USS Hornet (CV-8)

Hornet shortly after completion
History
United States
Name:	USS Hornet
Ordered:	30 March 1939
Builder:	Newport News Shipbuilding Company
Laid down:	25 September 1939
Launched:	14 December 1940
Sponsored by:	Annie Reid Knox
Commissioned:	20 October 1941
Struck:	13 January 1943
Honors and awards:	American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with (4 Battle Stars) World War II Victory Medal
Fate:	Sunk in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, 26 October 1942
Notes:	Last U.S. fleet carrier lost in action
General characteristics (As Built)
Class and type:	Yorktown-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:	20,000 long tons (20,000 t) (standard) 25,500 long tons (25,900 t) (full load) 29,114 long tons (29,581 t) (maximum)
Length:	770 ft (230 m) (waterline at design draft) 824 ft 9 in (251.38 m) (overall)
Beam:	83 ft 3 in (25.37 m) (waterline) 114 ft (35 m) (overall)
Draft:	24 ft 4 in (7.42 m) design 28 ft (8.5 m) full load
Installed power:	120,000 shp (89,000 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × Parsons geared steam turbines 9 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Speed:	32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h) (design) 33.84 kn (38.94 mph; 62.67 km/h) (builder's trials)
Range:	12,500 nmi (14,400 mi; 23,200 km) at 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement:	2,919 officers and enlisted (wartime)
Armament:	8 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual purpose guns 16(4x4) × 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal anti-aircraft guns 24 × M2 Browning .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
Armor:	Belt: 2.5–4 in (63.5–102 mm) Deck: 4 in (102 mm) 60 lb STS steel Bulkheads: 4 in (102 mm) Conning Tower: 4 in (100 mm) sides, 2 in (51 mm) top Steering Gear: 4 in (102 mm)
Aircraft carried:	72 × aircraft
Aviation facilities:	3 × elevators 3 × hydraulic catapults (2 flight deck, 1 hangar deck)
General characteristics (February 1942)
Class and type:	none
Length:	827 ft 5 in (252.20 m) overall
Armament:	8 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual purpose guns 16 (4x4) × 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal anti-aircraft guns 30 × 20-mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon
General characteristics (July 1942)
Class and type:	none
Armament:	4 additional 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 cal 2 additional 20 mm Oerlikon
Aviation facilities:	Hangar deck catapult removed

USS Hornet (CV-8), the seventh ship to carry the name Hornet, was a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. During World War II in the Pacific Theater, she launched the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and participated in the Battle of Midway and the Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid. In the Solomon Islands campaign she was involved in the capture and defense of Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands where she was irreparably damaged by enemy torpedo and dive bombers. Faced with an approaching Japanese surface force, "Hornet" was abandoned and later torpedoed and sunk by approaching Japanese destroyers. Hornet was in service for a year and six days and was the last US fleet carrier ever sunk by enemy fire. For these actions, she was awarded four service stars, a citation for the Doolittle Raid in 1995, and her Torpedo Squadron 8 received a Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism for the Battle of Midway.

Hornet had a length of 770 feet (235 m) at the waterline and 824 feet 9 inches (251.38 m) overall. She had a beam of 83 feet 3 inches (25.37 m) at the waterline, 114 feet (35 m) overall, with a draft of 24 feet 4 inches (7.42 m) as designed and 28 feet (8.5 m) at full load. She displaced 20,000 long tons (20,000 t) at standard load and 25,500 long tons (25,900 t) at full load. She was designed for a ship's crew consisting of 86 officers and 1280 men and an air complement consisting of 141 officers and 710 men.