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| USN Yorktown-class aircraft carrier 26,507 Tons (standard) 770' x 83' 3" x 24' 4" Armament as built 8 × 5 in/38 cal guns 4 × quad 1.1" 24 × .50 cal MG Aircraft: 90 Armament July 1942 8 × 5 in/38 cal guns 5 × quad 1.1" 32 × 20mm cannons   USAAF April 18, 1942    USN October 26, 1942 |
Ship History Built by Newport News Shipbuilding Company in Newport News, VA. Ordered March 30, 1939. Laid down September 25, 1939 as Yorktown-class aircraft carrier. Launched December 14, 1940 as USS Hornet (CV-8) as the seventh U.S. Navy vessel named Hornet sponsored by Annie Reid Knox. Commissioned October 20, 1941 into the U.S. Navy (USN) with Captain Marc A. Mitscher in command. Wartime History Hornet operates from Norfolk and conducts a shakedown cruise and training exercises. On February 2, 1942 departs Norfolk with two B-25B Mitchells on the deck to test launching U.S. Army bombers from the carrier. While at sea, successfully launched both bombers then Hornet returned to Norfolk. On March 4, 1942 departs Norfolk via the Panama Canal to join the Pacific Fleet. On March 20, 1942 arrives at NAS Alameda. On April 1, 1942 with Hornet's carrier planes stored in the hangar, the carrier loaded sixteen B-25B Mitchells onto the flight deck and embarks their crews including 70 officers and 64 enlisted men for the upcoming top secret "Doolittle Raid" led by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle. On April 2, 1942 departs NAS Alameda with escorts with top secret orders that were revealed after departure to steam westward and launch Army bombers on a bombing mission against Japan. On April 13, 1942 off Midway Atoll, joins USS Enterprise (CV-6) to provide air cover and Task Force 16 (TF-16) then continues westward towards Japan. Originally, the plan was to launch the bombers 460 miles off Japan. Doolittle Raid On April 18, 1942 in the morning, a Japanese picket boat spots and reports the U.S. Navy task force before it was sunk by carrier planes from USS Enterprise (CV-6). Another picket boat, No. 23 Nitto Maru transmits a garbled message before it was was sunk by gunfire from USS Nashville (CL-43). Detected, the bombers were launched 150 miles short of the launch point instead of the original launch point intended to be 460 miles off Japan but would launch another 200 miles to the east. At 8:20am sixteen B-25 Mitchells of the "Doolittle Raid" led by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle began took offs from USS Hornet with the last bomber departing at 9:19am on a bombing mission against Japan. (aircraft no. 1) B-25B 40-4344 pilot Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle (aircraft no. 2) B-25B 40-2292 pilot Lt. Travis Hoover (aircraft no. 3) B-25B "Whiskey Pete" 40-2270 pilot Lt. Robert Gray (aircraft no. 4) B-25B 40-2282 pilot Everett W. Holstrom (aircraft no. 5) B-25B 40-2283 pilot David M. Jones (aircraft no. 6) B-25B "Green Hornet" 40-2298 pilot Dean E. Hallmark (aircraft no. 7) B-25B "Ruptured Duck" 40-2261 pilot Lt. Ted W. Lawson (aircraft no. 8) B-25B 40-2242 pilot Captain Edwin J. York (aircraft no. 9) B-25B 40-2250 pilot Lt. Richard O. Joyce (aircraft no. 10) B-25B 40-2303 pilot Lt. Harold F. Watson (aircraft no. 11) B-25B 40-2250 pilot Lt. Richard O. Joyce (aircraft no. 12) B-25B "Hari Carrier" 40-2249 pilot Captain Chas. R. Greening (aircraft no. 13) B-25B 40-2278 pilot Wm. M. Bower (aircraft no. 14) B-25B 40-2247 pilot Lt. Edgar E. McElroy (aircraft no. 15) B-25B "TNT" 40-2297 pilot Major John A. Hilger (aircraft no. 16) B-25B "The Bat" 40-2267 pilot Lt. Donald G. Smith Afterwards, Hornet moved her carrier planes from the hangar on deck and the task force turned eastward at full speed and a week later arrived at Pearl Harbor. On April 30, 1942 departs to aid USS Yorktown and USS Lexington ahead of the Battle of the Coral Sea, but will not arrive in time to participate. On May 4, 1942 crossed the equator and joins USS Enterprise (CV-6) for a feint towards Nauru Island and Ocean Island (Banaba) then returned to Pearl Harbor arriving May 26, 1942. On May 28, 1942 departs Pearl Harbor with Task Force 16 (TF-16) and steam westward towards Point "Luck" a spot designated by the U.S. Navy 325 miles northeast of Midway Atoll. Battle of Midway On June 4, 1942 at the start of the Battle of Midway launched her planes to strike the Japanese aircraft carriers. Hornet's SBD Dauntless dive bombers escorted by F4F Wildcats flew an incorrect heading and did not find the Japanese fleet. Returning, several bombers and all Wildcats ran low on fuel and ditched at sea. Meanwhile, TBD Devastators from Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) without fighter escort found the Japanese fleet but were intercepted by defending Zeros and targeted by anti-aircraft fire and were all shot down with pilot Ensign George H. Gay rescued after 30 hours at sea when rescued by PBY Catalina. On June 5, 1942 Hornet planes launched late after recovering scout planes from Yorktown and attacked Japanese battleships and warships but failed to score any hits. On June 6, 1942 Hornet planes attacked the fleeing Japanese fleet and participated in the sinking of heavy cruiser Mikuma and damages a destroyer. Afterwards, Hornet steamed eastward back to Pearl Harbor and for the next