March 20, 1922 – America’s First Aircraft Carrier

Yesterday was the 85 anniversary of the commissioning of America's first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley (CV-1). The flat-decked vessel was converted from the USS Jupiter (AC-3), the U.S. Navy's first electrically-propelled ship, and commissioned at Norfolk, Virginia under the command of Kenneth Whiting on March 20, 1922. Although the General Board of the Navy had approved the Jupiter's renovation in 1919, work at the Norfolk Navy Yard did not begin until March 1920. With labor and materials in short supply, crews dismembered the Jupiter's coal-handing gear and converted its coaling masts into trusses that could support a flight deck. The bridge and superstructure were left in place, but the installation of a 534' x 64' platform proved that the Navy's new "carrier" was meant for projecting air power instead of hauling coal.

With large hold spaces, high headroom and wide hatches, the USS Langley would eventually accommodate up to 55 biplane and monoplane aircraft. Workers at Norfolk installed an elevator for lifting aircraft components from the storage deck and assembly area to the flight deck. The construction of a palisade around the elevator provided a windbreak, protecting both seaplanes and sailors while aircraft were assembled. To hoist Aeromarine 39-B, Vought VE-7, and Douglas DT-2 warplanes, two cranes were installed on the hangar deck, one on either side of the ship. Portable cranes were also positioned beneath the flight deck and used to hoist planes from the hold, or to transfer them fore and aft. Below deck, the USS Langley offered ample space for repair shops and the storage of extra engines. Sleeping quarters were cramped, but the ship's complement of 468 officers and enlisted men was a relatively small crew.

Like the Jupiter, the USS Langley featured an electric propulsion system. Three 190-psi boilers drove two shafts which provided 7000 hp and moved the ship at 14 - 15 knots. With fire rooms located well aft, the Langley was equipped to remove gases without reducing visibility during aircraft takeoff or landing. Two interconnected smoke pipes discharged fumes from either side of the ship. Both outlets were directed downward to release smoke near the water or through salt-water spray. But the Langley was designed to release much more than smoke. Equipped with 51-caliber guns, America's first aircraft carrier featured an aviation catapult system that helped airplanes accelerate during takeoff. Fittingly, the warship was named after Samuel Pierpont Langley, an aviation pioneer whose own attempt to catapult a man into the air had ended in disaster, but predated the Wright Brothers' more famous flight. Although Langley had died in disgrace, the boat that bore his name would later help the United States develop tactics that were essential to the Allied victory in World War II.

Resources:

https://www.multied.com/navy/Langley.html

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/cv-1.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Langley_%28CV-1%29