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{{short description|Aircraft carrier of the US Navy}}
{{Other ships|USS Wasp}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Wasp (CV-7).jpg
|Ship caption=''Wasp'' entering [[Hampton Roads]]
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Wasp'' class
|Operators={{navy|United States|1912}}
|Class before={{sclass|Yorktown|aircraft carrier|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|4}}
|Built range=1936–1940
|In commission range=1940–1942
|Total ships planned=1
|Total ships completed=1
|Total ships lost=1
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1942}}
|Ship country=United States
|Ship name= ''Wasp''
|Ship namesake=[[Wasp]]
|Ship owner=
|Ship ordered=19 September 1935
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Fore River Shipyard]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1 April 1936
|Ship launched=4 April 1939
|Ship sponsor= Mrs. Charles Edison<ref name=DANFS>{{cite web |first=Robert J. |last=Cressman |date= 20 April 2018 |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wasp-viii.html |title= Wasp VIII (CV-7) 1940–1942  |access-date=11 May 2013 |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships }}</ref>
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=25 April 1940
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship struck=15 September 1942
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=[[American Defense Service Medal]] ([["A" device]]) / [[American Campaign Medal]]/[[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]] (1 star) / [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] (1 star) / [[World War II Victory Medal]]
|Ship fate=Scuttled after attack by the Japanese submarine [[Japanese submarine I-19|''I-19'']], 15 September 1942<ref>Evans, ''Japanese Navy'', pp. 179–180; Hammel, ''Carrier Strike'', pp. 24–41.</ref>{{efn |The battleship {{USS|North Carolina|BB-55|2}} and destroyer {{USS|O'Brien|DD-415|2}} were also hit by torpedoes during the same attack. ''O'Brien'' later sank as a result of the torpedo damage, and ''North Carolina'' was under repair at Pearl Harbor until 16 November 1942.}}
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship type=[[Aircraft carrier]]
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|14700|LT|t|lk=on}} (standard)
*{{convert|19116|LT|t}} ([[full load]])
|Ship length=*{{convert|688|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[Waterline length|waterline]])
*{{convert|741|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on|1}} ([[Length overall|overall]])
*{{convert|727|ft|abbr=on}} ([[flight deck]])
|Ship beam=*{{convert|80|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on|1}} (waterline)
*{{convert|109|ft|m|abbr=on|1}} (overall)
|Ship draft={{convert|20|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}
|Ship power=*{{convert|70000|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}}
*6 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=*2 × shafts; 2 × [[steam turbine]]s
|Ship speed={{convert|29.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|12000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship capacity=
|Ship complement=*1,800 officers and men (peacetime)
*2,167 (wartime)
|Ship sensors=[[CXAM radar|CXAM-1 radar]]<ref name="RADAR">{{cite journal|author=((Macintyre, Donald, Capt. RN (Ret.))) |title=Shipborne Radar |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute]] |journal=[[Proceedings (magazine)|Proceedings]] |date=September 1967 |volume=93 |issue=9/775 }}</ref>
|Ship armament=*8 × [[5-inch/38-caliber gun|{{cvt|5|in|mm|0}} gun]]s
*16 × [[1.1-inch/75-caliber gun|{{cvt|1.1|in|mm}}]] [[AA gun]]s
*24 × [[M2 Browning|{{cvt|0.50|in|mm|1}}]] [[machine gun]]s
|Ship armor=*{{cvt|1.5|in|mm}} [[conning tower]]
*{{cvt|3.5|in|mm}} side and {{cvt|1.25|in|mm|0}} deck over steering gear
|Ship aircraft=Up to 100
|Ship aircraft facilities=*3 × elevators
*4 × hydraulic catapults (2 flight deck, 2 hangar deck)
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Wasp'' (CV-7)''' was a [[United States Navy]] [[aircraft carrier]] commissioned in 1940 and lost in action in 1942. She was the eighth ship named {{USS|Wasp}}, and the sole ship of a class built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the U.S. for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time. As a reduced-size version of the {{sclass|Yorktown|aircraft carrier|1}} hull, ''Wasp'' was more vulnerable than other United States aircraft carriers available at the opening of hostilities. ''Wasp'' was initially employed in the Atlantic campaign, where Axis naval forces were perceived as less capable of inflicting decisive damage. After supporting the [[Invasion of Iceland#United States occupation|occupation of Iceland]] in 1941, ''Wasp'' joined the [[British Home Fleet]] in April 1942 and twice ferried British fighter aircraft to [[Malta]].

''Wasp'' was then transferred to the Pacific in June 1942 to replace losses at the battles of [[Battle of the Coral Sea|Coral Sea]] and [[Battle of Midway|Midway]]. After supporting the [[invasion of Guadalcanal]], ''Wasp'' was hit by three torpedoes from Japanese [[submarine]]  {{Ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}} on 15 September 1942. The resulting damage set off several explosions, destroyed her water-mains and knocked out the ship's power. As a result, her [[Damage control (maritime)|damage-control]] teams were unable to contain the ensuing fires that blazed out of control. She was abandoned and [[scuttling|scuttled]] by torpedoes fired from {{USS|Lansdowne|DD-486|6}} later that evening. Her wreck was found in early 2019.

==Design==
''Wasp'' was a product of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]]. After the construction of the carriers {{USS|Yorktown|CV-5|2}} and {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}}, the U.S. was still permitted {{convert|15000|LT|t|abbr=on}} to build a carrier.
[[File:USS Wasp (CV-7) deck edge elevator with SB2U 1940.jpg|thumb|left|''Wasp'' was the first carrier fitted with a deck-edge elevator.]]

The Navy sought to squeeze a large air group onto a ship with nearly 25% less displacement than the ''Yorktown''-class. To save weight and space, ''Wasp'' was constructed with low-power propulsion machinery (compare ''Wasp''{{'}}s {{convert|75000|shp|kW|lk=on|abbr=on}} machinery with ''Yorktown''{{'}}s {{convert|120000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}, the {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|0}}'s {{convert|150000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}, and the {{sclass|Independence|aircraft carrier|0}}'s {{convert|100000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}).

Additionally, ''Wasp'' was launched with almost no armor, modest speed, and more significantly, no protection from torpedoes. Absence of side protection of the boilers and internal aviation fuel stores "doomed her to a blazing demise". These were inherent design flaws that were recognized when constructed, but could not be remedied within the allowed tonnage.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/usnshtp/cv/cv5-7cl.htm |title=Ranger, Yorktown & Wasp class aircraft carriers, (CV 4–8). (Fiscal Years 1930, 1934, 1936 & 1939) |author=Naval History and Heritage Command |work=Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ship Types – Fleet Aircraft Carriers |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=17 May 2013}}</ref> These flaws, combined with a relative lack of damage control experience in the early days of the war, proved fatal.<ref name="Whodunnit?">{{cite journal |last=Blee |first=((Ben W., CAPT USN)) |title=Whodunnit? |publisher=United States Naval Institute |journal=Proceedings |date=July 1982 |volume=108 |issue=7/953 }}</ref>

''Wasp'' was the first carrier fitted with a deck-edge elevator for aircraft. The elevator consisted of a platform for the front wheels of the plane and an outrigger for the tail wheel. The two arms on the sides moved the platform in a half-circle up and down between the flight deck and the hangar deck.

