Thirty-two Essex-class carriers were ordered and 24 completed, between 1942 and 1950; fourteen saw combat in the Second World War, forming the core of the fast carrier task forces that swept the Central Pacific from Tarawa onward. None were lost to enemy action despite absorbing repeated kamikaze hits off Leyte and Okinawa. Their sheer numbers let the Navy keep multiple task groups at sea simultaneously by 1944.
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CVA-47) makes a sharp turn to starboard, while steaming in the Western Pacific with the U.S. Seventh Fleet, 9 July 1955. Philippine Sea, with assigned Air Task Group 2 (PH1 D.L. Lash, U.S. Navy · Public domain · sourceFrom [1] Design plan of the US Navy Essex class aircraft carriers · Public domain · sourceSeven aerial photographs showing the major different modernizations of the U.S. Navy Essex-class aircaft carriers (l-r): USS Franklin (CV-13), a "short hull" type as delivered, 21 February 1944. Franklin, USS Bunker HillU.S. Navy · Public domain · source