Academy 7318 USS Midway CV-41

USS Midway (CV-41 / CVA-41) was an American aircraft carrier, the keel of which was laid in October 1943, launched in March 1945, and commissioned with the US Navy in September 1945. The length of the ship - at the time of launching - was 305 m, the width of the flight deck was 41.5 m, and the full displacement was 45,000 tons. The maximum speed of the USS Midway aircraft carrier was up to 33 knots, and its main armament was up to 100 on-board planes.

USS Midway was the first of three aircraft carriers of the same type. Midway-class aircraft carriers designed to replace the very successful Essex-class units in the line. The new aircraft carriers were to take - theoretically - up to 137 aircraft, compared to about 100 aircraft on Essex ships. A lot of emphasis was also placed on the best possible armor for Midway units. In the course of long service, ships of this type were constantly modernized, changing their sizes, adapting to the operation of jet aircraft or installing more and more perfect avionics. The modernizations were so significant that the displacement of this type of aircraft carriers increased from 45,000 to over 65,000 tons! The aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41) entered the Atlantic Fleet upon entry into service. The unit did not take part in the Korean War (1950-1953) and during this period it mainly took part in the great NATO maneuvers in 1952 in the North Atlantic. However, the ship took part in the Vietnam War (1964 / 65-1975), especially in its final stage. The USS Midway also participated in Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991). In 1997, the ship was decommissioned and in 2004 converted into a museum ship.