Aircraft Carrier Wasp: Naval History Special Edition

By Arthur C Nicholson

Aircraft Carrier Wasptells the remarkable story of USS Wasp (CV-7), the treaty-era carrier whose brief but action-packed career stretched from vital missions supporting Malta to the opening battles of the Guadalcanal campaign. Richly illustrated in the Naval History Special Editions format, this volume brings to life a unique warship whose service proved consequential in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

Building on the expertise of the authors and historians of the Naval Institute Press, the Naval History Special Editions are designed to offer studies of the key vessels, battles, and events of armed conflict. Using an image-heavy format, these special editions appeal to scholars, enthusiasts, and general readers alike.

USS Wasp (CV-7) was the last American aircraft carrier built under the restrictions of the Washington and London Naval Treaties. Designed to utilize the remaining treaty tonnage after the construction of Yorktown and Enterprise, at 14,700 tons she retained many of the capabilities of the larger carriers, but at the cost of critical armor and torpedo protection. Commissioned in 1940 as the war in Europe expanded, Wasp served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific during a career that lasted just over two years. Wasp became part of the first major U.S. naval force to operate with the Royal Navy in the Atlantic since World War I. Her service included the nighttime rescue of the crew of a sinking schooner, the search for Rear Admiral J. W. Wilcox after he was lost overboard in heavy seas, and two missions to deliver Royal Air Force Spitfires to Malta at the request of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Operating with the fast minelayer HMS Welshman, Wasp helped preserve Allied control of the island during the Axis siege of Malta. She later joined the Pacific Fleet, providing air support during the landings on Guadalcanal and destroying Japanese aircraft at Tulagi during the opening of the Solomon Islands campaign.

Torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-19 on 15 September 1942, Wasp left a lasting legacy in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Churchill praised her "notable service," while Royal Navy historian Captain Stephen Roskill included Wasp among the ships whose efforts were instrumental in the defense of Malta. More than seventy-five years later, Paul Allen's research vessel Petrel located Wasp's wreckage nearly 14,000 feet beneath the Pacific, ending a decades-long search.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G6SFF1GK
• ISBN13: 9798892410663
• Release Date: March 2027
• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Length: 120 Pages