View source for USS Ranger (CV-4)

{{short description|Ranger-class aircraft carrier}}
{{Other ships|USS Ranger}}
{{use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
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{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Ranger (CV-4) underway at sea during the later 1930s.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Ranger'' underway at sea, 1930s
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Operators={{navy|United States|1912}}
|Class before={{sclass|Lexington|aircraft carrier|4}}
|In commission range=1934–1946
|Total ships completed=1
|Class after={{sclass|Yorktown|aircraft carrier|4}}
|Built range=1931–1934
|Total ships scrapped=1
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=USS ''Ranger''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=1 November 1930
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Northrop Grumman Newport News|Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=26 September 1931
|Ship launched=25 February 1933
|Ship sponsor=[[Lou Henry Hoover]] (the wife of [[Herbert Hoover|the President of the United States]])
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=4 June 1934
|Ship decommissioned=18 October 1946
|Ship struck=29 October 1946
|Ship honors=*American Defense Service Medal ("A" device)
*American Campaign Medal
*European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (2 stars)
*Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
*World War II Victory Medal
|Ship fate=Sold for scrapping 31 January 1947
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=[[File:USS Ranger (CV-4) insignia, 1939 (80-G-464912).png|80px]]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Aircraft carrier]]
|Ship displacement=*As built: {{convert|14576|LT|t}} (standard)
*{{convert|17577|LT|t}} (full load)
||Ship length=*{{cvt|730|ft|m|1}} ([[Length at the waterline|w/l]])
*{{cvt|769|ft|m|1}} ([[Length overall|o/a]])
*{{cvt|709|ft|m|1}} ([[Flight deck|fd]])
|Ship beam=*{{cvt|80|ft|m|1}} (waterline)
*{{cvt|109|ft|5|in|m|1}} (overall)
|Ship draft={{cvt|22|ft|4.875|in|m|1}}
|Ship power=*6 × [[boiler]]s
*{{cvt|53500|shp|kW|lk=in}}
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[steam turbine]]s
*2 × shafts
|Ship speed={{convert|29.3|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{cvt|10000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship complement=*216 officers and 2,245 enlisted men including embarked air group (as built)
*2,148 (1941)
|Ship sensors=[[CXAM radar|CXAM-1 radar]]
|Ship armament=*8 × [[5"/25 caliber gun|{{cvt|5|in|mm|0}}/25 cal]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft gun]]s
*40 × [[M2 Browning machine gun|{{cvt|.50|in|mm|1}}]] machine guns
|Ship armor=*[[Belt armor|Belt]] {{cvt|2|in|cm}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{cvt|2|in|cm}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{cvt|1|in|cm}} (over steering gear)
|Ship aircraft=*86 (maximum)
*76 (normal)
|Ship aircraft facilities=*3 × elevators
*3 × [[Aircraft catapult|catapult]]s
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)''' was an [[interwar]] [[United States Navy]] [[aircraft carrier]], the only ship of its class.  As a [[Washington Naval Treaty|Treaty ship]], ''Ranger'' was the first U.S. vessel to be designed and built from the [[keel]] up as a carrier.  She was relatively small, just {{cvt|730|ft|m|1}}  long and under {{convert|15000|LT|t}}, closer in size and displacement to the first US carrier—{{USS|Langley|CV-1|2}}—than later ships. An island [[superstructure]] was not included in the original design, but was added after completion.

Deemed too slow for use with the [[United States Pacific Fleet|Pacific Fleet]]'s [[Fast Carrier Task Force|carrier task force]]s against Japan,<ref>Ford, Roger (2001) ''The Encyclopedia of Ships'', pg. 343. Amber Books, London. {{ISBN|978-1-905704-43-9}}</ref> she spent most of [[World War II]] in the Atlantic Ocean, where the German fleet, the ''[[Kriegsmarine]]'', was a weaker opponent. ''Ranger'' saw combat in that theater and provided air support for [[Operation Torch]]. In October 1943, she fought in [[Operation Leader]], air attacks on German shipping off Norway. She was sold for scrap in 1947.

== Design and development ==
Work began in 1925 on the design of a fourth [[aircraft carrier]] for the US Navy, as a follow-on to the small {{USS|Langley|CV-1|2}}, converted from a [[collier (ship)|collier]], and the large {{USS|Lexington|CV-2|2}} and {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}}, which were in the process of being converted from incomplete [[battlecruiser]]s. Carrier number four was the Navy's first opportunity to design a ship built as an aircraft carrier.<ref name=":0" /> Preliminary design work occurred before extensive operation of the preceding three. Having limited experience to draw on, key characteristics of the design were derived from wargaming experience at the [[U.S. Naval War College]]. During design and construction many alterations would occur as a result of increasing experience with ''Langley, Lexington,'' and ''Saratoga''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=US aircraft carriers : an illustrated design history|last=Friedman, Norman.|year=1983|publisher=Naval Inst. Pr|isbn=0870217399|pages=57–58|oclc=260130138}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book|title=Winning a Future War, War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War, 2018.|last=Naval Historical Center (U.S.)|year=2017|publisher=s.n|pages=98|oclc=1086493659}}</ref>