==Construction and commissioning==
Her keel was laid down on 1 April 1936 at the [[Fore River Shipyard]] in [[Quincy, Massachusetts]]; [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 4 April 1939, sponsored by Carolyn Edison (wife of Assistant [[Secretary of the Navy]] [[Charles Edison]]), and [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 25 April 1940 at the [[South Boston Army Base|Army Quartermaster Base]], [[South Boston, Massachusetts]], with [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[John W. Reeves, Jr.]] in command.

==Service history==

''Wasp'' remained at [[Boston]] through May, fitting out, before she got underway on 5 June 1940 for calibration tests on her [[radio direction finder]] gear. After further fitting out while anchored in Boston harbor, the new aircraft carrier steamed independently to [[Hampton Roads]], Virginia, anchoring there on 24 June. Four days later, she sailed for the [[Caribbean]] in company with the [[destroyer]] {{USS|Morris|DD-417|2}}.

''En route'', she conducted the first of many carrier qualification tests. Among the earliest of the qualifiers was [[Lieutenant, junior grade]] [[David McCampbell]], who later became the Navy's top-scoring [[Flying ace|ace]] in [[World War II]]. ''Wasp'' arrived at [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base]] in time to "dress ship" in honor of [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]].

During shakedown on 9 July, one of her [[Vought SB2U Vindicator|Vought SB2U-2 Vindicator]] dive bombers crashed {{convert|2|nmi|mi km|lk=on}} from the ship killing the two crew.

''Wasp'' returned to Hampton Roads 15 July and embarked planes from the [[1st Marine Air Group]] and took them to sea for qualification trials. for a week before the Marines and their planes were disembarked at Norfolk, and the carrier moved to Boston for post shakedown repairs.

She fired a [[21-gun salute]] in honor of  President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], whose yacht, {{USS|Potomac|AG-25|2}}, stopped briefly at the [[Boston Navy Yard]] on 10 August.

''Wasp'' departed the Army Quartermaster Base on 21 August to conduct steering drills and full-power trials. Late the following morning, she got underway for Norfolk, Virginia. For the next few days, while destroyer {{USS|Ellis|DD-154|2}} operated as plane guard, ''Wasp'' launched and recovered her aircraft: fighters from [[VF-72|Fighter Squadron 7]] (VF-7), and scout bombers from [[VS-72|Scouting Squadron 72]] (VS-72). The carrier put into the [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] on 28 August for repair work on her [[Steam turbine|turbine]]s  and ''Wasp'' was [[drydock]]ed from 12 to 18 September.

''Wasp'' ran her final [[sea trial]]s in Hampton Roads on 26 September 1940. Assigned to [[Carrier Strike Group Three|Carrier Division 3]], Patrol Force, ''Wasp'' shifted to [[Naval Station Norfolk|Naval Operating Base, Norfolk]] on 11 October. There, she loaded 24 [[Curtiss P-40]] fighters from the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps']] [[8th Operations Group|8th Pursuit Group]] and nine [[North American O-47]]A [[Aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance aircraft]] from the [[2d Observation Squadron]], as well as her own spares and utility unit [[Grumman J2F Duck]] [[Amphibious aircraft|amphibian]] on the 12th. ''Wasp'' subsequently flew off the Army planes in a test designed to compare the take-off runs of standard Navy and Army aircraft. This was the first time that Army planes had flown from a Navy carrier and foreshadowed the use of the ship in the ferry role in World War II.

[[File:P-40Bs aboard USS Wasp 28879473296 d67cfc6991 z.jpg|thumb|P-40Bs aboard ''Wasp'' in October 1940]]

''Wasp'' then proceeded on toward [[Cuba]] in company with the destroyers {{USS|Plunkett|DD-431|2}} and {{USS|Niblack|DD-424|2}}. Over the ensuing four days, the carrier's planes flew routine training flights, including [[dive bomber|dive-bombing]] and machine-gun practices.<ref name=DANFS/>

For the remainder of October and into November, ''Wasp'' trained in the Guantánamo Bay area. Her planes flew carrier qualification and refresher training flights, while her gunners sharpened up their skills in short-range battle practices at targets towed by the new [[fleet tug]] {{USS|Seminole|AT-65|2}}.

[[File:USS Wasp (CV-7) on 27 December 1940 (520814).jpg|thumb|''Wasp'' on 27 December 1940]]

''Wasp'' sailed for Norfolk and arrived shortly after noon on 26 November. remaining at the Norfolk Navy Yard through Christmas of 1940. Then, after first conducting [[degaussing]] experiments with the survey ship {{USS|Hannibal|AG-1|2}}, she steamed independently to Cuba.

Arriving at Guantánamo Bay on 27 January 1941, ''Wasp'' conducted a regular routine of flight operations into February. With destroyer {{USS|Walke|DD-416|2}} as her plane guard, ''Wasp'' operated out of Guantanamo and [[Culebra, Puerto Rico|Culebra]], conducting her maneuvers with an array of warships— the WWI-era battleship ''Texas'', carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|2}}, [[heavy cruiser]]s {{USS|Tuscaloosa|CA-37|2}}, {{USS|Wichita|CA-45|2}}, and destroyers. ''Wasp'' ran gunnery drills and exercises, as well as routine flight training evolutions into March. Underway for Hampton Roads on 4 March, the aircraft carrier conducted a night battle practice into the early morning hours of the 5th.

During the passage to Norfolk, heavy weather sprang up on the evening of 7 March. ''Wasp'' was steaming at standard speed, {{convert|17|kn|mph km/h|lk=on}}. Off [[Cape Hatteras]], a lookout spotted a red flare at 22:45, then a second set of flares at 22:59. At 23:29, with the aid of her searchlights, ''Wasp'' located the stranger in trouble. She was the lumber [[schooner]] ''George E. Klinck'', bound from [[Jacksonville, Florida]], to [[Southwest Harbor, Maine]].

