USS Ranger (CV-4)

USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) was an interwar United States Navy aircraft carrier, the only ship of its class. As a Treaty ship, ''Ranger'' was the first U.S. vessel to be designed and built from the keel up as a carrier. She was relatively small, just long and under , closer in size and displacement to the first US carrier——than later ships. An island superstructure was not included in the original design, but was added after completion.

Deemed too slow for use with the Pacific Fleet's carrier task forces against Japan, she spent most of World War II in the Atlantic Ocean, where the German fleet, the ''Kriegsmarine'', was a weaker opponent. ''Ranger'' saw combat in that theater and provided air support for Operation Torch. In October 1943, she fought in Operation Leader, air attacks on German shipping off Norway. She was sold for scrap in 1947.

Design and development

Work began in 1925 on the design of a fourth aircraft carrier for the US Navy, as a follow-on to the small , converted from a collier, and the large and , which were in the process of being converted from incomplete battlecruisers. Carrier number four was the Navy's first opportunity to design a ship built as an aircraft carrier. Preliminary design work occurred before extensive operation of the preceding three. Having limited experience to draw on, key characteristics of the design were derived from wargaming experience at the U.S. Naval War College. During design and construction many alterations would occur as a result of increasing experience with ''Langley, Lexington,'' and ''Saratoga''.

The major limitation constraining any design was the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. After ''Lexington'' and ''Saratoga'', there were remaining for construction of aircraft carriers. This resulted in modeling for three 23,000 long ton carriers, four 17,250 ton carriers, and five 13,800 ton carriers. Of the three sizes, the smaller 13,800 was selected because the five hulls would have the largest aggregate aircraft capacity. Wargames had indicated that severe attrition to airframes and hulls would occur in any war. The college's solution was to maximize the number of aircraft and hulls allowable under the treaty.

Initially, ''Ranger'' was designed as a flush-decker, like ''Langley'', with nothing extending above the flight deck. Keeping the flightdeck clear of obstacles complicated the arrangement of machinery. The smoke from her six boilers was vented up six small stacks, with three on each side of the aft hangar. The stacks were hinged and were rotated to a position parallel with the hangar deck during flight operations. The unusual stack arrangement is a carry-over from her flush-deck design. When an island was added midway through construction, rebuilding the uptakes into the island was rejected as too costly. The further aft the boilers were placed, the further aft the stacks could be too, dispersing smoke over less of the deck. Concerns about smoke dispersion impacted propulsion design. Size of the plant influenced both the placement of the boilers and the amount of smoke generated. A moderate 53,000 shp power plant could be placed further aft than a 100,000 shp plant without affecting trim. The smaller plant also produced fewer gasses than a 100,000 shp plant. Due to space limits, the carrier was equipped with geared turbines.

Nearly her entire upper deck was devoted to the hangar. The large height and open girders of the flight deck structure allowed for stowage of spare fuselages. The hangar deck was semi-open and had large roll-up metal curtain doors which could be closed in bad weather. The open hangar was adopted to allow the installation of two catapults on the hangar deck for the launching of observation aircraft. The catapults were dropped to save cost. ''Ranger'' also incorporated a gallery deck between the flight deck and hangar deck.

The flight deck was a light superstructure sheathed in wood. Designed as a weight-saving measure, the light wood deck was found to be easily repairable. Three elevators were provided to move aircraft between the flight deck and hangar deck. Outriggers at the edge of the flight deck provided extra stowage for aircraft on deck. The carrier operated 76 aircraft as constructed; equal to ''Lexington'' with half the displacement.

The carrier was one of the first U.S. Navy ships mounted with light automatic weapons to defend against dive-bombing attacks, and was initially armed with forty .50 cal machine guns. Complementing the machine guns were eight dual-purpose 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber guns controlled by two Mark 33 directors. The machine guns were arrayed along the gallery and the 5-inch guns arrayed with one at each corner of the gallery, two at the bow, and two on the fantail.