The major limitation constraining any design was the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922. After ''Lexington'' and ''Saratoga'',{{#tag:ref|The experimental ''Langley'' did not count towards the treaty limits.<ref name="Ches p205">Chesneau 1998, p. 205.</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} there were {{convert|69000|LT|t|lk=on}} remaining for construction of aircraft carriers. This resulted in modeling for three 23,000 long ton carriers, four 17,250 ton carriers, and five 13,800 ton carriers.<ref>{{Cite book|title=US aircraft carriers : an illustrated design history|last=Friedman, Norman.|year=1983|publisher=Naval Inst. Pr|isbn=0870217399|pages=58, 63|oclc=260130138}}</ref> Of the three sizes, the smaller 13,800 was selected because the five hulls would have the largest aggregate aircraft capacity. Wargames had indicated that severe attrition to airframes and hulls would occur in any war. The college's solution was to maximize the number of aircraft and hulls allowable under the treaty.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Ches p205" />{{#tag:ref|Earlier (1922–24) studies had proposed alternative carrier designs of 23,000 tons and 27,000 tons. Attempts to order one of these designs had failed.<ref name="Fried p58-3">Friedman 1983, pp. 58–63.</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}

Initially, ''Ranger'' was designed as a flush-decker, like ''Langley'', with nothing extending above the flight deck. Keeping the flightdeck clear of obstacles complicated the arrangement of machinery. The smoke from her six boilers was vented up six small stacks, with three on each side of the aft hangar. The stacks were hinged and were rotated to a position parallel with the hangar deck during flight operations. The unusual stack arrangement is a carry-over from her flush-deck design. When an island was added midway through construction, rebuilding the uptakes into the island was rejected as too costly.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Winning a Future War, War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War, 2018.|last=Naval Historical Center (U.S.)|year=2017|publisher=s.n|pages=223|oclc=1086493659}}</ref> The further aft the boilers were placed, the further aft the stacks could be too, dispersing smoke over less of the deck. Concerns about smoke dispersion impacted propulsion design. Size of the plant influenced both the placement of the boilers and the amount of smoke generated. A moderate 53,000&nbsp;shp power plant could be placed further aft than a 100,000&nbsp;shp plant without affecting trim. The smaller plant also produced fewer gasses than a 100,000&nbsp;shp plant. Due to space limits, the carrier was equipped with geared turbines.<ref>{{Cite book|title=US aircraft carriers : an illustrated design history|last=Friedman, Norman.|year=1983|publisher=Naval Inst. Pr|isbn=0870217399|pages=67–69|oclc=260130138}}</ref>

Nearly her entire upper deck was devoted to the hangar. The large height and open girders of the flight deck structure allowed for stowage of spare fuselages. The hangar deck was semi-open and had large roll-up metal curtain doors which could be closed in bad weather. The open hangar was adopted to allow the installation of two catapults on the hangar deck for the launching of observation aircraft. The catapults were dropped to save cost. ''Ranger'' also incorporated a gallery deck between the flight deck and hangar deck.<ref>{{Cite book|title=US Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History|last=Friedman, Norman.|year=1983|publisher=Naval Inst. Pr|isbn=0870217399|pages=69, 71–73|oclc=260130138}}</ref>

The flight deck was a light superstructure sheathed in wood. Designed as a weight-saving measure, the light wood deck was found to be easily repairable.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Winning a Future War, War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War, 2018.|last=Naval Historical Center (U.S.)|year=2017|publisher=s.n|pages=91|oclc=1086493659}}</ref> Three elevators were provided to move aircraft between the flight deck and hangar deck. Outriggers at the edge of the flight deck provided extra stowage for aircraft on deck. The carrier operated 76 aircraft as constructed; equal to ''Lexington'' with half the displacement.<ref name=":23">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sH6uCAAAQBAJ|title=Aircraft Carriers of the United States Navy: Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives|last=Green|first=Michael|date=2015-04-30|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781473854680|page=14}}</ref>

The carrier was one of the first U.S. Navy ships mounted with light automatic weapons to defend against dive-bombing attacks, and was initially armed with forty .50 cal machine guns.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0csGmCY1Hc4C|title=US Navy Aircraft Carriers 1922–45: Prewar classes|last=Stille|first=Mark|date=2012-05-20|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=9781780967509|pages=22–23}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Complementing the machine guns were eight dual-purpose [[5"/25 caliber gun|5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber guns]] controlled by two Mark 33 directors. The machine guns were arrayed along the gallery and the 5-inch guns arrayed with one at each corner of the gallery, two at the bow, and two on the fantail.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

== Construction, refit, and modernization ==
[[File:Launch of USS Ranger (CV-4) at Newport News Shipbuilding on 25 February 1933 (80-G-1007392).jpg|left|thumb|''Ranger'' launching, 25 February 1933]]
Authorized by Congress on 13 February 1929, the U.S. Navy opened bids for the construction of the aircraft carrier on 3 September 1930. [[Newport News Shipbuilding]] and Drydock Company outbid [[Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation]] and [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation|New York Shipbuilding Company]] for the contract. In November, Newport News Shipbuilding received the contract to build her. The contract price was 15.2 million dollars.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/features/history/our-story/dp-the-mighty-uss-ranger-becomes-the-navys-first-purposebuilt-aircraft-carrier-20140226-post.html|title=The mighty USS Ranger becomes the Navy's first purpose-built flattop|last=Erickson|first=Mark St. John|website=dailypress.com|access-date=2016-02-28}}</ref> On 10 December, the name ''Ranger'' was assigned to the planned aircraft carrier.<ref name="rangerkeeltomastref3b">Cressman, p. 5</ref>

