El portaviones de escolta o portaviones escolta, también llamado en inglés jeep carrier o baby flattop, era un tipo de portaviones más pequeño y lento que el portaviones convencional usado por la Royal Navy, la Armada Imperial Japonesa y la Armada de Estados Unidos en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Tenían la mitad de longitud y un tercio del desplazamiento que un portaviones de flota. A pesar de que eran más lentos, menos armados, con menos blindaje y cargaban menos aviones, tenían la ventaja de ser más baratos y rápidos de construir. Esto posibilitaba la construcción de gran cantidad de ellos cuando era necesario construir un gran número de barcos. La falta de protección hacía a los portaviones de escolta particularmente vulnerables y muchos fueron hundidos con una gran pérdida de vidas humanas. Los portaviones ligeros fueron un concepto similar en muchos aspectos, sin embargo éstos alcanzaban velocidades mayores para ser desplegados en flotas de portaviones. Generalmente construidos en un principio como barcos mercantes, los portaviones de escolta eran demasiado lentos para incluirlos en una flota con acorazados, portaviones de flota y cruceros. En vez de eso, se usaban más para escoltar convoyes, defendiéndolos de los ataques enemigos de submarinos y aviones. En las invasiones de Europa continental y las islas del Pacífico, los portaviones de escolta proporcionaron apoyo aéreo a las fuerzas en superficie durante las operaciones anfibias. Los portaviones de escolta también sirvieron para transportar aviones entre las distintas flotas y dar apoyo logístico a éstas. En la Batalla del Atlántico los portaviones de escolta fueron utilizados para proteger a los convoyes contra los U-boat. Inicialmente los portaviones de escolta acompañaron a los barcos mercantes y repelieron ataques de aviones y submarinos. Más tarde en la guerra, los portaviones de escolta se convirtieron en parte de los grupos de caza contra submarinos alemanes. En el escenario del Pacífico, proporcionaron apoyo aéreo y a las tropas de tierra en la Batalla del Golfo de Leyte. Aunque carecían de la velocidad y las armas para contraatacar flotas enemigas, fueron capaces de ayudar a la protección de la Fast Carrier Task Force.

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The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the United States Navy in World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers. While they were slower, carried fewer planes and were less well armed and armored, escort carriers were cheaper and could be built quickly, which was their principal advantage. Escort carriers could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier (hull classification symbol CVL) was a similar concept to escort carriers in most respects, but were capable of higher speeds to allow operation alongside fleet carriers. Most often built on a commercial ship hull, escort carriers were too slow to keep up with the main forces consisting of fleet carriers, battleships, and cruisers. Instead, they were used to escort convoys, defending them from enemy threats such as submarines and planes. In the invasions of mainland Europe and Pacific islands, escort carriers provided air support to ground forces during amphibious operations. Escort carriers also served as backup aircraft transports for fleet carriers and ferried aircraft of all military services to points of delivery. In the Battle of the Atlantic, escort carriers were used to protect convoys against U-boats. Initially escort carriers accompanied the merchant ships and helped to fend off attacks from aircraft and submarines. As numbers increased later in the war, escort carriers also formed part of hunter-killer groups that sought out submarines instead of being attached to a particular convoy. In the Pacific theater, CVEs provided air support of ground troops in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. They lacked the speed and weapons to counter enemy fleets, relying on the protection of a Fast Carrier Task Force. However, at the Battle off Samar, one U.S. task force of escort carriers managed to successfully defend itself against a much larger Japanese force of battleships and cruisers. The Japanese met a furious defense of carrier aircraft, screening destroyers, and destroyer escorts, proving that CVEs could appear to have the same striking power as full CVs. Of the 151 aircraft carriers built in the U.S. during World War II, 122 were escort carriers. Though no examples survive to this day, the Casablanca class holds the distinction of being the most numerous single class of aircraft carrier ever built, with 50 having been launched. The Bogue class comes in a close second, with 45 launched.

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