The sea, in the meantime, worsened from a [[sea state|state 5]] to a state 7. ''Wasp'' lay to, maneuvering alongside at 00:07 on 8 March. At that time, four men from the schooner clambered up a swaying [[Jacob's ladder (nautical)|Jacob's ladder]] buffeted by gusts of wind. Then, despite the raging tempest, ''Wasp'' lowered a boat, at 00:16, and brought the remaining four men aboard from the foundering {{convert|152|ft|m|abbr=on}} schooner.<ref name=DANFS />

Later that day, ''Wasp'' disembarked her rescued mariners and immediately went into drydock at the Norfolk Navy Yard. The ship received vital repairs to her turbines. Portholes on the third deck were welded over to provide better watertight integrity, and steel splinter shielding around her {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}} and {{convert|1.1|in|mm|abbr=on}} batteries was added. ''Wasp'' was one of 14 ships to receive the early RCA [[CXAM radar|CXAM-1 radar]].<ref name="RADAR"/> After those repairs and alterations were finished, ''Wasp'' got underway for the [[Virgin Islands]] on 22 March, arriving at [[Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]] three days later. She soon shifted to Guantánamo Bay and loaded maritime supplies for transportation to Norfolk.<ref name=DANFS/>

Returning to Norfolk on 30 March, ''Wasp'' conducted routine flight operations out of Hampton Roads over the ensuing days, into April. In company with {{USS|Sampson|DD-394|2}}, the carrier conducted an abortive search for a downed patrol plane in her vicinity on 8 April. For the remainder of the month, ''Wasp'' operated off the [[East Coast of the United States]] between [[Newport, Rhode Island]], and Norfolk, conducting extensive flight and patrol operations with her embarked air group. She shifted to [[Bermuda]] in mid-May, anchoring at Grassy Bay, Bermuda on the 12th. Eight days later, the ship got underway in company with the heavy cruiser {{USS|Quincy|CA-39|2}} and the destroyers {{USS|Livermore|DD-429|2}} and {{USS|Kearny|DD-432|2}} for exercises at sea before returning to Grassy Bay on 3 June. ''Wasp'' sailed for Norfolk three days later with the destroyer {{USS|Edison|DD-439|2}} as her anti-submarine screen.

After a brief stay in the Tidewater area, ''Wasp'' headed back toward Bermuda on 20 June. ''Wasp'' and her escorts patrolled the stretch of the Atlantic between Bermuda and Hampton Roads until 5 July, as the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]]'s [[Neutrality Patrol|neutrality patrol]] zones were extended eastward. Reaching Grassy Bay on that day, she remained in port a week before returning to Norfolk, sailing on 12 July in company with heavy cruiser ''Tuscaloosa'' and destroyers {{USS|Grayson|DD-435|2}}, {{USS|Anderson|DD-411|2}}, and {{USS|Rowan|DD-405|2}}.

===Occupation of Iceland===

Following her return to Norfolk on 13 July 1941, ''Wasp'' and her embarked air group conducted refresher training off the [[Virginia Capes]]. Meanwhile, the situation in the Atlantic had taken on a new complexion, with American participation in the [[Battle of the Atlantic]] only a matter of time, when the United States took another step toward involvement on the side of the British. To protect American security and to free British forces needed elsewhere, the United States made plans to take over the [[Invasion of Iceland#United States occupation|occupation of Iceland]] relieving Canadian forces there. On 23-24 July, 32 Army Air Forces pilots and 30 [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|P-40]]Cs and three [[Boeing Stearman|PT-17]] trainers from the AAF [[33rd Pursuit Squadron]], were taken aboard. Four newspaper correspondents – including the noted journalist [[Fletcher Pratt]] — came on board.

The carrier had drawn the assignment of ferrying those vital army planes to Iceland because of a lack of British aircraft to cover the American landings. The American P-40s would provide the defensive fighter cover necessary to watch over the initial American occupying forces. ''Wasp'' slipped out to sea on 28 July, with the destroyers {{USS|O'Brien|DD-415|2}} and ''Walke'' as plane guards. The heavy cruiser {{USS|Vincennes|CA-44|2}} later joined the formation at sea.

Within a few days, ''Wasp''{{'}}s group joined the larger [[Task Force 16]]—consisting of the battleship {{USS|Mississippi|BB-41|2}}, the heavy cruisers ''Quincy'' and ''Wichita'', five destroyers, the auxiliary {{USS|Semmes|DD-189|2}}, the [[attack transport]] {{USS|American Legion|APA-17|2}}, the [[Combat stores ship|stores ship]] {{USS|Mizar|AF-12|2}}, and the [[amphibious cargo ship]] {{USS|Almaack|AKA-10|2}}. Those ships, too, were bound for Iceland with the first occupation troops embarked. On the morning of 6 August, ''Wasp'', ''Vincennes'', ''Walke'', and ''O'Brien'' parted company from Task Force 16 (TF 16). Soon thereafter, the carrier turned into the wind and commenced launching the planes from the 33rd Pursuit Squadron. As the P-40s and the trio of trainers droned on to Iceland, ''Wasp'' headed home for Norfolk, her three escorts in company. After another week at sea, the group arrived back at Norfolk on 14 August.

===Neutrality patrols===

''Wasp'' put to sea again on 22 August for carrier qualifications and refresher landings off the Virginia capes. Two days later, Rear Admiral [[H. Kent Hewitt]], Commander Cruisers, Atlantic Fleet, shifted his flag from the [[light cruiser]] {{USS|Savannah|CL-42|2}} to ''Wasp'' while the ships lay anchored in Hampton Roads. Underway on the 25th, in company with ''Savannah'' and the destroyers {{USS|Monssen|DD-436|2}} and ''Kearny'', the aircraft carrier conducted flight operations over the ensuing days. Scuttlebutt on board the carrier had her steaming out in search of the [[Kriegsmarine|German]] heavy cruiser {{Ship|German cruiser|Admiral Hipper||2}}, which was reportedly roaming the western Atlantic in search of prey. Suspicions were confirmed for many on the 30th when the British battleship {{HMS|Rodney|29|6}} was sighted some {{convert|20|nmi}} away, on the same course as the Americans.

In any event, if they had been in search of a German raider, they did not make contact with her. ''Wasp'' and her escorts anchored in the [[Gulf of Paria]], [[Trinidad]], on 2 September, where Admiral Hewitt shifted his flag back to ''Savannah''. The carrier remained in port until 6 September, when she again put to sea on patrol "to enforce the neutrality of the United States in the Atlantic".

While at sea, the ship received the news of a German [[U-boat]] unsuccessfully attempting to attack the destroyer {{USS|Greer|DD-145|2}}. The U.S. had been getting more and more involved in the war; American warships were now convoying British merchantmen halfway across the Atlantic to the "mid-ocean meeting point" (MOMP).

