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The US Built Over 120 Of These “Jeep” Aircraft Carriers. None Survive Today.
What were they? And why so many?
One of the reasons why the United States won World War II was due to the nation’s incomprehensible industrial capacity. Throughout the course of the war Japan built a total of 18 aircraft carriers of various sizes. The United States built 150. Of those 150 carriers, 122 were small “escort” carriers or “Jeep” carriers. These carriers were much smaller and lighter than the famous fleet carriers but they provided a vital role in the war. Escort carriers are hardly remembered, especially compared to the massive fleet carriers. None of them survive to this day. Despite building dozens of these small carriers, all of them were lost or scrapped in the years following World War II. Not even a single museum ship remains for people to explore.
So what exactly were these Jeep carriers? How did they compare to the fleet carriers? Why don’t any survive today?
The most common escort carrier in the American fleet was the Casablanca class. The United States launched 50 of these ships and they provided crucial air support to various positions around the Pacific including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa.
Escort carriers were half as long as fleet carriers, measuring just 500 feet in length. They also displaced…
