1936 USS ENTERPRISE. USS Enterprise, CV6, was one of the ships which effectively defined the form of the modern aircraft carrier. Built in the mid-I 930s, she was to become a legend in her own life time during the Pacific war against Japan.
A SHIP FOR OUR TIMES
The Yorktown and her sister-ship the USS Enterprise, were authorised in 1933, and construction began the following year even while USS Ranger, the first purpose-built American aircraft carrier, was still very much an unknown quantity. Even though she had undergone only machinery trials, it had already become obvious that Ranger was flawed, and the Yorktowns went a long way towards correcting many of the defects, with very much more powerful engines and the capacity to operate 20 more aircraft on a deep-load displacement which was increased to 20,000 tons. The island configuration with its large single funnel allowed the smoke from the boilers (copious quantities of which were produced when steaming at high speed) to disperse without obscuring the flight deck and also permitted the machinery to be sited along the ships centreline, boilers amidships and engines aft.
NO PROTECTION FOR THE AIRCRAIT
Like her sister and Ranger, Enterprise was constructed at Newport News; her keel was laid in July 1934, she was launched on 3 October 1936 and completed on 12 May 1938, the delay in her commissioning being caused by problems with her Parsons-turbine engines. The hangars were built up as light superstructures rather than as an integral part of the hull, with large side apertures closed by roller shutters. This configuration meant that these essential components of the ship would not be protected; the flight deck itself was constructed of 6in-thick 1152mm) wooden planking. This was to be a feature common to US carriers of the Second World War and was in contrast to British (and later Japanese) practice.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Fleet aircraft carrier
Machinery: 4-shaft Parsons turbines giving a total of 120,000shp
Dimensions (flight deck): length, 251.4m (824.75ft); beam, 33.4m (109.5ff)
Displacement: 19,875t standard; 25,48t deep load
Draught: 7.9m (26ff) deep load
Complement: 2175
