Shipbucket

Shokaku-class Aircraft Carriers - Part One


Shokaku as she appeared at the Battle of Pearl Harbor.

The first of eight in her class, Shokaku was flagship of 1st Air Fleet upon commissioning in August 1941. She had the honor of receiving the flag of Admiral Yamamoto himself when he assumed personal command of the Pearl Harbor Strike Force, and remained flagship throughout the Battle of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of the Hawaiian Islands. Subsequently, she was hit by a crashing dive-bomber from Hickam Field, and while the 1,000-pound bomb the plane was carrying penetrated to the hangar deck, it thankfully failed to explode. On the second day of the Battle of the Hawaiian Islands, she was attacked by aircraft from carrier Lexington, which hit her with three bombs and two torpedoes. Realizing his flagship was mortally wounded, Yamamoto bowed to the inevitable, and ordered Shokaku abandoned. Just over an hour and fifteen minutes later, Shokaku was gone.


Zuikaku as she appeared at the Battle of the Hawaiian Islands.

Zuikaku narrowly escaped joining Shokaku on the bottom of the Pacific the same date as her sister ship; submarine U.S.S. Thresher had sighted her and was about to fire torpedoes when her periscope was spotted by a Kate with Cdr Fuchida Mitsuo aboard. Fuchida frantically signaled the carrier, which immediately turned to evade. Zuikaku served her country well at the Battle of the Indian Ocean, carrying VADM Ozawa's flag. Her planes were instrumental in decimating VADM Sir James Somerville's carrier force, sinking carriers Indomitable and Formidable, heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire, light cruiser Enterprise, and destroyer Vampire. However, crushing loss came that day as well when Cdr Fuchida's plane was shot down by a Fulmar. Zuikaku survived until the Battle of the Coral Sea when she was sunk by aircraft from carrier Saratoga.


Ryukaku as she appeared at the Battle of Midway.

The third ship of the class, Ryukaku ("Dragon Crane"), was commissioned on 11 November 1941. Rushed into service so as to be able to participate in the Pearl Harbor Raid, she was present at every major carrier operation from that point on, up until the Battle of Midway. Midway was a catastrophic defeat for the IJN, which sank one carrier and one destroyer of the American fleet for the loss of four carriers (including Ryukaku), a battleship, a battle cruiser, and two heavy cruisers. While the losses would eventually be recovered, Japanese carrier air power would not be the same for nearly four years.


Kamikaku as she appeared at the Battle of Midway.

Kamikaku ("Divine Crane") was commissioned on 28 December 1941. She first saw action during the Darwin Air Raid, and then at the Battle of the Indian Ocean. She missed the Battle of the Coral Sea as she was replenishing her air group, but returned to front-line service in time for the Battle of Midway. At Midway, she was attacked by dive-bombers from Task Force 16 and hit by three 500-pound and one 1,000-pound bombs. Subsequent explosions and fires reduced her to a smoldering hulk, and she was scuttled later that evening by destroyer Hagikaze. She sank with her 814 of her 1,662 crewmembers, including Captain (RADM posthumously) Okada Jisaku.

Only one thing wrong here... Yamamoto Isoroku, would probably, nay, in all likelihood not have assumed personal command of the 1 Carrier Fleet (PH Striking Force). That would've entailed him to effectively demote the commander of that force, Vice Adm. Nagumo Chuichi, hoist his on personal flag, not on the Shokaku, but on the Akagi, and thereby causing Nagumo to doubly loose face, ergo forcing him to commit Seppuko. - I just cannot see it happen, even in the wildest flight of fantasy!

I got the idea from an alternate history novel by Newt Gingrich. In the novel, Nagumo is relieved and reassigned and Yamamoto personally assumes command.

Shokaku-class Aircraft Carriers - Part Two


Sokaku as shown at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.

Sokaku ("Green Crane") was commissioned on 15 May 1942. It had been planned for her to participate in the Battle of Midway, but the decimation of Ryukaku's air group changed this; her air group was transferred to Ryukaku and she was left behind to train another. Had she been present at Midway, things might very well have turned out different. By August 1942, she was one of only three fleet aircraft carriers available to the Japanese (Junyo and Hiyo were the others). She participated in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons at the end of that month, and had a narrow escape when two 1,000-pound bombs bracketed her bow, one coming within 10 meters of the ship. At the Battle of Santa Cruz in October 1942, her planes mortally wounded U.S.S. Hornet, but Hornet's own aircraft put four 1,000-pound bombs into Sokaku, turning her into a raging inferno and forcing destroyers Hatsukaze and Maikaze to scuttle her later that night.