Construction, refit, and modernization

Authorized by Congress on 13 February 1929, the U.S. Navy opened bids for the construction of the aircraft carrier on 3 September 1930. Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company outbid Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation and New York Shipbuilding Company for the contract. In November, Newport News Shipbuilding received the contract to build her. The contract price was 15.2 million dollars. On 10 December, the name ''Ranger'' was assigned to the planned aircraft carrier.Cressman, p. 5

''Ranger'' was laid down on 26 September 1931 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia, and launched on 25 February 1933, sponsored by Lou Henry Hoover, First Lady of the United States.Cressman, pp. 3–6 Late in construction the design was modified to include an island, increasing her displacement to 14,500 tons. Commencing trials on 1 May 1934, ''Ranger'' made 30.35 kn and generated 58,700 shp. She was commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 4 June 1934, with Captain Arthur L. Bristol in command.Cressman, pp. 8–9

To save money, ''Ranger'' was initially designed and commissioned without torpedo stowage or a torpedo bomber squadron. ''Wasp'' was designed and commissioned to match. On 17 October 1941 approval was given to install torpedo stowage during the next overhaul in conjunction with the activation of a torpedo squadron. On 10 January 1942 Torpedo Squadron 4 (VT-4) was activated on ''Ranger.Cressman, pp. 158, 178, 411''

Across the years many alterations were made to her armament. The first change was to consolidate the 5-in gun battery by pairing the four main deck guns with the four gallery deck guns. The anti-aircraft armament received a major upgrade when six 1.1-in quadruple mounts were installed; the 1.1-in battery replaced a battery of 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber guns installed months before as placeholders.Cressman, p. 157 In March 1942, the .50 cal machine guns were exchanged for much more capable Oerlikon 20mm cannons.Cressman, p. 182 Similarly, the 1.1-in battery was swapped with quadruple Bofors 40mm guns in December 1942.Cressman, p. 296 ''Ranger's'' ultimate armament was six 40mm quadruple mounts and forty-six 20mm mounts.

On 13 December 1943, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King had approved an extensive modernization. Since ''Rangers commissioning, the size of carrier aircraft had grown enormously. Her flight deck supports were no longer capable of supporting the weight of a complete, modern air group. Other aircraft operating improvements were contemplated. The aft elevator was to be enlarged, the amidship elevator was to be replaced with a deck-edge elevator, and two flight deck catapults were to be installed. Weight and protection issues were to be solved by blistering the hull. Armament was to be increased with six additional 40mm quadruple mounts. Admiral King favored having the conversions done, but the Bureau of Ships insisted that allocating the manpower and resources required to accomplish this would considerably delay the completion of new aircraft carriers under construction. The full project was indefinitely postponed on 5 April 1944 after the third, increasing estimate.Cressman, pp. 352–354, 358–360, 370 After arriving at New York Harbor on 16 May, ''Ranger'' entered the Norfolk Navy Yard to have her flight deck strengthened, new aircraft catapults installed, and radar equipment updated.Cressman, p. 364 This provided her with the capability of night fighter-interceptor training.

Service history

Inter-war period

''Ranger'' conducted her initial flight operations off the Virginia Capes on 21 June 1934Cressman, p. 16 and departed Norfolk on 17 AugustCressman, p. 18 for a shakedown training cruise that took her to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. She returned to Norfolk on 4 OctoberCressman, p. 23 for operations off the Virginia Capes and two stints in dry dock for post trial repairsCressman, pp. 23–25 until 1 April 1935,Cressman, p. 28 when she sailed for the Pacific. Transiting the Panama Canal on 7 April, she arrived in San Diego on 15 April. For nearly four years, she participated in fleet problems reaching to Hawaii,Cressman, pp. 30–35, 52–56, 75–82, 106–111, 119–125 the first-ever carrier cold weather test trials in Alaska,Cressman, pp. 44–50 and in western seaboard operations that took her as far south as Callao, Peru,Cressman, pp. 99–104 and as far north as Seattle, Washington. On 4 January 1939, she departed San Diego for winter fleet operations in the Caribbean based at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.Cressman, pp. 117–119 She then steamed north to Norfolk, arriving on 20 April.Cressman, p. 125

''Ranger'' cruised along the eastern seaboard out of Norfolk and into the Caribbean Sea. In the fall of 1939, she commenced Neutrality Patrol operations,Cressman, pp. 130–173 operating out of Bermuda along the trade routes of the middle Atlantic and up the eastern seaboard up to NS Argentia, Newfoundland.

In December 1940, ''Ranger'''s VF-4 became one of the first units to receive the newer Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats.

World War II

1942

In December 1941, she was returning to Norfolk from an ocean patrol extending to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.Cressman, p. 173 Arriving in Norfolk on 8 December,Cressman, p. 177 she sailed on 21 December for patrol in the South Atlantic. She then entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs on 21 March 1942.Cressman, p. 181 ''Ranger'' was one of 14 ships to receive the early RCA CXAM-1 radar.