''Ranger'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] on 26 September 1931 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., [[Newport News, Virginia]], and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 25 February 1933, sponsored by [[Lou Henry Hoover]], [[First Lady of the United States]].<ref name="rangersponsor">Cressman, pp. 3–6</ref> Late in construction the design was modified to include an island, increasing her displacement to 14,500 tons.<ref name=":23"/> Commencing trials on 1 May 1934, ''Ranger'' made 30.35 kn and generated 58,700 shp.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=June–July 1934 |title=U.S.S. 'Ranger' Official Trials|journal=Shipyard Bulletin|publisher=Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company|volume=5|issue=8|pages=1–2}}</ref> She was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] at the [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] on 4 June 1934, with Captain [[Arthur L. Bristol]] in command.<ref name="rangerkfirstcommander">Cressman, pp. 8–9</ref>

To save money, ''Ranger'' was initially designed and commissioned without torpedo stowage or a torpedo bomber squadron. ''Wasp'' was designed and commissioned to match. On 17 October 1941 approval was given to install torpedo stowage during the next overhaul in conjunction with the activation of a torpedo squadron. On 10 January 1942 Torpedo Squadron 4 (VT-4) was activated on ''Ranger.<ref name="rangerkeeltomastref3b2">Cressman, pp. 158, 178, 411</ref>''

Across the years many alterations were made to her armament. The first change was to consolidate the 5-in gun battery by pairing the four main deck guns with the four gallery deck guns. The anti-aircraft armament received a major upgrade when six 1.1-in quadruple mounts were installed; the 1.1-in battery replaced a battery of 3-inch (76&nbsp;mm)/50 caliber guns installed months before as placeholders.<ref name="rangerkeeltomastref3b3">Cressman, p. 157</ref> In March 1942, the .50 cal machine guns were exchanged for much more capable [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon 20mm cannons]].<ref name="rangerkeeltomastref3b4">Cressman, p. 182</ref> Similarly, the 1.1-in battery was swapped with quadruple [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40mm guns]] in December 1942.<ref name="rangerkeeltomastref3b5">Cressman, p. 296</ref> ''Ranger's'' ultimate armament was six 40mm quadruple mounts and forty-six 20mm mounts.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

On 13 December 1943, Chief of Naval Operations [[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]] [[Ernest King]] had approved an extensive modernization. Since ''Ranger'''s commissioning, the size of carrier aircraft had grown enormously. Her flight deck supports were no longer capable of supporting the weight of a complete, modern air group. Other aircraft operating improvements were contemplated. The aft elevator was to be enlarged, the amidship elevator was to be replaced with a deck-edge elevator, and two flight deck catapults were to be installed. Weight and protection issues were to be solved by blistering the hull. Armament was to be increased with six additional 40mm quadruple mounts. Admiral King favored having the conversions done, but the Bureau of Ships insisted that allocating the manpower and resources required to accomplish this would considerably delay the completion of new aircraft carriers under construction. The full project was indefinitely postponed on 5 April 1944 after the third, increasing estimate.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref32">Cressman, pp. 352–354, 358–360, 370</ref> After arriving at New York Harbor on 16 May, ''Ranger'' entered the Norfolk Navy Yard to have her flight deck strengthened, new aircraft catapults installed, and radar equipment updated.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref42">Cressman, p. 364</ref> This provided her with the capability of night fighter-interceptor training.<ref>{{cite web |title=USS Ranger (CV-4) |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/aircraft-carriers/uss-ranger.html#:~:text=After%20delivering%20the%20equipment%20and,conduct%20night%20fighter%20interceptor%20training. |website=Naval History and Heritage Command |publisher=US Navy}}</ref>

==Service history==
[[File:USS Ranger (CV-4), USS Lexington (CV-2) and USS Saratoga (CV-3) at anchor off Honolulu on 8 April 1936 (NNAM.1996.488.001.012).jpg|thumb|left|''Ranger'' (bottom), {{USS|Lexington|CV-2|2}} (middle), and {{USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2}} off Honolulu, 8 April 1936]]

===Inter-war period===
''Ranger'' conducted her initial flight operations off the Virginia Capes on 21 June 1934<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref2">Cressman, p. 16</ref> and departed Norfolk on 17 August<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref1">Cressman, p. 18</ref> for a shakedown training cruise that took her to [[Rio de Janeiro]], Buenos Aires, and [[Montevideo]].<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref2"/> She returned to Norfolk on 4 October<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref3">Cressman, p. 23</ref> for operations off the [[Virginia Capes]] and two stints in dry dock for post trial repairs<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref4">Cressman, pp. 23–25</ref> until 1 April 1935,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref5">Cressman, p. 28</ref> when she sailed for the Pacific. Transiting the [[Panama Canal]] on 7 April,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref5"/> she arrived in San Diego on 15 April.<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref5"/> For nearly four years, she participated in [[fleet problem]]s reaching to Hawaii,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref6">Cressman, pp. 30–35, 52–56, 75–82, 106–111, 119–125</ref> the first-ever carrier cold weather test trials in Alaska,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref7">Cressman, pp. 44–50</ref> and in western seaboard operations that took her as far south as [[Callao]], Peru,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref8">Cressman, pp. 99–104</ref> and as far north as [[Seattle]], Washington. On 4 January 1939, she departed San Diego for winter fleet operations in the Caribbean based at [[Guantánamo Bay]], Cuba.<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref9">Cressman, pp. 117–119</ref> She then steamed north to Norfolk, arriving on 20 April.<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref10">Cressman, p. 125</ref>

