As built (1941) USS Long Island (AVG-1) had a 362' flight deck extending aft from the roof of the pilot house, leaving the forward boat deck uncovered. Since the original flight deck proved unsuccessful, on September 15, 1941 BuShips authorized Norfolk Navy Yard to extend it 77' forward, over the pilot house (compare to NS0300104).

USS Long Island (AVG-1) underway on 8 July 1941, with two F2A fighters parked at the forward end of her flight deck. Note flight deck markings: "LI". The ship is painted in Measure 1 camouflage, with heavy weathering of paint evident on the hull side.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-26567).

USS Long Island (AVG-1) (upper center) underway in company with USS Augusta (CA-31), in left front, off Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, in August 1941. Augusta had President Franklin D. Roosevelt embarked to witness Long Island's operations. Among the other ships present are USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37), partially visible at far right, and USS Meredith (DD-434), steaming astern of Long Island.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-13074).

Officers of Scouting Squadron 201 (VS-201) posing on the flight deck of USS Long Island (AVG-1), 10 September 1941. The squadron Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander William D. Anderson, is seated in the center of the front row. VS-201 was the Navy's pioneer "composite squadron", formed in early 1941 for service on Long Island.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-28406).

Undated. Note her flight deck has been extended forward. Her original flight deck proved unsuccessful and on 15 September 1941 BuShips authorized Norfolk Navy Yard to extend it 77' forward, over the pilot house (compare to NS0300130).

Commander Donald B. Duncan, USN, first Commanding Officer, USS Long Island (AVG-1) on his ship's flight deck, at Norfolk, Virginia, 26 October 1941. Note the temporary mast, with what appear to be portable rigging anchors resting on deck.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-28405).

USS Long Island (AVG-1) photographed in Measure 12 (Modified) camouflage, November 1941. Planes on her flight deck include seven Curtiss SOC-3A scout observation types and one Brewster F2A fighter.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives (# 19-N-27986).

Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull scout-observation plane, of Scouting Squadron 201 (VS-201) parked on the flight deck of USS Long Island (AVG-1), 16 December 1941. Note depth bomb carried below the plane's fuselage, and practice bomb rack below the port wing.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-413479-B).

View on the flight deck while operating in the vicinity of Argentia, Newfoundland, January 1942. This was the only time Long Island operated in such northern areas. Planes parked on the carrier's snowy flight deck, behind the palisade, are Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull types.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-13129).

View of the ship's masthead, with SC radar antenna and anemometer, 13 March 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-413462).

View on the hangar deck, looking aft over the elevator pit, 28 March 1942. Three Vought SB2U scout bombers are present, embarked for carrier qualifications. Note propellers on deck, and cowling removed from the SB2U at left. The plane in center is marked "S-75".

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-16967).

Lieutenant Commander Lex L. Black, Commanding Officer of squadron VGS-1, makes the ship's 2000th landing, 20 April 1942. He is flying a Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull scout-observation aircraft. Note lowered flaps and deployed leading edge slats on the upper wing.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-14256).

Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull scout-observation planes, of the carrier's embarked squadron, VGS-1, parked on the flight deck, 10 May 1942.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-14521).

Moored at Naval Air Station, North Island, California, on 2 June 1942, shortly before she sortied with Task Force ONE under Vice Admiral William S. Pye. Aircraft on deck include six Grumman F4F-4 fighters and three Curtiss SOC-3A of squadron VGS-1.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-31839).

Crewmen spotting a Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter on the ship's hangar deck, 17 June 1942. Several other F4F-4s are present, as are Curtiss SOC-3A Seagull scout-observation planes. All are from squadron VGS-1.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-14524).

A Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter on the catapult, ready for take-off, 17 June 1942. Several more F4F-4s are waiting their turn for launch. All planes are from squadron VGS-1. Note that Long Island's catapult runs diagonally across the flight deck, from starboard toward the port bow.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-14548).

USS Long Island (AVG-1) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on 17 July 1942, with at least eight SBD scout bombers and one TBF torpedo plane parked on her flight deck. She is painted in camouflage Measure 12 (Modified), and wears an unusual number on her bow: "751" (the significance of this number is not known).

Note she did not have an island structure. She was conned from a bridge located forward under the flight deck.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-73390).

A Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo fighter rests in the flight deck gallery walkway after suffering landing gear failure while landing on board USS Long Island (AVG-1), off Palmyra Island, 25 July 1942. This plane is from Marine Fighting Squadron 211 (VMF-211), the last Navy or Marine Corps unit to operate the F2A in a front-line capacity.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-12905).

See above. Note marking "MF-5" on the plane's fuselage and very weathered paint. The carrier's SC radar antenna is visible atop her stub mast at right.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-12906).

Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. View looking eastward from over Pearl City, with Ford Island in the middle of the view and Diamond Head in the distant center, 1 August 1942.

USS Long Island (CVE-1) and USS Hornet (CV-8) are moored along Ford Island's western side, protected by anti-torpedo nets. The capsized hull of USS Utah (AG-16), a victim of the 7 December 1941 Japanese air raid, is astern of Long Island.

Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation. Collection of The Honorable James V. Forrestal.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (# NH 83996).

A Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat fighter is lifted on board USS Long Island (ACV-1) from USS Kitty Hawk (APV-1), at Fila Harbor, New Hebrides, 28 August 1942. This plane was en route to Guadalcanal as part of the second group of U.S. Marine Corps planes to be based at Henderson Field. Note that the F4F's markings appear to have been taped over.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-73394).

A Grumman TBF-1 Avenger torpedo plane makes an arrested landing, probably during carrier qualifications in late 1942 or early 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-66735).

A North American SNJ-3 training plane (Bureau # 05470) preparing to take off, during pilot qualification operations off San Diego, California, 28 January 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-66744).

USS Long Island (ACV-1) underway with a mixed cargo of airplanes and stores on her flight deck, 25 May 1943. The planes include F4F, SBD and TBF types.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-83216).

Charger & Long Island-class . From U.S. Naval Ships & Aircraft (ONI 54-R), condensed and printed for FM 30-50, NAVAER 00-80V-57 (Recognition Pictorial Manual of Naval Vessels). Supplement 4 - 4 August 1943.

Photos show HMS Archer, HMS Biter and USS Charger.

As above. Top photos show USS Charger (BAVG-4/AVG/ACV/CVE-30).

USS Long Island (CVE-1) underway, circa 1944, location unknown. She is camouflaged in Measure 32 Design 9A.

Puget Sound, February 1944, camouflaged in Measure 32 Design 9A.

Photographed on 10 June 1944 by a plane from Naval Air Station, Alameda, California. She has 21 F6F fighters, 20 SBD scout bombers and two J2F utility planes parked on her flight deck. The ship is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 9A.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-236393).

"Escort Aircraft Carrier Long Island." (From a Russian publication).

This drawing shows Long Island in mid-1944, when she was used as an aircraft transport but still retained her arresting gear.

Personal letter from Commander Downes to Boatswain's Mate Louis Alonzo Harris, 1945.

Boatswain's Mate Louis Alonzo Harris (1925-1982).

Newspaper clip of Seven Seas, ex-USS Long Island, leaving New York for Bremerhaven, Germany in 1957. She is shown in full finery, inaugurating a new extended service that included calls at New York.

The passenger vessel Seven Seas, ex-USS Long Island, underway, date unknown. This picture was published in a Bremen Port promotion brochure in 1960.

Seven Seas, ex-USS Long Island, laid up in Bremerhaven, Germany, in late 1967 or early 1968, just prior to being handed over to her new Dutch owners, who used her as a floating hostel.