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The , also known as the ''Kidō Butai'' ("Mobile Force"), was a name used for a combined carrier battle group comprising most of the aircraft carriers and carrier air groups of the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
(IJN) during the first eight months of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vas ...
. At the time of its best-known operation, the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
, in December 1941, the 1st Air Fleet was the world's largest fleet of aircraft carriers. In its second generation, 1st Air Fleet was a land-based fleet of "kichi kōkūtai" (base air unit(s)).


Origins

In 1912, the British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
had established its own flying branch, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). The IJN was modeled on the Royal Navy and the IJN Admiralty sought establishment of their own Naval Air Service. The IJN had also observed technical developments in other countries and saw military potential of the airplane. In 1913, the IJN seaplane carrier ''Wakamiya'' was converted into a seaplane tender and aircraft were purchased. The 1st and 2nd Air Fleet were to be the primary attack force of the IJNAS. The Japanese carriers' experiences off China had helped further develop the IJN's carrier doctrine. One lesson learned in China was the importance of concentration and mass in projecting naval air power ashore. Therefore, in April 1941 the IJN formed the 1st Air Fleet to combine all of its fleet carriers under a single command. The IJN centered its doctrine on air strikes that combined the air groups within carrier divisions, rather than each individual carrier. When more than one carrier division was operating together, the divisions' air groups were combined with each other. This doctrine of combined, massed, carrier air attack groups was the most advanced of its kind of all the world's navies. The IJN, however, remained concerned that concentrating all of its carriers together would render them vulnerable to being wiped out all at once by a massive enemy air or surface strike. Thus, the IJN developed a compromise solution in which the fleet carriers would operate closely together within their carrier divisions but the divisions themselves would operate in loose rectangular formations, with approximately separating the carriers from each other.According to Parshall and Tully, pp. 86–87, the Japanese would not usually launch their entire carrier air groups into a single massed attack. Instead, each carrier would launch a "deckload strike" of all its aircraft that could be spotted at one time on each flight deck. Subsequent attack waves consisted of the next deckload of aircraft. Thus, 1st Air Fleet air attacks would often consist of at least two, massed waves of aircraft. Peattie (p. 152) and Jisaburō Ozawa (Goldstein, pp. 78–80) emphasize that the First Air Fleet was ''not'' the IJN's primary strategic striking force. The IJN still considered the First Air Fleet an integral component in the Combined Fleet's decisive battle task force centered on battleships. Although the concentration of so many fleet carriers into a single unit was a new and revolutionary offensive strategic concept, the First Air Fleet suffered from several defensive deficiencies which gave it, in Mark Peattie's words, a glass jaw': it could throw a punch but couldn't take one." Japanese carrier anti-aircraft guns and associated fire control systems had several design and configuration deficiencies which limited their effectiveness. The IJN's fleet combat air patrol (CAP) consisted of too few fighter aircraft and was hampered by an inadequate early warning system, including a lack of
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
. Poor radio communications with the fighter aircraft inhibited effective command and control of the CAP. The carriers' escorting warships were deployed as visual scouts in a ring at long range, not as close anti-aircraft escorts, as they lacked training, doctrine, and sufficient anti-aircraft guns. These deficiencies would eventually doom ''Kaga'' and other First Air Fleet carriers.


Organization


As a Carrier-Based Fleet

The First Air Fleet ''(Dai-ichi Kōkū Kantai)'' was a major component of the Combined Fleet ''(Rengō Kantai)''. When created on 10 April 1941, it had three kōkū sentai (air flotillas; in the case of aircraft carriers, carrier divisions): On that date, First Kōkū Sentai consisted of and and their aircraft units. Later that spring, a number of destroyers were added. On 10 April 1941, Second Kōkū Sentai comprised , and the 23rd Kuchikutai (Destroyer Unit). Fourth Kōkū Sentai consisted solely of light carrier and her aircraft unit, until two destroyers were added in August. (At its inception, First Air Fleet did not include Third Kōkū Sentai and it did not include it on 7 December 1941. Third Kōkū Sentai (3rd Carrier Division, see table below) was attached to First Fleet, as distinct from First Air Fleet. On 1 April 1942, Third Kōkū Sentai was disbande

See the table titled "Transition", below. When formed on 10 April 1941, First Air Fleet was a naval battlegroup with the single most powerful concentration of carrier-based aircraft in the world at the time. Military historian Gordon Prange called it "a revolutionary and potentially formidable instrument of sea power." Fifth Kōkū Sentai (5th Carrier Division) was created on 1 September 1941 and was added to First Air Flee

When the new aircraft carrier was added to Fifth Kōkū Sentai, First Air Fleet consisted of ''Akagi'', ''Kaga'', ''Sōryū'', ''Hiryū'', ''Ryūjō'', ''Kasuga Maru'' (renamed ca. 31 August 1942), and ''Zuikaku'

http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaga.ht

http://www.combinedfleet.com/hiryu.ht

http://www.combinedfleet.com/taiyo.ht

http://www.combinedfleet.com/Zuikak.htm], along with their aircraft units and a number of destroyer

