Saratoga survived service at Guadalcanal and the Eastern Solomons before taking part in Operation Magic Carpet and Operation Crossroads. At one point she was the sole US carrier operating and served alongside HMS Victorious as USS Robin. With Langley and Lexington, Saratoga belonged to the first generation that established US naval aviation. Her nuclear-test sinking was therefore a historical and heritage loss, rather than the disposal of an unimportant obsolete hull. The wreck remains accessible to divers, but survival as a museum would have preserved a direct link between early carrier experimentation and Pacific-war service.
Notable Point · 54:48-57:03
Operation Crossroads destroys a first-generation carrier
Saratoga's long wartime service, partnership with HMS Victorious, and loss at Operation Crossroads make her a major missed preservation opportunity.