What does CV stand for on US war ships?

Answer 1

For the "V"; one source stated "Vessel" and one source has stated "Heavier than air." It's common knowledge that the "C" stands for "Carrier."

It's probably "Heavier than Air", as BB stood for battleship, DD stood for destroyer...the second B and second D meaning nothing, but creating uniformity when filing statistical data.

During the carriers birth, the USN did have "Airships" (Blimps), and warships did handle them. Thusly, it seems practicle that the USN would separate the classes of "Airships" from "Heavier Than Air" ships. And even though NOBODY uses the term, "Heavier than Air" today...it was very common for people to use that term in the 1920's. Which is the time frame in which "CV" came out.

Answer 2

"V" as a US Navy symbol indicates "heavier than air" aviation. When the first aircraft carriers were created in the 1920s the US Navy also had airships and blimps, which were "lighter than air". The "C" derives from the naval thought at the time carriers were first being built that they were an extension of the cruiser class of warships - more of a scouting class than units of the main battle line.

"CV" is a "hull classification symbol". There is sometimes a third letter, such as CVL for light carriers, or CVN for modern nuclear carriers. (CVN was first used briefly during WWII as a redesignation for the USS Enterprise, CV 6, which was the first US carrier certified for night operations. The USS Enterprise was thus for a few months CV(N) 6).

In WWII there were also CVEs. These were escort carriers, small vessels embarking about twenty aircraft, intended to fly anti-submarine missions escorting convoys. Many were built by converting Liberty ship merchantman hulls. CVEs had their own numbers, but somewhat larger "light" carriers" are numbered with the full-size CVs.

Other types of ships have different hull classification symbols - battleships are indicated by BB, modern guided missile cruisers by CG, submarines by SS (since they're all nuclear powered now they are all SSNs), destroyers by DD, and so on.

Answer 3

U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers carry the primary hull designator "CV", for Carrier Vessel, with "CVN", for "Carrier Vessel, Nuclear". In WWII, there was a CVE (Carrier Vessel, Escort) designator to denote resupply carriers for main CV's.

It could be dependent on which navy you had in mind, but CV is used by several naval forces to denote an aircraft carrier.

Answer 4

C DOES NOT STAND for Carrier! That's "idiot knowledge," not common knowledge This person was OBVIOUSLY just making stuff up!!! SMH 🤦‍♀️ haha C stands for "cruiser" and V DOES NOT stand for vessel, or heavier than air, how would that even work? This person doesn't even understand how the alphabet works SMH 🤦‍♀️. V stands for "Voler."