USS Langley (CV-1)

USS Langley (CV-1/AV-3) was the United States Navy's first aircraft carrier, converted in 1920 from the collier USS Jupiter (Navy Fleet Collier No. 3), and also the US Navy's first turbo-electric-powered ship. Conversion of another collier was planned but canceled when the Washington Naval Treaty required the cancellation of the partially built Lexington-class battlecruisers Lexington and Saratoga, freeing up their hulls for conversion to the aircraft carriers Lexington and Saratoga. Langley was named after Samuel Langley, an American aviation pioneer. Following another conversion to a seaplane tender, Langley fought in World War II. On 27 February 1942, while ferrying a cargo of USAAF P-40s to Java, she was attacked by nine twin-engine Japanese bombers[4] of the Japanese 21st and 23rd naval air flotillas[2] and so badly damaged that she had to be scuttled by her escorts. She was also the only carrier of her class.

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USS Langley underway, 1927
History
United States
Name	Jupiter (1912–1920) Langley (1920–1942)
Namesake	Jupiter Samuel Pierpont Langley
Builder	Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Laid down	18 October 1911
Launched	24 August 1912
Commissioned	7 April 1913
Decommissioned	24 March 1920
Recommissioned	20 March 1922
Decommissioned	25 October 1936
Recommissioned	21 April 1937
Renamed	Langley, 21 April 1920
Reclassified	Fleet carrier, 7 July 1920 Seaplane tender, 21 April 1937
Stricken	8 May 1942
Identification	Hull symbol: Navy Fleet Collier No. 3 Hull symbol: CV-1 Hull symbol: AV-3
Nickname(s)	"Covered Wagon"
Honors and awards	As Jupiter: Mexican Service Medal World War I Victory Medal ("Transport" clasp) As Langley: American Defense Service Medal ("Fleet" clasp) Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal
Fate	Scuttled after Japanese air attack off Java coast, 27 February 1942; 8°51′S 109°2′E
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Class overview
Preceded by	N/A
Succeeded by	Lexington class
Planned	2[1]
Completed	1
General characteristics
Class and type	Proteus-class collier Langley-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	19,360 long tons (19,670 t) (as Jupiter) 12,700 long tons (12,900 t) (standard, as Langley)[2] 13,900 long tons (14,100 t) (full load, as Langley)[2]
Length	542 ft (165.2 m)[2]
Beam	65 ft 5 in (19.9 m)[2]
Draft	27 ft 8 in (8.4 m) (as Jupiter) 24 ft (7.3 m) (as Langley)[2]
Installed power	3 × boilers 7,200 shp (5,400 kW)[2]
Propulsion	2 × shafts turbo-electric transmission
Speed	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)[2]
Complement	163 officers and men (as Jupiter) 468 officers and men (as Langley)
Armament	4 × 4 in (102 mm)/50 cal guns (as Jupiter) 4 × 5 in (127 mm)/51 cal guns (as Langley) 4 × 5 in (127 mm)/51 cal guns, 4 x 3-inch AA at corners of flight deck, 4 x .50-cal machine guns (as sunk)[3]
Aircraft carried	None (as Jupiter) 36 (as Langley)[2]
Aviation facilities	1 × elevator 1 × catapult