Pacific carriers

[Sonyme]

In the thirties the American Pacific fleet was based at Pearl Harbour Hawaii.
There were (I think) four aircraft carriers in this fleet, none of which were in Pearl Harbour when the Japanese attacked. What were the names of these carriers? Yorktown might have been one, and did any of them survive the war?, and am I right thinking that no Japanese carrier survived?

[dotty.]

Possibly USS Langley (CV-1) USS Melville (AD-2), USS Dobbin (AD-3) USS Whitney (AD-4) or USS Relief (AH-1), but that's just a vague guess

[dundurn]

Enterprise and Lexington were two for certain. Saratoga had been at Pearl, I think, but was back on the mainland for a refit.

I think the last of the big Japanese carriers were sunk at Midway. Certainly there were none available to support Iwo Jima.

[dundurn]

http://www.ww2pacific.com/japcv.html gives a list of Japanese carriers and their fates. There were quite a few which survived until 1944 but none of the big ones seem to have survived the War.

[Sonyme]

Thankyou for reply, Using Wikipaedia, Jeeves, Bing and google I think the four were Enterprise, Hornet,Yorktown and Lexington. Enterprise was the only survivor, but had returned to San Diego for extensive refit. I think Japan had 12 carriers at the star5t all oof which were lost. I have a grandson who often says "Dads only know football and grandades know everything.! and he has now got interested in the war in the Pacific, I think my next thing will be the order of the island conquests by the Americans.

[ABerrant]

USS Hornet (CV-8) was commissioned 20th October 1941 and didn't depart Norfolk, Virginia for the Pacific until 4th March 1942.

"Pacific Fleet" did not exist until the February 1941 reorganisation of the "Battle Force", based at Pearl Harbour since 1931. Battle Force started 1939 with a complement of 3 carriers; 1 departed in January and 2 replacements arrived in April, making 4; and again reduced to 3 in 1941 when Yorktown returned to the Atlantic.

USS Lexington (CV-2) commenced Pacific duty April 1928. She had departed Pearl for Midway two days before the attack.
USS Saratoga (CV-3) was in the Pacific from February 1928. She had just entered San Diego after an interim drydocking at Bremerton, Washington when the Japanese struck Pearl.
USS Ranger (CV-4) arrived in the Pacific April 1935 but resumed Atlantic duty January 1939.
USS Yorktown (CV-5) was in the Pacific from April 1939 but returned to Atlantic duty April 1941.
USS Enterprise (CV-6) also transferred to Pacific duty April 1939 and was en route from Wake Island when Pearl was attacked.

Saratoga, Enterprise, and Ranger were the only USN fleet aircraft carriers built before the war to survive and serve throughout the US involvement in WWII.