Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi
Encyclopedia
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy
built during World War II
. Named after Mount Amagi
, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and did not participate in any battles. The ship capsized in July 1945 after being hit multiple times during airstrike
s by American carrier aircraft on Kure Naval Base. Amagi was refloated in 1946 and scrapped
later that year.
of 1942. This was a massive naval construction program intended to replace losses suffered at the Battle of Midway
and focused on aircraft and aircraft carriers. The ship was one of 16 s planned, although only three were completed before the end of the war.
Amagi had a length of 227.35 metre overall. She had a beam
of 22 metre and, a draft of 8.73 metre. She displaced
20450 tonnes (20,127 LT). Her crew consisted of 1,595 officers and men.
The Unryū-class carriers used the same turbines and boilers as used in the . These consisted of four geared steam turbine
sets with a total of 152000 shp driving four shafts. Steam was provided by eight Kampon Type B water-tube boiler
s with a working pressure of 22 kgf/cm2 at 300 °C (572 °F). The ship had a designed speed of 34 knots (18.5 m/s). Amagi carried 3670 tonnes (3,612 LT) of fuel oil
which gave her a range of 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at 18 knots (9.8 m/s). She had two funnel
s on the starboard side, each angled below horizontal. They were fitted with a water-cooling system to reduce the turbulence caused by hot exhaust gases.
antenna
s. The ship was designed with two superimposed hangar
s that were served by two aircraft elevators, each 14 by; the center elevator as used in Hiryū was deleted to simplify construction and reduce stress in the hull. The elevators had a maximum capacity of 7000 kilograms (15,432.4 lb) and took 19 seconds to go from the lower hangar to the flight deck. Amagi was fitted with hydraulically operated Type 3 arresting gear
with nine cables. She also mounted three Type 3 crash barricades. No aircraft catapult
was fitted. The ship mounted a retractable crane
on the starboard side of the flight deck, just aft of the rear elevator.
The ship's air group was originally intended to consist of 12 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, plus three in storage, 27 Aichi D3A
Val dive bombers, plus three in reserve, and 18 Nakajima B5N
"Kate" torpedo bomber
s plus two in crates. Amagis hangars could not accommodate so many aircraft so eleven planes were planned to be permanently carried on the flight deck. In 1943 the air group was revised to consist of 18 Mitsubishi A7M
"Sam" fighters (+2 in storage), 27 Yokosuka D4Y
"Judy" dive bombers and six Nakajima C6N
"Myrt" reconnaissance aircraft
. Of these, the C6Ns were intended to be carried on the flight deck. When the ship commissioned in 1944, neither the A7M nor the C6Ns were yet in service, so the air group was reconfigured to consist of 27 Zeros, 12 D4Ys, three of which were to be the reconnaissance version, and nine Nakajima B6N
"Jill" torpedo bombers. By this time, however, the shortage of carrier-qualified aircrew was such that they were ordered to operate from shore bases and Amagi never embarked her air group.
armored belt
was 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) thick over her machinery spaces and 5.5 inches (14 cm) over her magazine
s. Her deck armor
above the magazines was 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) thick, but the deck above the magazines was 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) thick.
The ship's primary armament consisted of a dozen 40-caliber
12.7 cm Type 89
anti-aircraft
(AA) guns in twin mounts on sponson
s on the ship's sides. Amagi was initially equipped with 16 triple 25 mm Type 96 and three single AA gun mounts, most on sponsons along the sides of the hull. By the end of the war, the ship mounted 22 triple and 23 single mounts. These guns were supplemented by six 28-round AA rocket launchers. For defense against submarines, the carrier was fitted with six depth charge throwers and carried between six and ten depth charges for them.