Aokaku as commissioned, October 1942.

Aokaku ("Blue Crane") was commissioned on 28 October 1942. She was the first of her class to not have an identification symbol painted on her flight deck, and was completed with twelve more antiaircraft guns than her sisters (an increase of four triple mounts, two each on the bow and stern), as well as a Type 21 radar set on top of her island. She spent the rest of 1942 and the entire year of 1943 training air groups in Japan.


Aokaku as she appeared at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

By 1944, Aokaku had received another refit, adding a Type 21 air-search radar to the mainmast and twenty-two more (sixteen single- and two triple-mount) 25-mm. antiaircraft guns. In April 1944, her aircraft complement was upgraded, as the ubiquitous Zeros were replaced by their long-awaited successor, the Mitsubishi A7M2 "Sam".

In June 1944, as the Allies invaded the Marianas, the Japanese fleet sailed from Tawi Tawi to do battle. During the action, Aokaku was sighted by submarine U.S.S. Cavalla, which put four torpedoes into her. Listing badly and on fire internally, there was still hope for her to be saved as her crew fought the fires and attempted to halt the flooding. However, in the midst of all the chaos, a 1,000-pound bomb exploded on the hangar deck, causing catastrophic damage. As she sank lower, the bow and forward flight deck eventually went underwater, and the ocean poured into the forward elevator well. This caused Aokaku to corkscrew to port with a sharp lurch, upend abruptly, and quickly sink bow-first. She carried with her 1,272 of the 1,842 officers and men aboard.


Renkaku as she appeared at the Battle of Cape Engano.

Renkaku ("Distinguished Crane") was laid down on 29 August 1941, launched on 3 March 1943 and commissioned on 13 April 1944. She first saw action at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and was hit by a single 500-pound bomb. The damage looked worse than it actually was, and her crew was able to get her fires under control. Upon return to Japan, she went into Kure Navy Yard for a refit, which added a further twenty-seven (twenty-one single- and two triple-mount) 25-mm. antiaircraft guns and eight antiaircraft rocket launchers. She also received a camouflage paint scheme. Along with several other Japanese carriers, she sailed as part of VADM Ozawa's Northern Force when the Allies invaded the Philippines in October 1944. On the night of 24 October 1944, Halsey sent his carriers north with minimal escort, and they savaged the Japanese carriers throughout the following day. Renkaku was hit by seven torpedoes and nine bombs; she rolled onto her port side and sank stern-first early on the afternoon of 25 October, carrying 843 officers and men with her, including Commanding Officer RADM (VADM posthumously) Kaizuka Takeo. 862 of her crew were rescued by attending destroyers.

Shokaku-class Aircraft Carriers - Part Three


Taikaku as she appeared in 1945.

The last ship of the Shokaku-class was Taikaku ("Great Crane"). Laid down on 11 January 1942, she was launched on 13 July 1943 and commissioned 23 August 1944. By this time, all but one of her sisters had been sunk, and she only had less than two months of training with Renkaku before they sortied with the rest of the Combined Fleet to defend the Philippines. In that battle Renkaku was sunk, leaving Taikaku as the sole survivor of her class. She returned to Japan in early November 1944, and by 1945 had received four single-mount retractable machine guns on the bow and stern of her flight deck. She spent the entire year of 1945 hiding in the vicinity of Maizuru and Ominato, training a new air group and desperately trying to avoid being located and sunk by the onrushing Allied juggernaut. However, with the invasion of Kyushu in November 1945, it was obvious another showdown between the Japanese and United States Navies was not far off.


Taikaku as she appeared at the Battle off Northern Honshu.

In late February 1946, Taikaku was slated for a refit. However, her builder's yard in Yokosuka was virtually unreachable due to the majority of the U.S. Navy prowling off the entrance to Tokyo Bay. Therefore, she steamed to Maizuru Navy Yard, which was undertaking refitting an aircraft carrier for the first time in its existence. The refit was not as extensive as the Naval General Staff would've liked, but it did improve the ship's performance some. The four retractable single-mount 25-mm. antiaircraft guns on the flight deck were removed in exchange for three more triple-mount weapons mounted aft of the island. The flight deck was also repainted gray; the insane camouflage scheme had proven to be conducive to landing accidents during training, and the IJN could ill-afford to lose any pilots in such a way.

