Ticonderoga (carrier)-class

A variation on the Essex-class built in World War II, the United States Navy's Ticonderoga-class or "long-hull Essex" aircraft carriers were 27,100 ton ships capable of carrying 80 or more aircraft. As built, they had straight decks, although the first angled deck in the fleet was installed when the USS Antietam (CV-36), was overhauled.

Characteristics

USS Ticonderoga (CV-14); later ships may vary slightly

• Dimensions, 888' x 93' x 28' 7"
• Displacement: 27,100 tons
• Armament
  • 12 x 5"-38 caliber gun
  • 32 x 40mm
  • 46 x 20mm
• Aircraft: 80+
• Armor
  • 4" Belt
  • 2 1/2" Hangar deck
  • 1 1/2" Deck
  • 1 1/2" Conning tower
• Machinery, 150,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 4 screws
• Speed, 33 Knots
• Crew 3448

After modernization, including an angled deck, the attack and antisubmarine carriers had the characteristics:

• Displacement: 43,060 tons (full load)
• Dimensions: 894' 6" (length overall); 103' (hull); 166' 10" (over flight deck and projections)
• Powerplant: 150,000 horsepower, steam turbines, four propellers, 30.7 knot maximum speed
• Catapult: steam
• Aircraft
  • as Attack Carrier: Approximately 70 aircraft, including five squadrons of fighters and attack planes, and small detachments of heavy attack, airborne early warning and reconnaissance planes;
• as Anti-submarine Support Carrier: Approximately 50 aircraft, including two squadrons of S2F fixed-wing aircraft, one squadron of helicopters and small detachments of airborne early warning and (in the 1960s) fighters.

Gun Armament: eight 5"/38 guns in single mountings plus a few twin 3"/50 gun mounts. From the mid-1950s onward, gun armament was steadily reduced to compensate for growing weights of topside equipment and embarked aircraft.