USS Oriskany (CV-34, later CVA-34) was an American aircraft carrier the keel of which was laid in 1944, launched in September 1945, and commissioned by the US Navy in 1950. The length of the ship - at the time of launching - was 271 m, width 39 m, and displacement - 31,000 tons. The maximum speed of the aircraft carrier was up to 33 knots, and its main armament was from 90 to 100 on-board planes.
USS Oriskany was an Essex-class aircraft carrier. Ships of this type were the main American aircraft carriers during the Pacific War of 1943-1945. This type included as many as 24 aircraft carriers that entered the line until Japan signed the surrender in September 1945! Their construction was based on the experience gained from the operation of Lexington and Yorktown units, as well as not having to comply with any tonnage restrictions. The emphasis was primarily on the number of planes taken and the maximum speed at the expense of the armor of the landing deck. Interestingly, the Essex-class aircraft carriers were built in such a way that the hangar was not an integral part of the fuselage, but a structure suspended under the flight deck. Such a solution made the ships of this type relatively easy to damage, but much more difficult to sink as a result of an air attack. It is worth noting that from the very beginning the USS Oriskany was designed as a unit with an elongated hull (Ticonderoga subtype), and before entering active service it underwent extensive modernization under the SCB-27 program, which mainly consisted in adapting the aircraft carrier to the operation of jet aircraft. USS Oriskany took an active part in the Korean War (1950-1953). After its completion, it underwent another modernization as part of the SCB-125 program, which included, among others: changing the shape of the flight deck. USS Oriskany also took part in the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975). The ship was decommissioned shortly after its completion - in 1976. In 2006, it was sunk as an artificial reef near Florida.