USS Hornet (CV-8) was a 19,800-ton Yorktown class aircraft carrier built at Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on December 14, 1940 and commissioned on October 20, 1941. She then spent the next four months on her shakedown cruise in the Atlantic. In March 1942, she was immediately employed on the Doolittle raid.

On April 18, 1942, Hornet launched 16 Army B-25 bombers to attack Japan, causing relatively little damage but enormous strategic implications. On April 30, she was sent to the South Pacific to reinforce US units there following the Battle of Coral Sea. By the time Hornet reached her destination, the battle was over. From June 4 to 6, she took part in the Battle of Midway, during which her planes helped sink the Japanese cruiser Mikuma.

In August 1942, Hornet returned to the South Pacific to join in the fight for Guadalcanal in the Solomons. Bomb damage to USS Enterprise, torpedo damage to USS Saratoga, and the loss of USS Wasp left Hornet the only operational US aircraft carrier available to oppose the Japanese in the area for much of September and October.

On October 24, 1942, Hornet joined Enterprise and headed east of the Santa Cruz Islands to intercept a Japanese strike force consisting of four carriers, four battleships, ten cruisers, thirty destroyers, and twelve submarines. On October 26, the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands took place without contact between surface ships of the opposing forces. Planes from Hornet severely damaged the carrier Shokaku and the cruiser Chikuma. Hornet, however, received hits from two kamikazes, seven bombs and two torpedoes. The next morning, she sank to under 16,000 feet of water off the Santa Cruz Islands.

At Maritime Modelworks, we bring ordinary wood models to life. Each museum quality USS Hornet ship model is created step-by-step meticulously. No machines are involved in the process; everything is made by hand. Skilled craftsmen chip away at a piece of mahogany until a ship appears, which is then sanded and puttied. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts are also added. Gifted artists paint on the colors and all details, no matter how big or small. Afterwards, clear lacquer is applied for protection. Each model ship is complemented with a handsome display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. Products are always double-checked before being delivered to customers in professionally-packaged double-lined boxes with high density foam.