The
escort carrier or
escort aircraft carrier (
hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the
United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the
Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of
aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the
Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the United States Navy in
World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger
fleet carriers. While they were slower, carried fewer planes and were less well armed and armored, escort carriers were cheaper and could be built quickly, which was their principal advantage. Escort carriers could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable and several were sunk with great loss of life. The
light carrier (hull classification symbol CVL) was a similar concept to escort carriers in most respects, but were capable of higher speeds to allow operation alongside fleet carriers.