six weeks was prepared for action with minor repairs and alterations including adding more anti-aircraft guns and CXAM air search radar. On June 16, 1942 placed under the command of Captain Charles P. Mason. On August 17, 1942 departs Pearl Harbor to guard the sea approaches to the Solomon Islands and provide air cover. Hornet was the only undamaged aircraft carrier after damage was sustained by USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Saratoga and USS Wasp was sunk. On October 5, 1942 her carrier planes strike Buin-Faisi-Tonolai. On October 24, 1942 joins USS Enterprise (CV-6) northwest of New Hebrides (Vanuatu) and with escorting warships sortied to the northwest to intercept a large Japanese force including aircraft carriers, battleships and cruisers with destroyers off the Solomon Islands. Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands On October 26, 1942 during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (Battle of the South Pacific) aircraft from Hornet and USS Enterprise (CV-6) severely damaged Shōkaku and Chikuma plus attacks on two other cruisers. Meanwhile, Hornet was attacked by a coordinated dive bombing and aerial torpedo attack by D3A Vals from Zuikaku and B5N Kates from Shokaku. Over fifteen minutes the carrier sustained three bomb hits from D3A Val dive bombers, then another bomb hit, followed by the same Val deliberately crashing into the island and killed seven aboard with the burning wreckage hitting the flight deck. Meanwhile B5N Kates from Shokaku made torpedo attacks with two scoring hits that damaged the electrical systems and engines. As the carrier slowed to a halt as another damaged D3A Val deliberately crashed into the port side near the bow. Damaged, the Hornet planes already airborne were forced to land aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6) or ditch at sea. Rear Admiral George Murray ordered USS Northampton CA-26 to two the damaged carrier while Japanese planes were attacking USS Enterprise (CV-6). Later in the day while being towed at a speed of 5 knots, Hornet was attacked by nine B5N Kates with eight shot down but one scored a torpedo hit that knocked out the electric system and caused a 14° list. With Japanese warships approaching, Vice Admiral William Halsey ordered the damaged carrier be scuttled. Captain Charles P. Mason ordered abandon ship and was the last man to leave. A total of 140 crew were killed in the battle. Rescue The rest of the crew were quickly rescued by escorting destroyers. Sinking History Abandoned but still afloat, destroyers USS Mustin (DD-413) and USS Anderson (DD-411) attempted to scuttle the damaged aircraft carrier with nine torpedoes including many that failed to explode on impact then fired over four hundred 5" shells at the carrier. The pair of destroyers withdrew with the Hornet still afloat as Japanese warships approached. Sinking History On October 27, 1942 in the early morning, Japanese destroyers Makigumo and Akigumo approached and fired four 24" torpedoes at her blazing hull. At 1:35am Hornet finally sank, the last U.S. Navy fleet carrier lost in a combat action. Officially, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on January 13, 1943. Awards Hornet CV-8 earned four battle stars for her World War II service: Battle of Midway, Buin-Faisi-Tonolai Raid, Guadalcanal and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Memorials Afterwards, the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Kearsarge under construction was renamed USS Hornet CV-12 in her honor as the eighth ship in the USN with the name Hornet. Shipwreck During late January 2019, RV Petrel funded by Paul G. Allen searched for the shipwreck of USS Hornet. The team used information from nine other U.S. warships that saw the carrier before she sank to narrow the location. During the first dive, one of their ROVs located the shipwreck. The shipwreck of USS Hornet is upright on the sea floor at a depth of 17,716' / 5,400m. A section of the stern and her signal bridge broke off and rest on the sea floor nearby. The ROV recorded video of the deck, 5" gun, 1.1" anti-aircraft guns, hatch, International Harvester tug used to tow aircraft and a carrier plane with the wings folded with the U.S. star markings visible and white "14" visible. The discovery was confirmed by the U.S. Navy and first reported on February 12, 2019 by Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Inc. References NavSource - USS Hornet CV-8 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Battle of Midway USS Hornet (CV-8) Action Report June 13, 1942 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) H-027-1: There Are No Headstones at Sea—The Search for Wasp and Hornet by Samuel J. Cox, March 2019 RV Petrel - Discoveries - USS Hornet (CV-8) (photos) depth listed as 5,400m / 17,716' PR Newswire "Final Resting Place of USS Hornet CV-8 Located in the South Pacific" February 12, 2019 USNI News "WWII Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet Discovered in Solomon Islands" February 13, 2019 YouTube - RV Petrel Wreckage of USS Hornet Located by R/V Petrel in the South Pacific Ocean February 19, 2019 Contribute
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 Photo Archive  17,716' 5,400m |
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