Commissioned in 1922, Hōshō was the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to enter service anywhere in the world and became the foundation of Imperial Japanese naval aviation. Although small, carrying only a modest air group, the ship served as Japan’s primary experimental carrier during the 1920s and early 1930s. Japanese pilots refined deck landing procedures, aircraft handling techniques, and early strike doctrine aboard her. Hōshō saw limited combat service in China during the 1930s and participated in a secondary role during the Battle of Midway in 1942 before spending the remainder of the war primarily as a training carrier. Her greatest contribution was doctrinal rather than tactical, helping shape the carrier aviation methods that later powered Japan’s early Pacific War successes.

The German submarine German submarine U-1241 was a late-war Type VIIC submarine commissioned in 1944. Like many U-boats completed during the final stages of the war, her operational opportunities were limited as Allied control of the Atlantic intensified. U-1241 served largely in training roles while Germany attempted to rebuild its submarine arm under increasingly severe wartime constraints.

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The American submarine USS Drum (SS-228) was a Gato-class submarine that served extensively in the Pacific during World War II. Commissioned in 1941, she conducted multiple war patrols against Japanese shipping, sinking several enemy vessels and contributing to the U.S. submarine campaign that strangled Japan’s maritime supply lines. Today Drum survives as a museum ship in Mobile, Alabama.

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) is named after Medal of Honor recipient Thomas Hudner, a U.S. Navy aviator who risked his life during the Korean War to rescue a fellow pilot. Commissioned in 2018, the destroyer carries the advanced Aegis combat system and serves as part of the U.S. Navy’s modern surface fleet conducting global maritime security and combat operations.

The German submarine German submarine U-1031 was a Type VIIC U-boat built for the Kriegsmarine during the final phase of World War II. Commissioned in 1944, she served primarily in training and defensive operations as Germany’s submarine force shifted from Atlantic commerce raiding to coastal defense. Like many late-war U-boats, U-1031 operated under increasingly difficult conditions as Allied air patrols, radar, and convoy escorts made traditional U-boat operations extremely dangerous.

The German submarine German submarine U-10713 was a late-production Type VIIC submarine built during the final phase of World War II. By the time she entered service, Allied air patrols, escort carriers, and advanced detection technologies had severely restricted U-boat effectiveness. As a result, vessels like U-1071 often spent more time in training and defensive patrol roles than in the open-ocean commerce raiding that had defined earlier U-boat campaigns.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG-92) is an Arleigh Burke-class warship commissioned in 2003. Equipped with the Aegis Combat System and a wide range of missiles, torpedoes, and naval guns, the ship is designed for air defense, anti-submarine warfare, and strike operations. Named after submarine rescue pioneer Vice Admiral Charles B. Momsen, the destroyer represents the modern multi-mission surface combatant of the U.S. Navy.

The guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) is named for the famous American Revolutionary War naval commander John Paul Jones. Commissioned in 1993, the ship serves as a multi-mission surface combatant equipped with advanced radar, missile systems, and anti-submarine capabilities. As part of the U.S. Navy’s modern destroyer fleet, she participates in carrier strike group operations and international maritime security missions.

The submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) gained lasting fame during World War II for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Japanese aircraft carrier Shōkaku during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. Commissioned in 1943, Cavalla conducted several successful war patrols in the Pacific and contributed to the destruction of Japanese naval power. She now serves as a museum submarine in Texas.

The aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41) was one of the most important American carriers of the Cold War era. Commissioned in 1945, she served for nearly five decades, participating in major operations including the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. As one of the longest-serving carriers in U.S. history, Midway represents the transition from World War II carrier warfare to the jet age.

The battleship USS Alabama (BB-60) was a South Dakota-class battleship that served with distinction during World War II. Commissioned in 1942, she operated primarily in the Pacific, escorting fast carrier task forces and providing powerful anti-aircraft defense against Japanese aircraft. After the war she was preserved as a museum ship in Mobile, Alabama.

The German submarine German submarine U-1231 was a long-range Type IXC/40 submarine built for extended patrols across the Atlantic. Commissioned in the final year of the war, she represented Germany’s attempt to continue long-distance submarine operations despite overwhelming Allied anti-submarine defenses. By the time she entered service, however, the strategic situation had shifted decisively against the German U-boat fleet.

The German submarine German submarine U-481 served in the Baltic Sea during World War II and is best known for her operations against Soviet naval forces. Commissioned in 1943, she operated primarily in northern waters where German submarines attempted to disrupt Soviet shipping and naval movements. Late in the war, U-481 participated in attacks against Soviet submarines and coastal targets as the naval conflict in the Baltic intensified.

Commissioned in 1924, Hermes was the Royal Navy’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier design and among the earliest carriers designed from the keel up for aviation operations. Smaller than later fleet carriers, she typically operated a compact air group of reconnaissance aircraft, fighters, and torpedo bombers while serving across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean during the interwar years. Her design introduced several important carrier features, including an island superstructure and integrated hangar deck layout that influenced later naval aviation ships. During the early stages of World War II she conducted patrol and convoy protection missions before being sunk by Japanese carrier aircraft during the Indian Ocean Raid in April 1942.

The destroyer USS Farragut (DDG-99) is a modern guided-missile destroyer named after Admiral David Farragut, the first admiral of the U.S. Navy. Commissioned in 2006, the ship carries advanced missile systems, naval guns, and helicopter support facilities, allowing it to conduct air defense, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine missions as part of U.S. carrier strike groups.

Commissioned in 1922 after conversion from the coal carrier USS Jupiter, Langley became the United States Navy’s first aircraft carrier and the experimental platform that introduced carrier aviation to the American fleet. Nicknamed the “Covered Wagon,” she featured a full-length wooden flight deck supported by a lattice structure above the original hull. During the 1920s the ship served as a floating laboratory where American pilots developed arresting gear systems, deck handling procedures, and carrier strike tactics that later shaped U.S. naval aviation. With the arrival of larger fleet carriers, Langley was converted to a seaplane tender in 1937 and ultimately lost in February 1942 while attempting to deliver fighter aircraft to Allied forces in the Dutch East Indies.

The destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) is named in honor of Marine Sergeant Rafael Peralta, who was killed during the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004 while shielding fellow Marines from a grenade. Commissioned in 2017, the ship is a modern Arleigh Burke-class destroyer equipped with advanced missile systems and radar designed for air defense, strike missions, and anti-submarine warfare.

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