Chitose class aircraft carrier - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The was a class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

of two seaplane tenders, later converted to light aircraft carrier

Light aircraft carrier

A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...

s, of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

during World War II. Under the terms of the Washington Treaty, the total tonnage of Japan's naval vessels was limited by class. The Chitose class carriers were designed as sea plane tenders to avoid adding to the total tonnage of Japanese carriers, with the design such that conversion to aircraft carriers in the event of war would be relatively easy. They served in the role of seaplane tender through the early part of Pacific war. After the battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

, the IJN had a shortage of aircraft carriers and it was decided to convert both ships to light aircraft carriers. Both ships participated in the battle of the Philippine Sea

Battle of the Philippine Sea

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...

and both were sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf

Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...

The Chitose

Japanese aircraft carrier Chitose

was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It should not be confused with the earlier cruiser of the same name. First laid down as a seaplane tender in 1934 at Kure Navy yard, the ship originally carried Kawanishi E7K Type 94 "Alf" and Nakajima E8N Type 95...

(千歳) and her sister ship the Chiyoda

Japanese aircraft carrier Chiyoda

was an Chitose class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was originally built as a seaplane carrier, before being converted to a light carrier from March to December 1943.She was damaged in the Battle of the Philippine Sea....

(千代田) both were laid down, launched, and completed as seaplane tenders prior to the outbreak of war with the United States. A year into the war it was decided to convert the two into light aircraft carrier

Light aircraft carrier

s. The Chitose underwent conversion at the Sasebo Naval Yards and was completed in New Years Day, 1944. The Chiyoda was completed approximately two months earlier at the Yokosuka Naval Yards. Both ships were outfitted with a single hangar and an additional 6 feet 7 inches were added to their beams. The added flight deck was serviced by two lifts.

Both the Chitose and the Chiyoda were sunk at the Battle of Cape Engano, which occurred during the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

's "Sho-Go" operation that produced the Battle of Leyte Gulf

Battle of Leyte Gulf

. In charge of the operation was Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, commander of the operation's northern force. Ozawa's was a desperate mission—provide an attractive target for U.S. Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet, hopefully pulling the powerful American "fast carriers" north so that Japanese surface ships could slip in and attack U.S. invasion forces off Leyte. His ships were not expected to survive their diversionary employment.

Among Ozawa's ships were the Chitose and the Chiyoda, which steamed south from Japan on 20 October 1944. With two other carriers in the group, they carried only 116 planes, much less than their normal capacity and nowhere close to a match for the aircraft of Halsey's task forces.

Despite their role as "bait", the Japanese carriers sighted Halsey first and launched a strike in the late morning of 24 October. This accomplished nothing, and only a few planes returned to the carriers, leaving them with less than thirty. The Japanese ships tried hard to be conspicuous, and U.S. aircraft finally spotted them in mid-afternoon. Admiral Halsey, believing that his aviators had driven the other Japanese forces away, headed north to attack.

At about 08:00 on the morning of 25 October, American carrier planes began a series of attacks and succeeded in sinking the Chitose. A second strike came in around 10:00. The Chiyoda was struck by four bombs and was slowed. She later was sunk by naval gunfire from a group of four cruisers and nine destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral DuBose that had been detached from Halsey's Third Fleet to sail north and engage the Japanese.

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