''Ranger'' cruised along the eastern seaboard out of Norfolk and into the Caribbean Sea. In the fall of 1939, she commenced [[Neutrality Patrol]] operations,<ref name="ranger1934-1941ref11">Cressman, pp. 130–173</ref> operating out of [[Bermuda]] along the trade routes of the middle Atlantic and up the eastern seaboard up to [[Naval Station Argentia|NS Argentia]], [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/ranger-ix.html| title = Ranger IX (CV-4)| website = www.history.navy.mil| access-date = 2016-02-25}}</ref>

In December 1940, ''Ranger''<nowiki/>'s [[VF-4]] became one of the first units to receive the newer [[Grumman F4F Wildcat|Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats]].<ref>{{Cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=flebCwAAQBAJ| title = F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen: Pacific Theater 1942| last = Young| first = Edward M.| date = 2013-08-20| publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing| isbn = 9781780963235
| page = 15}}</ref>

===World War II===
====1942====
In December 1941, she was returning to Norfolk from an ocean patrol extending to [[Port of Spain]], Trinidad and Tobago, when the Japanese attacked [[Pearl Harbor]].<ref name="ranger1942ref1">Cressman, p. 173</ref> Arriving in Norfolk on 8 December,<ref name="ranger1942ref2">Cressman, p. 177</ref> she sailed on 21 December for patrol in the South Atlantic. She then entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs on 21 March 1942.<ref name="ranger1942ref3">Cressman, p. 181</ref> ''Ranger'' was one of 14 ships to receive the early [[RCA Corporation|RCA]] [[CXAM radar|CXAM-1]] radar.<ref name="RADAR">{{cite journal|last=Macintyre |first=Donald| title=Shipborne Radar|journal=United States Naval Institute Proceedings|date=September 1967}}</ref>

''Ranger'' served as [[flagship]] of [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]] [[Arthur B. Cook (admiral)|Arthur B. Cook]], Commander, Carriers, [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]] until 6 April 1942, when he was relieved by Rear Admiral [[Ernest D. McWhorter]], who also broke his flag in ''Ranger''.<ref>{{cite book| title=Newsmap, Volume II No. 49B|author=Army Information Branch|page=1|publisher=United States Army Service Forces|year=1944|orig-year=1944}}
</ref>

On 15 April 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill cabled President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requesting ''North Carolina'' and ''Ranger'' reinforce the British Eastern Fleet in the wake of the [[Indian Ocean raid|Indian Ocean Raid]]. The day before in response to advance notice of the reinforcement request routed through General George Marshall, who was then visiting London, Admiral Ernest King had already definitely stated that ''Ranger'' and any other major fleet unit could not be made available for the Indian Ocean. He stated the only manner at all in which the Navy could assist was by using ''Ranger'' to ferry the pursuit planes necessary to bring the 10th Air Force up to full operational strength. King's draft response to Churchill's insistence displayed a lack of tact. Roosevelt supported King, but toned down King's draft by playing up ''Ranger's'' faults to steer the British towards accepting the ferry mission.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Churchill & Roosevelt: The Complete Correspondence, I, Alliance Emerging, October 1933 – November 1942|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1984|editor-last=Kimball|editor-first=Warren|location=Princeton|pages=449–456}}</ref>

Steaming to [[Naval Air Station Quonset Point]], [[Rhode Island]], ''Ranger'' loaded 68 [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk|Curtiss P-40Es]] and put to sea on 22 April, launching the Army planes on 10 May to land at [[Accra]], on the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] of Africa ([[Ghana]]).<ref name="ranger1942ref4">Cressman, p. 184</ref> The P-40s were a general reinforcement for the American Volunteer Group [[Flying Tigers]] (soon to be redesignated as the [[Army Air Forces]]' [[23rd Fighter Group]]) in China, to replenish their losses as well as forming a second unit, the [[51st Fighter Group]].<ref name="ranger1942ref6">Cressman, p. 186, 190</ref> Although no difficulties were encountered in flying off ''Ranger''{{'}}s deck, errors in crossing Africa led to the loss of 10 or so en route.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Army Air Forces in World War II|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|last=Craven |first=Wesley Frank |last2=Cate |first2=James |isbn=091279903X|volume=1|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=339–340|oclc=9828710}}</ref> Upon return to Quonset Point on 28 May, she made a patrol to [[Argentia]], Newfoundland.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

After Rommel's victories in May and June, most notably the fall of Tobruk during the [[Battle of Gazala]], the United States agreed to commit to the North African theater a total of nine combat groups, of which seven groups were to be in operation by the end of 1942. ''Ranger''{{'}}s contribution to the establishment of the Ninth Air Force was to ferry another 72 Army P-40s. This time she ferried a complete combat unit, [[57th Fighter Group]], which she launched off the coast of Africa for Accra on 19 July. Lessons learned from the previous ferry mission resulted in negligible losses, for which the 57th received commendations. The Group was operational with the Desert Air Force in time to participate in the [[Second Battle of El Alamein]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=57th Fighter Group : First in the Blue.|last=Molesworth |first=Carl.|year=2011|publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=9781849083379|location=Oxford|oclc=646113571}}</ref>

