Zuihō-class aircraft carrier
Shōhō at anchor at Yokosuka, December 1941
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Zuihō-class aircraft carrier |
| Operators: |
 Imperial Japanese Navy
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| In commission: |
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| Completed: | 2 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type: | Light aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 11,443 tonnes (11,262 long tons) (standard) |
| Length: | 205.5 m (674 ft 2 in) |
| Beam: | 18.2 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 |
The Zuihō class (瑞鳳型?) was a group of two aircraft carriers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy before World War II. Both ships were originally built as submarine tenders, but were subsequently converted into carriers. Completed in early 1942, Shōhō supported the invasion forces in Operation MO, the invasion of Port Moresby, New Guinea, and was sunk by American carrier aircraft on her first combat operation during the Battle of the Coral Sea on 7 May. Shōhō was the first Japanese aircraft carrier to be sunk during World War II. 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 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.
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