[4][5] The Casablanca class initially continued the US Navy's policy of naming escort carriers after bays and sounds, in this case the numerous inlets of the Alexander Archipelago that form the southeast coastline of Alaska, though several were subsequently renamed to carry on the US Navy's tradition of naming aircraft carriers after battles.

Those ships that appear to be named after islands, seas, straits or cities actually commemorated battles fought at those locations.

Unlike the larger Essex and Independence-class aircraft carriers, none were named to commemorate historical naval vessels.

The US naval authorities refused to approve construction of the Kaiser-built ships until Kaiser went directly to the President's advisers.

Kaiser produced the small carriers as rapidly as planned and resistance to their value quickly disappeared as they proved their usefulness defending convoys, providing air support for amphibious operations, and allowing fleet carriers to focus on offensive air-strike missions.

Unlike most other large warships since HMS Dreadnought, the Casablanca-class ships were equipped with uniflow reciprocating engines instead of steam turbines.

[8] Although designated as convoy escort carriers, the Casablanca class was far more frequently used in large fleet amphibious operations, where speed was less important and their small airgroups could combine to provide the effectiveness of a much larger ship.

Their desperate defense not only preserved most of their own ships, but succeeded in turning back the massive force with only their aircraft joined by aircraft from Taffy 1 and 2 comprised additional Casablanca-class carriers, machine guns, torpedoes, depth charges, high-explosive bombs, and their own 5-inch/38-caliber guns.

Tasked with ground support and antisubmarine patrols, they lacked the torpedoes and armor-piercing bombs to tackle a surface fleet alone.

One of these rounds may even have caused a large secondary explosion – probably from one of Chōkai's own torpedoes – on the starboard side that proved fatal to the heavy cruiser.

[9] Another noteworthy achievement of the Casablanca class was when USS Guadalcanal, under command of Captain Daniel V. Gallery, participated in the first capture-at-sea of a foreign warship by the US Navy since the War of 1812 when a crew of volunteers from USS Pillsbury boarded U-505 after Gallery's Guadalcanal-centered hunter-killer group forced it to the surface with depth charges.

Guadalcanal also earned the distinction of being the only aircraft carrier in history to conduct flight operations with a captured enemy vessel in tow.