After calling at Trinidad,<ref name="ranger1942ref7">Cressman, p. 186</ref> she returned to Norfolk for local battle practice until 1 October, then based her training at Bermuda,<ref name="ranger1942ref8">Cressman, p. 196</ref> in the company of four new {{sclass|Sangamon|escort carrier}}s, ships converted from oil tankers to increase U.S. air power in the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:USS Ranger (CV-4) flight deck Torch.jpg|thumb|left|Aircraft on ''Ranger''{{'s}} deck during [[Operation Torch]]]]

As the largest carrier in the Atlantic Fleet, ''Ranger'' led the task force that comprised herself and the four escort carriers. These provided air superiority during the amphibious invasion of [[Vichy France|Vichy-ruled]] [[French Morocco]]. On 8 November 1942, Allied landings in [[Scramble for Africa#France|French North Africa]] ([[Operation Torch]]) began. Vichy French government forces attacked the Allied forces in defense of the neutrality of French Morocco, in what became known as the [[Naval Battle of Casablanca]].<ref name="ranger1942ref9">Cressman, p. 208</ref>

It was still dark at 06:15 that day, when ''Ranger''—stationed {{convert|30|mi|km|abbr=on}} northwest of [[Casablanca]]—began launching her aircraft to support the landings made at three points on the Atlantic coast of North Africa (Operation Torch).<ref name="rangerkeeltomast">Cressman, p. 209 for Torch, 327 for Leader</ref> Nine of her Wildcat fighters attacked the [[Rabat]] and [[Rabat-Sale]] aerodromes, headquarters of the French air forces in Morocco. Without loss to themselves, they destroyed seven planes at one field, and 14 bombers at the other. Another flight destroyed seven planes on the [[Port Lyautey]] field. Some of ''Ranger''{{'}}s planes strafed four [[French Navy|French]] [[destroyer]]s in Casablanca Harbor, while others strafed and bombed nearby shore batteries.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-uTQthrWvIEC&q=uss%2520ranger&pg=PA88| title = History of United States Naval Operations in World War II: Operations in North African Waters, October 1942 – June 1943| last = Morison| first = Samuel Eliot| date = 2001-01-01| publisher = University of Illinois Press| isbn = 9780252069727}}</ref>

[[File:Jeanbart.jpg|thumb|left|French battleship {{ship|French battleship|Jean Bart|1940|2}} attacked by planes from ''Ranger'']]
The Vichy French battleship {{ship|French battleship|Jean Bart|1940|2}} opened fire with the four {{cvt|15|in|mm|0}} guns of her one operational turret on U.S. warships covering the landings. She was hit and moderately damaged by ''Ranger''{{'}}s dive bombers, then silenced by the fifth hit from the {{cvt|16|in|mm|0}} guns of the American battleship {{USS|Massachusetts|BB-59|2}}, which jammed the rotating mechanism of the one working turret.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

''Jean Bart''{{'}}s 15&nbsp;in turret was quickly repaired. On 10 November, ''Jean Bart'' opened fire again, and almost hit the heavy cruiser {{USS|Augusta|CA-31|2}}, the Task Force 34 flagship. In retaliation, bombers from ''Ranger'' inflicted severe damage on ''Jean Bart'' with two heavy bombs hitting the bow and the stern, causing the French battleship to sink into the harbor mud with decks awash.{{sfn|Lepotier|1967|pp=158–166}}{{sfn|Dumas|2001|pp=69–70}} In addition to damaging and sinking ''Jean Bart'', ''Ranger''{{'}}s attack aircraft scored two direct bomb hits on the French [[destroyer leader]] {{ship|French destroyer|Albatros||2}}, completely wrecking her forward half and causing 300 casualties. They also attacked the French cruiser {{Ship|French cruiser|Primauguet|1924|2}} as she sortied from Casablanca Harbor and dropped [[depth charge]]s within killing range of two [[submarine]]s. ''Ranger''{{'}}s planes also knocked out coastal defense and anti-aircraft batteries, destroyed more than 70 enemy aircraft on the ground, and shot down 15 aircraft in aerial combat. It was estimated that 21 enemy light [[tank]]s were immobilized and some 86 military vehicles destroyed – most of them troop-carrying trucks. ''Ranger'' had launched 496 combat sorties in the three-day operation, with 16 planes lost or damaged beyond repair.<ref name=":0" />

Casablanca capitulated to the American forces on 11 November.<ref name="ranger1942ref10">Cressman, pp. 280–285</ref> ''Ranger'' departed from the Moroccan coast on 12 November,<ref name="ranger1942ref11">Cressman, pp. 289–292</ref> returning to Hampton Roads on 24 November and Norfolk on 14 December 1942.<ref name="ranger1942ref12">Cressman, p. 292</ref>

On 2 December 1942, ''Ranger'' was again requested for in a cable from Churchill to Roosevelt, this time in connection to American misfortunes. The loss of ''Hornet'' in the [[Battle of Santa Cruz Islands]] kicked off a confused series of messages seeking British carrier reinforcement in the Pacific. To meet the request, Churchill offered both ''Illustrious'' and ''Victorious'' in exchange for ''Ranger'' replacing ''Victorious'' in the Home Fleet. King accepted one carrier but retained ''Ranger'' to use in the Atlantic or the Pacific at his discretion.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Churchill & Roosevelt: The Complete Correspondence, II, Alliance Forged, November 1942 – February 1944|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1984|editor-last=Kimball|editor-first=Warren|location=Princeton|pages=52–53, 60}}</ref>

====1943====
[[File:Memorial pilots from USS Ranger in Fagervika.JPG|thumb|Memorial for pilots lost in battle in 1943, [[Fagervika]], Norway]]

