America's WWII Warships: Lexington-Class Carriers Showed U.S. Naval Resilience Despite Heavy Combat Losses

24/7 Wall St. Insights

We used data from the World War II Database, an online collection of data regarding the people, events, equipment, and ships of WWII.
Iowa-class battleships would go on to participate in every conflict from WWII to the first Gulf War in 1991.
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To find which American warships were the most powerful in WWII, 24/7 Wall St. referenced the World War II Database, an online collection of data regarding the people, events, equipment, and ships of WWII. We then identified the American ships that were the most heavily armed during the war, ranking aircraft carriers above other classes according to their capacity for aircraft. Other vessel classes were ranked based on their largest caliber gun. Our list is comprised of aircraft carriers, cruisers, and battleships. In addition to using data from the World War II Database, we referenced third-party military and historical sources to find the production runs for each class.

One notable member of the list is the Iowa-class battleships, which were some of the most heavily armed ships on the seas. Iowa-class battleships would go on to participate in WWII and Korea. A famous Iowa-class ship, the USS Iowa, also called the “World’s Greatest Naval Ship,” was commissioned in 1943 and continued to operate for the next 50 years.

The Lexington-class aircraft carriers consisted of two ships, USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3), originally designed as battlecruisers before being converted into carriers in the 1920s. USS Lexington was lost during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, while USS Saratoga continued in service throughout the war, surviving multiple torpedo strikes and participating in major Pacific operations. After the war, Saratoga was declared obsolete in the jet age and was deliberately sunk during the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946.

This post was updated on August 31, 2025 to clarify which wars Iowa-class participated in, adjust main armaments of select ships, and remove the Indiana-class (which was no longer in service during WWII).

Why Are We Covering This?

Texas military | Aircraft carrier USS Lexington docked in Corpus Christi

World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, transformed the United States and spurred the rapid expansion of a powerful navy. That wartime buildup laid the foundation for American naval dominance, a strength that continues to shape the nation’s role in global affairs today. With this legacy in mind, 24/7 Wall St. examined the ships that played a pivotal role in establishing the U.S. Navy as the world’s most formidable maritime force.

Here are the American ships most heavily armed in WWII.

29. Atlanta-class light cruiser

Main armament: 16 x 5 in/.38-cal dual-purpose guns
Number built: 8
First-year launched: 1941
Crew: 673

28. Cleveland-class light cruiser

Main armament: 12 × 6-inch/47 caliber Mark 16 guns
Aircraft capacity: 4 (tied)
Number built: 29
First-year launched: 1941
Crew: 1,255

27. Brooklyn-class light cruiser

Main armament: 15 × 6 in/47 caliber guns (5 triple turrets)
Aircraft capacity: 4 (tied)
Number built: 9
First-year launched: 1937
Crew: 868

26. Omaha-class light cruiser

Main armament: 12 × 6 in/53 caliber guns (4 triple + 8 single)
Number built: 10
First-year launched: 1921
Crew: 458

25. St. Louis-class light cruiser

Main armament: 15 × 6 in/47 caliber guns (5 triple turrets)
Number built: 2
First-year launched: 1938
Crew: 888

24. New Orleans-class heavy cruiser

Main armament: 9 × 8 in/55 caliber guns (3 triple turrets)
Aircraft capacity: 4 (tied)
Number built: 7
First-year launched: 1933
Crew: 899

23. Baltimore-class heavy cruiser

Main armament: 9 × 8 in/55 caliber guns (3 triple turrets)
Aircraft capacity: 4 (tied)
Number built: 14
First-year launched: 1942
Crew: 1,700

22. Pensacola-class heavy cruiser

Main armament: 10 × 8 in/55 caliber guns (2 twin turrets forward, 2 triple turrets aft)
Number built: 2
First-year launched: 1929
Crew: 653