Unryu class aircraft carriers
Encyclopedia
The were World War II
Japanese aircraft carriers. 16 carriers were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme
(Ship #302 in 1941) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme
(#5001–5015 in 1942). However, only 3 carriers were completed.
the Imperial Japanese Navy
(IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. So that they could be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on that of the aircraft carrier Hiryū
rather than the newer and more sophisticated Taihō
or the Shōkaku class
.
The Unryū class aircraft carrier design was very similar to that of Hiryū. The ships were lightly built, and the main difference from Hiryū was that the carriers' island was placed on the starboard side of the ships. The carriers were capable of carrying 63 aircraft in two hangers, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū and the fuel tanks were protected by concrete. The ships' were to be fitted with the same propulsion system as had been used in the aircraft carrier Sōryū
and were capable of reaching 34 knots (66.6 km/h), though Katsuragi
was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type as were used in destroyer
s and had a maximum speed of 33 knots (64.7 km/h). The carriers also had a similar armament to that fitted on Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.
, Amagi
, and Katsuragi) were completed and construction of the other three carriers (Kasagi, Aso and Ikoma) was abandoned in 1945.
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...
Japanese aircraft carriers. 16 carriers were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme
Rapid Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1941)
The was one of the armaments expansion plan of the Imperial Japanese Navy .-Background:In August 1941, the IJN started building warships for war...
(Ship #302 in 1941) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme
Modified 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...
(#5001–5015 in 1942). However, only 3 carriers were completed.
Design
In the lead-up to the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
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...
(IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. So that they could be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on that of the aircraft carrier Hiryū
Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu
was a modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was one of the carriers that began the Pacific War with the attack on Pearl Harbor...
rather than the newer and more sophisticated Taihō
Japanese aircraft carrier Taiho
was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. With a heavily armored hull and flight deck , she represented a major departure in Japanese carrier design and was expected to not only survive multiple bomb, torpedo or shell hits but also continue fighting effectively...
or the Shōkaku class
Shokaku class aircraft carrier
The was a pair of aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy built before World War II. Only two vessels were built in this class; and . Together, they formed the 5th Carrier Division. Both were lost in action during World War II.-References:...
.
The Unryū class aircraft carrier design was very similar to that of Hiryū. The ships were lightly built, and the main difference from Hiryū was that the carriers' island was placed on the starboard side of the ships. The carriers were capable of carrying 63 aircraft in two hangers, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū and the fuel tanks were protected by concrete. The ships' were to be fitted with the same propulsion system as had been used in the aircraft carrier Sōryū
Japanese aircraft carrier Soryu
was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the Second World War, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Port Darwin and raids in the Indian Ocean before being sunk at the Battle of Midway.-Design:...
and were capable of reaching 34 knots (66.6 km/h), though Katsuragi
Japanese aircraft carrier Katsuragi
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy built during World War II. Named after Mount Katsuragi, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and did not participate in any battles. The ship was badly damaged in a July 1945 airstrike by American carrier aircraft on Kure...
was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type as were used in destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s and had a maximum speed of 33 knots (64.7 km/h). The carriers also had a similar armament to that fitted on Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.
Construction
The first three Unryū class aircraft carriers were laid down in 1942 and construction of a further three began the next year. In the event, only three (UnryūJapanese aircraft carrier Unryu
The Japanese aircraft carrier was a fleet aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy which served during World War II. She was commissioned on 6 August 1944 and eventually torpedoed and sunk by US submarine in the East China Sea on 19 December that same year...
, Amagi
Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi
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 airstrikes by American...
, and Katsuragi) were completed and construction of the other three carriers (Kasagi, Aso and Ikoma) was abandoned in 1945.
Unryū class
Project number was G16. General production model of the Unryū-class. 3 carriers were completed. The IJN unofficial designation for Unryū and Amagi were , Ship Number 5002–5006 were also.- Amagi and Kasagi (built by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki ShipyardMitsubishi Heavy Industries, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
) were equipped with surplus stock of the Ibuki-class cruiser machinery. - Katsuragi and Aso (built by Kure Naval ArsenalKure Naval Arsenalwas one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
) were equipped with two sets of the Kagerō-class destroyerKagero class destroyerThe was a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. The IJN called them from their plan name.-Description:...
machinery, because Japanese industry power became scarce. Dead space was replaced to fuel tanks. - Ship Number 5002 and 5005 (built by Yokosuka Naval ArsenalYokosuka Naval Arsenalwas one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
) were used ShinanoJapanese aircraft carrier Shinanonamed after the ancient Shinano Province, was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Initially laid down as the third of the battleships, Shinano′s partially complete hull was converted to an aircraft carrier in 1942, midway through construction. Over the next two...
's dock and was going to build 2 carriers at the same time, however, they were cancelled because Shinano was continued.
| Ship # | Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 302 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | 1 August 1942 | 25 September 1943 | 6 August 1944 | Sunk by at East China Sea East China Sea The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:... 32°10′N 135°58′E on 19 December 1944. Struck on 20 February 1945. |
|
| 5001 | Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard | 1 October 1942 | 15 October 1943 | 10 August 1944 | Sunk by air raid Bombing of Kure (July 1945) The bombing of Kure and surrounding areas by United States and British naval aircraft in late July 1945 led to the sinking of most of the surviving large warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy . The United States Third Fleet's attacks on Kure Naval Arsenal and nearby ports on 24, 25, and 28 July... at Kure Kure, Hiroshima is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :... on 28 July 1945. Struck on 30 November 1945. Salvaged and scrapped between 5 December 1946–12 November 1947. |
|
| 5002 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | Cancelled in 1943. Naval budget and the materials were used for . | ||||
| 5003 | Kure Naval Arsenal | 8 December 1942 | 19 January 1944 | 15 October 1944 | Survived war. Decommissioned on 5 October 1945. Scrapped between 22 December 1946–30 November 1947. | |
| 5004 | Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard | 14 April 1943 | 19 October 1944 | (June 1945) | 84 % complete. Construction stopped on 1 April 1945. Scrapped between 1 September 1946–31 December 1947. | |
| 5005 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | Cancelled in 1943. Naval budget and the materials were used for Shinano. | ||||
| 5006 | Kure Naval Arsenal | 8 June 1943 | 1 November 1944 | (September 1945) | 60 % complete. Construction stopped on 9 November 1944. Sunk as target off Kurahashi-Jima in July 1945. Salvaged and scrapped between 21 December 1946–26 April 1947. | |
Ikoma class
Simplify and speed-up construction model of the Unryū-class. They fitted shift-arrangement machinery (four sets of parallel two boilers and one turbine). Therefore, as for their chimneys, those space intended to spread out. The IJN unofficial designation for this class was .| Ship # | Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 5007 | Kawasaki-Kobe Shipyard | 5 July 1943 | 17 November 1944 | (October 1945) | 60 % complete. Construction stopped on 9 November 1944. Scrapped between 4 July 1946–10 March 1947. | |
| 5008 | or |
Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard | (November 1943) | (December 1945) | Cancelled on 5 May 1944. | |
| 5009 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | (July 1943) | (March 1946) | Cancelled on 11 August 1943. | ||
| 5010 | Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard | (April 1944) | (June 1946) | |||
| 5011 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | (June 1944) | (September 1946) | |||
| 5012 | Kure Naval Arsenal | (June 1944) | (September 1946) | |||
| 5013 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | (June 1944) | (March 1947) | |||
| 5014 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | (October 1944) | (September 1947) | |||
| 5015 | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | (January 1945) | (March 1948) | |||