The 5 Worst US Navy Aircraft Carriers of All Time

A ranking of the “five worst” U.S. Navy aircraft carriers judges programs and ship promises against real outcomes, not the crews. The list starts with USS Langley (CV-1), the first American aircraft carrier, commissioned March 20, 1922. It proved carrier aviation procedures but lacked combat suitability: about 15 knots top speed and typically 34 to 36 aircraft. The Navy converted it to a seaplane tender in 1937, and Japanese bombers fatally damaged it on February 27, 1942 while it carried 32 P-40 fighters toward Java. It was later scuttled by American destroyers after losing 193 sailors and wounding 366 men.