USS ''Hornet'' (CV-8), the seventh U.S. Navy vessel of that name, was a of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. During World War II in the
Pacific Theater
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
, she launched the
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to strike the Japan ...
on Tokyo and participated in the
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...
and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai raid. In the
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major campaign of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign began with Japanese landings and occupation of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory of New Guinea, du ...
, she was involved in the capture and defense of
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
and the
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...
, where she was irreparably damaged by enemy torpedo and dive bombers. Faced with an approaching Japanese surface force, ''Hornet'' was abandoned and later torpedoed and sunk by approaching Japanese destroyers. ''Hornet'' was in service for one year and six days, and was the last US
fleet carrier
A fleet carrier is an aircraft carrier designed to operate with the main fleet of a nation's navy. The term was developed during World War II, to distinguish it from the escort carrier and other less capable types. In addition to many medium-siz ...
ever sunk by enemy fire. For these actions, she was awarded four service stars and a citation for the Doolittle Raid in 1942, and her
Torpedo Squadron 8
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT-8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier , joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941.
After heavy lo ...
received a
Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism for its performance at the Battle of Midway. Her wreck was located in late January 2019 near the Solomon Islands.
Construction and commissioning
![USS Hornet (CV-8) underway in Hampton Roads on 27 October 1941](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/USS_Hornet_%28CV-8%29_underway_in_Hampton_Roads_on_27_October_1941.jpg)
Because of the limit on aggregate aircraft carrier tonnage included in the
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was a treaty signed during 1922 among the major Allies of World War I, which agreed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction. It was negotiated at the Washington Nav ...
and subsequent London treaties, the United States had intended to build two ''Yorktown-''class aircraft carriers and use the remaining allocated tonnage for a smaller, revised version of the same design, which eventually became . With war looming in Europe and the repudiation of the naval limitation treaties by Japan and Italy, the Navy's General Board decided to lay down a third carrier of the ''Yorktown'' design immediately - followed by the first carrier of the succeeding
''Essex'' class (CV-9). When the design was finalized, authorization from Congress came in the Naval Expansion Act of 1938.
''Hornet'' had a length of at the
waterline
The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. Specifically, it is also the name of a special marking, also known as an international load line, Plimsoll line and water line (positioned amidships), that indi ...
and
overall
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
. She had a
beam
Beam may refer to:
Streams of particles or energy
*Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy
**Laser beam
*Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles
**Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of at the waterline, overall, with a
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
of as designed and at full load. She
displaced at
standard load
The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...
and at
full load
The displacement or displacement tonnage of a ship is its weight. As the term indicates, it is measured indirectly, using Archimedes' principle, by first calculating the volume of water displaced by the ship, then converting that value into wei ...
. She was designed for a ship's crew consisting of 86 officers and 1280 men and an
air complement consisting of 141 officers and 710 men.
She was powered by nine
Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox is an American renewable, environmental and thermal energy technologies and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets across the globe with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, USA. Historicall ...
boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
s providing steam at and to four
Parsons Marine geared
steam turbine
A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
s each driving its own
propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
. The turbines were designed to produce a total of , giving her a range of at a speed of . She was designed to carry of fuel oil and of
Avgas
Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, w ...
. Her designed speed was . During
sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...
s, she produced and reached .
''Hornet'' was equipped with 8
/38 caliber dual-purpose gun
A dual-purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets.
Description
Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and ...
s and 16
/75 caliber anti-aircraft guns
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
in quad mounts (four guns operating together). Originally, she had 24
M2 Browning machine guns, but these were replaced in January 1942 with 30
20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon. An additional quad mount was later added at her bow and two more 20 mm anti-aircraft guns were added for a total of 32 mounts. In addition, her
athwartships hangar-deck
aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to allow aircraft to take off from a very limited amount of space, such as the deck of a vessel, but can also be installed on land-based runways in rare cases. It is now most commonly used on aircraft carrier ...
was removed. In June 1942, following the battle of Midway, ''Hornet'' had a new
CXAM radar
The CXAM radar system was the first production radar system deployed on United States Navy ships, operating in the mid-high VHF frequency band of 200 MHz. It followed several earlier prototype systems, such as the NRL radar installed in April ...
installed atop her tripod mast, and her SC radar was relocated to her mainmast. Unlike her sisters, ''Hornet''s tripod mast and its signal bridge were not enclosed when the CXAM was installed, making her unique among the three ships.
