN75), Ronald Reagan (CVN76), and the USS Pittsburgh (CVN77). Reagan" (CVN76).

Construction of the 10th ship, the USS Bush (CVN 77), also began in 2001, with part of the bow now assembled and the overall project about 30 percent complete. It will be the last Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, valued at nearly $4 billion, and is expected to be completed in 2006 and enter service in 2008!