class aircraft carrier class aircraft carriers built imperial_japanese_navy world war ships class originally laid luxury passenger liners acquired conversion aircraft carriers sister ship completed ship participated invasion following month ships participated battles late aircraft disembarked times land bases number battles torpedoed june november ships spent months repair spent time repairs training aircraft returning combat sunk gasoline explosion caused american torpedo hit battle philippine sea damaged bombs lacking aircraft transport late torpedoed december ship repair march repairs deemed effectively rest war ship deemed worth cost repair americans surrender japan september broken design description ships ordered fast luxury passenger liners late exchange building costs designed converted aircraft carriers facilitate process fitted double hull additional fuel oil capacity provisions fitting additional transverse longitudinal bulkheads installation longitudinal bulkhead separate turbine rooms strengthened main deck height decks superstructure passenger accommodations facilitate installation aircraft elevators space additional installation bow addition aviation gasoline storage tanks fore aft machinery spaces interested maximum speed knots mph save fuel navy wanted maximum speed knots mph compromised limiting performance turbines maximum power peacetime ships length meters overall beam meters draft meters displaced metric tons long tons standard load crew ranged officers enlisted men ships fitted geared steam turbine sets total shaft horsepower driving meter propeller steam provided water tube boilers drum boilers operated pressure cm2 kpa psi temperature boilers machinery designed merchant service times heavier purpose built aircraft carrier ships designed speed knots exceeded small margins sea trials carried metric tons long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph flight deck arrangements flight deck meters long maximum width meters large island fitted starboard time japanese carrier integrated ship funnel angled help exhaust interfering flight operations ships designed superimposed approximately meters long meters wide meters high hangar subdivided fire fitted fire fighting foam served square elevators rounded corners meters elevators maximum capacity kilograms took seconds lower hangar flight deck ships fitted electrically operated type model arresting gear cables mounted type crash aircraft catapult fitted ships mounted crane port flight deck aft rear elevator collapsed flush flight deck air group originally intended consist fighters plus storage dive bombers additional reserve kate torpedo bombers revised substitute dozen fighters plus storage time ship commissioned result lessons learned june ships 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 ships double hull plates steel thick protected sides ships machinery spaces aviation gasoline tanks magazines protected layer steel addition machinery spaces subdivided transverse longitudinal bulkheads limit flooding primary armament consisted dozen 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 triple 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 triple mounts added triple mounts late early mounts mounted stern placed island dozen single mounts added portable mounted tie points flight deck battle philippine sea june anti aircraft armament reinforced triple mounts twin mounts single mounts type gun guns supplemented round rocket launchers centimeter rocket weighed kilograms maximum velocity maximum range meters october total barrels triple mounts twin mounts single mounts type high angle fire control directors ship fitted control type guns director mounted meter rangefinder commissioned fitted directors added later type directors controlled guns pair added early early warning provided type model air search radars mounted island mid- late ship added system fitted port hull rear elevator smaller type mark model air search radar added ships service history ships purchased february price armament aircraft cost additional cost convert ships grand total temporarily referred ship ship respectively conversions secret initially classified auxiliary aircraft carrier following loss japanese fleet carriers redesignated regular carrier july completed loss carriers received designation beginning despite launched days pair commissioned assigned fourth carrier division 1st ship tasked support invasion thrust support attack midway carried operation ship launched dawn june accomplished little operation losing aircraft causes aircraft shot american aircraft arrival october sisters assigned begin operations american forces area october carriers reached vicinity aircraft discovered resupply convoy escorted destroyer meredith aircraft attacked sank destroyer day found small seaplane tender barges dive bombers sisters blew ship stern failed sink carriers intended play prominent role japanese effort retake assigned operation aircraft supposed provide air cover japanese night attack retook henderson field flown ashore machinery problems caused return aircraft transferred sister departed late october took time air group consisted aircraft hits carrier battleship light cruiser san_juan inflicted little substantial damage torpedo hit force americans abandon effort repair time remaining aircraft flew october provided air cover japanese forces detachment air group transferred november participated naval battle later month aircraft remained flew november detachment ferried japan december mid november tasked provide air cover convoy bringing reinforcements japanese forces day long naval battle ship fighters unable seven transports sunk remaining transports damaged december january carrier covered convoys brought reinforcements new_guinea air group based days protect forces returning january ship covered evacuation forces early february returned japan december followed february ships returned late march air groups detached early april participate operation land based aerial offensive allied bases new_guinea ships returned japan late sailed june torpedoed evening forced return port repairs fighters flown july assigned light carrier ship repair september air group deployed july response american invasion june leaving aircraft carrier returned japan late july ferried aircraft singapore mid august troops equipment following month november hit torpedo damage light disabled rudder ship repair refit february air groups carriers singapore november aircraft transferred december end december reaching january survivors february air group disbanded departed japan singapore november arrived december immediately assigned duties aircraft ferry january ship returned japan meantime carrier air groups air group assigned carrier division assigned 2nd carrier division march air group priority rebuilt model model hand april authorized fighters dive bombers torpedo bombers ships 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 ships carriers launched multiple air strikes american ships generally failed locate inflict damage losing aircraft 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 hit bombs near island ship badly damaged damage stop flight operations claimed fighters torpedo bombers shot lost aircraft plus ditch end battle air group consisted disbanded july remaining personnel assigned repairs ship remained aircraft october tasked transport material borneo november attacked submarine escorting destroyer deliberately sacrificed torpedoes sank survivors returning manila attacked submarines early morning december hit torpedoes able proceed engine reached following day began repairs december repairs abandoned march lack materials ship moved dock april efforts camouflage ship began april reclassified guard ship june armament ordered removed august ship surrendered allies september american technical team evaluated ship condition october deemed total loss stricken navy list november scrapped june august list ships second world war list ship classes second world war
Hiyō-class aircraft carrier