Launch of the USS Ranger at Newport News, Virginia. It is the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned by the US Navy.
ㅤThe design of the USS Ranger, the US Navy’s fourth aircraft carrier, began in 1925, marking the Navy’s first opportunity to create a ship specifically built for aviation. Unlike its predecessors, the converted collier Langley and the battlecruiser-derived Lexington and Saratoga, Ranger was conceived from the ground up as a carrier. Preliminary design work, informed by wargaming at the U.S. Naval War College, preceded extensive operational experience with the existing carriers. The design process was iterative, with numerous alterations made during construction to incorporate lessons learned from the Langley, Lexington, and Saratoga. A key constraint was the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, which limited aircraft carrier tonnage. This led to the selection of a smaller, 13,800-ton design, allowing for the construction of five hulls and maximizing aircraft capacity, a crucial factor given the anticipated high attrition rates in wartime.
ㅤRanger’s initial design featured a flush deck, similar to Langley, but this presented challenges for machinery arrangement. The smoke from her boilers was vented through hinged stacks located aft, which were rotated during flight operations. Midway through construction, an island was added, but the existing stack arrangement was retained due to cost concerns. The placement and size of the propulsion plant were carefully considered to minimize smoke interference with flight operations. The ship’s hangar deck occupied nearly the entire upper deck, and featured open girders for storing spare aircraft fuselages. The flight deck, a light wooden structure designed for easy repair, was equipped with three elevators. Ranger’s armament was progressively upgraded throughout her service, starting with .50 caliber machine guns and 5-inch guns, and later including 20mm “Oerlikon” cannons and 40mm “Bofors” guns. Despite plans for a major modernization in 1943, which were ultimately scaled back due to resource constraints, Ranger underwent essential updates to her flight deck, catapults, and radar systems, enhancing her capabilities for night fighter training.
Paul M. Krueger 
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