Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō
Zuihō in 1940
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan
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| Name: | Takasaki |
| Namesake: | Auspicious Phoenix or Fortunate Phoenix |
| Builder: | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down: | 20 June 1935 |
| Launched: | 19 June 1936 |
| Commissioned: | 27 December 1940 |
| Renamed: | Zuihō |
| Fate: | Sunk by air attack during the Battle of Cape Engaño, 25 October 1944 |
| General characteristics (as converted) | |
| Class and type: | Zuihō-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 11,443 tonnes (11,262 long tons) (standard) |
| Length: | 205.49 m (674 ft 2 in) |
| Beam: | 18.19 m (59 ft 8 in) |
| Draft: | 6.58 m (21 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power: | 52,000 shp (39,000 kW) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range: | 7,800 nmi (14,400 km; 9,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement: | 785 |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 30 |
Zuihō (瑞鳳?, "Auspicious Phoenix" or "Fortunate Phoenix") was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Originally laid down as the submarine support ship Takasaki, she was renamed and converted while under construction into an aircraft carrier. The ship was completed during the first year of World War II and participated in many operations. Zuihō played a secondary role in the Battle of Midway in mid-1942 and did not engage any American aircraft or ships during the battle. The ship participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign during the rest of 1942. She was lightly damaged during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands during this campaign and covered the evacuation of Japanese forces from the island in early 1943 after repairs.
Afterwards, her aircraft were disembarked several times in mid- to late-1943 and used from land bases in a number of battles in the South West Pacific. Zuihō participated in the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf battles in mid-1944. In this last battle, Zuihō mainly served as a decoy for the main striking forces and she was finally sunk by American aircraft fulfilling her task. In between engagements, the ship served as a ferry carrier and a training ship.
The submarine support ship Takasaki was laid down on 20 June 1935 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and was designed to be converted to either a fleet oiler or a light aircraft carrier as needed. She was launched on 19 June 1936 and began a lengthy conversion into a carrier while fitting-out. The ship was renamed Zuihō during the process which was not completed until 27 December 1940 when she was commissioned.
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Wikipedia