The Evolution of Aircraft Carriers

In 1910, the great battleship with huge guns was the ultimate expression of naval power. Yet, already one rival had appeared with the emergence of submarines whose torpedoes could sink the largest of battleships. Soon, an even deadlier rival appeared. At first, the new flying machines didn’t seem to be much of a threat as they were in their infancy. Naval opinion varied from outright dismissal of them to ’wait and see’. Yet there were pioneers who understood that they would be essential to naval dominance. Within 50 yrs., their efforts had made the aircraft carrier into the new Queen of the seas. The Evolution of Aircraft Carriers is a compilation of official U.S. Navy documents, essays and photographs that takes the reader on a journey from Eugene Ely’s first flight from the USS Birmingham to the building of the first carrier from the keel up and continues on for over 50 years of world naval aircraft carrier and aviation history; ending just after completion of the USS Enterprise CVN-65.