
In 1942, with six out of seven American aircraft carriers sunk or damaged, President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the conversion of nine light cruisers into light aircraft carriers. The first, USS Independence (CVL-22) joined the Pacific Fleet in 1943. Eight more followed that year. Participating in every campaign for the rest of the war, the Independence class carriers contributed much to the defeat of Japan, earning 81 battle stars during World War II. One, USS Princeton (CVL-23) was the last American carrier sunk in combat.
After the war, they continued serving the nation. One was expended in atomic bomb tests at Bikini in 1946; one went to combat in Korea; and three served with foreign navies. A new light carrier design, the Saipan class, entered service after the war.
Since 2002, MFA Productions LLC has interviewed over 125 veterans of ten out of the eleven light carriers all over the world. Plans are underway for a nine part, nine hour miniseries on the fantastic accomplishments of the light carriers and their crews, and the complete story of the engineering marvels it took to take half-built gun cruisers and turn them into aviation platforms.
MFA Productions LLC is currently looking for an experienced television producer with experience with PBS, the History Channel or Discovery Networks to assist with the completion of the Nine Sisters miniseries.
The Nine Sisters website is being updated with clips from all of the interviews with the veterans.
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