Following training in [[Chesapeake Bay]], ''Ranger'' underwent an overhaul at the Norfolk Navy Yard from 16 December 1942 to 7 February 1943. By December the 33rd Fighter Group had taken heavy losses in Tunisia and needed reinforcement. Responding to Eisenhower's request, ''Ranger'' departed Norfolk on 8 January with the 325th Fighter Group aboard for delivery to Casablanca.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Army Air Forces in World War II|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|last=Craven |first=Wesley Frank |last2=Cate |first2=James Lea|isbn=091279903X|volume=2|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=131|oclc=9828710}}</ref> She repeated the mission with another load, 75 P-40L fighters of the Army Air Forces' [[58th Fighter Group]] to Africa, arriving at Casablanca on 23 February.<ref name="ranger1943ref1">Cressman, p. 294</ref>

On 25 April 1943, German radio announced "Achtung! Achtung! We are proud to announce that a German submarine has sunk the United States aircraft carrier ''Ranger'' in the North Atlantic!" Following this broadcast, German news releases reported that Commander [[Otto von Bülow]] of the U-boat {{GS|U-404||2}}, personally decorated by Adolf Hitler with [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross|Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross]], had "in addition to torpedoing four steamers, caught and sank the American aircraft carrier ''Ranger''."<ref>{{Cite news |date=1943-04-26 |title=NAZIS SAY U-BOAT SANK U.S.S. RANGER; Aircraft Carrier Said to Have Been Destroyed While Guarding North Atlantic Convoy NAZIS SAY U-BOAT SANK U.S.S. RANGER |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/04/26/archives/nazis-say-uboat-sank-uss-ranger-aircraft-carrier-said-to-have-been.html |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The US Navy, concerned about the impact of the German announcement on families of ''Ranger'' crewmen, issued a denial of the German claim. In the radio broadcast dated 15 February 1944, Captain Gordon Rowe, Commanding Officer of USS ''Ranger'', stated:

<blockquote>The story that we were sunk was a coward's trick—spreading anxiety and fear among the innocent.... The next day we issued a denial and ... on October 4 we spread panic and chaos in the Norwegian shipping lanes. Only one thing we regret. We kept looking for the ''Tirpitz'' but either she wouldn't or couldn't come out.... Meanwhile, the ''Ranger'', still very much afloat, is doing her job.<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://www.airgroup4.com/bulow.htm| title = Otto Von Bulow Decorated for Sinking USS Ranger – Air Group 4
| website = www.airgroup4.com| access-date = 2016-02-25}}</ref></blockquote>

She patrolled and trained pilots along the [[New England]] coast steaming as far north as [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], Nova Scotia.<ref name="ranger1943ref2">Cressman, p. 322</ref> Departing from Halifax on 11 August,<ref name="ranger1943ref3">Cressman, p. 323</ref> she joined the [[British Home Fleet]] at [[Scapa Flow]], Scotland, on 19 August, with which she patrolled the approaches to the [[British Isles]].<ref name="ranger1943ref3" />

[[File:German freighter La Plata being attacked off Bodø in October 1944.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|The freighter ''La Plata'' being attacked off Bodø]]

''Ranger'' departed from Scapa Flow with the Home Fleet on 2 October to attack [[Kriegsmarine|German]] shipping in [[Norway|Norwegian]] waters ([[Operation Leader]]).<ref name="ranger1943ref4">Cressman, p. 327</ref> The objective of the force was the northern Norwegian port of [[Bodø]].<ref name="ranger1943ref4"/> The task force reached launch position off [[Vestfjorden (Norway)|Vestfjorden]] before dawn on 4 October<ref name="ranger1943ref4"/> completely undetected. At 06:18, ''Ranger'' launched 20 [[Douglas SBD Dauntless]] [[dive bomber]]s and an escort of eight Wildcats. One division of dive bombers attacked the {{GRT|8000|disp=adj}} freighter ''La Plata'', while the rest continued north to attack a German ship convoy. The bombers severely damaged a {{GRT|10000}} tanker and a smaller troop transport. They also sank two of four small German merchant ships in the Bodø roadstead.<ref name="ranger1943ref5"/>

A second attack group from ''Ranger''—consisting of 10 [[Grumman TBF Avenger]] [[torpedo bomber]]s and six Wildcats—destroyed a German freighter and a small coastal ship, and bombed a troop-laden transport. Three of the aircraft were lost to [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft fire]]. On the afternoon of 4 October, ''Ranger'' was located by three [[Luftwaffe|German]] aircraft; her [[combat air patrol]] shot down two of the enemy planes and chased away the third.<ref name="ranger1943ref5">Cressman, pp. 327–347 — for Ranger's activities during Operation Leader</ref>

''Ranger'' returned to Scapa Flow on 6 October.<ref name="ranger1943ref6">Cressman, p. 347</ref> She patrolled with the British [[2nd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd Battle Squadron]] in waters extending northwestward to [[Iceland]],<ref name="ranger1943ref7">Cressman, p. 354</ref> and then she departed from [[Hvalfjord]] on 26 November,<ref name="ranger1943ref7"/> arriving at Boston on 3 December.<ref name="ranger1943ref7"/>

