|
History of Japanese aircraft carriers
between 1921 and 1945. Dedicated page to the aircraft carrier class with
short histories of each aircraft carrier including Hosho, Akagi, Kaga,
Ryujo, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, Zuiho, Ryuho, Junyo, Taiho, Chitose,
Chinano, Unryu, Ibuki, Taiyo, Kaiyo and Chinyo class carriers. |
| We have given short histories for all Japanese aircraft carriers completed.
If we have any extra information or photographs just click on name to view
the dedicated page for that aircraft carrier. Please note this aircraft
carrier section is under construction.
|
| Name |
Launch Date |
Fate |
| Wakamiya |
12th January 1905 |
Carried seaplanes until 1920 when she carried Sopwith
Pups. She was scrapped after April 1931. |
|
Hosho Class View Details
Displacement: 7,470 tons Speed: 25 Knots, Crew:
550 Armament: Four 5.5 inch guns single mounted. Eight
25mm AA and 21 aircraft.
|
| Hosho |
13th November 1921 |
Mainly used as a training ship she saw little action.
Scrapped in 1947. |
|
AKAGI View Class
|
| Akagi |
22nd April 1925 |
Scuttled on 5th June 1942 after taking heavy damage from
US bombers at Midway. |
|
KAGA View details
|
| Kaga |
17th November 1921 |
Sunk on 4th June 1942 after taking heavy damage from US
bombers at Midway. |
|
Ryujo View Details
|
| Ryujo |
2nd April 1931 |
sunk at the battle of the east Solomon
Seas by aircraft from the USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise on the 24th of August 1942. |
| SORYU.
Improved carrier with developments learned from the Ryojo designs. The
Soryu had many restrictions laid on it by the London Naval treaty.
|
| Soryu |
23rd December 1935 |
Sunk on 4th June 1942 at Midway after US bombs caused
fires which reached her fuel tanks. |
| |
| Ryuho |
16th November 1933 |
Mainly used as a training ship she saw little action.
Scrapped in 1946. |
| |
| Hiryu |
16th November 1937 |
Scuttled on 5th June 1942 after taking heavy damage from
US bombs at Midway. |
| Shokaku
Class
View Class |
| Shokaku |
1st June 1939 |
Survived Coral Sea and Santa Cruz battles but was
torpedoed and sunk on 19th June 1944 by the sub USS Cavalla. |
| Zuikaku |
27th November 1939 |
Sunk on 25th October 1944 by US bombers in the Leyte Gulf
operations. |
| Junyo
Class
View Class |
| Junyo |
26th June 1941 |
Scrapped in 1947. |
| Hiyo |
24th June 1941 |
Sunk on 20th June 1944 by torpedo from US aircraft in
Philippine Sea. |
| Chitose
Class |
| Chitose |
29th November 1936 |
Sunk on 25th October 1944 in Leyte Gulf actions. |
| Chiyoda |
19th November 1937 |
Sunk on 25th October 1944 in Leyte Gulf actions. |
| Unryu
Class |
| Unryu |
25th September 1943 |
Sunk on 19th December 1944 by the sub USS Redfish. |
| Amagi |
15th October 1943 |
Sunk on 24th July 1945 by US bombers. |
| Katsuragi |
19th January 1944 |
Scrapped in 1947. |
| |
| Taiho |
7th April 1943 |
Sunk on 16th June 1944 after a torpedo from the sub USS
Albacore. |
| |
| Shinano |
8th October 1944 |
Sunk on 29th November 1944 by the sub USS Archerfish. |
| Escort
Carriers |
| Taiyo
Class |
| Taiyo |
19th September 1940 |
Sunk on 18th August 1944 by torpedoes from the sub USS
Rasher. |
| Unyo |
31st October 1939 |
Sunk on 16th September 1944 by torpedoes from the sub USS
Barb. |
| Chuyo |
20th May 1939 |
Sunk on 4th December 1943 by torpedoes from the sub USS
Sailfish. |
| |
| Kaiyo |
9th December 1938 |
See Message Board |
| |
| Shinyo |
14th December 1934 |
Originally the passenger liner Scharnhorst, she was
converted in 1942/43. Sunk on 17th November 1944 torpedoes from the
sub USS Spadefish. |
| |
|
Naval Historians and Enthusiasts
Noticeboard
Photographs and information on historical events about Japanese aircraft
carriers requested for this website. If you have any information you
would like to send us including photographs of crew members serving on these carriers and also photographs of the ship please e-mail them to us
at: cranston@onetel.net
MESSAGES
KAIYO
Part
of the story of this carrier is the controversy about what actually happened
to it. Aircraft from the USS Saratoga were credited with damaging the ship
so severely that it was fit only to be scrapped, but this appears to have
been a politically motivated "cover-up". Kaiyo was actually
attacked and wrecked by aircraft of the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) whose
presence was resented by many in the American hierarchy who wanted the
defeat of the IJN to be an all-American affair. A notable exception to this
was Admiral Chester Nimitz. The actual situation was confirmed by photos
taken on a BPF PR sweep shortly after the attack on 24/7/45 and it is now
accepted by many historians as having been wrongly credited to a/c from the
USS Ticonderoga. Thanks to RB Lindsay for this
information.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE A MESSAGE EMAIL ME AT military@military-art.com |
