USN CVL24 Belleau Wood [1943]

- Independence-class light aircraft carrier; converted from Cleveland-class light cruiser hulls, with blisters added to compensate for added top-side weight and improve stability. They were fast enough to operate with fleet carrier task forces and their airgroup usually consists of 25+ F6F fighters and ~9 torpedo bombers.
- total of 9 ships were completed in 1943; only CVL23 Princeton was sunk during the war, CVL22 Independence was used as a target ship for atomic bomb tests, CVL24 Belleau Wood and CVL26 Langley were transferred to the French Navy after WW2, CVL28 Cabot was transferred to Spain, while the rest were broken up for scrap 1960-1971

*aicraft crane arm and radar not part of the final miniature

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence-class_aircraft_carrier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence_(CVL-22)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Princeton_(CVL-23)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Belleau_Wood_(CVL-24)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cowpens_(CVL-25)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Monterey_(CVL-26)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Langley_(CVL-27)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cabot_(CVL-28)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Bataan_(CVL-29)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_San_Jacinto_(CVL-30)