Service life may perhaps be considered as dating from Commissioning,
but my impression is that Operational life could start several weeks
or months later. AFAIK Commissioning is not equivalent to the RN
Completion which is handover from shipbuilder to the navy.

So US carrier Operational lives could be even shorter than shown.

Ian Buxton

>
> In looking up the histories of certain Aircraft Carriers of WWII
> vintage, I discovered that the USS Bismark Sea CVE-95 was commissioned on
> 20 May 1944 and sunk in battle on 21 Feb 1945 for a total service life of 9
> months and 1 day.
>
> The USS Gambier Bay CVE-73 was commissioned 28 Dec 1943 and sunk in
> battle 25 October 1944 for a total service life of 9 months and 27 days.
>
> Two questions,
>
> 1. Does anyone know of any Aircraft Carrier with a shorter lifespan in
> combat than these ?
>
> 2. Any idea on which combat ship, regardless of type or size, that had
> the shortest lifespan being lost in combat during WWII ?
>
>
> Glen Boren
>

**********************************************************
Dr Ian L Buxton Dept of Marine Technology
Reader in Marine Transport University of Newcastle
Phone +44 191 222 6712 Newcastle upon Tyne
Fax +44 191 222 5491 NE1 7RU U K
E-mail i.l.buxton@newcastle.ac.uk