The Panama Canal is a man-made 52-mile-long waterway through Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. When it opened in 1914, about 1,000 vessels transited the canal. By 2012, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through. In 2016, the waterway was expanded to allow larger vessels with more cargo. Here are five impressive pictures of massive U.S. naval vessels passing through the Panama Canal.
1. USS Saratoga (CV-3)
USS Saratoga (CV-3) transits the canal during the inter-war period (U.S. Navy)
2. USS Lexington (CV-2)
USS Lexington (CV-2) in one of the Panama Canal’s locks in March 1928 (U.S. Navy)
3. USS Boxer (CVS-21)
USS Boxer (CVS-21) passes through the canal in 1958 before she was redesignated as an experimental amphibious assault ship (LPH-4) in 1959. Note the personal vehicles carried on her flight deck (U.S. Navy)
3. USS Valley Forge (CV-45)
USS Valley Forge (CV-45) was one of the last aircraft carriers to transit the Panama Canal (U.S. Navy)
4. USS Missouri (BB-63)
USS Missouri (BB-63) had just 8 inches of clearance on either side (U.S. Navy)
5. USS New Jersey (BB-62)
USS New Jersey (BB-62) transits the Panama Canal in 1984 (USS New Jersey)
6. USNS Comfort (T-AH-20)
USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) passes through the Miraflores Lock (U.S. Navy)
