japanese aircraft carrier flying hawk class aircraft carrier imperial_japanese_navy begun ocean liner purchased conversion aircraft carrier completed shortly june participated october missed battle santa islands later month electrical generator fire aircraft disembarked times land bases number battles torpedoed spent months repair spent months training aircraft returning combat sunk gasoline explosion caused american torpedo hit battle philippine sea design description ship ordered fast luxury passenger liner late exchange building costs designed converted aircraft carrier length meters overall beam meters draft meters displaced tonnes long tons standard load crew ranged officers enlisted men ship fitted geared steam turbine sets total shaft horsepower driving meter propeller steam provided water tube boilers machinery designed merchant service times heavier aircraft carrier designed speed knots mph sea trials reached knots mph shp ship carried tonnes long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph flight deck arrangements flight deck meters long maximum width meters large island fitted starboard integrated time japanese carrier ship funnel angled help exhaust interfering flight operations ship designed superimposed approximately meters long meters wide meters high hangar subdivided fire fitted fire fighting foam served square aircraft elevators rounded corners meters elevators maximum capacity kilograms took seconds lower hangar flight deck fitted electrically operated type model arresting gear cables mounted type crash aircraft catapult fitted ship mounted crane port flight deck aft rear elevator collapsed flush flight deck ship air group originally intended consist fighters plus storage dive bombers plus reserve kate torpedo bombers revised substitute dozen fighters storage time ship commissioned result lessons learned june ship fighter complement strengthened aircraft reduced end year replaced equal number possible fit aircraft usually stored flight deck reduce decks armor armament sensors conversion ocean liner possible add armor ship double hull plates steel thick protected sides ship machinery spaces ship aviation gasoline tanks magazines protected layer steel addition machinery spaces subdivided transverse longitudinal bulkheads limit flooding ship primary armament consisted dozen caliber type anti aircraft guns twin mounts sides hull initially equipped triple type light guns sides hull early triple mounts added triple mounts late year mounts mounted stern placed island dozen single mounts added portable mounted tie points flight deck type high angle fire control directors ship fitted control type guns director mounted meter rangefinder type directors controlled guns pair added early early warning provided type model air search radars mounted island shortly completed july added later year system fitted port hull rear elevator smaller type mark model air search radar added service history keel laid november ship purchased february temporarily referred ship conversion secret launched june commissioned july ship assigned 1st commissioning rear admiral flagship august spending months working arrived sister october begin operations american forces area october carriers reached vicinity aircraft discovered resupply convoy escorted destroyer meredith sisters attacked sank destroyer day found small seaplane tender barges attacked blowing ship stern destroying barge sunk required months repairs carriers intended play prominent role japanese effort retake assigned operation aircraft supposed provide air cover japanese night attack retook henderson field flown ashore fire generator room occurred october reduced speed knots mph admiral transferred flag returned repairs aircraft transferred left remaining aircraft air group flown october provided air cover japanese forces detachment air group transferred november participated naval battle later month aircraft remained flew november detachment ferried japan december spent november time twice slightly damaged american air raids returning japan early december rejoined rest air group aside brief refit february march ship training sailed march air group consisted time detached early april participate operation land based aerial offensive allied bases new_guinea carrier lightly damaged bomb splinters april american air attack air group returned ship arrived japan case needed relieve japanese forces fighting flagship rear admiral sister departed june route later evening ship torpedoed submarine uss trigger hits starboard bow boiler room knocked power managed return japan following day restoring power fighters flown july assigned light carrier ship repair september november air group ship departed japan singapore november arrived december immediately assigned duties aircraft ferry december left singapore route deliveries way ship arrived december disembarked air group proceeding deliver aircraft air group transferred later provide air cover japanese operations returned japan january air group rejoined march albeit aircraft meantime carrier air groups air group assigned carrier division assigned 2nd carrier division air group priority rebuilt model model hand april authorized fighters dive bombers torpedo bombers ship conducted training aircraft 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 japanese 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 time consisted dive bombers torpedo bombers roughly evenly divided carriers command carriers began launching air strike bomb carrying seven escort aircraft failed find american ships dozen persisted search found american task groups bomb carrying escort zero shot defending fighters damage inflicted american ship second air strike escorting launched accompanied carriers given erroneous spot report unable find american ships aircraft headed airfields guam refuel remainder headed carriers bound spotted carriers wasp route failed inflict damage american ships losing anti aircraft fire radar spotted aircraft headed guam intercepted seven japanese aircraft survived encounter landed dusk japanese turned away northwest refuel americans turned west close distance discovered retiring japanese fleet afternoon following day vice admiral ordered air strike launched struck bombs detonated bridge killed wounded virtually seriously ship struck torpedo dropped knocked starboard engine room started fires able continue albeit slower speed hours later large explosion occurred leaking gasoline ignited knocked power ship fires control sank stern shortly men rescued escorting destroyers officers enlisted men died aboard carrier
Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyō