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Japanese aircraft carrier Taihō

Japanese aircraft carrier Taiho 02.jpg
Aircraft carrier Taihō
History
Empire of Japan
Name: Taihō (大鳳?)
Namesake: Taihō (大鳳?) Japanese meaning Great Phoenix".
Laid down: 10 July 1941
Launched: 7 April 1943
Commissioned: 7 March 1944
Struck: August 1945
Fate: Sunk in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 19 June 1944
General characteristics
Class and type: Taihō-class aircraft carrier
Displacement:
  • 29,770 long tons (30,250 t) (standard);
  • 37,270 long tons (37,870 t) (fully loaded)
Length: 260.6 m (855 ft 0 in)
Beam: 27.4 m (89 ft 11 in)
Draft: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Installed power: 160,000 shp (120,000 kW)
Propulsion:
  • 4 × geared Kampon steam turbines
  • 8 × Kampon RO Go boilers
  • 4 × shafts
Speed: 33.3 kn (61.7 km/h; 38.3 mph)
Range: 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement: 1751
Armament:
Armor:
  • Belt: 55–152 mm (2.2–6.0 in) (waist); 40 mm (1.6 in) (below waterline)
  • Deck: 75–80 mm (3.0–3.1 in) (upper); 32 mm (1.3 in) (lower)
Aircraft carried: up to 60
Aviation facilities:
  • 2 × elevators
  • 1 × crane

Taihō (大鳳?) (meaning Great Phoenix), was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Possessing heavy belt armor and featuring an armored flight deck (a first for any Japanese aircraft carrier), she represented a major departure in Japanese aircraft carrier design and was expected to not only survive multiple bomb, torpedo, or shell hits, but also continue fighting effectively afterwards.

Built by Kawasaki at Kobe, she was laid down on 10 July 1941, launched almost two years later on 7 April 1943 and finally commissioned on 7 March 1944. She sank on 19 June 1944 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea after suffering a single torpedo hit from the American submarine USS Albacore, due to explosions resulting from design flaws and poor damage control.

Taihō was approved for construction in the 1939 4th Supplementary Programme. Her design was that of a modified Shōkaku. Under the Modified Fleet Replenishment Program of 1942, Taihō was to be the first of a new generation of Japanese aircraft carriers, which would include Taihō, 15 of a modified Hiryu design (which turned into the Unryu-class) and five of an improved Taiho design (G-15 Project).


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