''Ranger'' served as flagship of Rear Admiral Arthur B. Cook, Commander, Carriers, Atlantic Fleet until 6 April 1942, when he was relieved by Rear Admiral Ernest D. McWhorter, who also broke his flag in ''Ranger''.

On 15 April 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill cabled President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requesting ''North Carolina'' and ''Ranger'' reinforce the British Eastern Fleet in the wake of the Indian Ocean Raid. The day before in response to advance notice of the reinforcement request routed through General George Marshall, who was then visiting London, Admiral Ernest King had already definitely stated that ''Ranger'' and any other major fleet unit could not be made available for the Indian Ocean. He stated the only manner at all in which the Navy could assist was by using ''Ranger'' to ferry the pursuit planes necessary to bring the 10th Air Force up to full operational strength. King's draft response to Churchill's insistence displayed a lack of tact. Roosevelt supported King, but toned down King's draft by playing up ''Ranger's'' faults to steer the British towards accepting the ferry mission.

Steaming to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, Rhode Island, ''Ranger'' loaded 68 Curtiss P-40Es and put to sea on 22 April, launching the Army planes on 10 May to land at Accra, on the Gold Coast of Africa (Ghana).Cressman, p. 184 The P-40s were a general reinforcement for the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers (soon to be redesignated as the Army Air Forces' 23rd Fighter Group) in China, to replenish their losses as well as forming a second unit, the 51st Fighter Group.Cressman, p. 186, 190 Although no difficulties were encountered in flying off ''Ranger''s deck, errors in crossing Africa led to the loss of 10 or so en route. Upon return to Quonset Point on 28 May, she made a patrol to Argentia, Newfoundland.

After Rommel's victories in May and June, most notably the fall of Tobruk during the Battle of Gazala, the United States agreed to commit to the North African theater a total of nine combat groups, of which seven groups were to be in operation by the end of 1942. ''Ranger''s contribution to the establishment of the Ninth Air Force was to ferry another 72 Army P-40s. This time she ferried a complete combat unit, 57th Fighter Group, which she launched off the coast of Africa for Accra on 19 July. Lessons learned from the previous ferry mission resulted in negligible losses, for which the 57th received commendations. The Group was operational with the Desert Air Force in time to participate in the Second Battle of El Alamein.

After calling at Trinidad,Cressman, p. 186 she returned to Norfolk for local battle practice until 1 October, then based her training at Bermuda,Cressman, p. 196 in the company of four new s, ships converted from oil tankers to increase U.S. air power in the Atlantic Ocean.

As the largest carrier in the Atlantic Fleet, ''Ranger'' led the task force that comprised herself and the four escort carriers. These provided air superiority during the amphibious invasion of Vichy-ruled French Morocco. On 8 November 1942, Allied landings in French North Africa (Operation Torch) began. Vichy French government forces attacked the Allied forces in defense of the neutrality of French Morocco, in what became known as the Naval Battle of Casablanca.Cressman, p. 208

It was still dark at 06:15 that day, when ''Ranger''—stationed northwest of Casablanca—began launching her aircraft to support the landings made at three points on the Atlantic coast of North Africa (Operation Torch).Cressman, p. 209 for Torch, 327 for Leader Nine of her Wildcat fighters attacked the Rabat and Rabat-Sale aerodromes, headquarters of the French air forces in Morocco. Without loss to themselves, they destroyed seven planes at one field, and 14 bombers at the other. Another flight destroyed seven planes on the Port Lyautey field. Some of ''Ranger''s planes strafed four French destroyers in Casablanca Harbor, while others strafed and bombed nearby shore batteries.

The Vichy French battleship opened fire with the four guns of her one operational turret on U.S. warships covering the landings. She was hit and moderately damaged by ''Ranger''s dive bombers, then silenced by the fifth hit from the guns of the American battleship , which jammed the rotating mechanism of the one working turret.