''Hornet'' had an
armor belt
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated onto or within the outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and aircraft carriers.
The belt armor is designed to prevent projectiles from penetrating ...
that was thick on a backing of
special treatment steel
Special treatment steel (STS), also known as protective deck plate, was a type of warship armor developed by Carnegie Steel around 1910.
History
STS is a homogeneous Krupp-type steel developed around 1910. The development of such homogeneous ste ...
(STS). The flight and hangar
decks were unarmored though the protective deck was STS. Bulkheads had armor, while the
conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and gro ...
had splinter protection only, in contrast with her
sister's armor on the sides with on top. The steering gear had protection on the sides with splinter protection on the deck.
Her
flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
was and her hangar deck was and high. She had three aircraft
elevators
An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They are ...
each with a lifting capacity of . She had two flight-deck and one hangar-deck hydraulic catapults equipped with the Mark IV Mod 3A
arresting gear
An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
with a capability of and . She was designed to host a
Carrier Air Group
A carrier air wing (abbreviated CVW) is an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Organized, equipped and trained to conduct mod ...
of 18
fighters
Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to:
Combat and warfare
* Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict
* Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
, 18
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
s, 37
scout plane
A scout plane is type of surveillance aircraft, usually of single-engined, two or three seats, shipborne type, and used for the purpose of discovering an enemy position and directing artillery. Therefore, a scout plane is essentially a small nava ...
s, 18
torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
s, and six
utility aircraft
A utility aircraft is a general-purpose light aircraft, light airplane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people, freight or other supplies, but is also used for other duties when more specialized aircraft are not required or available. ...
.
''Hornet'' was laid down on 25 September 1939 by
Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
of
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
, and was launched on 14 December 1940, sponsored by Annie Reid Knox, wife of
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
Frank M. Knox. She was commissioned at
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
on 20 October 1941, with Captain
Marc A. Mitscher
Marc Andrew "Pete" Mitscher (January 26, 1887 – February 3, 1947) was a pioneer in naval aviation who became an Admiral (United States), admiral in the United States Navy, and served as commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force in the Pacific d ...
in command.
Service history
Before the
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
, ''Hornet'' trained out of Norfolk. A hint of a future mission occurred on 2 February 1942 when ''Hornet'' departed Norfolk with two
Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
medium bomber
A medium bomber is a military bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized Aerial bomb, bombloads over medium Range (aeronautics), range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombe ...
s on deck. Once at sea, the planes were launched to the surprise and amazement of ''Hornet''s crew. Her men were unaware of the meaning of this experiment. ''Hornet'' returned to Norfolk, prepared to leave for combat, and sailed for the West Coast on 4 March via the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
.
Doolittle Raid, April 1942
''Hornet'' arrived at
Naval Air Station Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda (NAS Alameda) was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.
NAS Alameda had two runways: 13–31 measuring and 07-25 measuring . Two helicopter pads and a control tower were ...
, California, on 20 March 1942 with her own planes on the hangar deck. By midafternoon on 1 April, she loaded 16 B-25s on the flight deck, under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
James H. Doolittle
James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his daring raid on Japan during World War II. He also made early coast-to-coast flights ...
, 70
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
officers and 64 enlisted men reported aboard. In company of her escort, ''Hornet'' departed Alameda on 2 April under sealed orders. That afternoon, Captain Mitscher informed his men of their mission:
a bombing raid on Japan.
Eleven days later, ''Hornet'' joined the aircraft carrier at
Midway, and
Task Force 16
Task Force 16 (TF16) was one of the most storied task forces in the United States Navy, a major participant in a number of the most important battles of the Pacific War.
