Today in 1942, the U.S.S. Wolverine, the Great Lakes’ first aircraft carrier, was commissioned in Buffalo, NY. Originally named the Seeandbee, the ship was repurposed by the Navy to train aviators in Lake Michigan. Alongside its sister ship, the Sable, the Wolverine played a crucial role in carrier landing training during World War II.
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On August 12, 1942, the U.S.S. Wolverine, the Great Lakes’ first aircraft carrier was commissioned in Buffalo, NY by the US Navy. Even though many Ann Arbor-ites fans may think the name is a fantastic choice, it’s arguably better than what the carrier was originally to be named. First known as Seeandbee and owned by The Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company, the owners went bankrupt in 1939. The Navy went on to purchase the ship in 1942. The Wolverine was then moved to Chicago and used on Lake Michigan to train student aviators in carrier landings and takeoffs. Fitted with a 550-foot-long flight deck, she began her mission in the great lakes in the next year. The Wolverine had a sister ship, the Sable. A report from MLive about the carriers and their mission says that both were used by the navy to train qualifying naval aviators, fresh out of operational flight training, in carrier landing techniques.