Two Type 94 high-angle fire-control directors, one on each side of the ship, were fitted to control the Type 89 guns. Each director mounted a 4.5 metre rangefinder. Six Type 95 directors controlled the 25 mm guns and the 12 cm rocket launchers. Early warning was provided by two Type 2, Mark 2, Model 1 air search radar
s. One of these was mounted on the top of the island while the other retracted into the port side of the flight deck, between the two elevators. In addition, Amagi had two smaller Type 3, Mark 1, Model 3 air search radars, one mounted on the tripod mast on the island and the other on the aft starboard retractable radio mast.
Amagis keel
was laid down by Mitsubishi
in Nagasaki, on 1 October 1942. She was launched
on 15 October 1943 and completed on 10 August 1944. The ship was transferred among a number of ports on the Inland Sea until she arrived in Kure in February 1945 and she was ordered to be camouflaged. Her intended air group, Air Group 601, was committed to the Battle of Iwo Jima
about that same time. Amagi was briefly refitted from 10 to 24 February. On 19 March, the ship was attacked by aircraft from Task Force 58 and lightly damaged by one bomb that struck the edge of the flight deck. On 13 April, the ship was permanently moored at an island in Kure harbor and extensively camouflaged.
This did not prevent the aircraft from Task Force 38 from locating and attacking the ship on 24 July. She was hit twice and near-missed multiple times. A 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bomb detonated near the rear funnel, severely damaging it, but doing little other damage aside from blowing a small hole in the starboard hull. A 2000 pounds (907.2 kg) bomb penetrated the flight deck and detonated in the upper hangar, between the elevators. The explosion blew a 50 metres (164 ft) section of a hangar wall overboard and the walls of the upper hangar deck were bulged and perforated multiple times. The flight deck between the elevators was bulged up and buckled for a length of 200 feet (61 m) and the forward elevator was dropped to the bottom of its shaft. It also blew a 25 feet (7.6 m) hole in the upper hangar deck. Fragments from the explosion penetrated into the bowels of the ship, penetrating bulkhead
s and decks below. Fragments from near-misses penetrated the sides of the port hull and caused the forward bomb magazine, two boiler rooms, and the aft port engine room to flood.
The captain
ordered the ship abandoned later in the day, and the carrier was still afloat in the evening, albeit with a slight list to port and down by the bow. Over the next couple of days, more compartments in the ship flooded and she settled on the bottom of the harbor. Another attack on 28 July hit her several more times and the resulting damage from those hits and more near-misses to port caused the ship to list further to port. This gradually increased through the next day until Amagi capsized at 10:00 on the morning of 29 July with part of her flight deck falling overboard. The losses among the ship's crew are unknown, but were supposedly light.
The ship was stricken from the Navy List
on 30 November and salvage
work began on 5 December. The holes in the ship's hull had to be sealed to pump the water out and decrease her draft. The remains of her flight deck and upper hangar could not be made watertight and were removed using dynamite
. Pontoons were used to right the ship and she was refloated on 31 July 1946. The salvage job was conducted by the Hitachi Zosen facility in Kure and they scrapped the ship afterward. The job was completed by 12 December 1947.
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...
built during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Named after Mount Amagi
Mount Amagi
is a range of volcanic mountains in central Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, forming the border between Izu City and Higashi-Izu Town. It is also referred to as the ....
, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and did not participate in any battles. The ship capsized in July 1945 after being hit multiple times during airstrike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
s by American carrier aircraft on Kure Naval Base. Amagi was refloated in 1946 and scrapped
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
later that year.
Design and description
The ultimate expression of Japanese carrier construction during World War II was a group of vessels based on an improved design, but with individual units differing in detail reflecting the changing circumstances as the conflict in the Pacific approached its conclusion. Amagi was ordered, under the provisional name of #5001, as part of the Kai-Maru 5 ProgramModified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1942)
The was one of the wartime armaments expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy .-Background:In September 1942, after being defeated in the Battle of Midway, the IJN drew up a new armaments expansion plan. This plan was combined by the 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and the 6th Naval...
of 1942. This was a massive naval construction program intended to replace losses suffered at 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...
and focused on aircraft and aircraft carriers. The ship was one of 16 s planned, although only three were completed before the end of the war.