It was formed in mid-February 1942 around ''Enterprise'' (CV-6), with Vic ...
turned toward Japan. With ''Enterprise'' providing combat air patrol cover, ''Hornet'' was to steam deep into enemy waters. Originally, the task force intended to proceed to within of the Japanese coast, but on the morning of 18 April, a Japanese patrol boat,
No. 23 ''Nitto Maru'', sighted the American task force. sank the patrol boat. Amid concerns that the Japanese had been made aware of their presence, Doolittle and his raiders launched prematurely from out, instead of the planned . Because of this decision, none of the 16 planes made it to their designated landing strips in China. After the war, Tokyo was found to have received the ''Nitto Marus message in a garbled form and the Japanese ship was sunk before it could get a clear message through to the Japanese mainland.
As ''Hornet'' came about and prepared to launch the bombers, which had been readied for take-off the previous day, a gale of more than churned the sea with crests. Heavy swells, which caused the ship to pitch violently, shipped sea and spray over the bow, wetted the flight deck, and drenched the deck crews. The lead plane, commanded by Colonel Doolittle, had only of flight deck, while the last B-25 hung its twin rudders far out over the fantail. Doolittle, timing himself against the rise and fall of the ship's bow, lumbered down the flight deck, circled ''Hornet'' after take-off, and set course for Japan. By 09:20, all 16 were airborne, heading for the first American air strike against the Japanese home islands.
''Hornet'' brought her own planes on deck as Task Force 16 steamed at full speed for Pearl Harbor. Intercepted broadcasts, both in Japanese and English, confirmed at 14:46 the success of the raids. Exactly one week to the hour after launching the B-25s, ''Hornet'' sailed into Pearl Harbor. That the Tokyo raid was the ''Hornet''s mission was kept an official secret for a year. Until then,
President Roosevelt referred to the ship from which the bombers were launched only as "
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is a fictional place in Asia's Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Uses the spelling 'Kuen-Lun'. described in the 1933 novel ''Lost Horizon'' by English author James Hilton. Hilton portrays Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, ge ...
." Two years later, the Navy gave this name to
an aircraft carrier.
''Hornet'' steamed from Pearl Harbor to aid and on 30 April at the
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
, though the battle ended before she arrived. On 4 May, Task Force 16 crossed the equator; the first time ever for ''Hornet''. ''Hornet,'' alongside ''Enterprise'', executed a
feint
Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...
towards
Nauru
Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...
and
Banaba
BanabaThe correct spelling and etymology in Gilbertese should be ''Bwanaba'' but the Constitution of Kiribati writes Banaba. Because of the spelling in English or French, the name was very often written Paanapa or Paanopa, as it was in 1901 Ac ...
(Ocean) islands, which caused the Japanese to cancel their
operation to seize the two islands. She returned to Hawaii on 26 May, and sailed again two days later to help repulse an expected Japanese assault on
Midway.
Battle of Midway, June 1942
![SBD-3 Dauntless bombers of VS-8 over the burning Japanese cruiser Mikuma on 6 June 1942](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/SBD-3_Dauntless_bombers_of_VS-8_over_the_burning_Japanese_cruiser_Mikuma_on_6_June_1942.jpg)
On 28 May 1942, ''Hornet'' and Task Force 16 steamed out of Pearl Harbor heading for Point "Luck", an arbitrary spot in the ocean roughly northeast of Midway, where they would be in a flank position to ambush Japan's mobile strike force of four frontline aircraft carriers, the
''Kidō Butai''. Japanese carrier-based planes were reported headed for Midway in the early morning of 4 June. ''Hornet'', ''Yorktown'', and ''Enterprise'' launched aircraft, just as the Japanese carriers struck their planes below to prepare for a second attack on Midway. ''Hornet's''
dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
s followed an incorrect heading and did not find the enemy fleet. Several bombers and all of the escorting fighters were forced to ditch when they ran out of fuel attempting to return to the ship. 15 torpedo bombers of
Torpedo Squadron 8
Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) was a United States Navy squadron of World War II torpedo bombers. VT-8 was assigned initially to the air group of the aircraft carrier , joining the ship shortly after her commissioning in October 1941.
