PUBLISHED on August 18, 2025, 1:43 PM EDT: Key Points and Summary – The Midway-class aircraft carriers were the U.S. Navy’s first designed with heavily armored flight decks, a crucial innovation for surviving kamikaze attacks in World War II.
-Though they missed that conflict, these massive carriers—the USS Midway, USS Coral Sea, and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt—served for nearly 50 years, their robust decks enabling the transition from propeller aircraft to heavy jets.
-Despite significant design flaws like severe crew overcrowding and low freeboard, their longevity was remarkable.
-The USS Midway even served in Operation Desert Storm, cementing the class’s legacy as a vital, if imperfect, Cold War workhorse.
What Was So Special About the Midway-Class of Aircraft Carriers?
The USS Midway-class of carriers were the first flat-tops to have heavy armor to enable them to be more survivable against the Japanese in World War II.
The Midway-class was comprised of three carriers, and they were larger than the previous Essex-class. The Midway-class vessels were known for longevity and survivability.
The class was named after the famous and pivotal Battle of Midway that helped turn the tide and create momentum against the Japanese. There was the USS Midway, USS Coral Sea, and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Navy Needed Better Carriers
In 1940, the Navy wanted its aircraft carriers to have better and stronger decks for improved carrier aviation duties. The engineers and designers knew that in warfare, enemy dive bombers would aim for the deck to disable the vessel’s combat operations altogether and leave it stranded in the middle of the sea.
Decades-long Valiant Service
The Midway-class was known for serving amazingly for decades, from 1945 until 1992. The ships, unfortunately, missed World War II and were considered Cold War beasts that were to serve handily and valiantly throughout many presidential administrations. The lead ship, the USS Midway, was not commissioned until after the two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. The Navy originally sought to produce six carriers of the class, but finally settled for three.
From 1940 to 1945, shipbuilders were busy with the design of the Midway-class. The Essex-class lacked the flight decks necessary for the high operational tempo and combat sorties. Plus, the deck was vulnerable to Kamikaze missions. The Navy wanted better reinforced flight decks, and the engineers incorporated these requirements into the Midway-class.
Flight Decks Enabled Later Jet-powered Fighters
The new deck proved to be a good choice for combat. The Midway-class was able to transition from the propeller-driven aircraft age to the jet age. The Midway, Coral Sea, and Franklin D. Roosevelt had the size and strong flight decks to handle heavier jet fighters and bombers as the Cold War progressed.
However, Negative Issues Cropped Up
Unfortunately, the Midway-class had problems. A large crew was needed to operate what sometimes amounted to more than 100 aircraft on board. This meant there was not enough space for the crew. Compartments held many sailors without much room or privacy. The sailors began to feel homesick and suffered from a reduced level of morale.
The Midway-class also had freeboard issues. That meant the distance from the waterline to the flight deck was too low. This allowed water to reach the deck and hindered aviation operations – not to mention its seaworthiness. The hangar clearances were not high enough. Finally, the beam was so wide that it could not fit through the Panama Canal.
More Specifications for the Midway-class
Five-inch anti-aircraft guns adorned the carriers, along with high-caliber twin guns and quad guns. Later, the Sea Sparrow air defense missiles and a close-in weapons system were added. The Midway-class carriers displaced 60,000 tons and were nearly a thousand feet long. Westinghouse steam turbines drove four shafts and four propellers.
The Midway-class also had angled flight decks to improve flight deck operations, and then better catapults and arresting gear were installed.
The Midway carriers did not serve in the Korean War. This was disappointing as the vessels could have helped the Navy in its efforts to support GIs fighting for their lives against the North Koreans and Chinese. There could have been more airplanes to conduct close air support to help personnel survive during the ugly conflict.
However, the three Midway-class carriers did deploy during the Vietnam War. The decks were graced with the famed F-4B Phantom IIs. These aircraft took out many targets in North and South Vietnam. They attacked bridges, command and control centers, and supply depots, plus continued to provide close air support throughout the conflict. The carrier squadrons were also noted for shooting down some of the only enemy MiG-fighters during the war. A pilot on the Midway even took out a MiG-17 at the end of the war. This was the last enemy airplane to be destroyed during the conflict.
The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was decommissioned in 1977. The Midway and the Coral Sea transitioned to A-7 Corsairs but not F-14 Tomcats. The carriers still had to depend on the F-4Bs for their main fighter and strike options. The Coral Sea was retired in 1990, but the Midway amazingly served in Operation Desert Storm when it conducted 3,339 combat sorties.
The Midway-class had its flaws, and sailors may have remembered the overcrowding and challenging conditions. But the longevity of the ships was notable. The Navy made correct predictions about how carrier aviation would need better flight decks for survivability and to enable the transition to the jet age. Engineers and designers simply wanted a better carrier to fight the Japanese.
Little did they know the main fighting would be during Vietnam and even service in the First Gulf War to punish Saddam Hussein’s military. The Midway-class should go down as one interesting group of carriers that served the Navy well despite drawbacks that could have put the ships into early retirement.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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Dennis Pagni
August 19, 2025 at 12:45 am
nice article about these incredible ships. 50 years of service, props to jets. how about an article about a truly neglected group, the casablanca class escort carriers? dad served on the uss natoma bay; she survived two kamakazi hits and was off the coast of mainland japan on august 6th,1945.