USN Ships -- by Hull Number: CV -- Aircraft Carriers

Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 80-G-K-22688: USS Forrestal in the Mediterranean Sea, 29 April 1957

Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number

CV -- Aircraft Carriers.
Includes CV, CVA, CVAN, CVB, CVL, CVN, CVS and CVT.
Does not include CVE, CVHE, and CVU.

U.S. Navy aircraft carriers intended to operate with the main fleet were numbered in the "CV" series, which was originated as part of the cruiser ("C") group of designations. During and after World War II, ships in the CV series were frequently given modified designations, including CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVAN (nuclear-powered attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (small aircraft carrier), CVN (nuclear-powered aircraft carrier), CVS (anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier) and CVT (training aircraft carrier). All of these expanded designations were numbered in the original CV series.

World War II also generated a separate number series for aircraft carriers that were intended for auxiliary purposes such as escorting convoys, transporting aircraft and other missions which did not require the high speed of the CV series ships. Originally called Aircraft Escort Vessels (AVG), then Auxiliary Aircraft Carriers (ACV), they were finally termed Escort Aircraft Carriers (CVE). During the mid-1950s, many CVEs were redesignated as Escort Helicopter Aircraft Carriers (CVHE) and Utility Aircraft Carriers (CVU). These retained their original CVE series numbers.

This page provides the hull numbers of all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers numbered in the CV series, with links to those with photos available in the Online Library.

See the list below to locate photographs of individual aircraft carriers.

If the aircraft carrier you want does not have an active link on this page, contact the Photographic Section concerning other research options.

Left Column --
Aircraft Carriers numbered
CV-1 through CV-40:

CV-1: Langley (1922-1942),
later AV-3
CV-2: Lexington (1927-1942)
CV-3: Saratoga (1927-1946)
CV-4: Ranger (1934-1947)
CV-5: Yorktown (1937-1942)
CV-6: Enterprise (1938-1958),
later CVA-6 and CVS-6
CV-7: Wasp (1940-1942).
CV-8: Hornet (1941-1942).
CV-9: Essex (1942-1975),
later CVA-9 and CVS-9
CV-10: Yorktown (1943-1975),
later CVA-10 and CVS-10
CV-11: Intrepid (1943-1982),
later CVA-11 and CVS-11
CV-12: Hornet (1943-1998),
later CVA-12 and CVS-12
CV-13: Franklin (1944-1966),
later CVA-13, CVS-13 and AVT-8
CV-14: Ticonderoga (1944-1974),
later CVA-14 and CVS-14
CV-15: Randolph (1944-1975),
later CVA-15 and CVS-15
CV-16: Lexington (1943-1992),
later CVA-16, CVS-16, CVT-16
and AVT-16
CV-17: Bunker Hill (1943-1973),
later CVA-17, CVS-17 and AVT-9
CV-18: Wasp (1943-1973),
later CVA-18 and CVS-18
CV-19: Hancock (1944-1976),
later CVA-19 and CV-19
CV-20: Bennington (1944-1993),
later CVA-20 and CVS-20
CV-21: Boxer (1945-1971),
later CVA-21, CVS-21, and LPH-4
CVL-22: Independence (1943-1951),
originally CV-22
CVL-23: Princeton (1943-1944),
originally CV-23
CVL-24: Belleau Wood (1943-1960),
originally CV-24
CVL-25: Cowpens (1943-1960),
originally CV-25, later AVT-1
CVL-26: Monterey (1943-1971),
originally CV-26, later AVT-2
CVL-27: Langley (1943-1964)
CVL-28: Cabot (1943-1967),
later AVT-3
CVL-29: Bataan (1943-1961),
later AVT-4
CVL-30: San Jacinto (1943-1971),
later AVT-5
CV-31: Bon Homme Richard (1944-1992),
later CVA-31
CV-32: Leyte (1946-1970),
later CVA-32, CVS-32 and AVT-10
CV-33: Kearsarge (1946-1974),
later CVA-33 and CVS-33
CV-34: Oriskany (1950-1994),
later CVA-34 and CV-34
CV-35: Reprisal (cancelled 1945)
CV-36: Antietam (1945-1974),
later CVA-36 and CVS-36
CV-37: Princeton (1945-1971),
later CVA-37, CVS-37 and LPH-5
CV-38: Shangri-La (1944-1988),
later CVA-38 and CVS-38
CV-39: Lake Champlain (1945-1970),
later CVA-39 and CVS-39
CV-40: Tarawa (1945-1968),
later CVA-40, CVS-40 and AVT-12

Right Column --
Aircraft Carriers numbered
CVB-41 through CVN-76:

CVB-41: Midway (1945-____),
later CVA-41 and CV-41
CVB-42: Franklin D. Roosevelt (1945-1978), later CVA-42 and CV-42
CVB-43: Coral Sea (1947-1993),
later CVA-43 and CV-43
CV-44: Unnamed (cancelled January 1943)
CV-45: Valley Forge (1946-1971),
later CVA-45, CVS-45 and LPH-8
CV-46: Iwo Jima (cancelled 1945)
CV-47: Philippine Sea (1946-1971),
later CVA-47, CVS-47 and AVT-11
CVL-48: Saipan (1946-1976),
later AVT-6, CC-3 and AGMR-2
CVL-49: Wright (1947-1980),
later AVT-7 and CC-2
CV-50: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CV-51: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CV-52: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CV-53: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CV-54: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CV-55: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CVB-56: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CVB-57: Unnamed (cancelled 1945)
CVA-58: United States (cancelled 1949)
CVA-59: Forrestal (1955-____),
later CV-59 and AVT-59
CVA-60: Saratoga (1956-____),
later CV-60
CVA-61: Ranger (1957-____),
later CV-61
CVA-62: Independence (1959-____),
later CV-62
CVA-63: Kitty Hawk (1961-____),
later CV-63
CVA-64: Constellation (1961-____),
later CV-64
CVAN-65: Enterprise (1961-____),
later CVN-65
CVA-66: America (1965-2005);,
later CV-66
CVA-67: John F. Kennedy (1968-____), later CV-67
CVAN-68: Nimitz (1975-____),
later CVN-68
CVN-69: Dwight D. Eisenhower (1977-____)
CVN-70: Carl Vinson (1982-____)
CVN-71: Theodore Roosevelt (1986-____)
CVN-72: Abraham Lincoln (1989-____)
CVN-73: George Washington (1992-____)
CVN-74: John C. Stennis (1995-____)
CVN-75: Harry S. Truman (1998-____)
CVN-76: Ronald Reagan (2003-____)
CVN-77: George H.W. Bush (2009-____)
CVN-78: Gerald R. Ford (under construction)

NOTES:

To the best of our knowledge, the Online Library's pictures are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

Page made 5 May 2002
New ships added 4 October 2009

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND 805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number

CV -- Aircraft Carriers. Includes CV, CVA, CVAN, CVB, CVL, CVN, CVS and CVT. Does not include CVE, CVHE, and CVU.

See the list below to locate photographs of individual aircraft carriers.

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number

CV -- Aircraft Carriers.
Includes CV, CVA, CVAN, CVB, CVL, CVN, CVS and CVT.
Does not include CVE, CVHE, and CVU.