Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:01:10-1:03:10

Why the US Navy kept imagining new Essex-class roles

Franklin and Bunker Hill attracted repeated conversion ideas because the numerous Essex-class carriers had exceptional institutional importance.

Aircraft CarriersCarrier ModernisationEssex Class Aircraft CarriersUS NavyUSS Bunker Hill (CV-17)USS Franklin
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Question

What alternate roles were considered for USS Franklin and USS Bunker Hill?

Short answer

They were repeatedly considered for reconstructions because the US Navy had many Essex hulls and was unusually attached to the class.

Notes

The US Navy had enough Essex hulls to test many reconstruction concepts and was reluctant to discard even damaged ships such as Franklin and Bunker Hill. Abundant hulls made it easy to imagine fighter-support, modernization, and alternative carrier roles long after newer designs appeared. That attachment did not make the type technically superior to later carriers. The Essex class nevertheless carried unusual emotional and institutional weight because it embodied the Navy's wartime carrier experience.