After heavy lo ...
(VT-8) found the Japanese ships and attacked. They were met by overwhelming fighter opposition about out, and with no escorts to protect them, they were shot down.
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
George H. Gay, USNR, was the only survivor of 30 men.
Further attacks from ''Enterprise's'' and ''Yorktown's'' torpedo bombers proved equally disastrous, but succeeded in forcing the Japanese carriers to keep their decks clear for combat air patrol operations, rather than launching a counter-attack against the Americans. Japanese fighters were shooting down the last of the torpedo bombers over when dive bombers of ''Enterprise'' and ''Yorktown'' attacked, causing enormous fires aboard the three other Japanese carriers, ultimately leading to their loss. ''Hiryū'' was hit late in the afternoon of 4 June by a strike from ''Enterprise'' and sank early the next morning. ''Hornet's'' aircraft, launching late due to the necessity of recovering ''Yorktown's'' scout planes and faulty communications, attacked a battleship and other escorts, but failed to score hits. ''Yorktown'' was lost to combined aerial and submarine attack.
''Hornet''s aircraft attacked the fleeing Japanese fleet on 6 June and assisted in sinking the
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
, damaging a
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
, and leaving the heavy cruiser heavily damaged and on fire. The attack by ''Hornet'' on the ''Mogami'' ended one of the great decisive battles of naval history. Midway Atoll was saved as an important base for American operations into the
Western Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. Of greatest importance was the crippling of the Japanese carrier strength, a severe blow from which the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
never fully recovered. The four large carriers took with them to the bottom about 250 naval aircraft and a high percentage of the most highly trained and experienced Japanese aircraft maintenance personnel. The victory at Midway was a decisive turning point in the
War in the Pacific
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the Theater (warfare), theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, ...
.
On 16 June 1942, Captain
Charles P. Mason
Charles Perry Mason (January 12, 1891 – August 15, 1971) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice admiral. An early naval aviator, he distinguished himself as Commanding officer of aircraft carrier , ...
became commanding officer of ''Hornet'' upon her return to Pearl Harbor. ''Hornet'' spent the next six weeks replenishing her stores, having minor repairs performed, and most importantly, having additional light antiaircraft guns and the new RCA CXAM air-search radar fitted. She did not sail in late July with the forces sent to recapture
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
, but instead remained at Pearl Harbor in case she was needed elsewhere.
Solomon Islands campaign, August–October, 1942
''Hornet'' steamed out of harbor on 17 August 1942 to guard sea approaches to the bitterly contested Guadalcanal in the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. Bomb damage to ''Enterprise'' on 24 August, torpedo damage to on 31 August, and the sinking of on 15 September left ''Hornet'' as the only operational U.S. carrier in the South Pacific. She was responsible for providing air cover over the Solomon Islands until 24 October 1942, when she was joined by ''Enterprise'' just northwest of the
New Hebrides
New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
Islands. Both carriers and their escorts steamed out to intercept a Japanese aircraft carrier/
battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...
/
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
force closing in on Guadalcanal.
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...
took place on 26 October 1942 without contact between surface ships of the opposing forces. That morning, ''Enterprise''s planes bombed the carrier , while planes from ''Hornet'' severely damaged the carrier and the
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
. Two other cruisers were also attacked by ''Hornet''s aircraft. Meanwhile, ''Hornet'' was attacked by a coordinated dive bomber and torpedo plane attack. In a 15-minute period, ''Hornet'' was hit by three bombs from
Aichi D3A
The Aichi D3A Type 99 Carrier Bomber ( Allied reporting name "Val") is a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber. It was the primary dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was involved in almost all IJN actions, including the at ...
"Val" dive bombers. One "Val", after being heavily damaged by antiaircraft fire while approaching ''Hornet'', crashed into the carrier's island, killing seven men and spreading burning
aviation gas
Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, whi ...
over the deck. A flight of
Nakajima B5N
The Nakajima B5N ( ja, 中島 B5N, Allied reporting name "Kate") was the standard carrier-based torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) for much of World War II.
