CV-4 U.S.S. RANGER

Version: 19-05-08 (D-M-Y) - 20 pics

She was laid down 26 September 1931 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia, launched 25 February 1933, sponsored by Lou Henry Hoover (wife of the President of the United States), and commissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard 4 June 1934, Captain Arthur L. Bristol in command.

RANGER Air Group 1933 - AG 5

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1934

RANGER Air Group: AG 3

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"Striking Eagles"/
"Diving Eagles"

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RANGER Air Group 1938-39: AG 4

Ranger cruised along the eastern seaboard out of Norfolk and into the Caribbean Sea.

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'Top Hatters'

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'Striking Eagles'

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RANGER Air Group 1939-1941: AG 41

Engagement: Neutrality-Patrol in the Atlantic

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'Red Rippers'

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RANGER Air Group 1942 - AG 41

Engagement: Battle of Tulagi (Solomons), Battle of Coral Sea

Ranger served as flagship of Rear Admiral A. B. Cook, Commander, Carriers, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, until 6 April 1942,
when he was relieved by Rear Adm. Ernest D. McWhorter, who also broke his flag in Ranger.

Steaming to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Ranger loaded 68 Army P-40 planes and men of the Army's 33rd Pursuit Squadron, put to sea 22 April, and launched the Army squadron 10 May to land at Accra, on the Gold Coast of Africa.
She returned to Quonset Point 28 May 1942, made a patrol to Argentia, then stood out of Newport 1 July with another 72 Army P-40s, which she launched off the coast of Africa for Accra the 19th.
Both groups of P-40s were enroute to relieve the Flying Tigers in China.

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RANGER Air Group 1942 - AG 41

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RANGER Air Group 1942 - AG 41

Engagement: Operation Torch - Landings in North-Western Africa

It was still dark at 0615 that day, when Ranger, stationed 30 miles northwest of Casablanca, began launching her aircraft to support the landings made at three points on the Atlantic coast of North Africa (Operation Torch). Nine of her F4F Wildcats attacked the Rabat and Rabat-Sale airdromes, headquarters of the French air forces in Morocco. Without loss to themselves, they destroyed seven planes on one field, and 14 bombers on the other. Another flight destroyed seven planes on the Port Lyautey field. Some of Ranger's planes strafed four French destroyers in Casablanca harbor while others strafed and bombed nearby batteries.

Next to the RANGER operated the CVE-27 USS SUWANNEE with AG 42. The Aircraft often operated together

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But 16 planes from Ranger were lost or damaged beyond repair.

It was estimated that 21 light enemy tanks were immobilized and some 86 military vehicles destroyed - most of them troop-carrying trucks.

Casablanca capitulated to the American forces 11 November 1942 and Ranger departed the Moroccan coast 12 November,
returning to Norfolk, on the 23rd.

1943, January: Measure 22

RANGER Air Group 1943

Engagement: ?

Ranger departed Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet 2 October to attack German shipping in Norwegian waters (Operation Leader).
The objective of the force was the Norwegian port of Bodø.
The task force reached launch position off Vestfjord before dawn 4 October completely undetected.
At 0618, Ranger launched 20 SBD Dauntless dive bombers and an escort of eight Wildcat fighters.
One division of dive bombers attacked the 8,000-ton freighter LaPlata, while the rest continued north to attack a small German convoy.
They severely damaged a 10,000-ton tanker and a smaller troop transport.
They also sank two of four small German merchantmen in the Bodö roadstead.

A second Ranger attack group of 10 TBF Avengers and six Wildcats destroyed a German freighter and a small coaster and bombed yet another troop-laden transport. Three Ranger planes were lost to antiaircraft fire. On the afternoon of 4 October, Ranger was finally located by three German aircraft, but her combat air patrol shot down two of the enemy planes and chased off the third.

Ranger returned to Scapa Flow 6 October 1943.
She patrolled with the British Second Battle Squadron in waters reaching to Iceland,
and then departed Hvalfjord on 26 November, arriving Boston 4 December.

1944, March: Measure 32-1A

RANGER Air Group 1944

Engagement: ?

On 3 January 1944, she became a training carrier out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
This duty was interrupted 20 April when she arrived at Staten Island, New York,
to load 76 P-38 Lightning fighter planes together with Army, Navy, and French Naval personnel for transport to Casablanca.
Sailing 24 April, she arrived Casablanca 4 May.
There she onloaded Army aircraft destined for stateside repairs and embarked military passengers for the return to New York.

Prior to her returning to the States, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest J. King looked very seriously at having Ranger lengthened and given new engines during her overhaul. As Ranger was designed in the late 1920s, she was smaller and slower than the rest of the US carrier fleet and could not carry as many aircraft. In addition her ammunition storage capability was far smaller than the other carriers, and she was not as well armored as the others, which would have been a serious problem had she been needed in the Pacific. King favored having the conversion done, but his staff pointed out that the resources needed to accomplish it would delay the completion and repair of newer, larger and more capable carriers. King therefore dropped the project.

Touching at New York 16 May, Ranger then entered the Norfolk Navy Yard to have her flight deck strengthened and for installation of a new type catapult, radar, and associated gear that provided her with a capacity for night fighter interceptor training.
On 11 July 1944 she departed Norfolk transited the Panama Canal 5 days later, and embarked several hundred Army passengers at Balboa for transportation to San Diego, arriving there 25 July.

After embarking the men and aircraft of Night Fighting Squadron 102 and nearly a thousand marines, she sailed for Hawaiian waters 28 July, reaching Pearl Harbor 3 August.

During the next 3 months she conducted night carrier training operations out of Pearl Harbor.

Ranger departed Pearl Harbor 18 October to train pilots for combat duty. Operating out of San Diego under Commander, Fleet Air, Alameda, she continued training air groups and squadrons along the California coast throughout the remainder of the war.
Ranger was the only carrier in existence prior to the start of the war which never engaged the Japanese in battle.

Final operations
Departing San Diego 30 September 1945, she embarked civilian and military passengers at Balboa and then steamed for New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving 18 October. Following Navy Day celebrations there, she sailed 30 October for brief operations at Pensacola, Florida.
After calling at Norfolk, she entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 18 November for overhaul.

She remained on the eastern seaboard until decommissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard 18 October 1946.
Struck from the Naval Vessel Register 29 October 1946,
she was sold for scrap to Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, 28 January 1947.