Pinned post for Q&A :)

Side note, in '43 there was a serious proposal from Admiral King to have Ranger upgraded by adding blisters and new machinery. However, Bureau of Ships put together an excellent demonstration of how Ranger would tie up space, time, and money that would cost one new Essex and presented it to him in a logical briefing. The normally thorny King was very impressed with the demonstration. He reversed his decision. That said Ranger was a star on the Junior Varsity team in the Atlantic. She gave good service and did a lot to wreck Germany's steel industry post 1943. Sinking iron ore freighters helps strangle the production of Tiger and Panther tanks.

I like how her funnels look like one of those custom hot rods with their exhaust jutting out the engine

I don't know where you found the photo at 4:08, but it's absolutely amazing. Three American carriers, all brand new and untested technology, pulling into San Francisco Bay beneath an unfinished Golden Gate Bridge. That's a lot of change to capture in just one photo.

One of former VFW members served on the Ranger in WW2 Before being transferred to the USS Enterprise as a mess officer- he was wounded in a suicidal attack on the ship in 1945. He said he loved the Ranger as it was his first ship with a bunch of friends aboard. He died in 2019 at 100.

My dad night qualified on the USS Ranger during the summer of 1944 flying an F6F(N) radar equippped Hellcat fighter. He subsequently became a member of Night Torpedo Squadron 90 aboard the USS Enterprise flying the radar equipped TBM Avenger. He left on a war cruise on December 24, 1944. Night Torpedo Squadron 90 was the US Navy's very first squadron to fly night and instrument flying weather low level attack missions from an aircraft carrier.

For a not-quite-there-yet design she was a very good-looking ship, nice clean lines and oddly modern-looking.

If escort carriers were known as "baby flattops", would that make Ranger a "toddler flattop"?

USS Ranger seems like construction pieces you keep around in the attic, your basement or in the garage. You don't really know what to do with it, it takes space, but perhaps you're going to need it one day. And miraculously, one day, you DO need it. ^^

honourable service by the little guy - well done Ranger CV4

A unique, good looking ship that was wisely kept away from serious opposition.

For being the very first "keel up" carrier, they got a lot more right than they did wrong. Her limitations were created by conscious decisions made when her physical size was decided. One suspects that if she didn't exist, USS Enterprise would have been withdrawn from combat (July-August 1944?) to perform those roles. Meaning that an Essex would have taken on the role of "night carrier" for the fleet.

The USS Texas made it to drydock. Although she was being towed, it was a sight to behold seeing her cut through the waves.

Thanks for posting this. I had always thought of the Ranger as a waste. I also wondered why it was not used as a super escort carrier during WWII. Now I know that it was too busy doing other more useful tasks.

I always thought Ranger looked like a flying carrier with those things at the back She’s also one of the best looking carriers in my opinion, simple, elegant, and effective without clutter, Especially as shown in the thumbnail, Her tower looks a bit odd and uneven, but it’s unique and interesting, and clean, so I can give it a pass

I do find these early carriers to be very interesting. It's fascinating - and a little odd - that Ranger initally didn't carry torpedo aircraft. I imagine this was a doctrine based decision, but it's odd given how things panned out for carrier operations. I suppose it shows how unclear and contested the future was as these things were being worked out.

My newest Hobby is model battleships, and your channel is great with information that just makes it more awesome.

Not for the first time the American congress was convinced that what the navy needed were smaller and cheaper ships. For the Navy's part, Ranger proved that only a well rounded design comprising lots of space for lots of planes, lots of storage space for fuel and ammo, lots of speed, and sufficient armor to protect against aerial bombs and torpedoes would do. While the Yorktown class were good, they had weaknesses that were only corrected after Pearl Harbor with the Essex class.

Ranger was the Rodney Dangerfield/Jan Brady/redheaded step-child of carriers. No respect. Hell, Wolverine and Sable usually get more attention than Ranger.

