Prominent American Ships Lost During WWII

By Chris Lange Published Dec 21, 12:23PM EST

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Prominent American Ships Lost During WWII — © Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

The Second World War saw the United States begin to emerge as the foremost naval power in the world. During this conflict, they built around 5,500 war vessels, which included mass-produced crafts known as Liberty Ships, the largest class of ships in the world at this time. They faced significant challenges and were up against formidable foes on land and sea. While American battleships, carriers, cruisers, and destroyers played a pivotal role in overcoming the Axis powers, many vessels faced tragic fates, succumbing to enemy forces and sinking into the ocean’s depths. This article looks into prominent American ships lost during World War II.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed Allied War Losses compiled by Uboat.net, an online database of ships sunk during the two World Wars to identify the major American ships sunk during World War II. Only the largest U.S. Navy ships – battleships, heavy cruisers, anti-aircraft cruisers, and aircraft carriers – that were sunk in WWII are included, ordered by when they were sunk. Supplemental information about the type and class of these ships, where they were sunk, and when they were originally launched from, also came from Uboat.net.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, (now known as Pearl Harbor Day) was a day marked in infamy as one of the most catastrophic naval assaults in U.S. history. This surprise offensive led to the sinking of several American battleships, including the USS Arizona (BB-39) and the USS Oklahoma (BB-37). (Also see, the most mass-produced U.S. naval ships in WWII.)

The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was another significant battleship lost. This cruiser of the Portland class was en route to Guam after a covert mission delivering atomic bomb components to Tinian Island. Struck by torpedoes from Japanese submarine I-58, the USS Indianapolis sank in the Philippine Sea within 12 minutes. Out of its crew of 1,196, only 316 survived, with many perishing due to injuries, dehydration, and shark attacks. (A battle with Japan during WWII was the largest in U.S. naval history.)

All the ships listed here met their fate in the Pacific Theater, with the timeline stretching from the outset at Pearl Harbor to the final incidents in the Philippine Sea. Notably, some ships were considerably older than others. While a handful had been launched before World War I, others had just entered service a year before WWII’s end.

These sunken vessels stand as poignant reminders of one of the most monumental naval conflicts in history.

Here are prominent American ships lost during WWII.

USS Arizona (BB-39)

Date sunk: December 7, 1941
Type: Battleship
Class: Pennsylvania
Battle location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Launch date: June 19, 1915

USS Oklahoma (BB-37)

USS Oklahoma BB-37 in Panama C... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Harley Flowers

Date sunk: December 7, 1941
Type: Battleship
Class: Nevada
Battle location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Launch date: March 23, 1914

USS Utah (AG-16)

Date sunk: December 7, 1941
Type: Battleship
Class: Florida
Battle location: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Launch date: December 23, 1909

USS Houston (CA-30)

USS Houston 1934 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Harley Flowers

Date sunk: March 1, 1942
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: Northampton
Battle location: Soenda Straight, Indonesia
Launch date:

USS Lexington (CV-2)

Date sunk: May 8, 1942
Type: Aircraft Carrier
Class: Lexington
Battle location: Battle of Coral Sea
Launch date: October 3, 1925

USS Yorktown (CV-5)

Date sunk: June 7, 1942
Type: Aircraft carrier
Class: Yorktown
Battle location: Battle of Midway
Launch date: April 4, 1936

USS Astoria (CA-34)

Date sunk: August 9, 1942
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: New Orleans
Battle location: Battle of Savo Island
Launch date: December 16, 1933

USS Quincy (CA-39)

Date sunk: August 9, 1942
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: New Orleans
Battle location: Battle of Savo Island
Launch date: June 19, 1935

USS Vincennes (CA-44)

Date sunk: August 9, 1942
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: New Orleans
Battle location: Battle of Savo Island
Launch date: May 21, 1936

USS Wasp (CV-7)

Date sunk: September 15, 1942
Type: Aircraft Carrier
Class: Wasp
Battle location: Battle of Guadalcanal
Launch date: April 4, 1939

USS Hornet (CV-8)

Date sunk: October 27, 1942
Type: Aircraft carrier
Class: Yorktown
Battle location: Battle of Santa Cruz
Launch date: December 14, 1940

USS Atlanta (CL-51)

Date sunk: November 13, 1942
Type: Anti-aircraft cruiser
Class: Atlanta
Battle location: Battle of Guadalcanal
Launch date: September 6, 1941

USS Juneau (CL-52)

Date sunk: November 13, 1942
Type: Anti-aircraft cruiser
Class: Atlanta
Battle location: Battle of Guadalcanal
Launch date: October 25, 1941

USS Northampton (CA-26)

Date sunk: December 1, 1942
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: Northampton
Battle location: Battle of Tassafaronga
Launch date: September 5, 1929

USS Chicago (CA-29)

Date sunk: January 30, 1943
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: Northampton
Battle location: Battle of Rennel Island
Launch date: April 10, 1930

USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56)

Date sunk: November 24, 1943
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Casablanca
Battle location: Makin Island
Launch date: April 19, 1943

USS Block Island (CVE-21)

Date sunk: May 29, 1944
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Bogue
Battle location: Canary Islands
Launch date: June 6, 1942

USS Princeton (CVL-23)

Date sunk: October 24, 1944
Type: Light fleet carrier
Class: Independence
Battle location: Battle of Leyte Gulf
Launch date: December 6, 1942

USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73)

Date sunk: October 24, 1944
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Casablanca
Battle location: Battle of Leyte Gulf
Launch date: November 22, 1943

USS Midway / St. Lo (CVE-63)

Date sunk: October 25, 1944
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Casablanca
Battle location: Battle of Leyte Gulf
Launch date: August 17, 1943

USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79)

Date sunk: January 4, 1945
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Casablanca
Battle location: Sulu Sea
Launch date: December 29, 1943

USS Bismark Sea (CVE-95)

Date sunk: February 21, 1945
Type: Escort carrier
Class: Casablanca
Battle location: Iwo Jima
Launch date: April 17, 1944

USS Indianapolis (CA-35)

Date sunk: July 30, 1945
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: Portland
Battle location: Philippine Sea
Launch date: November 7, 1931

About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.