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| USN Wasp-class Aircraft Carrier 14,700 Tons (Standard) 19,116 Tons (Full Load) 688' x 80' 9" x 20' 8 x 5"/38 cal guns 16 x 1.1"/75 cal AA guns 24 x 50 cal MG 100 Aircraft  USN March 1942  USN May 9, 1942  USN September 15, 1942 |
Ship History Built at Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. Laid down April 1, 1936 as Wasp Class Aircraft Carrier. Launched April 4, 1939 as USS Wasp (CV-7) sponsored by Carolyn Edison, wife of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Charles Edison and the eight ship named Wasp in the U.S. Navy (USN). Commissioned April 25, 1940 in the U.S. Navy (USN) at Army Quartermaster Base, South Boston, Massachusetts with Captain John W. Reeves, Jr. in command. During May 1940 remained in Boston for fitting out, before she got underway on June 5, 1940 for calibration tests on her radio direction finder gear. Anchored in Boston Harbor, then to Hampton Roads, Virginia arriving June 24, 1940. Four days later, departed for the Caribbean with destroyer USS Morris (DD-417). En route, she conducted the first of many carrier qualification tests. Among the earliest of the qualifiers was Lt(jg) David McCampbell, who was assigned to Wasp and served as a launching officer and Landing Signal Officer (LSO) until the carrier was sunk and later became the Navy's highest scoring ace of World War II. On July 4, 1940 arrived Guantanamo Bay on Cuba and continued flight training. On July 9, 1940 an SB2U-2 Vindicator crashed with the loss of both crew. On July 11, 1940 departs Cuba and returned to Hampton Roads four days later. At Hampton Roads, embarks planes from 1st Marine Air Group (1-MAG) for a week of qualifications then steams to Boston. On August 10, 1940 fires a 21 gun salute for U.S. President F. D. Roosevelt when his yacht Potomac stopped at Boston Navy Yard. On August 21, 1940 departs for more sea trials including steering drills and full power tests and flight training with carrier planes from VF-7 and VS-71. On August 28, 1940 enters Norfolk Navy Yard for work on her turbines for a month. On September 12, 1940 enters drydock for six days then sea trails. On October 11, 1940 assigned to Carrier Division 3, Patrol Force based at Norfolk and embarked U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) planes including twenty-four P-40s from the 8th Pursuit Group (8th PG) and nine O-47A reconnaissance planes from the 2nd Observation Squadron plus J2F Ducks and went out to sea for a test to have the Army planes fly off to compare them to Navy carrier planes and was the first time Army planes took off from an aircraft carrier. Afterwards, returned to Cuba and continued flight training then returned to Norfolk November 26, 1940 and conducted degaussing experiments and remained in port until the end of the year. In January 1941 departs for Cuba and continues flight training and maneuvers with warships plus gunnery drills. On March 4, 1941 departs for Hampton Roads and overnight conducts night battle practice. Afterwards, experienced bad weather and aided schooner George E. Klinck then entered drydock at Norfolk Navy Yard for turbine repairs and other alterations including an early RCA CXAM-1 radar. On March 22, 1941 departs for the Virgin Islands then returns to Guantanamo Bay and embarks cargo. On March 30, 1941 returns to Norfolk and conducts patrols off Virginia including a search for a downed plane and conducted carrier plane patrols along the east coast from Rhode Island the back to Norfolk. On May 12, 1941 anchored at Grassy Bay, Bermuda and eight days later conducted exercises with USS Quincy and destroyers USS Livermore (DD-429) and USS Kearny (DD-432). On June 6, 1941 departs for Norfolk with USS Edison (DD-439) and after a brief stay returns to Bermuda. Her carrier planes patrol the neutrality patrol zone. On July 12, 1941 departs for Norfolk with USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and destroyers USS Grayson (DD-435), USS Anderson (DD-411) and USS Rowan (DD-405) returning the next day. On July 23, 1941 in the late afternoon at pier 7 Norfolk loaded thirty P-40C Warhawks and three PT-17 trainers from the 33rd Pursuit Squadron to be ferried to Iceland. Also embarked was new correspondent Fletcher Pratt. On July 28, 1941 departs with USS O'Brien and USS Walke (DD-416) and while at sea, joined by USS Vincennes (CA-44). Days later joins Task Force 16 (TF-16) bound for Iceland. On August 6, 1941 Wasp launches the Army planes then departs for Norfolk returning August 14, 1941. On August 22, 1941 departs Norfolk with to Hampton Roads and three days later with Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt aboard conducts a neutrality patrol with USS Savannah and the destroyers USS Monssen and USS Kearny. On September 2, 1941 arrives Gulf of Paria, Trinidad and Hewitt moves his flag to USS Savannah. On September 6, 1941 departs and while at sea was ordered to Newfoundland arriving sixteen days later and refueled at sea by USS Salinas (AO-19). On September 23, 1941 departs for Iceland with USS Wichita (CA-45), four destroyers, and the repair ship Vulcan. On