Ah, USS RNG, the sometimes greatest aircraft carrier with the most interesting flight deck.

I was just, 2 days ago, desperately looking for a USS Ranger guide. Drach reads minds!!!! What color am I thinking?? Yep. It was unicorn pink 🦄. Seriously, I was looking for this 2 days ago. Love the Drach!!!!

The bridge is truly beautiful

Great video on my name sake. I was on the Ranger that was commissioned in 57'. Awesome to see pictures of the one that came before. You should do a video on the lineage of the name Ranger. It started in the revolution until today. I believe the newest Ranger is a unmanned vessel today.

It’s also worth noting that USS Ranger was the first carrier to be built by Newport News Shipbuilding, which ended up becoming the primary builder of US Aircraft Carriers from that point onward. The reason why this was the case came down to a couple of factors: 1. They were directly tied with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which linked it directly with the industrial regions around the Great Lakes. Having the transportation system required to get goods from the industrial heartland towards their shipyards enabled them to get the resources required to produce the ships. 2. These same railway connections also made it easy for them to access Detroit and the automotive industries in Michigan, which would assist in producing aircraft for Northrup Grumman. 3. It’s right across the Roads from Norfolk Naval Yard, one of the US Navy’s largest naval dockyards in the country.

There is such an emphasis on the carriers in the Pacific, that I keep forgetting their use in the Atlantic. Thank you for reminding me of their valuable contribution to the European theater.

Better than the Langley, Not as good as the Lexingtons. Took every job and did it to the best of its abilities. Can't ask for much more.

Enjoyed the photo of the task force entering San Francisco Bay sailing under a still under construction Golden Gate Bridge.

6:37. Adding onto that Drach. She was working with Saratoga as part of Carrier Division 11. One of the Air Groups trained aboard her was Night Air Group 90. Which of course was later embarked onto Enterprise.

Seems like a simple but efficient design, especially considering they were going by theory and by the expectation of losing the carrier if the enemy ever managed to engage it directly. And that carrying capacity really helps with the issue of getting fighters ferried over to Britain.

still remembered the double proc of her Assault carrier skill & quick takeoff. Once in a lifetime achievement.

The story of the "unknown" aircraft carrier of the United States. Thank you. I always wanted to know ever since I did a report in high school... in 1987.

My grandpa served on Ranger CV4 as part of her Marine detachment. A couple years ago, I built Trumpeter's 1/350 scale model of her. The included paint chart depicts her in her 1944 dazzle scheme, but I've researched other schemes she wore throughout her career. Pre-war, she was simply painted straight haze gray. Early war, she wore Measure 12 Mod, but was soon repainted in Measure 22 (Sea Blue up to the hangar deck, Haze Gray above), before being repainted yet again in the dazzle scheme. In my first build, I didn't bother putting the PE parts on either.

Thank you Drach! My Dad was in the Army air corps and sailed on one of the ferry missions to N. Africa. His job was to convert the shipload of P-40's for service in the desert. He removed high -altitude oxygen equipment and added various screens and filters to the planes. He would have loved this video.

I have had the ‘Distinction’ of attending reunions of crews from USS RANGER CV-4 and USS RANGER CV-61. Amazingly, the CV-4 guys were MUCH CRAZIER! Both had the reputation of being the happiest CVs in their days.

I served 4 years on USS Ranger CV-61. The bow pennant from CV-4 was kept in a glass case in a small compartment on the hangar deck.

Ranger was the 1 of the 3 pre-war carriers to survive the war

Thanks for this clarification. I always was under the impression that Ranger wasn't used in the Pacific mainly due to her low top speed - even though some Japanese carriers were just as slow, or even slower.

The uss ranger has always been my favorite carrier. I love it’s funnel setup and see it as a big escort carrier.

Thank you, Drachinifel.

No SKF universal shaft couplings on that bad boy.

