This Day in Aviation History
June 4th, 1934
The United States Navy commissions the first purpose-built aircraft carrier.
 
USS Ranger (CV-4) was the first ship of the United States Navy to be designed and built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier. Ranger was a relatively small ship, closer in size and displacement to the first US carrier—Langley—than later ships. An island superstructure was not included in the original design, but was added after completion. Deemed too slow for use with the Pacific Fleet’s carrier task forces, the ship spent most of the war in the Atlantic Ocean. Ranger saw combat in that theatre and provided air support for Operation Torch. In October 1943, she fought in Operation Leader, air attacks on German shipping off Norway. The ship was sold for scrap in 1947…..
 
Source:
Wikipedia, USS Ranger (CV-4): http://gstv.us/1t4zWXM
 
YouTube, Flight Operations Aboard USS Ranger (CV-4), 07/1942 (full): http://gstv.us/1t4A0Xx
 
Okay, I found this interesting and have never seen a video of P-40s riding the elevator of the USS Ranger and taking off from the carrier. I’m guessing this occurred in the Pacific during ww2 to ferry P-40s to the war zone.
 
P-40s onboard the USS Ranger (CV-4): http://gstv.us/2s52wrY
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1t4A7Cq
 
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