Hornet B

Armor Model

Overview

USS Hornet, the third Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, was built in Newport News, Virginia. In 1942, the ship was transferred to the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft carrier took part in the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942. In June, the carrier fought at Midway, where its aircraft inflicted heavy damage on the carrier Hiryū and took part in the sinking of the cruiser Mikuma. In the Solomon Islands campaign in August, Hornet participated in the capture and defense of Guadalcanal. In the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on October 26, 1942, the ship inflicted damage on the Japanese carrier Shōkaku, but itself received several hits from torpedo bombers and dive bombers. Hornet's power plant was disabled, and it was decided to abandon the ship. American destroyers fired nine torpedoes and several hundred 127-mm shells into it, but the carrier stayed afloat. USS Hornet was finally finished off by Japanese destroyers on October 27, 1942.