On 1 May 1946, the Allies launched Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu. With Tokyo itself now directly in the path of American ground forces, the IJN was forced to sortie for what would prove to be the final showdown between Flag Admiral (6-star) Nimitz's Pacific Fleet and Admiral Ozawa's Combined Fleet. The final battle at sea erupted on 27 May 1946. The date was thought to be a good omen by many Japanese sailors, but they couldn't have been more wrong. The Battle off Northern Honshu was a catastrophic defeat for the IJN; sixteen major surface ships were sunk, including battleship Tsuruga, heavy cruiser Asama, and light cruisers Shizunai, Isoshima, and Yasoshima, but what was absolutely crushing was the loss of ELEVEN Japanese carriers. Training carriers Chigusa Maru, Zuiun Maru, Daiju Maru, Taisha Maru, and Tokitsu Maru, none of which were exactly built for front-line service, were all thrown at the enemy with their small air groups and were - predictably - obliterated. The mass-produced Unryu-class carriers also took a major hit, with four of these being sunk: Aso, Seiryu, Kasagi, and Kinryu. Also lost were the second Taiho-class fleet carrier, Kaiho, as well as the brand-new Hayataka, an improved Taiho-class carrier that was serving as flagship of the Japanese carrier force. She sank with heavy casualties, among them the Japanese fleet commander, VADM Yamaguchi Tamon. The Battle of Leyte Gulf had broken Japanese naval power; the Battle off Northern Honshu had annihilated it. The Pacific Ocean was now an Allied lake...never again would the IJN sortie to combat the enemy. For all intents and purposes, the Imperial Japanese Navy was out of the Second World War.

Taikaku was one of the fortunate survivors of the naval holocaust. She and what remained of the Japanese fleet escaped back to Maizuru to lick their wounds and resume hiding from U.S. air strikes. But the end was now within sight. On 15 August 1946, with American ground forces less than twenty-five miles from Tokyo itself, Emperor Hirohito broadcast a message of surrender to the Japanese people. At long last, World War II was over.


Taikaku as she appeared in 1948.

Taikaku greeted the end of the war anchored in Maizuru Harbor as one of only two operational Japanese carriers (the other being the Unryu-class Shinryu). Post-war, she was repainted gray and assigned designation CV-25. Like the Unryu-class ships (three more of which - Donryu, Hanryu, and Koryu - were completed post-war) and the second Hayataka-class carrier (Karitaka), she served as a core part of Japan's post-war fleet. After the new Tsushima-class carriers entered service, the wartime carriers were deemed surplus, and one by one they were decommissioned. Taikaku's turn came on 28 May 1953, and she remained in the Inland Sea Reserve Fleet for the next decade. Struck from the Navy List on 13 October 1964, she was handed over to the Hashirajima Fleet Museum as Japan's oldest surviving World War II aircraft carrier. Refurbished and opened to the public on 13 July 1965, some of her exhibits include one showcasing the lives of her seven sister ships, another on the Battles of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaiian Islands, and Midway, as well as one of every carrier-based aircraft Japan operated during World War II stationed on her flight deck.

om nom, nom.

Those are some great Shokakus.

Great work!

The crane sisters have to be my favorite of the IJN carriers

The "Large Cruiser" Concept of the United States Navy

Alaska-class Large Cruisers
Spurred on by the 'pocket battleships' of Nazi Germany and the 'large cruisers' of the IJN, the United States decided to create some large cruisers of their own. On 1 September 1940, the U.S. Navy placed an order with New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey for the seven ships of the Alaska-class. Alaska was laid down on 17 June 1941, with Guam, Hawaii, Philippines, and Puerto Rico all following before the year was out. On 7 December, Japan attacked the Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. was brought into World War II. In the first quarter of 1942, the final two ships of the class, Samoa and Aleutians, were laid down, and the class started sliding off their building ways in mid-February 1943. All were launched by late July 1944, by which time Alaska, Guam, and Hawaii had all been commissioned (in March, April, and June, respectively). Both Alaska and Guam were present at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and Hawaii joined them by the time of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

On 19 April 1945, the first large U.S. warships entered Manila Bay for the first time since 1942. The procession was - fittingly - led by Philippines, which was proudly flying the flag of the Philippines alongside the U.S. flag. She was greeted by thousands of war-weary but ecstatic Filipinos. By mid-June 1945, the entire class was in commission, and all seven were present for the invasions of both Kyushu and Honshu, as well as the Battle off Northern Honshu, which finished the IJN for the duration of the war. The class started leaving service in mid-February 1947, and all had been decommissioned by mid-August of the following year. In 1961, the U.S. Navy began selling off the ships for scrap; Alaska went in February, Guam in May, and Hawaii in August. Samoa and Aleutians went in May and August 1962, respectively.

