Langley

Overview

Langley is a ship girl from Kantai Collection, representing the sixth ship of the American Independence-class light aircraft carriers. Constructed on a light cruiser hull, she proudly distinguishes herself from the earlier converted collier CV-1 Langley. Energetic and approachable, she stands out among American light carriers, introducing versatile tactical options to fleet compositions while maintaining a lively demeanor filled with mixed-language speech.

Appearance

She has purplish medium-length hair held by small blue ribbons on the sides, paired with blue eyes and a crown-like headband. Her outfit includes a short sleeveless white top styled with a sailor collar, a light blue necktie, and an exposed midriff. She wears a black pencil skirt featuring a side slit and her hull number CVL-27, secured with a light blue belt adorned with an anchor accessory. Her attire is completed by black fingerless gloves and black thigh-high socks with garter straps and rudder-propeller elements. Her waist-mounted mechanical arms hold a split flight deck, with machinery and funnels mounted on her back. She carries a shotgun-style aircraft launcher with attached ammunition and a bayonet. Upon her Kai upgrade, white angel wings appear at her waist and the bayonet is fixed to her firearm.

Personality

Langley is animated, highly energetic, and speaks with a confident, tomboyish tone while frequently incorporating English expressions. Highly approachable, she speaks casually to the Admiral and takes pride in her accomplishments, though she shows slight sensitivity regarding her compact size compared to larger fleet units. She is attentive to daily routines, happily preparing scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. Confident in combat scenarios, she shows a spunky side that does not back down easily when challenged by others.

Abilities

In battle, Langley operates as a fast-type escort carrier, providing built-in anti-submarine capabilities and a medium attack range even prior to remodeling. She uses her custom shotgun launcher to deploy aircraft efficiently. Upon remodeling, her hangar capacity increases significantly to 45 aircraft across four equipment slots, while her upgraded launcher gains a bayonet for versatile combat responsiveness.

Background

Laid down originally as a Cleveland-class light cruiser, her design was converted into an Independence-class light aircraft carrier during construction. She served extensively throughout the Pacific Theater during World War II. Following the war's conclusion, she was transferred to the French Navy, where she served under the name La Fayette, completing a long and eventful career across two nations.

Relationships

She shares a close friendship with her fellow American carriers, such as Saratoga and Intrepid, frequently sharing meals with them. Conversely, her encounters with Zuikaku often lead to comical friction over turkey meals, prompting Langley to eagerly prepare for counter-strikes. She also acknowledges other capital ships like Yamato and holds connections to French vessels like Richelieu due to her post-war service history.

Trivia

Her crown-shaped headband design references the working name Crown Point, used during her early construction phase. Due to sharing her name with the original CV-1 Langley—which was converted from a collier—her dialogue explicitly emphasizes her origin as a converted modern light cruiser.