''Wasp''{{'}}s crew looked forward to returning to Bermuda on 18 September, but the new situation in the Atlantic meant a change in plans. Shifted to the colder climes of [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]], the carrier arrived at [[Placentia Bay]] on 22 September and fueled from the oiler {{USS|Salinas|AO-19|2}} the following day. The respite in port was a brief one, however, as the ship got underway again, late on 23 September for Iceland. In company with ''Wichita'', four destroyers, and the repair ship {{USS|Vulcan|AR-5|2}}, ''Wasp'' arrived at [[Hvalfjörður]], Iceland, on 28 September. Two days earlier, Admiral [[Harold R. Stark]], the [[Chief of Naval Operations]] had ordered American warships to do their utmost to destroy whatever German or Italian warships they found.

With the accelerated activity entailed in the US Navy's conducting [[convoy]] escort missions, ''Wasp'' put to sea on 6 October in company with ''Vincennes'' and four destroyers. Those ships patrolled the foggy, cold [[North Atlantic]] until returning to [[Little Placentia Bay]], Newfoundland on 11 October, anchoring during a fierce gale that lashed the bay with high winds and stinging spray. On 17 October, ''Wasp'' set out for Norfolk, patrolling en route, and arrived at her destination on 20 October. The carrier soon sailed for Bermuda and conducted qualifications and refresher training flights ''en route''. Anchoring in Grassy Bay on 1 November, ''Wasp'' operated on patrols out of Bermuda for the remainder of the month.

October had seen the incidents involving American and German warships multiplying on the high seas. ''Kearny'' was torpedoed on 17 October, ''Salinas'' on 28 October, and in the most tragic incident that autumn, {{USS|Reuben James|DD-245|2}} was torpedoed and sunk with heavy loss of life on 30 October. Meanwhile, in the [[Pacific]], tension between the U.S. and [[Japan]] increased almost with each passing day.

''Wasp'' slipped out to sea from Grassy Bay on 3 December and rendezvoused with {{USS|Wilson|DD-408|2}}. While the destroyer operated as plane guard, ''Wasp''{{'}}s air group flew day and night refresher training missions. In addition, the two ships conducted gunnery drills before returning to Grassy Bay two days later, where she lay at anchor on 7 December 1941 during the Japanese [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].<ref name=DANFS/>

===Atlantic Fleet===
[[File:Wichita and Wasp 1942.jpg|thumb|''Wasp'' and the heavy cruiser ''Wichita'' in Scapa Flow.]]
Naval authorities felt considerable anxiety that [[France|French]] warships in the Caribbean and [[West Indies]] were prepared to make a breakout and attempt to get back to France. Accordingly, ''Wasp'', the light cruiser {{USS|Brooklyn|CL-40|2}}, and the destroyers {{USS|Sterett|DD-407|2}} and ''Wilson'', departed Grassy Bay and headed for [[Martinique]]. Faulty intelligence gave American authorities in Washington the impression that the [[Vichy French]] armed merchant cruiser ''Barfleur'' had gotten underway for sea. The French were accordingly warned that the auxiliary cruiser would be sunk or captured unless she returned to port and resumed her internment. As it turned out, ''Barfleur'' had not departed after all, but had remained in harbor. The tense situation at Martinique eventually dissipated, and the crisis abated.

With tensions in the West Indies lessened considerably, ''Wasp'' departed Grassy Bay and headed for Hampton Roads in company with {{USS|Long Island|AVG-1|2}}, and escorted by the destroyers {{USS|Stack|DD-406|2}} and ''Sterett''. and moored at the Norfolk Navy Yard to commence an overhaul that would last into the start of 1942.

After departing Norfolk on 14 January 1942, ''Wasp'' headed north and touched at [[Naval Station Argentia|NS Argentia]], Newfoundland, and [[Casco Bay, Maine]]. On 16 March, as part of [[Task Group 22.6]] (TG 22.6), she headed back toward Norfolk. During the morning watch the next day, visibility lessened considerably; and, at 06:50, ''Wasp''{{'}}s bow plunged into ''Stack''{{'}}s starboard side, punching a hole and completely flooding the destroyer's number one fireroom. ''Stack'' was detached and proceeded to the [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]], where her damage was repaired.

Meanwhile, ''Wasp'' made port at Norfolk on the 21st without further incident. Shifting back to Casco Bay three days later, she sailed for the [[British Isles]] on 26 March 1942 with [[Task Force 39]] under the command of [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[John W. Wilcox, Jr.]], aboard the battleship {{USS|Washington|BB-56|2}}. That force was to reinforce the [[Home Fleet]] of the [[Royal Navy]]. While ''en route'', Rear Admiral Wilcox was swept overboard from the battleship on the morning of 27 March 1942 and drowned. Although hampered by poor visibility conditions, four SB2U Vindicators from ''Wasp'' took part in the search, and one of them crashed while attempting to land aboard ''Wasp'', killing its two-man crew.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://usswashington.com/moverbrd.htm |last= Jordan |first= Winston |title=Man Overboard! |website=usswashington.com |date=December 1987 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309022230/http://usswashington.com/moverbrd.htm |archive-date=2012-03-09 }}</ref> Wilcox's body was spotted an hour after he went overboard, face down in the raging seas, but it was not recovered due to the weather and the heavy seas.<ref name=DANFS/>

Rear Admiral [[Robert C. Giffen]], who flew his flag in the heavy cruiser {{USS|Wichita|CA-45|2}}, assumed command of TF 39. The American ships were met by a force based around the light cruiser {{HMS|Edinburgh|C16|6}} on 3 April. Those ships escorted them to [[Scapa Flow]] in the [[Orkney Islands]]. 

The majority of TF 39 joined the British Home Fleet – renumbered to TF 99 in the process – to cover [[Arctic convoys of World War II|convoys routed to North Russia]], ''Wasp'' departed Scapa Flow on 9 April, bound for the [[Firth of Clyde|Clyde estuary]] and [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]]. The following day, the carrier sailed up the Clyde, past the [[John Brown & Company|John Brown Clydebank shipbuilding facilities]]. There, shipyard workers paused long enough from their labors to accord ''Wasp'' a tumultuous reception as she passed. ''Wasp''{{'}}s impending mission was an important one – one upon which the fate of the island bastion of [[Malta]] hung. During the [[Siege of Malta (World War II)|Siege of Malta]] it was under daily attack by German and Italian aircraft. The British, faced with the loss of air superiority over the island, and their own carriers unable to continue the [[Club Run]]s ferrying replacement aircraft to Malta, requested the use of Wasp to transport planes that could wrest air superiority from the Axis aircraft. ''Wasp'' drew ferry duty once again to participate in [[Operation Calendar]], one of many [[Malta Convoys]].