Wow! I have ALWAYS wondered about this desperately needed but apparently even less badly armored than Wasp CV!

Truly it is said, _"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference between theory and practice."_ It says a lot about _Ranger_ that even in the winter of 1942-43 the Navy refused to send her to the Pacific. Still, kudos to the Navy theorists who figured out very early that the first priority for an "aircraft carrier" was to carry the largest number of aircraft it was practical to operate - even if their first draft was a bit optimistic as to just how little ship they could get away with for the size of air group they wanted. The _Sangamon_ class were the largest and most capable of the CVEs until the very late-war _Commencement Bay_ class, being converted from fleet oilers. While significantly shorter than _Ranger,_ at full load they actually displaced quite a bit more - and notably, the _Sangamons_ operated F6Fs and F4Us (rather than the FM2 Wildcats most CVEs flew) once the Navy had enough of those types for all the fast carriers.

I didn't know much about my grandfather's military service until I personally dug and placed the memorial plaque on his grave and got the story behind the old lamp I had. He was an AA gunner on the Ranger and the lamp was made out of a spent 127 shell😅

My airwing was assigned to the subsequent "USS Ranger" (CV-61) in the early 1980s. Thanks for the insight into her predecessor.

Thanks for making a video on the USS Ranger - it seems to forever been overshadowed by its larger brethren's operations in the Pacific Theater, though I have a better appreciation of why it was a smaller hull due to Treaty restrictions I was not previously aware of.

I could binge listen your videos all day

Ranger had a much more interesting life than I expected. The way Drach always talks about her i thought she never saw any combat and was using for training and testing all her life.

Yeah. There was a lot of stuff they did with _Ranger_ that the stopped doing with _Ranger_ . _Wasp_ was another smaller carrier. They had a bit of Treaty Tonnage left over after the _Yorktown's_ and they made a smaller _Yorktown_ out of it. The didn't want to send it to the Pacific because it was to lightly built - but with other carrier losses - they did - and it was lost too. .

Lovely, my favourite US aircraft carrier! Thank you Drachinifel ❤

Great overview, especially with all the photos!

What's interesting is that the USN eventually decided that the Ranger and Wasp were too small to operate torpedo bombers and the their air group changed from the standard one squadron of fighters (VF) with F4F's, one squadron of scouts (VS) with SBD's, one squadron of bombers (VB) with SBD's (the scout and bomber squadrons trained identically and were, in practice, interchangeable) and one squadron of torpedo bombers (VT) with TBD's or TBF's to one consisting of two fighter, one scout and one and one bombenee r squadron. Every carrier also had an Air Group headquarters flight with one each of the type used by each squadron embarked, so the Ranger carried 2 F$F's and 2 SBD's in that. And selected carriers were designated as flagships and carried a flag flight, normally a SBD and a biplane amphibian J2F to attend conferences ashore. Both these aircraft were painted, a special glossy deep "Flag Officer Blue".

On the topic of carriers, can you do a video on the history and uses of "battlecarriers", or aviation battleships? The Ises, Tone, Kearsage etc.

I just read an interesting article on Ranger this week then the 5 minute guide comes out. Talk about timing!

Thanks, its nice seeing attention aid to an often overlooked ship. It would be ineresting hearing you talk on the Wasp and how it compared to the Ranger, seeing how both appeared to be very similar in size and function yet with the Wasp having been built after the Ranger. Thanks!

Yay my favorite carrier, thanks and nice work Drach!

Excellent information as usual. Thanks!

While overshadowed by bigger cv's I think the lighter carriers were useful supports to a lot of operations. The current Royal Navy could do with a pair of cheap, fast carriers for similar reasons.

good vid, love to see hms enterprise one day

very cool pic of the four early CVs all together👍

Thanks for this. I always thought of Ranger as "The Forgotten Carrier". Now for Episode 300, might I suggest another carrier -- USS Valley Forge CV-45. The first jet sortie flew off her desks in Korea, and in 1970 became the setting for the movie "Silent Running" as the Space Freighter Valley Forge.