====1944–1945====
On 3 January 1944, ''Ranger'' became a training carrier out of [[Quonset Point]], Rhode Island. This duty was interrupted on 20 April when she steamed to [[Staten Island, New York]], to take on 76 [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]] fighters—together with Army, Navy, and French Navy personnel—for transportation to Casablanca.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref1">Cressman, pp. 362–363</ref> Steaming out on 24 April for her fifth and final transatlantic ferry mission, she arrived at Casablanca on 4 May.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref2">Cressman, pp. 363, 364</ref> The new aircraft were exchanged with damaged U.S. Army aircraft marked for repair in the U.S., while military passengers were embarked for the return to New York City.<ref name=":0" /> After New York City, she moved to Norfolk for refit on 19 May 1944.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}
[[File:USS Ranger (CV-4) in Panama Canal 1945.jpeg|thumb|left|''Ranger'' passing through the [[Panama Canal]] in 1945]]

On 11 July, she departed from Norfolk and headed for Panama. She transited the Panama Canal five days later, embarked several hundred U.S. Army passengers at [[Balboa, Panama]],<ref name="ranger1944-45ref42"/> then sailed to San Diego, arriving there on 25 July.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref522">Cressman, p. 366</ref> After embarking the men and aircraft of Night Fighting Squadron 102 and nearly 1,000 U.S. Marines, ''Ranger'' steamed for Hawaiian waters on 28 July, reaching Pearl Harbor on 3 August.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref522" /> During the next three months, ''Ranger'' conducted night carrier flight training operations out of Pearl Harbor.<ref name="ranger1944-45ref522" />

''Ranger'' departed from Pearl Harbor on 13 October<ref name="ranger1944-45ref6">Cressman, p. 370</ref> to train new naval pilots for combat duty. Operating out of San Diego under the Commander, Fleet Air, [[Alameda, California]], ''Ranger'' continued training air groups and squadrons along the California coast throughout the remainder of the war.<ref name=":0" /> ''Ranger'' was the only pre-war U.S. carrier never to have engaged Japanese forces in battle.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===Post war===
Departing San Diego on 30 September 1945,<ref name="rangerfinalref1">Cressman, p. 390</ref> she embarked civilian and military passengers at Balboa<ref name="rangerfinalref1"/> and then steamed for New Orleans, Louisiana, arriving on 18 October. Following [[Navy Day#United States|Navy Day]] celebrations there, she sailed on 30 October<ref name="rangerfinalref1"/> for brief operations at [[Pensacola, Florida]], as a training carrier, later relieved in that role by {{USS|Saipan|CVL-48|2}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/uncategorized/pensacolas-flattops/ |title=Pensacola's Flattops |date=9 July 2014 |publisher=National Naval Aviation Museum |access-date=26 May 2017 |archive-date=5 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200905132056/https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/uncategorized/pensacolas-flattops/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> After calling at Norfolk, she entered the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]] on 19 November for overhaul. She remained on the eastern seaboard until decommissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 18 October 1946.<ref name="rangerfinalref2">Cressman, p. 392</ref> Struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 29 October,<ref name="rangerfinalref3">Cressman, p. 397</ref> she was sold for scrap to [[Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company]], [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], on 31 January 1947.<ref name="rangerfinalref3"/>

==Awards==
''Ranger'' was awarded two [[battle stars|Service star]]s and various ribbons/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=2|type=service-star|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal 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 2 [[Service star|stars]]
|colspan=2|[[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]]
|[[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|+ Service stars awarded<ref name = "rangerbattlestarref5">Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV.1953), PART IV – LIST OF SHIPS AND UNITS ELIGIBLE FOR ENGAGEMENT STARS, (A) UNITED STATES SHIPS, Ranger (CV 4)</ref><ref name = "rangerasiiatcstaconformationref1">Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV.1953), Part III.--List of Authorized Operations and Engagements, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN AREA, Ranger (CV 4), Code E1-1, E1-2, and E223</ref>
|-
!width="8%" | Action No.
!width="20%" | Operation:Action
!width="10%" | Operation<br> Period
!width="15%" |Period of CV-4<br> Participation
!width="10%" | Battle Stars<br> Awarded
!width="30%" | Notes
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|(1)<br/><br/>(2)
|North African occupation: Algeria-Morocco landings<br/><br/>North African occupation: Actions off Casablanca
|8–11 Nov 42<br/><br/>8 Nov 42
|8 Nov 42 – 11 Nov 42<br/><br/>8 Nov 42
|1
|One battle star awarded for participation in 1 or more of the North African occupation actions. ''Ranger'' participated in 2 actions (Actions No. (1) and (2)) out of 3 total actions that took place during the North African occupation and thus was awarded 1 star. The North African occupation was code named ''Torch''.
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|(3)
|Norway raid
|2–6 Oct 43
|2 Oct 43 – 6 Oct 43
|1
|Operation was code named ''Leader''.
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
|
|
|
! Total Battle Stars
| 2
|
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite journal |last1=Alvey |first1=James |title=Fleet Carrier in Name or Fact?: The Post-War Misinterpretation of USS Ranger As Unsuitable for Combat in the Pacific |journal=The Northern Mariner Le Marin Du Nord |date=2024 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=207-44 |doi=10.25071/2561-5467.1131}}
*{{cite book|last=Blair |first= Clay |title=Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunted, 1942–1945 |year=2000 |publisher= Modern Library |location=New York |isbn=0-679-64033-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Chesneau |first= Roger |title= Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present: An Illustrated Encyclopedia | year= 1998 |publisher= Brockhampton Press |location= London |isbn=1-86019-87-5-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Cressman|first=Robert J.|title=USS Ranger: The Navy's First Flattop from Keel to Mast, 1934–1946|year=2003|publisher=Potomac Books|isbn=978-1-57488-720-4}}
* {{cite book
  |last=Dumas
  |first=Robert
  |language=French
  |title=Le cuirassé Jean Bart 1939–1970
  |trans-title=The Battleship Jean Bart 1939–1970
  |year=2001
  |publisher=Marine Éditions
  |location=Rennes
  |isbn=978-2-909675-75-6
  }}
*{{cite book|author1=Ford, Roger |author2=Gibbons, Tony |author3=Hewson, Rob |author4=Jackson, Bob |author5=Ross, David |year=2001| title=The Encyclopedia of Ships|page=343|publisher=Amber Books, Ltd.|location=London|isbn= 978-1-905704-43-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman |title= U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History |year=1983 |publisher= Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis, Maryland, USA| isbn= 0-87021-739-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Coyle|first=Darcy C. |title= Censored Mail: A Personal Narrative of World War II Aboard the Aircraft Carriers, U.S.S. Ranger (CV-4) and U.S.S. Randolph (CV-15) |year=1989 |publisher= Marshall Jones Company |location= Francetown, New Hampshire, USA| isbn= 978-0-833802-00-2}}
*Friedman, Norman (2017). ''Winning a Future War: War Gaming and Victory in the Pacific War''. Washington, District of Columbia, USA: Naval History and Heritage Command. {{ISBN|9781943604241}}.
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/ranger-ix.html}}
* {{cite book
  |last=Lepotier
  |first= Adolphe
  |language=fr
  |title= Les Derniers Cuirassés
  |trans-title=The Last Battleships
  |year=1967
  |publisher=Éditions France-Empire
  |location=Paris
  |oclc=491030583
  }}