===Malta Convoys===

[[File:Wildcats and Spitfires on USS Wasp (CV-7) in April 1942.jpg|thumb|Spitfires and Wildcats aboard ''Wasp'' on 19 April 1942.]]{{Main|Operation Calendar|Operation Bowery}}
Having landed her [[torpedo bomber]]s and [[dive bomber]]s at [[RNAS Hatston]] in [[Orkney]], ''Wasp'' loaded 52 [[Supermarine Spitfire|Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V]] fighters (fitted with long range fuel tanks) of No. 601 and  [[No. 603 Squadron RAF]] at [[Glasgow]] on 13 April, then departed on 14 April, this was the start of "Operation Calendar". Her screen consisted of [[Force W|Force "W"]] of the Home Fleet – a group that included the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Renown|1916|6}} and the [[anti-aircraft cruiser]]s {{HMS|Cairo|D87|6}} and {{HMS|Charybdis|88|2}}. {{USS|Madison|DD-425|2}} and {{USS|Lang|DD-399|2}} also served in ''Wasp''{{'}}s screen.

The group passed through the [[Straits of Gibraltar]] under cover of the pre-dawn darkness on 19 April, avoiding the possibility of being discovered by Spanish or Axis agents. At 04:00 on 20 April, ''Wasp'' spotted 11 [[Grumman F4F Wildcat]] fighters on her deck and quickly launched them to form a [[combat air patrol]] (CAP) over Force W  while, the Spitfires were warming up their engines in the hangar deck spaces below. Once all 47 serviceable Spitfires had launched and were flying to Malta ''Wasp'' retired toward Gibraltar. However most of the Spitfires were lost when the Axis attacked Malta within minutes after they landed.<ref>{{ cite book | last = Woodman | first = Richard | title = Malta Convoys 1940-1943 | publisher = John Murray | date = 2000 | location = London | page = 320 | isbn = 0-7195-6408-5}}</ref>

[[File:Royal Air Force Spitfires on USS Wasp (CV-7), in May 1942.jpg|thumb|{{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}} accompanies ''Wasp'' on her second voyage to Malta]]

As a result, it looked as if a second ferry run to Malta was needed. The British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]], fearing that Malta would be "pounded to bits", asked President Roosevelt to allow ''Wasp'' to have "another good sting." and ''Wasp'' loaded another contingent of Spitfire Vs at King George V Dock Glasgow and sailed for the Mediterranean on 3 May in [[Operation Bowery]]. On this occasion, the group included the British carrier {{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}} with her own load of Spitfires.  

The two carriers reached their launching points early on Saturday, 9 May - ''Wasp'' steaming in column ahead of {{HMS|Eagle|1918|2}} at a distance of {{convert|1000|yd|m}}. At 06:30, ''Wasp'' launched 11 Wildcats of [[VF-71]] to serve as CAP over the task force. First, ''Eagle''  flew off her 17 Spitfires in two waves; then ''Wasp'' flew off 47 more. The first Spitfire that took off at 06:43, piloted by Sergeant-Pilot Herrington, lost power soon after takeoff and plunged into the sea, with loss of pilot and aircraft. The other planes flew off safely and formed up to fly to Malta. 

An auxiliary fuel tank on another aircraft failed to draw; without the additional fuel the pilot could not make Malta, and his only alternatives were to land on board ''Wasp''{{spaced ndash}}with no tailhook{{spaced ndash}}or to ditch and take his chances in the water. Pilot Officer Jerrold Alpine Smith chose to attempt a landing on ''Wasp'', setting down at 07:43 with his Spitfire stopping just {{convert|15|ft|m}} from the forward edge of the [[flight deck]]. One ''Wasp'' sailor observed it to be a "one wire" landing. ''Wasp'' set sail for the British Isles while a German radio station broadcast the startling news that the American carrier had been sunk; on 11 May, Prime Minister Churchill sent a message to ''Wasp'': "Many thanks to you all for the timely help. Who said a wasp couldn't sting twice?"<ref name="DANFS" /> The preparations for the reception of the Spitfires at Malta had been improved and within minutes they were airborne again and able to take on German aircraft when they attacked, shooting down 37.

===Pacific Fleet===
Early in May 1942, almost simultaneously with Operation Bowery—the [[Battle of the Coral Sea]] had been fought, then the [[Battle of Midway]] a month later. The loss of the ''Lexington'' and ''Yorktown'' in the battles reduced the U.S. to three carriers in the Pacific, and it became imperative to transfer ''Wasp'' to the Pacific.{{Efn|Following further losses and battle damage to American carriers in the Pacific War in November, the British carrier [[HMS Victorious (R38)|HMS ''Victorious'']] was transferred to serve under the USN in 1943}}

''Wasp'' hurried back to the U.S. for alterations and repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard. During the carrier's stay in the Tidewater region, Captain Reeves – who had been promoted to flag rank – was relieved by Captain [[Forrest P. Sherman]] on 31 May. Departing Norfolk on 6 June, ''Wasp'' sailed with TF 37 which was built around the carrier and the battleship {{USS|North Carolina|BB-55|2}} and escorted by {{USS|Quincy|CA-39|2}}, {{USS|San Juan|CL-54|2}} and six destroyers. The group transited the [[Panama Canal]] on 10 June, at which time ''Wasp'' and her consorts became TF 18, the carrier flying the flag of Rear Admiral [[Leigh Noyes]].

Arriving at [[San Diego]] on 19 June, ''Wasp'' embarked the remainder of her complement of aircraft, [[Grumman TBF Avenger|Grumman TBF-1 Avenger]]s and [[Douglas SBD Dauntless|Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless]]es, the latter replacing the old Vindicators. On 1 July, she sailed for the [[Tonga Islands]] as part of the convoy for the five transports carrying the [[2nd Marine Regiment (United States)|2nd Marine Regiment]].

Meanwhile, preparations to invade the [[Solomon Islands]] were proceeding to disrupt the Japanese offensive to establish a defensive perimeter around the edge of their "[[Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere]]".

[[File:F4F Wasp 1942.jpg|thumb|''Wasp''{{'}}s flight deck, 1942.]]

===Guadalcanal Campaign===
{{Further|Guadalcanal campaign}}
On 4 July, while ''Wasp'' was en route to the [[Oceania|South Pacific]], the Japanese landed on [[Guadalcanal]]. Allied planners realized Japanese operation of land-based aircraft from that key island would threaten Allied control of the [[New Hebrides]] and [[New Caledonia]] area. Plans were made to evict the Japanese before their Guadalcanal airfield became operational. [[Vice Admiral]] [[Robert L. Ghormley]] – with experience as Special Naval Observer in London – was detailed to take command of the operation; and he established his headquarters at [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]]. Since the Japanese had a foothold on Guadalcanal, time was of the essence; preparations for an allied invasion proceeded with secrecy and speed.

