List of sunken aircraft carriers


With the advent of heavier-than-air flight, the aircraft carrier has become a decisive weapon at sea. In 1911 aircraft began to be successfully launched and landed on ships with the successful flight of a Curtiss Pusher aboard. The British Royal Navy pioneered the first aircraft carrier as floatplanes, as flying boats under performed compared to traditional land based aircraft. The first true aircraft carrier was, launched in late 1917 with a complement of 20 aircraft and a flight deck long and wide. The last aircraft carrier sunk in wartime was the, in Kure Harbour in July 1945. The greatest loss of life was the 2,046 killed on —a converted passenger liner with a small flight deck, carrying the Imperial Japanese Army's 64th Infantry Regiment.

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

United Kingdom

United States

Footnotes