Aircraft Carriers, Part Five

Other U.S. attack carriers are powered by oil. They include the now decommissioned Kitty Hawk and Forrestal, and the still active John F. Kennedy, each of which carries about 4,900 persons and 85 airplanes.

Another type of carrier is the anti-submarine warfare carrier, also called a support carrier. It is equipped with complicated electronic devices to find and destroy enemy submarines.

Aircraft carriers, such as the USS Hornet, are also used to recover astronauts returning from space. Helicopters fly to the splashdown site and carry the men and capsules to the carrier.

An important carrier of World War II was the USS Yorktown. Its hangar deck had room for men to work on the weapons the airplane carried, while other men relaxed watching a movie.