Amagi had a length of 227.35 metre overall. She had a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 22 metre and, a draft of 8.73 metre. She displaced
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
20450 tonnes (20,127 LT). Her crew consisted of 1,595 officers and men.
The Unryū-class carriers used the same turbines and boilers as used in the . These consisted of four geared steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
sets with a total of 152000 shp driving four shafts. Steam was provided by eight Kampon Type B water-tube boiler
Water-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
s with a working pressure of 22 kgf/cm2 at 300 °C (572 °F). The ship had a designed speed of 34 knots (18.5 m/s). Amagi carried 3670 tonnes (3,612 LT) of fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
which gave her a range of 8000 nautical miles (14,816 km) at 18 knots (9.8 m/s). She had two funnel
Funnel (ship)
A funnel is the smokestack or chimney on a ship used to expel boiler steam and smoke or engine exhaust. They can also be known in as stacks.-Purpose:...
s on the starboard side, each angled below horizontal. They were fitted with a water-cooling system to reduce the turbulence caused by hot exhaust gases.
Flight deck arrangements
Amagis flight deck was 216.9 metre long and had a maximum width of 27 metre. A small island was mounted well forward on the starboard side and contained the ship's bridge and air operations control center. It was fitted with a small tripod mast that mounted one of the ship's radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
s. The ship was designed with two superimposed hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s that were served by two aircraft elevators, each 14 by; the center elevator as used in Hiryū was deleted to simplify construction and reduce stress in the hull. The elevators had a maximum capacity of 7000 kilograms (15,432.4 lb) and took 19 seconds to go from the lower hangar to the flight deck. Amagi was fitted with hydraulically operated Type 3 arresting gear
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
with nine cables. She also mounted three Type 3 crash barricades. No aircraft catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
was fitted. The ship mounted a retractable crane
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
on the starboard side of the flight deck, just aft of the rear elevator.
The ship's air group was originally intended to consist of 12 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, plus three in storage, 27 Aichi D3A
Aichi D3A
The , Allied reporting name "Val") was a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It was the primary dive bomber in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and participated in almost all actions, including Pearl Harbor....
Val dive bombers, plus three in reserve, and 18 Nakajima B5N
Nakajima B5N
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgwater, H.C. and Peter Scott. Combat Colours Number 4: Pearl Harbor and Beyond, December 1941 to May 1942. Luton, Bedfordshire, UK: Guideline Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-9539040-6-7....
"Kate" torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s plus two in crates. Amagis hangars could not accommodate so many aircraft so eleven planes were planned to be permanently carried on the flight deck. In 1943 the air group was revised to consist of 18 Mitsubishi A7M
Mitsubishi A7M
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
"Sam" fighters (+2 in storage), 27 Yokosuka D4Y
Yokosuka D4Y
The D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed gear Aichi D3A...
"Judy" dive bombers and six Nakajima C6N
Nakajima C6N
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970. ISBN 0-370-00033-1 ....
"Myrt" reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
. Of these, the C6Ns were intended to be carried on the flight deck. When the ship commissioned in 1944, neither the A7M nor the C6Ns were yet in service, so the air group was reconfigured to consist of 27 Zeros, 12 D4Ys, three of which were to be the reconnaissance version, and nine Nakajima B6N
Nakajima B6N
The Nakajima B6N Tenzan was the Imperial Japanese Navy's standard carrier-borne torpedo bomber during the final years of World War II and the successor to the B5N "Kate"...
"Jill" torpedo bombers. By this time, however, the shortage of carrier-qualified aircrew was such that they were ordered to operate from shore bases and Amagi never embarked her air group.
Armor, armament and sensors
Amagis waterlineWaterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
armored belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
was 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) thick over her machinery spaces and 5.5 inches (14 cm) over her magazine
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
s. Her deck armor
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
above the magazines was 25 millimetre (0.984251968503937 in) thick, but the deck above the magazines was 2.2 inches (5.6 cm) thick.
