Japanese aircraft carrier Jun’yō

Japanese aircraft carrier Jun'yō

Jun’yō was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was converted into an aircraft carrier. Completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign the following month. Her aircraft were used from land bases during several battles in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. Jun’you was torpedoed in November 1943 and spent three months under repair. After the surrender of Japan in September, the Americans decided that she was not worth the cost to make her serviceable for use as a repatriation ship, and she was broken up in 1946–1947.

About Japanese aircraft carrier Jun’yō in brief

Summary Japanese aircraft carrier Jun'yōJun’yō was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, but was converted into an aircraft carrier. Completed in May 1942, the ship participated in the Aleutian Islands Campaign the following month and in several battles during the Guadalcanal Campaign later in the year. Her aircraft were used from land bases during several battles in the New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns. Jun’you was torpedoed in November 1943 and spent three months under repair. After the surrender of Japan in September, the Americans decided that she was not worth the cost to make her serviceable for use as a repatriation ship, and she was broken up in 1946–1947. The ship’s air group was originally intended to consist of 12 Mitsubishi A5M fighters, plus 4 in storage, 18 Aichi D3A “Val” dive bombers, plus 2 in reserve, and 18 Nakajima B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers. By the end of the year, 6 more Zeros replaced an equal number of D3As, giving totals of 27 A6Ms, 12 D3as and 9 B5Ns. Although it was possible to fit all these aircraft into the hangars, 8 or 9 were usually stored on the flight deck to reduce cramping below decks. As a conversion from an ocean liner, the vessel could not support much armor, although it had a double bottom.

It had a designed speed of 25. 5 knots, but reached 26 knots during her sea trials. Her crew ranged from 1,187 to 1,224 officers and men, and the ship carried 4,100 metric tons of fuel oil, which gave her a range of 12,251 nautical miles at 18 knots. The ship was designed with two superimposed hangars,. each approximately 153 meters long, 15 meters wide and 5 meters high. Each hangar could be subdivided by four fire curtains and they were fitted with fire fighting foam dispensers on each side. Her primary armament consisted of a 40-caliber 12.7cm Type 89 anti-aircraft gun in six sponsons along the hull sides of the ship. Two of these mounts were mounted on the stern and the last four were placed in front of the island behind the island. In mid-1943, four more triple mounts were added and another four triple mounts for 25mm Type 96 AA guns were added in late 1943 and early 1944. The last of these last mounts were put on the island in late 1944 and early 1945, when work was cancelled as uneconomical. She was then effectively hulked for the rest of the war. She had a beam of 26. 7 meters and a draft of 8. 15 meters. She displaced 24,150 metric tons at standard load. The ship had an overall length of 219. 32 meters, abeam of 26,7 meters and aDraft of 8,15 meters.