User blog comment:AdvisorSmith/Ye Olde WWII Aircraft Carrier Discussions Blog/@comment-10905876-20160213035010

While she may not have had the biggest air wing or the best armor, gotta mention the USS Enterprise CV-6. Surviving the whole war in the Pacific Theater, even being the USN's sole carrier in said theater at one point, is an impressive feat that no other American carrier can lay claim to.

As for best design of the war, it's the Essex hands down. Massive offensive power, along with the sheer number of ships built.