japanese aircraft carrier phoenix fortunate phoenix light aircraft carrier imperial_japanese_navy originally laid submarine support ship renamed converted construction aircraft carrier ship completed year world war participated operations played secondary role battle midway engage american aircraft ships battle ship participated rest lightly damaged battle santa islands campaign covered evacuation japanese forces island early repairs aircraft disembarked times mid- land bases number battles participated battles battle mainly served main striking forces finally sunk american aircraft fulfilling task engagements ship served ferry carrier training ship design conversion submarine support ship laid june naval arsenal designed converted fleet light aircraft carrier needed launched june began lengthy conversion carrier fitting ship renamed process completed december commissioned conversion length meters overall beam meters draft meters displaced tonnes long tons standard load conversion original diesel engines given speed knots mph replaced pair destroyer type geared steam turbine sets total shaft horsepower driving propeller steam provided water tube boilers maximum speed knots mph boilers exhausted single starboard funnel carried tonnes long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles speed knots mph crew numbered officers men flight deck meters long maximum width meters ship designed single hangar meters long meters wide hangar served octagonal centerline aircraft elevators forward elevator meters size smaller rear elevator measured meters arresting gear cables fitted aircraft catapult flush deck design lacked island superstructure designed operate aircraft ship primary armament consisted caliber type anti aircraft guns twin mounts sides hull initially equipped twin type light guns sides hull light armament increased guns following year additional guns added addition round rocket launchers service commissioning remained japanese waters late captain assumed command september flagship days later october briefly assigned 11th air fleet arrived following day ship returned japan early november given brief refit later month carrier battleships covered return ships 1st returned attack pearl harbor mid december february ship ferried fighters philippines remained japanese waters june participated led engage american carriers directly aircraft complement consisted zero fighters kate torpedo bombers brief refit july august ship assigned august division sailed october support japanese forces left october based promise capture henderson field time carried japanese american carrier forces discovered early morning october battle santa islands launched air strikes aircraft passed route attacked aircraft launched aircraft carrier uss enterprise shot fighters torpedo bombers damaged type losing enterprise dive bombers hit pound bombs damaged flight deck conduct flight operations seriously damaged damaged ship withdrew battle reached days later temporary repairs carriers returned japan early november repairs completed december meantime captain assumed command ship left january sailed load aircraft arrival assigned provide cover evacuation later month early february fighters transferred new_guinea mid february early march transferred mid march participate operation land based aerial offensive allied bases new_guinea fighters returned march claiming allied aircraft shot arrived received brief refit mid june returned july remained area november returned air group briefly deployed late august early september returning time assigned sailed september training position intercept attacks american carriers vicinity area day american carriers raided gone time japanese reached september japanese intelligence reports pointed american attack wake marshall islands area mid october admiral sortied combined fleet including october arrived days later waited reports american activity october sailed returned october encountering american ships air group transferred beginning november time participate raid days later fighters claimed shot american aircraft cost survivors flew remained november escort carriers departed japan escorted destroyers americans cracked japanese naval codes positioned submarines route unsuccessfully attacked november torpedoed sank days later heavy loss life december ferried aircraft supplies guam reassigned january converted carriers carriers intended equipped fighters torpedo bombers plan changed february consolidated air group controlled aircraft carriers fully equipped zero fighters zero fighter bombers torpedo bombers air group pilots largely drawn recent classes lacked experience ship sailed philippines new base closer oil wells borneo navy relied western caroline islands japanese expected american attack location lacked airfield train green pilots american submarines active vicinity restricted ships anchorage battle philippine sea 1st mobile fleet route central philippines june intended practice carrier operations area better protected submarines vice admiral learned american attack previous day reaching fleet sortied spotted task force june americans failed locate ships day japanese turned south maintain constant distance american carriers decided launching air strikes early following morning deployed forces shaped formation end stem nautical miles ahead 1st 2nd carrier divisions formed intended draw americans carriers conducted air strikes disruption sixteen launched heavy cruisers accompanying carriers search americans carriers launched follow wave wave spotted group carriers task force japanese carriers launched aircraft hour later consisted zero fighter bombers escorted fighters carriers retained fighters fighter bombers self defense later searches air strike forming second wave located task force battleships air strike diverted attack americans detected incoming japanese aircraft total fighters air time japanese aircraft range american ships defending fighters japanese aircraft survived damage inflicted hit battleship superstructure single kilogram bomb wounded crewmen little damage lost affair japanese claimed victories surviving japanese aircraft landed guam including surviving returned carriers claimed carrier definitely damaged probably hit dusk japanese turned away northwest refuel americans turned west close distance sides launched aircraft day locate launched aircraft search east fleet discover americans americans discovered retiring japanese fleet afternoon vice admiral ordered air strike launched sank carrier damaged attacked successfully evening end battle reduced zero fighters zero fighter bombers torpedo bombers reaching japan july ship remained japanese waters october training replacements air group battle battle philippine sea commander admiral prepared victory plans major naval operation philippines intended defend southern responses attacks respectively activated americans attacked philippines beginning october required transfer attack american forces aircraft retained carrier operations aircraft lost little gain americans suppressed japanese defenses philippines preparatory actual invasion october admiral alerted fleet imminent activated plan following day receiving reports landings role rest 1st mobile fleet approaching north serve attract attention away forces approaching south west forces converge gulf october left japan october carriers provided total aircraft zero fighters zero fighter bombers dive bombers torpedo bombers morning october range northernmost american carriers task force admiral ordered air strike launched attract attention americans accomplished little japanese aircraft failed penetrate past defending fighters survivors landed airfields americans preoccupied dealing japanese naval forces defending air attacks launched spare aircraft search japanese carriers afternoon finally found admiral commander task force decided late day mount effective strike turn ships north position dawn attack japanese carriers day came called aircraft light carrier independence able track japanese ships night ordered air strike fighters dive bombers torpedo bombers launched shortly dawn anticipation locating japanese fleet spotted brushed aside japanese retained self defense attempted launch remaining aircraft hit single bomb aft flight deck number torpedo carrying missed pound bomb started small fires lifted rear elevator flight deck knocked steering gave ship small list port minutes later fires steering repaired list corrected second attack hour later focused ignored wave arrived badly damaged ship hit torpedo twice small bombs fragments near misses cut steam pipes caused flooding engine rooms boiler room forced reduce speed knots mph flooding increased available hands ordered man pumps ship took list starboard went dead water port engine room fully flooded fourth wave american aircraft attacked minutes later damaged splinters near misses increase list ordered abandoned sank position loss officers men destroyer battleship rescued officers men
Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō