class aircraft carrier class group aircraft carriers built imperial_japanese_navy world war ships originally built submarine subsequently converted carriers completed early supported invasion forces operation invasion port new_guinea sunk american carrier aircraft combat operation japanese aircraft carrier sunk world war 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 late land bases number battles participated battle mainly served main striking forces finally sunk american aircraft fulfilling task engagements ship served ferry carrier training ship design construction conversion mid-1930s imperial_japanese_navy decided build class submarine converted light aircraft carriers fleet ship commissioned service construction second stopped soon launch completed aircraft carrier ship commissioned december early taken service converted aircraft carrier recommissioned early conversion ships length meters overall beam draft 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 ships carried tonnes long tons fuel oil giving range nautical miles speed knots mph crew numbered officers men flight deck long maximum width ships designed single hangar long wide hangar served octagonal centerline aircraft elevators forward elevator meters size smaller rear elevator measured meters ships arresting gear cables fitted aircraft catapult class carriers flush deck design lacked island superstructure designed operate aircraft primary armament consisted caliber type anti aircraft guns twin mounts sides hull fired kilogram projectiles rate rounds minute muzzle velocity provided maximum range meters maximum ceiling meters ships initially equipped twin type light guns sides hull fired kilogram projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range meters effective ceiling meters maximum effective rate fire rounds minute frequent need change round magazines light armament increased guns following year additional guns added addition round rocket launchers centimeter rocket weighed kilograms maximum velocity maximum range meters ships service commissioning remained japanese waters late flagship september carrier battleships covered return ships 1st returned attack pearl harbor mid december aside trip transport aircraft philippines remained japanese waters june fitting assigned fourth carrier division 1st air fleet december february ferried aircraft remained april returning late april assigned operation arrived april following day departed company heavy cruisers formed operation aircraft shortages aircraft complement consisted obsolete modern zero fighters plus kate torpedo bombers covering elements operation consisted fleet carriers battle coral sea covering landings headed north cover invasion convoy day present aircraft american carrier attacked japanese shipping air strike confirmed american carrier vicinity japanese idea location launched number reconnaissance aircraft following day search americans result aircraft spotted southwest far north attacked american carriers day rear admiral received ultra intelligence placed japanese carriers known involved operation near predicted date invasion predicted japanese carriers support invasion days based information planned complete ships closer eastern tip new_guinea position locate attack japanese forces american reconnaissance aircraft reported japanese heavy cruisers northeast eastern tip new_guinea carriers hour later ordered launched believing carriers reported lexington launched total dive bombers torpedo bombers escorted report turned pilot intended report heavy cruisers aircraft spotted escorts invasion convoy meantime latest spot report plotted nautical miles away report aircraft route diverted new target rest spotted aircraft lexington time combat air patrol cap consisted zero dive bomber attacks missed cap shot dropped bomb second squadron followed shortly hit twice pound bombs penetrated ship flight deck burst inside setting fueled armed aircraft fire minute later began dropping torpedoes sides ship hit times damage hits knocked steering power addition hits flooded engine boiler rooms aircraft delivered coup grace hits pound bombs addition torpedo hits attack lieutenant commander commander famous message american carriers scratch flat ordered abandoned sank minutes later men successfully abandoned ship await rescue remaining ships headed north high speed avoid destroyer returned scene rescued survivors rest crew died attack water awaiting rescue japanese aircraft carrier lost war 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 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 ship left january sailed load aircraft arrival assigned provide cover evacuation later month early february arrived received brief refit mid june returned july remained area november returned time assigned sailed september training position intercept attacks american carriers vicinity area day american carriers raided gone time japanese reached september 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 wave search aircraft 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 little damage american ships 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 japanese 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 americans attacked philippines beginning october japanese implemented plan defense areas required transfer attack american forces aircraft retained carrier operations aircraft lost little gain americans suppressed japanese defenses philippines preparatory actual invasion october admiral activated naval portion defense plan receiving reports landings role rest 1st mobile fleet approaching north serve attraction 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 american aircraft 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
Zuihō-class aircraft carrier