The USS Ranger was the first ship of the United States Navy to be designed and built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier. Ranger was a relatively small ship, closer in size and displacement to the first US carrier—Langley—than later ships. An island superstructure was not included in the original design, but was added after completion. Deemed too slow for use with the Pacific Fleet’s carrier task forces against Japan, the ship spent most of World War 2 in the Atlantic Ocean where the German fleet was a weaker opposition. Ranger saw combat in that theatre and provided air support for Operation Torch. In October 1943, she fought in Operation Leader, air attacks on German shipping off Norway. 

The Ranger was built between 1931-1934, she was in service from 1934 until 1946. She was armed with 8 × 5 in (127 mm)/25 calanti-aircraft guns 40 × .50 in (12.7 mm)machine guns. The Ranger could carry a maximum of 86 planes although normally carried 76. Her crew capacity was 216 officers and 2,245 enlisted men including embarked air group. With an average speed of 29.3 kn (33.7 mph; 54.3 km/h). In December 1941, she was returning to Norfolk from an ocean patrol extending to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Arriving in Norfolk on 8 December, she sailed on 21 December for patrol in the South Atlantic. She then entered the Norfolk Navy Yard for repairs on 21 March 1942. Ranger was one of 14 ships to receive the early RCA CXAM-1radar. Ranger served as flagship of Rear Admiral A. B. Cook, Commander, Carriers, Atlantic Fleet—until 6 April 1942, when he was relieved by Rear Admiral Ernest D. McWhorter, who also broke his flag in Ranger.

As the largest carrier in the Atlantic Fleet, Ranger led the task force that comprised herself and the four escort carriers. These provided air superiority during the amphibious invasion of Vichy-ruled French Morocco. On November 8th 1942, Allied landings in French North Africa (Operation Torch) began. Vichy French government forces attacked the Allied forces in defense of the neutrality of French Morocco, in what became known as the Naval Battle of Casablanca. On April 25th, 1943 German radio announced “Achtung! Achtung! We are proud to announce that a German submarine has sunk the United States aircraft carrier Ranger in the North Atlantic!” Following this broadcast, German news releases reported that Commander Otto von Bülow of the U-boat U-404, personally decorated by Adolf Hitler with Oak Leaves to the Knight´s Cross, had “in addition to torpedoing four steamers, caught and sank the American aircraft carrier Ranger.” The US Navy, concerned about the impact of the German announcement on families of Ranger crewmen, issued a denial of the German claim. Later she would be sent to Norway as part of operation leader. After that, the Ranger maintained transportation and training roles. she was sold for scrap to Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Chester, Pennsylvania on January 31st, 1947.