The ship's primary armament consisted of a dozen 40-caliber
Caliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
12.7 cm Type 89
12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun
The 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun was a Japanese anti-aircraft gun introduced before World War II. It was the Imperial Japanese Navy's standard heavy AA gun during the war.-External links:*...
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
(AA) guns in twin mounts on sponson
Sponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
s on the ship's sides. Amagi was initially equipped with 16 triple 25 mm Type 96 and three single AA gun mounts, most on sponsons along the sides of the hull. By the end of the war, the ship mounted 22 triple and 23 single mounts. These guns were supplemented by six 28-round AA rocket launchers. For defense against submarines, the carrier was fitted with six depth charge throwers and carried between six and ten depth charges for them.
Two Type 94 high-angle fire-control directors, one on each side of the ship, were fitted to control the Type 89 guns. Each director mounted a 4.5 metre rangefinder. Six Type 95 directors controlled the 25 mm guns and the 12 cm rocket launchers. Early warning was provided by two Type 2, Mark 2, Model 1 air search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s. One of these was mounted on the top of the island while the other retracted into the port side of the flight deck, between the two elevators. In addition, Amagi had two smaller Type 3, Mark 1, Model 3 air search radars, one mounted on the tripod mast on the island and the other on the aft starboard retractable radio mast.
Service
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid down by Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
in Nagasaki, on 1 October 1942. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 15 October 1943 and completed on 10 August 1944. The ship was transferred among a number of ports on the Inland Sea until she arrived in Kure in February 1945 and she was ordered to be camouflaged. Her intended air group, Air Group 601, was committed to the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
about that same time. Amagi was briefly refitted from 10 to 24 February. On 19 March, the ship was attacked by aircraft from Task Force 58 and lightly damaged by one bomb that struck the edge of the flight deck. On 13 April, the ship was permanently moored at an island in Kure harbor and extensively camouflaged.
This did not prevent the aircraft from Task Force 38 from locating and attacking the ship on 24 July. She was hit twice and near-missed multiple times. A 500 pounds (226.8 kg) bomb detonated near the rear funnel, severely damaging it, but doing little other damage aside from blowing a small hole in the starboard hull. A 2000 pounds (907.2 kg) bomb penetrated the flight deck and detonated in the upper hangar, between the elevators. The explosion blew a 50 metres (164 ft) section of a hangar wall overboard and the walls of the upper hangar deck were bulged and perforated multiple times. The flight deck between the elevators was bulged up and buckled for a length of 200 feet (61 m) and the forward elevator was dropped to the bottom of its shaft. It also blew a 25 feet (7.6 m) hole in the upper hangar deck. Fragments from the explosion penetrated into the bowels of the ship, penetrating bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
s and decks below. Fragments from near-misses penetrated the sides of the port hull and caused the forward bomb magazine, two boiler rooms, and the aft port engine room to flood.
The captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
ordered the ship abandoned later in the day, and the carrier was still afloat in the evening, albeit with a slight list to port and down by the bow. Over the next couple of days, more compartments in the ship flooded and she settled on the bottom of the harbor. Another attack on 28 July hit her several more times and the resulting damage from those hits and more near-misses to port caused the ship to list further to port. This gradually increased through the next day until Amagi capsized at 10:00 on the morning of 29 July with part of her flight deck falling overboard. The losses among the ship's crew are unknown, but were supposedly light.
The ship was stricken from the Navy List
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 30 November and salvage
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
work began on 5 December. The holes in the ship's hull had to be sealed to pump the water out and decrease her draft. The remains of her flight deck and upper hangar could not be made watertight and were removed using dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
. Pontoons were used to right the ship and she was refloated on 31 July 1946. The salvage job was conducted by the Hitachi Zosen facility in Kure and they scrapped the ship afterward. The job was completed by 12 December 1947.