Unryū-class aircraft carrier

Unryū on 16 July 1944
Class overview
Name:	Unryū class
Builders:	Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Kure Naval Arsenal Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by:	Shōkaku class
Succeeded by:	Project Number G18(only a project)
Subclasses:	Unryū (Ship #302 and 5001–5006) Ikoma (Ship #5007–5015)
Cost:	87,039,000 JPY in 1941 93,442,000 JPY in 1942
Built:	1942–45
In commission:	1944–45
Planned:	1 (1941) + 15 (1942)
Completed:	3
Cancelled:	13
Lost:	2 + 1 (Aso)
Retired:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	Unryū and Amagi 17,480 long tons (17,760 t) standard all others 17,150 long tons (17,425 t) standard
Length:	227.35 m (745.9 ft) o/a
Beam:	22 m (72 ft)
Draught:	7.86 m (25.8 ft)
Propulsion:	8 × Ro-Gō Kampon water-tube boilers 4 × Kampon geared turbines, 4 shafts Katsuragi and Aso 104,000 shp (78,000 kW) all others 152,000 shp (113,000 kW)
Speed:	Katsuragi and Aso 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h) all others 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h)
Range:	8,000 nmi (15,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Endurance:	Fuel: 3,750 tons oil Armaments for aircraft: Unryū class 72 × 800 kg bombs 288 × 250 kg bombs 456 × 60 kg bombs 36 × Type 91 torpedoes Ikoma class 72 × 800 kg bombs 144 × 250 kg bombs 252 × 60 kg bombs 36 × Type 91 torpedoes
Complement:	Unryū and Amagi 1,100 Katsuragi, Kasagi and Aso 1,500 Ikoma 1,595
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: Unryū and Amagi as built 2 × Type 21 radars (top of island and flight deck) 1 × Type 13 radar (mast) Katsuragi as built 2 × Type 21 radars (top of island and flight deck) 2 × Type 13 radars (mast and radio antenna) Amagi and Katsuragi in 1945 1 × Type 21 radar (flight deck) 1 × Type 22 radar (top of island) 1 × Type 13 radar (mast) Sonar and hydrophone: Amagi Type 93 hydrophone Type 3 active sonar all others Type 0 hydrophone Type 3 active sonar
Armament:	12 (6 × 2) 127 mm Type 89 AA guns 93 (21 × 3 and 30 × 1)Type 96 25 mm AA guns 30 depth charges Unryū and Amagi 168 (6 × 28) 4.7 inch AA rockets Kasagi 120 (4 × 30) 4.7 inch AA rockets all others 180 (6 × 30) 4.7 inch AA rockets
Armor:	Deck: 25 mm (0.98 in) Belt: Katsuragi and Aso 50 mm (2.0 in) all others 46 mm (1.8 in)
Aircraft carried:	Plan in 1942: Unryū class 12 + 3 Mitsubishi A6M 27 + 3 Aichi D3A 18 + 2 Nakajima B5N Ikoma class 18 + 1 Mitsubishi A6M 27 Aichi D3A 27 Nakajima B5N Plan in 1944: 18 + 2 Mitsubishi A7M 27 Aichi B7A 6 Nakajima C6N
Aviation facilities:	flight deck bilayer hangar two elevators 3 × Type 3 crash barrier 4 × 3 wires Type 3 arresting gear

The Unryū-class aircraft carriers (雲龍型航空母艦, Unryū-gata Kōkūbokan^?) 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 of the Unryū class carriers were completed.

In the lead-up to the Pacific War the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. For them to be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on 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 hangars, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū with fuel tanks protected by concrete. The ships were fitted with the same propulsion system used in the aircraft carrier Sōryū to reach 34 knots (63 km/h), though Katsuragi was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type used in destroyers and had a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h). The carriers also had a similar armament as Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.