Upon commissioning, Forrestal was the largest warship in US Navy history.

USSForrestal(CVA-59) was the United States Navys first supercarrier, commissioned on October 1, 1955, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. She was the first carrier designed from the keel up to operate jet aircraft and nuclear weapons simultaneously, and the first to incorporate an angled flight deck and enclosed hurricane bow as original design features. At 59,900 tons of standard displacement and 1,039 feet overall, she was the largest warship the United States had built.Forrestalremained in service until 1993.

Presented here is an illustrated history of the ship, including nearly 200 photographs and tables. The images showForrestalunder construction and throughout her lengthy service in the Cold War. Detailed captions provide valuable context to the reader.[AuthorName]By David Doyle[/AuthorName][AuthorBio]David Doyle is an extensively published author of books on military vehicles. His personal collection of high-resolution scans of archival imagery is one of the largest in the world. He lives in Tennessee.[/AuthorBio][NumIllustration]190 color and b/w photos[/NumIllustration][CoAuthor][/CoAuthor][SubTitle]The US Navy’s First Supercarrier[/SubTitle][ColorPattern]190 color and b/w photos[/ColorPattern]