Still hoping for a review of the USS Mississippi (BB-23) and USS Idaho (BB-24).

That tiny island looks strangely like one of the USN supercarriers!

Thanks for taking us along to the Bristol weekend. What a blast.

Yay more Drach!

I greatly enjoy your channel. May I suggest that you produce some content on WW2 British Rescue Tugs. For starters you could look at the career of the Lady Brassey, in particular her exploits in the channel in 1944.

Nice looking ship

Excellent video.

BTW, USS Texas (BB35) entered dry dock on 8/31, finally...so YES!

🎶Go Go US Ranger🎶

Love these ⚓

Great video

Another informative and interesting video. Would you ever consider doing a series of videos on ship names such as all the U.S. Navy ships named Ranger with a very brief history on each or all the HMS Queen Elizabeth's or Ark Royals, that sort of thing? Could be interesting.

Brilliant video thank u 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Funny thing is that before Ranger attacked the German shipping off of Norway, German newspapers celebrated a U-boat skipper awarded for allegedly sinking her. Ranger’s skipper even posed for a picture with a German article claiming his ship’s demise.

Thank you.

I would like to see a video on USS Ranger CVA/CV -61. I t s sortie rate and tonnage dropped in Viet Nam and Gulf War was why she was the "Top Gun of the Pacific Fleet".

Aw always, great stuff!

France! You missed the opportunity to get a decent used carrier from the Americans! 😄

Literally was looking for uss ranger yesterday

Awesome thanks 👍

uss chicago cg11 was a great war ship, we decommed her in 80, i believe shes razor blades now

I had been wondering about the Ranger lately

I really enjoy your videos. I would like to see a video about the ship I was on, USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30) (1955-84), if it is in the scope of what you cover.

It was very useful and had a fairly long life.

Hey Drach. How about doing videos on the battleships USS Mississippi and Idaho. Great video on the Ranger. A carrier than often gets overlooked.

It's too bad we didnt keep her as a museum ship instead of one of the multiple Essex we have, if nothing else for some variety.

What no ads??? Wonderful!

Ranger had some great benefits. She was excellent, she was a “tour de force” if you will into the light fleet concept (though the USN didn’t know it at the time), she was not only an experimental phase in carrier development but also served as an example of what not to do going forward. But for combat capabilities, the USN would’ve been better served by somehow finagling a third Lexington into the WNT.

The Ranger was necessary to learn what was needed to build the Yorktown and Essex classes.

A suggestion I've been meaning to make for a while now, and given the topic of today's video it seems fitting, so how about doing one on the training carriers USS Wolverine and USS Sable? I think there a plenty of people who have no idea that those two ships existed and would appreciate a video on them, although I don't think there's that much information readily available on them. It would keep the video short, at least.

Off to the 'Breakers' with you ! Arrrrrrrrgh!

Man you should come sail with us onboard the USAAF P-520.

I absolutely love the picture at 4:20, The Lexingtons with Ranger and the half-finished Golden Gate Bridge With Alcatraz in the background. Where do you get all of these?

An old member from church served on the ranger. Hank Jones he passed away years ago.

The Ranger also participated in Operation Bodo against german merchant shipping

Would have been nice to preserve her as a museum piece as the first purpose built carrier, along with CV-6 the most decorated ship of the war, Enterprise!

There's a "Hold my Beer" joke regarding the Ranger's funnels vs Japanese carrier funnels but I can't think of it.

Drac, I know there was a USS Kansas but I have seen very little actual information about her. How about an episode on the USS Kansas?

My father served on the Ranger before the war.

It looks like ranger taught the US a valuable lesson on the problems of trying to squeeze too much into a small hull. Looking at how the aircraft were deck parked on outriggers i shudder to think how many would have been lost in a Pacific or Atlantic storm.