The first ship to bear the name “Wasp” was a schooner purchased by the Continental Congress and was part of the first fleet to set sail as part of the American Navy, 1775. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the name “Wasp” made an appearance on a variety of U.S. Navy vessels, sinking and capturing enemy ships, acting as a tender, and patrolling the oceans. In 1940, the eighth USS Wasp (CV 7), an aircraft carrier, was commissioned. She fought valiantly during WWII until three Japanese torpedoes sunk it in the Coral Sea during the Battle of Guadalcanal. After CV 7 sank, CVS 18, originally planned to be named Oriskany, was renamed Wasp during construction. The current Wasp is the tenth ship to bear the name, and was commissioned in 1989. Wasp serves as the first-in-class for the Navy’s amphibious assault ships, of which 7 remain.