USS Franklin
Survived
| Type | Aircraft carrier |
|---|---|
| Class | Essex |
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 12 × 5″ guns |
Her aircraft attacked Musashi and Ozawa's carriers at Leyte Gulf. Hit by two bombs off Japan on 19 March 1945, with her aircraft fuelled and armed on deck; 807 men were killed, but her crew saved her and she steamed home to New York. Never served again.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- 12 × 5 in (127 mm) DP guns
- 32 × 40 mm (1.6 in) AA guns
- 46 × 20 mm (0.8 in) AA guns
Armour
- Waterline belt: 2.5–4 in (64–102 mm)
- Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm)
- Hangar deck: 2.5 in (64 mm)
- Bulkheads: 4 in (102 mm)
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 7 December 1942 |
| Launched | 14 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 31 January 1944 |
| Displacement | 27,100 long tons (27,500 t) (standard) 36,380 long tons (36,960 t) (full load) |
| Length | 820 feet (249.9 m) (wl) 872 feet (265.8 m) (o/a) |
| Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Complement | 2,600 officers and enlisted men |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
14 October 1943
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea
Survived
24 October 1944
Battle off Cape Engaño
Survived
25–26 October 1944