October 6, 1941 with USS Vincennes (CA-44) and four destroyers conducts patrols in the North Atlantic then returns five days later during a gale. On October 17, 1941 departs for Norfolk arriving three days later then departs for Bermuda and patrols during the month of November 1941. On December 3, 1941 departs Grassy Bay and rendezvoused with USS Wilson (DD-408) then returns two days later. Wartime History On December 7, 1941 at anchor in Grassy Bay and was ordered to Martinique to intercept a Vichy French armed merchant cruiser Barfleur believed to have got underway but in fact was still at anchor. Afterwards, returned to Hampton Roads with USS Long Island escorted by destroyers Stack and Sterett and begins an overhaul for the rest of the year. On January 14, 1942 departs for Newfoundland and Maine. On March 16, 1942 assigned to Task Group 22.6 (TG 22.6) and returns to Norfolk. On March 17, 1942 the bow of Wasp accidentally hit the starboard side of USS Stack (DD-406) causing damage but the destroyer managed to reach Philadelphia for repairs. On March 21, 1942 Wasp returns to Norfolk then departs with Task Force 39 (TF-39) via Casco Bay then to the United Kingdom to reinforce the Royal Navy Home Fleet. On April 3, 1942 meets HMS Edinburgh escorting the force to Scapa Flow where a Royal Air Force (RAF) Gloster Gladiator lands on the carrier, the first British landing on an American aircraft carrier. On April 9, 1942 departs Scapa Flow for Greenock, Scotland and the next day up the Clyde River then to Glasgow loads forty-seven Spitfire Mark V fighter planes from No. 603 Squadron bound for Malta as part of Operation Calendar. On April 13, 1941 escorted by HMS Renown, HMS Cairo, HMS Charybdis with USS Madison (DD-425) and USS Lang (DD-399). On April 19, 1942 before dawn transited the Straits of Gibraltar and the next day launched a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) of eleven F4F Wildcats to protect the Spitfires as they took off bound for Malta. Afterwards, returned to Gibraltar then back to Glasgow when more Spitfires were loaded for another reinforcement operation code named Operation Bowery. On May 3, 1942 departs with British aircraft carrier HMS Eagle on another reinforcement mission to Malta. On May 9, 1942 launched her F4F Wildcats to fly a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) to protect RAF Spitfire Mark Vs flying to Malta then departed. On May 11, 1942 British Prime Minister Churchill sent a congratulatory message to Wasp: "Many thanks to you all for the timely help. Who said a wasp couldn't sting twice?" Afterwards, returned to Norfolk Navy Yard for alterations and repairs and was to be assigned to the Pacific Fleet, following the loss of USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea. On May 31, 1942 assigned to Captain Forrest P. Sherman. On June 6, 1942 departs Norfolk with Task Force 37 (TF-37) with battleship USS North Carolina (BB-55) escorted by USS Quincy (CA-39), USS San Juan (CL-54) plus six destroyers. Four days later, the group transits the Panama Canal and becomes Task Force 18 (TF-18) under the command of Rear Admiral Leigh Noyes. On June 19, 1942 arrives at San Diego and embarks carrier aircraft including TBF-1 Avengers and SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers. On July 1, 1942 departs for Tonga escorting a convoy with the 2nd Marine Regiment. Afterwards, Wasp with USS Saratoga (CV-3) and USS Enterprise (CV-6) were assigned to the support force under the command of Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher to provide aerial support for the U.S. landings at Tulagi and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Enroute on July 14, 1942 her starboard high-pressure turbine was making scraping noises and her speed was limited to 15 knots. On July 18, 1942 arrived at Tongatapu in Tonga for three days of emergency repairs and a speed test reaching 27 knots. Although replacement of the turbine blades was recommended, Wasp continued her mission. Departs bound for the Solomon Islands escorted by heavy cruisers USS San Francisco (CA-38) and USS Salt Lake City (CA-25) plus four destroyers. On August 7, 1942 at 5:57am Wasp was in position 97 miles off Tulagi and launched her carrier planes against targets including Tulagi, Gavutu, Tanambogo, Halavo, Purvis Bay on Florida Island, Haleta, Bungana, and a radio station dubbed "Asses' Ears". Over the target, her F4F Wildcats strafed seaplanes and A6M2-N Rufe floatplane fighters moored at Tulagi Seaplane Base (Gavutu) while the SBDs bombed anti-aircraft sites and shore batteries. At 7:04am launched a second strike by twelve TBF-1 Avengers armed with bombs led by Lt. H. A. Romberg that bombed Japanese positions on Hill 281 on Tulagi. After dark, Wasp and the other carriers plus their escorts withdrew southward. On August 8, 1942 in the morning resumed Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over the transports off Guadalcanal while a scouting force of twelve SBDs led by LtCdr E. M. Snowden flew a search of 250 miles reaching Santa Isabel Island and New Georgia Island. At 8:15am Snowden claimed a A6M2-N Rufe shot down using