Although the B5N was substantially faster and more capable than its Al ...
"Kate" torpedo bombers attacked ''Hornet'' and scored two hits, which seriously damaged the electrical systems and engines. As the carrier came to a halt, another damaged "Val" deliberately crashed into ''Hornets port side near the bow.
With power knocked out to her engines, ''Hornet'' was unable to launch or land aircraft, forcing her aviators to either land on ''Enterprise'' or ditch in the ocean.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
George D. Murray
George Dominic Murray (July 6, 1889 – June 18, 1956) was an admiral in the United States Navy and an early naval aviator.
Biography
Murray was born in Boston, Massachusetts, attended the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1911 and becomin ...
ordered the
heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
to tow ''Hornet'' clear of the action. Japanese aircraft were attacking ''Enterprise'', allowing ''Northampton'' to tow ''Hornet'' at a speed of about . Repair crews were on the verge of restoring power when another flight of nine "Kate" torpedo planes attacked. Eight of these aircraft were either shot down or failed to score hits, but the ninth scored a fatal hit on the starboard side. The torpedo hit destroyed the repairs to the electrical system and caused a 14° list. After being informed that Japanese surface forces were approaching and that further towing efforts were futile,
Vice Admiral William Halsey ordered ''Hornet'' sunk, and an order of "abandon ship" was issued. Captain Mason, the last man on board, climbed over the side, and the survivors were soon picked up by the escorting
destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s.
![Listing USS Hornet (CV-8) is abandoned in the late afternoon of 26 October 1942](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Listing_USS_Hornet_%28CV-8%29_is_abandoned_in_the_late_afternoon_of_26_October_1942.jpg)
American warships attempted to
scuttle the stricken carrier, which absorbed nine torpedoes, many of which
failed to explode, and more than 400 rounds from the destroyers and . The destroyers steamed away when a Japanese surface force entered the area. The Japanese destroyers and finally finished off ''Hornet'' with 4
Long Lance torpedo
The was a -diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), launched from surface ships. It is commonly referred to as the Long Lance by most modern English-language naval historians, a nickname given to it after the war by Samuel Eliot Mori ...
es. At 01:35 on 27 October, ''Hornet'' finally sank with the loss of 140 of her 2,200 sailors. 21 aircraft went down with the ship.
Legacy
''Hornet'' was struck from the
Naval Vessel Register
The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
on 13 January 1943. Her name was revived less than a year later when the newly constructed ''Kearsarge'' was commissioned as . CV-8 is honored aboard her namesake, which is now the
USS ''Hornet'' Museum docked in
Alameda, California
Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda (island), Alam ...
.
''Hornet'' was the last American fleet carrier
(CV) ever sunk by enemy fire, though the
light carrier ''Princeton'' and a number of much smaller
escort carrier
The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...
s were sunk in combat in other battles following ''Hornet's'' sinking.
Wreck discovery
In late January 2019, the
research vessel
A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...
located ''Hornet's'' wreck at more than deep off the Solomon Islands.
The expedition team, largely funded by
Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, computer programmer, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which h ...
, aboard the ''Petrel'', used information from the archives of nine other U.S. warships that saw the carrier shortly before she was sunk. One of two robotic vehicles aboard the ''Petrel'' found the ''Hornet'' during its first dive mission.
The carrier lies upright on the ocean floor, with her signal bridge and a section of her stern that broke away coming to rest around her.
Awards
''Hornet'' was awarded four
battle star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s during World War II.
In addition, Torpedo Squadron 8 flying from ''Hornet'' was awarded the
Presidential Unit Citation. "for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service beyond the call of duty" during the
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under Adm ...
.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hornet (Cv-08)
Yorktown-class aircraft carriers
1940 ships
World War II aircraft carriers of the United States
Ships of the Battle of Midway
World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Ships built in Newport News, Virginia
Doolittle Raid
Maritime incidents in October 1942
Shipwreck discoveries by Paul Allen
2019 archaeological discoveries