Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Notable Point · 16:01-19:16

From Yorktown to the Midway class

The Yorktowns show how treaty limits shaped the carriers that later led toward the Midway class.

Aircraft CarriersCarrier Force StructureEssex Class Aircraft CarriersLexington Class Aircraft CarriersMidway Class Aircraft CarriersNaval TreatiesUS NavyUSS Hornet (CV-8)USS Lexington (CV-2)USS Ranger (CV-4)USS Saratoga (CV-3)USS Wasp (CV-7)USS Yorktown (CV-5)Yorktown Class Aircraft Carriers
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Notes

The Yorktowns were the US Navy's key peacetime carrier design after Lexington and Saratoga. Their successors included the mass-produced Essex wartime force and the larger Midway class, which represented something closer to a Yorktown freed from treaty tonnage. A 135,000-ton national carrier allowance encouraged planners to seek several fleet carriers near 20,000 tons while fitting a smaller Ranger or Wasp within the total. That arithmetic imposed compromises, yet Enterprise, Yorktown, and Hornet emerged as unusually capable ships. Yorktown was lost after Midway on 6 June 1942, and Hornet followed after Santa Cruz on 26 October. Their rapid loss showed how difficult that peacetime capability was to replace during the first year of war.