''Jean Bart''s 15 in turret was quickly repaired. On 10 November, ''Jean Bart'' opened fire again, and almost hit the heavy cruiser , the Task Force 34 flagship. In retaliation, bombers from ''Ranger'' inflicted severe damage on ''Jean Bart'' with two heavy bombs hitting the bow and the stern, causing the French battleship to sink into the harbor mud with decks awash. In addition to damaging and sinking ''Jean Bart'', ''Ranger''s attack aircraft scored two direct bomb hits on the French destroyer leader , completely wrecking her forward half and causing 300 casualties. They also attacked the French cruiser as she sortied from Casablanca Harbor and dropped depth charges within killing range of two submarines. ''Ranger''s planes also knocked out coastal defense and anti-aircraft batteries, destroyed more than 70 enemy aircraft on the ground, and shot down 15 aircraft in aerial combat. It was estimated that 21 enemy light tanks were immobilized and some 86 military vehicles destroyed – most of them troop-carrying trucks. ''Ranger'' had launched 496 combat sorties in the three-day operation, with 16 planes lost or damaged beyond repair.

Casablanca capitulated to the American forces on 11 November.Cressman, pp. 280–285 ''Ranger'' departed from the Moroccan coast on 12 November,Cressman, pp. 289–292 returning to Hampton Roads on 24 November and Norfolk on 14 December 1942.Cressman, p. 292

On 2 December 1942, ''Ranger'' was again requested for in a cable from Churchill to Roosevelt, this time in connection to American misfortunes. The loss of ''Hornet'' in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands kicked off a confused series of messages seeking British carrier reinforcement in the Pacific. To meet the request, Churchill offered both ''Illustrious'' and ''Victorious'' in exchange for ''Ranger'' replacing ''Victorious'' in the Home Fleet. King accepted one carrier but retained ''Ranger'' to use in the Atlantic or the Pacific at his discretion.

1943

Following training in Chesapeake Bay, ''Ranger'' underwent an overhaul at the Norfolk Navy Yard from 16 December 1942 to 7 February 1943. By December 33 Fighter Group had taken heavy losses in Tunisia and needed reinforcement. Responding to Eisenhower's request, ''Ranger'' departed Norfolk on 8 January with the 325th Fighter Group aboard for delivery to Casablanca. She repeated the mission with another load, 75 P-40L fighters of the Army Air Forces' 58th Fighter Group to Africa, arriving at Casablanca on 23 February.Cressman, p. 294

On 25 April 1943, German radio announced "Achtung! Achtung! We are proud to announce that a German submarine has sunk the United States aircraft carrier ''Ranger'' in the North Atlantic!" Following this broadcast, German news releases reported that Commander Otto von Bülow of the U-boat , personally decorated by Adolf Hitler with Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, had "in addition to torpedoing four steamers, caught and sank the American aircraft carrier ''Ranger''."

The US Navy, concerned about the impact of the German announcement on families of ''Ranger'' crewmen, issued a denial of the German claim. In the radio broadcast dated 15 February 1944, Captain Gordon Rowe, Commanding Officer of USS ''Ranger'', stated:

The story that we were sunk was a coward's trick—spreading anxiety and fear among the innocent.... The next day we issued a denial and ... on October 4 we spread panic and chaos in the Norwegian shipping lanes. Only one thing we regret. We kept looking for the ''Tirpitz'' but either she wouldn't or couldn't come out.... Meanwhile, the ''Ranger'', still very much afloat, is doing her job.

She patrolled and trained pilots along the New England coast steaming as far north as Halifax, Nova Scotia.Cressman, p. 322 Departing from Halifax on 11 August,Cressman, p. 323 she joined the British Home Fleet at Scapa Flow, Scotland, on 19 August, with which she patrolled the approaches to the British Isles.

''Ranger'' departed from Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet on 2 October to attack German shipping in Norwegian waters (Operation Leader).Cressman, p. 327 The objective of the force was the northern Norwegian port of Bodø. The task force reached launch position off Vestfjorden before dawn on 4 October completely undetected. At 06:18, ''Ranger'' launched 20 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers and an escort of eight Wildcats. One division of dive bombers attacked the freighter ''La Plata'', while the rest continued north to attack a German ship convoy. The bombers severely damaged a tanker and a smaller troop transport. They also sank two of four small German merchant ships in the Bodø roadstead.

A second attack group from ''Ranger''—consisting of 10 Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and six Wildcats—destroyed a German freighter and a small coastal ship, and bombed a troop-laden transport. Three of the aircraft were lost to anti-aircraft fire. On the afternoon of 4 October, ''Ranger'' was located by three German aircraft; her combat air patrol shot down two of the enemy planes and chased away the third.Cressman, pp. 327–347 — for Ranger's activities during Operation Leader

''Ranger'' returned to Scapa Flow on 6 October.Cressman, p. 347 She patrolled with the British 2nd Battle Squadron in waters extending northwestward to Iceland,Cressman, p. 354 and then she departed from Hvalfjord on 26 November, arriving at Boston on 3 December.