Wasp – together with the carriers {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}} and {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}} – was assigned to the Support Force under Vice Admiral [[Frank Jack Fletcher]]. Under the tactical command of Rear Admiral Noyes, embarked on Wasp, the carriers were to provide air support for the invasion and initiation of the [[Guadalcanal campaign]].

''Wasp'' and her airmen practiced day and night operations until Captain Sherman was confident that his airmen could perform their mission. "[[D-Day (military term)|D-day]]" had been set for 1 August, but the late arrival of some of the transports carrying Marines pushed the date to 7 August.<ref name="DANFS" />

En route, ''Wasp''{{'}}s engines became a problem, reporting to [[Commander in Chief Pacific Command|Commander in Chief Pacific]] on 14 July that her starboard high-pressure turbine even at lowest speeds was making a loud scraping noise. This limited speed to only {{convert|15|kn}} with just her port engine; leaving air operations entirely dependent on favorable wind. Repairs to the turbine were proposed at "Bleacher" ([[Tongatapu]], [[Tonga|Tonga Islands]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/glossary-of-us-naval-code-words-navexos-p-474/b.html |title=Glossary of U.S. Naval Code Words NAVEXOS P-474 |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |access-date=11 May 2013 |archive-date=24 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224102303/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/glossary-of-us-naval-code-words-navexos-p-474/b.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> where the [[destroyer tender]] {{USS|Whitney|AD-4|2}} was stationed, with four days estimated for the work there. ''Wasp'' arrived 18 July for those repairs and on 21 July CTF 18 reported that ''Wasp'' had successfully completed a trial making 27 knots with and 25 knot operations were possible with reduced reliability. Replacement turbine blades were available at Pearl Harbor, and repairs there were recommended after the current operations were complete.<ref name="DANFS" /><ref name="Nimitz">{{cite journal |last = Steele |first =((James M., CAPT USN)) |title="Nimitz Gray Book"—War Plans and Files of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet |journal=Operational Archives |volume=1: 7 December 1941–1 September 1942 |pages = Entries July 1942 |publisher =Naval History and Heritage Command |location=Washington Navy Yard, Washington D.C. |year=1942 |url=http://www.ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/D/D7/nimitz_graybook1.pdf|access-date = 12 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite DANFS |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/whitney.html |title=Whitney |date=8 April 2014 |access-date=11 May 2013}}</ref>

''Wasp'', screened by the heavy cruisers {{USS|San Francisco|CA-38|2}} and {{USS|Salt Lake City|CA-25|2}}, and four destroyers, steamed westward toward Guadalcanal on the evening of 6 August until midnight. Then, she changed course to the eastward to reach her launch position {{convert|84|nmi|mi km}} from [[Tulagi]] one hour before dawn.  ''Wasp''{{'}}s first combat air patrol fighter took off at 05:57.

The early flights of Wildcats and Dauntlesses were assigned specific targets: Tulagi, [[Gavutu]], [[Tanambogo]], [[Halavo]], [[Purvis Bay|Port Purvis]] on [[Nggela Islands|Florida Island]], [[Haleta]], [[Bungana]], and the radio station dubbed "Asses' Ears".

The Wildcats, led by [[Lieutenant]] Shands and his wingman [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] S. W. Forrer, patrolled the north coast toward Gavatu. The other two headed for the seaplane facilities at Tanambogo. The Grummans, arriving simultaneously at daybreak, surprised the Japanese and strafed patrol planes and fighter-[[seaplane]]s in the area. Fifteen [[Kawanishi H8K]] "Emily" flying boats and seven [[Nakajima A6M2-N]] "Rufe" [[floatplane]] fighters were destroyed by during low-level strafing passes. Shands was credited with four "Rufes" and one "Emily", while his wingman, Forrer, was credited with three "Rufes" and an "Emily" and would later be awarded the Navy Cross for his efforts. Lieutenant Wright and Ensign Kenton were credited with three patrol planes apiece and a motorboat tending the "Emilys"; Ensigns Reeves and Conklin were each credited with two and shared a fifth patrol plane between them. The strafing also destroyed an aviation fuel truck and a truck loaded with spare parts. 

Post-attack assessment estimated that the antiaircraft and shore battery sites pinpointed by intelligence had been destroyed by the Dauntless dive bombers in their first attack. None of ''Wasp''{{'}}s planes were shot down, but Ensign Reeves landed his Wildcat aboard ''Enterprise'' after running low on fuel.

At 07:04, ''Wasp'' launched 12 Avengers loaded with bombs for use against land targets, and led by Lieutenant H. A. Romberg. The Avengers silenced resistance by bombing Japanese troop concentrations east of the knob of land known as Hill 281, in the Makambo-Sasapi sector, and the prison on Tulagi Island.

Some 10,000 men had been put ashore during the first day's [[Battle of Guadalcanal|operations against Guadalcanal]], and met only slight resistance. On Tulagi, however, the Japanese resisted stoutly, retaining about {{fraction|1|5}} of the island by nightfall. ''Wasp'', ''Saratoga'', and ''Enterprise'' – with their screens – retired to the south at nightfall.

[[File:F4Fs launching from USS Wasp Aug 1942.jpg|thumb|F4Fs launching off Guadalcanal, 7 August 1942.]]

''Wasp'' fighters led by Lieutenant C. S. Moffett maintained a continuous CAP over the transport area until noon on 8 August. Meanwhile, a scouting flight of 12 Dauntlesses led by [[Lieutenant Commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] E. M. Snowden searched a sector to a radius of {{convert|220|nmi|mi km}} from their carrier, extending it to include all of the [[Santa Isabel Island]] and the [[New Georgia]] groups. The Dauntless made no contact with the Japanese during their two hours in the air, but at 08:15, Snowden sighted a "Rufe" some {{convert|40|nmi|mi km}} from [[Rekata Bay]] and shot the plane down.

Meanwhile, a large group of Japanese planes approached from Bougainville to attack the transports off [[Lunga Point]]. Rear Admiral [[Richmond K. Turner]] ordered all transports to get underway and to assume cruising disposition.  Eldridge was leading a formation of Dauntlesses from VS-71 against [[Mbangi Island]], off Tulagi. His rear seat gunner, assumed the formation of Japanese planes were friendly until six Zeroes bounced the first section making 12 unsuccessful firing passes.