his nose machine guns roughly 46 miles off Rekata Bay. Meanwhile, SBDs from VS-71 led by Lt(jg) Robert L. Howard attempted to intercept incoming G4M1 Bettys attacking U.S. transports but were engaged by A6M2 Zeros. At 6:07pm Fletcher recommended to Ghormley the aircraft carriers be withdrawn and all three carriers departed. Afterwards, Wasp conducted patrols and cover operations for convoys bound for Guadalcanal. On August 24, 1942 during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons Wasp was not in the battle area but was refueled and headed towards the action. On August 25, 1942 conducted search missions with SBD piloted by Lt. Chester V. Zalewski claimed two Jakes from Atago but failed to spot any Japanese warships as they had withdrawn. At 1:26pm launched a strike with 24 SBDs and 10 TBF against Tanaka's convoy but were unable to locate them but claimed a flying boat shot down. After the battle, only Wasp and Hornet were the only two carriers undamaged in the South Pacific. Afterwards, USS Wasp, USS Hornet (CV-8) and USS North Carolina (BB-55) plus other warships were escorting a convoy with the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) 7th Marine Regiment bound for Guadalcanal. Sinking History On September 15, 1942 at 10:00am steaming in the Coral Sea roughly 170 miles southeast of San Cristobal Island, Wasp was refueling and rearmed aircraft that had just landed. At 12:15pm, a F4F Wildcat from Wasp claimed a Japanese four engined flying boat shot down. At 2:20pm, Wasp launched eight F4F Wildcats and eighteen SBD Dauntless dive bombers and successfully recovered eight Wildcats and three SBD Dauntless. Meanwhile, at 1:50pm Japanese submarine I-19 spots Wasp and moves into position and fired six torpedoes aimed at the aircraft carrier. At 2:44pm aboard Wasp, a lookout reported "three torpedoes... three points forward of the starboard beam", with two or three exploding on impact at 2:45pm, one hit above the waterline, all in the vicinity of the fuel tanks and magazines. The other three torpedoes missed, with one hitting USS O'Brien (DD-415) and one hit USS North Carolina (BB-55). Escorting destroyers dropped 80 depth charges by Japanese submarine I-19 escaped safely. Explosions erupted in the forward part of the carrier, causing aircraft to drop onto the flight deck and fall out of storage. Fires began in the hanger below deck and caused ammunition to explode and the 1.1" AA gun mount (No. 2) was blown overboard by the explosion. Water mains were inoperable and the fire and the carrier listed to 10° to 15° starboard and a fuel slick caught fire on the sea. The flames spread and caused additional explosions and all communication went dead. At 3:20pm Captain Sherman order the crew to abandon ship, the survivors exited the ship into life rafts. Aboard, 45 aircraft were lost with the carrier. In total, 193 dead and 366 wounded. After the crew abandoned ship, USS Lansdowne (DD-486) was ordered to scuttled damaged Wasp, firing two torpedoes that hit but failed to explode. After firing three more that hit and exploded, Wasp remained afloat until 9:00pm when sunk at roughly Lat 12° 24′ 58″ S, Long 164° 8′ 0″ E. As the carrier sunk, Japanese submarine I-15 observed and reported the sinking. Rescue Afterwards, 1,946 of her crew were rescued by USS Duncan (DD-485), USS Laffey (DD-459), USS Lansdowne (DD-486), USS Helena (CL-50) and USS Salt Lake City (CA-25). All but one of her carrier planes managed to land on USS Hornet (CV-8) and were later flown to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal to operated land based. Awards In total, Wasp received two battle stars for her World War II service. Shipwreck On January 14, 2019 RV Petrel funded by Paul G. Allen discovered the shipwreck of USS Wasp at a depth of 14,255' / 4,345m upright on the bottom with parts of the hull split from the torpedo damage or when it impacted the bottom. Petrel's Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) documented the shipwreck including anti-aircraft guns, the bridge and carrier planes including a F4F-4 Wildcat wreckage and TBF-1 Avenger wreckage plus the bow anchor in photographs and video footage released by RV Petrel on March 13, 2019. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Wasp VIII (CV-7) 1940–1942 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Guadalcanal - Eric Hammel Research Oral Histories Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - H-027-1: There Are No Headstones at Sea—The Search for Wasp and Hornet by Samuel J. Cox, March 2019 NavSource - USS Wasp CV-7 (photos) U.S. Naval Institute - McCampbell, David, Capt., USN (Ret.) oral history 1987 and transcript "from 1940 to 1942 was landing signal officer of the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7). He survived the Wasp's sinking in 1942 during the Guadalcanal campaign." YouTube "Wreckage of USS Wasp Located by R/V Petrel in the Coral Sea" by RV Petrel March 13, 2019 U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) "Wreckage Of World War II-Era Carrier USS Wasp Discovered" March 13, 2019 Contribute
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