On 24 November 1961, Philippines was struck from the Navy List and donated to her namesake country as a gift. After refurbishment, she departed the Norfolk Navy Yard under her own power for the first time in over 14 years, traveling through the Panama Canal and then to Mare Island Navy Yard, where she embarked retired General of the Armies (6-star) Douglas MacArthur, who was making what would later turn out to be his final visit to the Philippines. Upon arrival in Manila Bay, the old ship was docked in the harbor as a museum showcasing the Philippines Campaign and a memorial to all Filipino servicemen and women.

Puerto Rico was struck from the Navy List on 24 February 1962 and was also gifted to her namesake country. Refurbished at Norfolk, she steamed to San Juan under her own power and was met with a huge reception. The plan was to utilize her as a memorial for all Puerto Rican military veterans, but history intervened. On 14 October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis began. Puerto Rico's conversion to a museum ship was halted and she was brought back to operational status one last time, joining the U.S. blockade. On 7 November, a Russian freighter was sighted heading toward the American patrol, and it refused to stop despite repeated warnings to do so. At 1:52 PM local time, Puerto Rico's alarms sounded for the first time since 1946, and her forward 12-inch turrets were brought to bear on the freighter, which remained on course. At 1:57, the old cruiser fired her guns in anger for the first time in over sixteen years. The shells - all warning shots - did exactly what they were supposed to do, and the Russian vessel beat a quick retreat over the horizon. Once the blockade ended on 20 November, Puerto Rico returned to San Juan and remained there at anchor for a further three years as a deterrent to any Russian or Cuban warships. She was finally opened as a memorial on 7 June 1966.

Constitution-class Large Cruisers
A second class of eight large cruisers was ordered on 19 October 1941. These were upgrades of the Alaskas, moving the amidships catapult facilities to the stern and replacing the twelve-inch turrets with fourteen-inch guns. The first ship of the class, Constitution, was laid down on 6 August 1942, with three more members of the class laid down before the year was out (Constellation in September, America in November, and Liberty in December). The remaining four (Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Appomattox) were all laid down in 1943 (in February, March, May, and June, respectively). The first four ships were launched by the end of 1944, and Constitution herself was commissioned on 6 February 1945, making her shakedown cruise to Boston Harbor to pay her respects to her venerable namesake. All ships of the class were launched by mid-May 1945, and the first three ships Constitution, Constellation, and America) were present for the invasion of Kyushu in November 1945. The fourth ship of the class, Liberty, was commissioned 6 November 1945, and made part of her shakedown cruise to New York Harbor to pay her respects to the famous statue for which she was named (Miss Liberty was also listed as an "Honorary Sponsor" when the ship was launched). Liberty joined her sisters in the Pacific in time for the invasion of Honshu in March 1946, and all ships of the class except Appomattox were present at the Battle off Northern Honshu, which sounded the death knell for the IJN.


Constitution as commissioned, February 1945.

In early May 1948, the U.S. Navy began decommissioning the Constitution-class ships, and all had left active service by mid-May 1949. Constellation was scrapped in July 1962, with Antietam and Gettysburg following her in February and April 1963. Shiloh, and Appomattox were both scrapped in May 1963. On 13 May 1962, Constitution was struck from the Navy List, refurbished, and towed to Boston to begin a nice long retirement with Old Ironsides as her neighbor. That November, America was also struck from the Navy List and upon orders from President John F. Kennedy was towed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she became part of a large waterfront attraction. The mere thought of scrapping a ship that bore the country's very name was abhorrent to the young President, and the old ship's arrival in Philadelphia brought a surge in both tourism and jobs. On 13 January 1963, Liberty was struck from the Navy List, refurbished, and towed to New York City, where she was moored at a specially-constructed pier on Liberty Island, her last official assignment being to "...guard the Lady In the Harbor".

In late July 1997, in coinciding with Old Ironsides' 200th Birthday, both Old and New Ironsides were made fully operational, whereupon they headed to the outer reaches of Boston Harbor together, and both fired salutes to the nation. 11 September 2001 also saw a notable occurrence in the history of the remaining ships of the class. As New York and the nation was in chaos, Naval Reservists were ordered out to Liberty Island, where they boarded the old cruiser and reactivated her antiaircraft guns. The ship remained on semi-activation until mid-November 2001, when she was once more stood down. She and Liberty Island itself remained closed to the public for nearly a year before reopening in July 2002.