japanese aircraft carrier japanese aircraft carrier lead ship class fleet aircraft carriers built imperial_japanese_navy world war commissioned fuel shortages limited use japanese waters impending american invasion caused order transport aircraft supplies philippines december ship torpedoed sunk american submarine uss voyage design description purpose built japanese carrier construction world war group vessels based improved design individual units differing detail reflecting changing circumstances conflict pacific approached conclusion ordered provisional ship class aircraft carriers planned completed end war length meters overall beam meters draft meters displaced metric tons long tons crew consisted officers men ship turbines boilers heavy cruiser consisted geared steam turbine sets total shaft horsepower driving shaft steam provided water tube boilers ship designed speed knots mph carried metric tons long tons fuel oil gave range nautical miles knots mph funnels starboard angled horizontal fitted water cooling system reduce caused hot exhaust gases flight deck arrangements flight deck meters long maximum width meters small island mounted forward starboard contained ship bridge air operations control center fitted small mast mounted ship radar ship designed superimposed served aircraft elevators meters center elevator deleted construction reduce stress hull elevators maximum capacity kilograms took seconds lower hangar flight deck fitted operated type arresting gear cables mounted type crash aircraft catapult fitted ship mounted retractable crane starboard flight deck aft rear elevator carried imp gal gal aviation gasoline aircraft ship air group originally intended consist zero fighters plus storage dive bombers plus reserve kate torpedo bombers plus accommodate aircraft planes planned permanently carried flight deck air group revised consist sam fighters storage dive bombers reconnaissance aircraft intended carried flight deck ship commissioned service air group consist reconnaissance version torpedo bombers time shortage carrier qualified ordered operate shore bases embarked air group armor armament sensors waterline armored belt millimeters thick machinery spaces increased millimeters magazines deck armor machinery millimeters thick armor magazines millimeters thick ship primary armament consisted dozen caliber type anti aircraft guns twin mounts ship sides initially equipped triple type single type gun mounts sides hull guns supplemented round rocket launchers shortly completion triple single mounts added defense submarines carrier fitted depth charge throwers carried depth charges type type fitted detect submarines type high angle fire control directors ship fitted control type guns director mounted meter rangefinder type directors controlled guns rocket launchers early warning provided type model air search radars mounted island retracted port flight deck elevators addition smaller type mark model early warning radars mounted mast island starboard aft retractable radio mast construction career laid naval arsenal august launched september commissioning august assigned underwent trials tokyo bay mid september transferred naval district numerous training runs december october november served briefly flagship vice admiral mobile fleet days later disbanded ship transferred later month embarked final voyage december thirty rocket planes loaded aboard transport manila philippines days later december hiroshima escorted destroyers overall command captain maiden sea voyage vain attempt reinforce garrison island prior allied landings december torpedoed sunk submarine uss fired torpedoes hit directly carrier bridge starboard hit stopped vessel dead water severed main steam line flooded boiler rooms started fires gave ship degree list carrier began underway torpedo struck starboard abreast forward elevator highly volatile forward aviation gasoline tanks resulting explosion caused planes stored lower hangar deck detonate essentially blew bow ship ship listed degrees quickly order abandon ship given degree list ship sank bow bed seven minutes position heavy officers crewmen passengers losing lives men survived rescued returned nagasaki december struck navy list february
Japanese aircraft carrier Unryū