1944–1945

On 3 January 1944, ''Ranger'' became a training carrier out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island. This duty was interrupted on 20 April when she steamed to Staten Island, New York, to take on 76 Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters—together with Army, Navy, and French Navy personnel—for transportation to Casablanca.Cressman, pp. 362–363 Steaming out on 24 April for her fifth and final transatlantic ferry mission, she arrived at Casablanca on 4 May.Cressman, pp. 363, 364 The new aircraft were exchanged with damaged U.S. Army aircraft marked for repair in the U.S., while military passengers were embarked for the return to New York City. After New York City, she moved to Norfolk for refit on 19 May 1944.

On 11 July, she departed from Norfolk and headed for Panama. She transited the Panama Canal five days later, embarked several hundred U.S. Army passengers at Balboa, Panama, then sailed to San Diego, arriving there on 25 July.Cressman, p. 366 After embarking the men and aircraft of Night Fighting Squadron 102 and nearly 1,000 U.S. Marines, ''Ranger'' steamed for Hawaiian waters on 28 July, reaching Pearl Harbor on 3 August. During the next three months, ''Ranger'' conducted night carrier flight training operations out of Pearl Harbor.

''Ranger'' departed from Pearl Harbor on 13 OctoberCressman, p. 370 to train new naval pilots for combat duty. Operating out of San Diego under the Commander, Fleet Air, Alameda, California, ''Ranger'' continued training air groups and squadrons along the California coast throughout the remainder of the war. ''Ranger'' was the only pre-war U.S. carrier never to have engaged Japanese forces in battle.

Post war

Departing San Diego on 30 September 1945,Cressman, p. 390 she embarked civilian and military passengers at Balboa and then steamed for New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving on 18 October. Following Navy Day celebrations there, she sailed on 30 October for brief operations at Pensacola, Florida, as a training carrier, later relieved in that role by . After calling at Norfolk, she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 19 November for overhaul. She remained on the eastern seaboard until decommissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 18 October 1946.Cressman, p. 392 Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 29 October,Cressman, p. 397 she was sold for scrap to Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, on 31 January 1947.

Awards

''Ranger'' was awarded two Service stars and various ribbons/awards:

Notes

Citations

References

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*Friedman, Norman (2017). ''Winning a Future War: War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War''. Washington, District of Columbia, USA: Naval History and Heritage Command. .
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External links

Navy photographs of ''Ranger'' (CV-4)General Plan for USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) Updated through 7-24-1944
hosted by th
Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Digital Collections Additional photographs of ''Ranger'' (CV-4) before World War II, including postcards and airplanesU.S. Newsmap featuring USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)
hosted by th
UNT Libraries Digital Collections"Home On The Range(r)" – A shipboard parody song written about 1939.
* ttp://www.airgroup4.com/index.htm Air Group 4 (AG-4), stationed aboard USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) until July 1944 contains extensive crew member accounts of actions and photographsbr>Commanders of USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) on U-Boat.net
* ttp://www.history.navy.mil/medals/atlantic.htm Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV. 1953) American Service Medal Atlantic "A" Device for USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)
USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) Crewmembers History – Search by Duty Station USS ''Ranger'' CV 4
* ttp://www.naval-history.net/xDKWD-HF1943d.htm Royal Navy, Home Fleet, Admiralty War Diary November to December 1943 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4br>Royal Navy, Home Fleet Destroyer Command, Admiralty War Diary July to December 1943 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4
*[http://moosabec.org/news/Newsletter_Archive/BHS_Newsletter_W2011_W.pdf ''Beals Historical Society Newsletter'', Vol XI, No. 1 (Winter 2011) My Life Aboard The U.S.S. ''Ranger'' CV-4 by Arthur Blackburn Beal]
Universal Newsreel, 72 P-40Fs of the 57th Fighter Group fly off of the Aircraft Carrier ''Ranger'' (CV-4) on July 19, 1942National Archives Online FLIGHT OPERATIONS ABOARD USS RANGER (CV-4), 07/1942, Flight Operations on the Aircraft Carrier ''Ranger'' (CV-4) including Crew and Marine Detachment formationsUSS ''Ranger'' at World War II Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranger (Cv-4)
Aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
Ships built in Newport News, Virginia
1933 ships
World War II aircraft carriers of the United States