==External links==
{{Commons and category|USS Ranger (CV-4)|USS Ranger (CV-4)}}
*[https://www.history.navy.mil/search.html?q=uss+ranger+cv-4&category= Navy photographs of ''Ranger'' (CV-4)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150613072404/http://www.hnsa.org/resources/manuals-documents/booklets-of-general-plans-online/ General Plan for USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) Updated through 7-24-1944], hosted by the [http://www.hnsa.org/ Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Digital Collections]
*[http://twoconcertinas.com/ussranger-cv4/  Additional photographs of ''Ranger'' (CV-4) before World War II, including postcards and airplanes]
*[https://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-929:2 U.S. Newsmap featuring USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)], hosted by the [https://digital.library.unt.edu/ UNT Libraries Digital Collections]
*[http://twoconcertinas.com/ussranger-cv4/home/home-on-the-ranger/ "Home On The Range(r)" – A shipboard parody song written about 1939.]
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Fuel/index.html War Service Fuel Consumption of U.S. Naval Surface Vessels FTP 218]
*[http://www.airgroup4.com/index.htm Air Group 4 (AG-4), stationed aboard USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) until July 1944 contains extensive crew member accounts of actions and photographs]
*[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/5512.html Commanders of USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) on U-Boat.net]
*[http://www.navsource.net/archives/02/04co.htm Commanders of USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) on NavSource]
*[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=237&navy=USS USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) refit information]
*[http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/Awards/Awards-IV-16.html Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV. 1953) PART IV. CAMPAIGN AND SERVICE MEDALS for USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)]
*[http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/atlantic.htm Navy and Marine Corps Award Manual, NAVPERS 15,790 (REV. 1953) American Service Medal Atlantic "A" Device for USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826233741/http://www.history.navy.mil/medals/atlantic.htm |date=26 August 2007 }}
*[http://www.navylog.org/ USS ''Ranger'' (CV-4) Crewmembers History – Search by Duty Station USS ''Ranger'' CV 4]
*[http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWD-HF1943c2.htm Royal Navy, Home Fleet, Admiralty War Diary September to October 1943 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4]
*[http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWD-HF1943d.htm Royal Navy, Home Fleet, Admiralty War Diary November to December 1943 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4]
*[http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWD-DCHF1943b.htm Royal Navy, Home Fleet Destroyer Command, Admiralty War Diary July to December 1943 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4]
*[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-01BB-Duke%20of%20York.htm HMS Duke of York, SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2 – USS ''Ranger'' CV 4 references 1943 September and October]
*[http://moosabec.org/news/Newsletter_Archive/BHS_Newsletter_W2011_W.pdf ''Beals Historical Society Newsletter'', Vol XI, No. 1 (Winter 2011) My Life Aboard The U.S.S. ''Ranger'' CV-4 by Arthur Blackburn Beal]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVXVEZdfdy8 Universal Newsreel, 72 P-40Fs of the 57th Fighter Group fly off of the Aircraft Carrier ''Ranger'' (CV-4) on July 19, 1942]
*[https://research.archives.gov/description/80324 National Archives Online FLIGHT OPERATIONS ABOARD USS RANGER (CV-4), 07/1942, Flight Operations on the Aircraft Carrier ''Ranger'' (CV-4) including Crew and Marine Detachment formations]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=547 USS ''Ranger'' at World War II Database]

{{Ranger class aircraft carrier}}
{{WWII US ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranger (Cv-4)}}
[[Category:Aircraft carriers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia]]
[[Category:1933 ships]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States]]
[[Category:Steam turbine-powered ships]]
[[Category:Naval ships of Operation Torch]]