Description
Commissioned on March 20, 1922, the USS Langley (CV-1) was the United States Navy’s first aircraft carrier, fundamentally altering naval warfare. Converted from the collier USS Jupiter (AC-3), this “covered wagon” was designed as a floating laboratory to test carrier operations, including landing techniques, arresting gear, and aircraft catapults.
Serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific, the Langley was crucial in developing naval aviation tactics and training the first generation of carrier pilots. Reclassified as a seaplane tender (AV-3) in 1937, she provided valuable transport support during the early months of World War II.
On February 27, 1942, while ferrying P-40 aircraft to Java, she was heavily damaged by Japanese bombers and subsequently scuttled by her escorting destroyers. Despite her slow speed, the Langley’s experimental role established the foundation for the massive fleet carriers that would later dominate the Pacific.