Meanwhile, the leader of the last section of VS-71 – Lieutenant, junior grade Robert L. Howard – unsuccessfully attacked twin-engined [[Mitsubishi G4M]] "Betty" [[medium bomber]]s heading for the American transports, and was engaged by four Zeroes escorting the bombers. Howard shot down one Zero with his fixed  guns while his rear gunner, Seaman 2nd Class Lawrence P. Lupo, discouraged Japanese fighters attacking from astern.<ref name="DANFS" />

Over the 7 and 8 August one fighter pilot, Ens. Thaddeus J. Capowski, was reported missing in action when he was separated from the formation but was later found alive and safe. One Dauntless was shot down; the wounded pilot Lieut. Dudley H. Adams was recovered by {{USS|Dewey|DD-349|2}} but the radioman-gunner Harry E. Elliott was reported to have been killed before the crash. Further one fighter landed in the water but the pilot was recovered, another crashed on the deck and after the injured pilot was recovered the wrecked aircraft jettisoned overboard. A third fighter crashed into the barrier but was repaired and put back into service. Against the loss of three Wildcat and one Dauntless, 15 enemy flying boats, eight floatplane fighters, and one Zero had been shot down.<ref>{{cite web|title=Appendix I: Summary of Carrier Air Groups' Operations|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Solomons/USN-CN-Solomons-I.html|work=The Landing in the Solomons, 7–8 August 1942}}</ref>

At 18:07 on 8 August, Vice Admiral Fletcher recommended to Ghormley that the air support force be withdrawn. Fletcher, concerned by the large numbers of Japanese planes that had attacked on 8 August, reported that he had only 78 fighters left (of 99 he started with) and that fuel for the carriers was running low. Ghormley approved the recommendation, and ''Wasp'' joined ''Enterprise'' and ''Saratoga'' in retiring from Guadalcanal. By midnight, the landing had attained the immediate objectives. Japanese resistance – except for a few snipers – on Gavutu and Tanombogo had been overcome. Early on 9 August, a Japanese surface force engaged an Allied one in the [[Battle of Savo Island]] and retired with minimal damage after sinking four Allied heavy cruisers off [[Savo Island]], including two that had served with ''Wasp'' in the Atlantic: ''Vincennes'' and ''Quincy''.

After the initial day's action in the Solomons campaign, the carrier spent the next month engaged in patrol and covering operations for convoys and resupply units headed for Guadalcanal. The Japanese began transporting reinforcements to contest the Allied forces.

''Wasp'' was ordered south by Vice Admiral Fletcher to refuel and did not participate in the [[Battle of the Eastern Solomons]] on 24 August. After fueling on 24 August ''Wasp'' hurried to the battle zone. Her total aircraft group was 26 Grumman F4F Wildcats, 25 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses, and 11 Grumman TBF Avengers. (One SBD Dauntless was earlier lost on 24 August by ditching in the sea because of engine trouble).<ref name=Lundstrom>{{cite book |last=Lundstrom |first=John B. |title=First Team And the Guadalcanal Campaign: Naval Fighter Combat from August to November 1942 |url={{google books|J1NDlp4CvTcC|pages=158–159|plainurl=yes}} |year=2005 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |pages=158–159}}</ref> On the morning of 25 August, ''Wasp'' launched a search mission. The Douglas SBD Dauntless of pilot Lieut. Chester V. Zalewski shot down two of [[Aichi E13A]]1 "Jake" [[floatplane]]s from {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Atago}} (Vice Admiral [[Nobutake Kondō]]'s flagship). But the SBD Dauntlesses sighted no ships. The Japanese fleet had withdrawn out of range. At 13:26 on 25 August, ''Wasp'' launched a search/attack mission of 24 Dauntlesses and 10 Avengers against the convoy of Rear Admiral [[Raizo Tanaka]] that seemed to be still within range. Although the SBD Dauntlesses shot down a flying boat, they could not find the enemy ships anymore.<ref name=Lundstrom/>

During the battle on 24 August ''Enterprise'' was damaged and had to return to port for repairs. ''Saratoga'' was torpedoed a week later and departed the South Pacific war zone for repairs as well. That left only two carriers in the southwest Pacific, ''Wasp'', and {{USS|Hornet|CV-8|2}}, which had been in commission for only a year.<ref name=DANFS/>

==Loss==
On Tuesday, 15 September 1942, ''Wasp'' and ''Hornet'', together with ''North Carolina'' and 10 other warships, were escorting the transports carrying the [[U.S. 7th Marine Regiment|7th Marine Regiment]] to Guadalcanal as reinforcements. ''Wasp'' was operating some {{convert|150|nmi|mi km}} southeast of [[Makira|San Cristobal Island]]. Her aircraft were being refueled and rearmed for antisubmarine patrol missions and ''Wasp'' had been at [[general quarters]] from an hour before sunrise until the time when the morning search returned to the ship at 10:00. Thereafter, the ship was in condition 2, with the air department at flight quarters. The only contact with the Japanese that day had been a Japanese four-engined [[flying boat]] that was downed by one of ''Wasp'''s F4F Wildcats at 12:15.

About 14:20, the carrier turned into the wind to launch eight Wildcats and eighteen Dauntlesses and to recover eight Wildcats and three Dauntlesses that had been airborne since before noon. Lt. (jg) Roland H. Kenton, USNR, flying a Wildcat of VF-71 was the last aircraft off the deck of ''Wasp''. The ship rapidly completed the recovery of the 11 aircraft before turning to starboard, heeling slightly as she did so. At 14:44 a lookout reported "three torpedoes ... three points forward of the starboard beam".<ref name=DANFS/>

A spread of six [[Type 95 torpedo]]es was fired at ''Wasp'' at about 14:44 from the tubes of the [[Type B1 submarine]] {{Ship|Japanese submarine|I-19||2}}. ''Wasp'' put over her rudder hard to starboard to avoid the salvo, but it was too late. Three torpedoes struck in quick succession about 14:45; one actually breached, left the water, and struck the ship slightly above the waterline. All hit in the vicinity of the ship's gasoline tanks and magazines. Two of the spread of torpedoes passed ahead of ''Wasp'' and were observed passing astern of {{USS|Helena|CL-50|2}} before {{USS|O'Brien|DD-415|2}} was hit by one at 14:51 while maneuvering to avoid the other (structural damage from this torpedo hit would eventually lead to ''O'Brien'''s sinking a month later). The sixth torpedo passed either astern or under ''Wasp'', narrowly missed {{USS|Lansdowne|DD-486|2}} in ''Wasp''{{'}}s screen about 14:48, and struck ''North Carolina'' about 14:52.<ref name="Whodunnit?" />

[[File:USS Wasp (CV-7) burning on 15 September 1942 (fsa.8e00768).jpg|thumb|''Wasp'' on fire shortly after being torpedoed.]]
There was a rapid succession of explosions in the forward part of the ship. Aircraft on the flight and hangar decks were thrown about and dropped on the deck with such force that landing gear snapped. Aircraft suspended overhead in the hangar fell onto those on the hangar deck; fires broke out in the hangar and below decks. Soon, the heat of the intense gasoline fires detonated the ready ammunition at the forward anti-aircraft guns on the starboard side, and fragments showered the forward part of the ship. The number two {{convert|1.1|in|mm|abbr=on}} mount was blown overboard.

