Essex just after launch, July 31st, 1942 at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Right after commissioning, Dec. 31st. 1942.

Essex at the builders just before leaving for Norfolk Navy Yard to be fitted out. Notice she hasn't had her SK and SC air search radar and Mk 4 fire control radar's added yet. Dec. 31st, 1942. National Archives.

Essex leaving Newport News for Norfolk Navy yard, Dec. 31st. 1942.

Uncropped version of photo NS020940, above.

Official U.S. Navy photograph of USS Essex (CV-9). Aerial, broad side on port bow view taken at Hampton Roads, Va., and dated 1 February 1943. Photo from the U.S. Naval Photographic Center, U.S. Naval Station Anacostia, Washington, D.C. (serial number USN 36007).

USS Essex (CV-9) at Hampton Roads, Norfolk, VA, 3 February 1943, just one month after commissioning. US Navy photo.

Scene on the flight deck, looking aft from the carrier's island during her shakedown cruise, 20 March 1943. Planes parked on deck are F6F-3 fighters (in foreground, with wings folded) and SBD-4 scout bombers.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-K-698).

Underway at 1615 hrs. during May 1943, in position 37 05'N, 74 15'E, as photographed from a blimp from squadron ZP-14. Among the aircraft parked on her flight deck are 24 SBD scout bombers (parked aft), about 11 F6F fighters (parked in after part of the midships area) and about 18 TBF/TBM torpedo planes (parked amidships).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-68097).

Essex in San Francisco for a refit, April 15th, 1944. At this time, she had her dazzle paint (Measure 32, Design 6/10D) applied. Photo shows her loading new SB2C-3's.

Four more images of USS Essex (CV-9) after her San Francisco refit, April 15, 1944. Modifications are circled. Note that Essex had a single quad 40-mm gun mount on the fantail, left of centerline.

Fresh from her San Francisco refit, USS Essex (CV-9) is seen ferrying aircraft in the Pacific, May 1944. Note the bridge had been modified by removing the island's forward 40-mm quad gun mount and extending the flag bridge.

Model of USS Essex (CV-9) painted in Measure 32, Design 6/10D camouflage, as she appeared during most of 1944.

Model of USS Essex (CV-9), as she appeared during World War 2, on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida. Photos taken on 13 June 2008.

This SB2C Helldiver of VB-15 had its rudder practically torn off over Marcus Island, 19 May 1944, but Lt(jg) James Wanner Barnitz was able to bring it back aboard Essex. Gunner was ARM3c Herbert N. Stienkmeyer, USNR.

Good shot of VB-15 and VT-15 aircraft on the Essex, turning into the wind, May 27th, 1944 just before the Marianas campaign. The light carrier is San Jacinto (CVL-30) and the Essex-class carrier is Wasp, (CV-18).

Lt(jg) Cliff Jordan and his gunner, ARM2c Stan Whitby, from VB-15, return from a mission in support of the invasion of Saipan with damage to the right elevator and stabilizer, 19 June 1944. They shot down a Japanese Kate torpedo bomber with their SB2C-3 Helldiver in the process!

Lt(jg) William S. Rising (right) and his radioman/gunner, ARM2c John W. Montgomery, of VB-15, were shot down over Manila Bay on 6 November 1944. They spent almost seven weeks crawling through rice paddies and avoiding Japanese forces on Luzon and Mindoro with the help of friendly Filipinos until finally picked up by PT boats on 23 December.

TBM-1C from VT-15 aboard Essex having wounded removed, October 1944.

CDR David McCampbell, Commander, Air Group 15, in his F6F-5 Hellcat, "Minsi III". This photo must have been taken after October 24, 1944. On that day, CDR McCampbell shot down nine Japanese aircraft, to raise his total to 30. He became the Navy's top "Ace," with 34 confirmed air victories (plus 20 aircraft destroyed on the ground).

A Japanese kamikaze hits USS Essex (CV-9) on November 25, 1944 during naval operations under Admiral Halsey in support of US landings on Leyte. (See also NS020911.)

Japanese Kamikaze aircraft explodes after crashing into the carrier's flight deck amidships, during operations off the Philippines, 25 November 1944. Photographed from USS Langley (CVL-27).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-273032).

(See also NS020911a.)

Ship's newspaper logo, circa 1944-1945.

(Poor quality) photo of a VT-83 TBM heading for a water landing after having most of its tail shot away, early-mid 1945. Tough bird!

Underway, March 1945. By this time she had been repainted into Measure 21 camouflage.

USS Essex (CV-9) underway in the Pacific, date unknown (possibly 1945.) She is camouflaged in Measure 21.

A VB-83 SB2C-4 from Essex, March 1945.

VB-83's SB2C-4's Helldivers during the Okinawa Invasion, April 1st, 1945.

Corsairs from VBF-83 flying from the Essex in March of 1945. Essex had the first F4U-1D/FG-1D's deployed on a fleet carrier. Note that the ship's fighter squadron, VF-83, was equipped with F6F Hellcats.

A Corsair just about to plow through a wave breaking over the bow with full flaps, full up elevators and full right rudder.

USS Essex (CV-9) receiving provisions via highline from USS Mercury (AK-42) on 27 April 1945, while operating off Okinawa. Essex crewmen in the foreground are stacking bags of flour. Note man on Mercury's forward hatch, directing the hoisting of another load from her hold.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-373777).

Underway at sea during the Okinawa Campaign, 20 May 1945. Note that her air group contains both F4U and F6F fighters.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-373816).

Men of USS Essex posed in front of the ship's scoreboard, mid-1945.

"Essex-class aircraft carrier." (From a Russian publication).

This drawing shows the appearance of a "short hull" Essex late in the war, with two lattice radio masts, island structure modified with an extended flag bridge and one quad 40-mm gun mount removed, and up to 18 quad Bofors gun mounts (16 visible here plus one or two on the bow, hidden by the flight deck). Essex herself, however, carried her original five lattice radio masts through the entire war and had no more than eleven 40-mm mounts: one on the bow and one on the stern, one on each 5" sponson, two on the (never fitted) hangar deck catapult's port side extension, three on the island and two on the starboard quarter.