The USS Wasp (CV-7) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier commissioned in 1940, notable for being a reduced-size version of the Yorktown-class hull, built to utilize remaining treaty tonnage allowances. Displacing approximately 15,000 long tons, Wasp was constructed with minimal armor, modest speed, and lacked protection against torpedoes—design features that made her more vulnerable during combat. Her propulsion machinery was low-powered, delivering around 75,000 shaft horsepower, significantly less than contemporary carriers, and her design included the first deck-edge elevator, a distinctive feature for aircraft handling. Constructed at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, her keel was laid on 1 April 1936, and she was launched on 4 April 1939. She was commissioned on 25 April 1940 under Captain John W. Reeves, Jr. After fitting out and initial trials in Boston and Hampton Roads, Wasp conducted shakedown cruises, carrier qualification tests, and training operations along the U.S. East Coast, including flight operations with Marine and Army aircraft. Her early service included Atlantic patrols, convoy escort, and ferrying aircraft to Iceland in support of the occupation there in 1941. In 1942, she participated in operations supporting Malta, ferrying Spitfire fighters and engaging in convoy patrols. Transferred to the Pacific in June 1942, Wasp supported the Guadalcanal invasion and other Solomon Islands campaigns, flying combat missions against Japanese targets. Wasp's combat service ended tragically on 15 September 1942, when she was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-19. Multiple torpedoes struck her amidships, igniting fires and explosions that rapidly overwhelmed damage control efforts. Unable to contain the fires, she was abandoned and scuttled by USS Lansdowne later that evening. The attack resulted in 193 deaths and 366 injuries, with 46 aircraft lost. Her wreck was discovered in 2019, resting upright in over 14,000 feet of water, with parts of her hull fractured. The USS Wasp's brief but active service highlights her significance as an early war carrier and exemplifies the vulnerabilities inherent in her design.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.