Water mains in the forward part of the ship had been rendered inoperable, meaning no water was available to fight the forward fires, which continued to set off ammunition, bombs, and gasoline. As the ship listed 10–15[[Degree (angle)|°]] to starboard, oil and gasoline, released from the tanks by the torpedo hit, caught fire on the water.

Captain Sherman slowed to {{convert|10|kn|mph km/h}}, ordering the rudder put to port to try to get the wind on the starboard bow; he then went astern with right rudder until the wind was on the starboard quarter, in an attempt to keep the fire forward. At that point, flames made the central station unusable, and communication circuits went dead. Soon, a serious gasoline fire broke out in the forward portion of the hangar; within 24 minutes of the initial attack, there were three additional major gasoline vapor explosions. Ten minutes later Sherman decided to abandon ship as the firefighting was ineffectual. Survivors would have to disembark quickly to minimize loss of life.

After consulting with [[Rear Admiral]] [[Leigh Noyes]], Captain Sherman ordered "abandon ship" at 15:20. All badly injured men were lowered into rafts or rubber boats. Many unwounded men had to abandon ship from aft because the forward fires were burning with such intensity. The departure, as Sherman observed it, looked "orderly"<!-- Direct quote from DANFS-->, and there was no panic. The only delays occurred when many men showed reluctance to leave until all the wounded had been taken off. The abandonment took nearly 40 minutes, and at 16:00 Sherman abandoned the ship once he was satisfied that no survivors were left on board.

Although the submarine hazard caused the accompanying destroyers to lie well clear or to shift position, they carried out rescue operations until {{USS|Laffey|DD-459|2}}, ''Lansdowne'', ''Helena'', and {{USS|Salt Lake City|CA-25|2}} had 1,946 men embarked. The fires on ''Wasp'', drifting, traveled aft and there were four violent explosions at nightfall. ''Lansdowne'' was ordered to torpedo the carrier and stand by until she was sunk.<ref name=DANFS/> ''Lansdowne''{{'}}s [[Mark 15 torpedo]]es had the same unrecognized flaws reported for the [[Mark 14 torpedo]]. The first two torpedoes were fired perfectly, but did not explode, leaving ''Lansdowne'' with only three more. The magnetic influence exploders on these were disabled and the depth set at {{convert|10|ft|m}}. All three detonated, but ''Wasp'' remained afloat for some time, sinking bow-first at 21:00.<ref name="p2">{{cite journal |author-link=William R. Smedberg III|last=VADM William R.|first=((Smedberg III, USN (Ret.)))|title=As I Recall...Sink the ''Wasp''! |publisher=United States Naval Institute |journal=Proceedings |date=July 1982 |volume=108 |issue=7/953 }}</ref> 193 men had died and 366 were wounded during the attack. All but one of her 26 airborne aircraft made a safe landing on ''Hornet'' nearby but 45 aircraft went down with the ship.
Another Japanese submarine, {{Ship|Japanese submarine|I-15||2}}, observed and reported the sinking of ''Wasp'', as other US destroyers kept ''I-19'' busy. ''I-19'' avoided 80 depth charges and escaped safely. She was subsequently sunk with all hands in a depth charge attack on 25 November 1943 by destroyer [[USS Radford (DD-446)|USS Radford]].<ref name=DANFS/><ref>{{cite web|title=USS Wasp (Wasp-class)|url=http://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=286|work=World War II Database}}</ref> {{Coord|12|24|58|S|164|8|0|E |display=title}}

==Wreck located==
On 14 January 2019, ''Wasp''{{'}}s wreck was located by the research vessel [[RV Petrel|''Petrel'']]. The carrier sits upright in {{convert|14255|ft}} of water, though parts of the hull appear to have split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://warbirdsnews.com/aircraft-restoration/paul-g-allen-expedition-discovers-the-sunken-uss-wasp-and-her-aircraft.html|title=Paul G. Allen expedition discovers the sunken USS ''Wasp'' and her aircraft|publisher=warbirdnews.com|date=13 March 2019|access-date=13 March 2019}}<br/>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=14 March 2019 |title=Deep sea explorers discover USS Wasp, another WWII aircraft carrier |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-wasp-petrel-discovers-another-world-war-ii-aircraft-carrier/ |work=CBS News |access-date=14 March 2019 }}</ref>

==Awards==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan=3|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|other_device=a|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}} {{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|colspan=2|[[American Defense Service Medal]]<br>with [["A" Device]] 
|colspan=2| [[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
|[[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal|European-African-Middle<br>Eastern Campaign Medal]]<br>with 1 [[Service star|star]]
|colspan=2|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]<br>with 1 star
|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]
|}

==See also==
*{{USS|Shea}} - named for Commander John Shea, who died during the sinking of ''Wasp''

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite journal |last1=Wright |first1=Christopher C. |title=Question 7/56: Concerning What Radar Systems Were Installed on U.S. Asiatic Fleet Ships in December 1941 |journal=Warship International |date=September 2019 |volume=LVI |issue=3 |pages=192–198 |issn=0043-0374}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wasp-viii.html}}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|USS Wasp (CV-7)|USS Wasp (CV-7)}}
*[https://www.history.navy.mil/search.html?q=%22uss+wasp%22+cv-7&category=%2Fcontent%2Fhistory%2Fnhhc%2Four-collections Navy photographs of ''Wasp'' (CV-7)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100405084644/http://hnsa.org/doc/plans/index.htm General Plan for the U.S.S. ''Wasp'' (CV-7)], hosted by the [http://www.hnsa.org/ Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Digital Collections]
*[http://www.spitfiresite.com/1942-defence-of-malta.htm Combat History of the Supermarine Spitfire – The Defence of Malta (1942)]
*[https://archive.today/20121210064638/http://content.library.ccsu.edu/u?/VHP,5696 Oral history interview with Rudolph Cusson, a Petty Officer on the ''Wasp'' when it was torpedoed] from the Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/WDR/U.S.S.%20WASP%20(CV-7),%20TORPEDO%20DAMAGE%20-%20South%20Pacific,%20September%2015,%201942%20(LOST%20IN%20ACTION).pdf Action report U.S.S. WASP (CV7) Loss in Action]
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgFDI_31P4Wuv8MVJQLtwA/featured?view_as=subscriber USS WASP (CV-7) Detailed history on YouTube]

{{Wasp class aircraft carrier}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{September 1942 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wasp (Cv-07)}}
[[Category:Aircraft carriers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1939 ships]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by Japanese submarines]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1942]]
[[Category:Shipwreck discoveries by Paul Allen]]
[[Category:2019 archaeological discoveries]]

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