The American light carrier APNS Independence (CVL-22) in San Francisco Bay on July 15th, 1943.
The Independence-class were a class of light aircraft carriers built for the American People's Navy during World War II. They are based on the Cleveland-class light cruisers. The Independence-class started construction in early 1938 alongside the first dozen People's Republic-class aircraft carriers. After the war, three of them were sold to the People's Republic of China and Korea.
Specifications[]
- Type: Light Aircraft Carrier
- Service Period: 1942-1989
- Characteristics:
- Length: 625 feet (190.5 meters)
- Beam (Waterline): 71 feet 6 inches (21.8 meters)
- Beam (Fleet Deck): 109 feet 2.4 inches (33.28 meters)
- Draught: 20 feet 10.5 inches (6.36 meters)
- Draft: 26 feet (7.93 meters)
- Displacement: 10,662 tons standard; 14,751 tons loaded
- Crew: 1,570 officers and enlisted
- Propulsion: 4 x boilers, 4 x geared steam turbines, 4 x shafts, 100,000 shp
- Range: 13,000 nautical miles (24,076 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/h)
- Speed: 31.6 knots (58.52 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- CXAM-1 Radar
- Armament:
- 26 x Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft guns (4x4, 4x2)
- 20 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft cannons (10x2)
- Aircraft Carried: 44 aircraft
- 24 x Bethpage AF F-6/43 Protector
- 10 x Bethpage AF TB-5/41
- 10 x Long Beach AF SBD-1/40
Unit Run[]
- APNS Independence (CVL-22)
- APNS Princeton (CVL-23)
- APNS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) - sold to PRC, renamed PLANS Liaoning
- APNS Cowpens (CVL-25)
- APNS Monterey (CVL-26)
- APNS Langley (CVL-27) - sold to Korea, renamed KPNS Yi Sun-sin
- APNS Cabot (CVL-28) - sold to PRC, renamed PLANS Chairman Mao
- APNS Gettysburg (CVL-29)
- APNS San Jacinto (CVL-30)