On 25 September 1941, ''Kasuga Maru'' was transferred from Fifth Kōkū Sentai to Fourth Kōkū Senta

(''Kasuga Maru'' was used to ferry aircraft to distant Japanese bases and should not be considered a front-line aircraft carrier. The status of any aircraft unit that she may have had is unclea

Light carrier was added to Fourth Kōkū Sentai on 22 December 194

She was destroyed on 7 May 1942 in the
Battle of the Coral Sea The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. Taking place in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, the batt ...
br>
''Akagi'', ''Kaga'', ''Sōryū'', and ''Hiryū'' were lost in the
Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
. Each Kōkū Sentai of First Air Fleet tended to include a pair of aircraft carriers, and each included the respective hikōkitai/hikōtai (aircraft/aviation unit(s)) of each aircraft carrier. Each Kōkū Sentai of First Air Fleet was a tactical unit that could be deployed separately or combined with other Kōkū Sentai of First Air Fleet, depending on the mission. For example, for operations against New Britain and
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...
in January 1942, First Kōkū Sentai and Fifth Kōkū Sentai participated. The number (from approximately two dozen up to approximately 80 aircraft) and type of aircraft varied, based on the capacity of the aircraft carrier. The large fleet carriers had three types of aircraft;
fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
, level/torpedo bombers, and
dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...
s. The smaller carriers tended to have only two types of aircraft, fighters and torpedo bombers. At the beginning of the Pacific War, First Air Fleet included six fleet carriers: ''Akagi'', ''Kaga'', ''Sōryū'', ''Hiryū'', ''Shōkaku'', and ''Zuikaku'', and two light carriers: ''Ryūjō'' and ''Kasuga Maru'' (later renamed ''Taiyō''), as shown in the table below. On 14 July 1942, First Air Fleet was converted into Third Fleet (第三艦隊) and Eighth Fleet (第八艦隊), and 2nd Carrier Division (first generation) and 5th Carrier Division were disbanded. On the same date, the Japanese Navy's front-line aircraft carriers and their aircraft units came under the command of the 3rd Fleet, which was created in its sixth generation on that date.


Kidō Butai

The ''Kidō Butai'' (機動部隊, "Mobile Unit/Force") was the Combined Fleet's tactical designation for its combined carrier battle groups. The title was used as a term of convenience; it was not a formal name for the organization. It consisted of Japan's six largest carriers, carrying the 1st Air Fleet. This mobile task force was created for the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
under Vice-Admiral Chūichi Nagumo in 1941. For the attack, the ''Kidō Butai'' consisted of six aircraft carriers (commanded by Chūichi Nagumo,
Tamon Yamaguchi was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi′s carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in ...
and Chūichi Hara) with 414 airplanes, two
battleships A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type o ...
, three cruisers, nine destroyers, eight tankers, 23
submarines A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
, and four midget submarines. However, these escort ships were borrowed from other fleets and squadrons. It was the single most powerful naval fleet until four of the six aircraft carriers of the unit were destroyed in the disastrous
Battle of Midway The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. The U.S. Navy under ...
.


Transition (extract)


Commanders

;Commander-in-Chief ;Chief of Staff


As a Land-Based Air Fleet

On 1 July 1943, the 1st Air Fleet was recreated as an exclusively land-based air fleet. It was intended to consist of nearly 1,600 aircraft when completed, but the war situation prevented it from reaching that figure, and the second generation of this fleet began with only two Kōkūtai: Dai 261 Kaigun Kōkūtai (a one-month-old Zerosen unit) and Dai 761 Kaigun Kōkūtai (a bomber unit that was created on the same day as this fleet was). On 30 September 1943, a cabinet meeting planned the strategy. The plan intended the
Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese language, Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakh ...
,
Bonin Islands The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic rea ...
, Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands,
Biak Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and corals. The ...
, Sunda Islands and
Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
to be unsinkable aircraft carriers. The 1st Air Fleet became the main force of this plan. However, it was soundly beaten in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The IJN then moved the air fleet to the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
to regroup. However, due partly to the aircrews' lack of combat experience, the air fleet suffered severe losses in the Formosa Air Battle. After the battle it had only 41 aircraft. The only tactic left for them was the kamikaze attack.


Transition (extract)


Commanders

;Commanders-in-Chief ;Chiefs of Staff File:Chuichi Nagumo.jpg,
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...
Chūichi Nagumo (Commander-in-Chief, 1st Carrier Division) File:TamonYamaguchi.jpg, Vice Admiral
Tamon Yamaguchi was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi′s carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in ...
(2nd Carrier Division) File:KakujiKakuta.jpg, Vice Admiral
Kakuji Kakuta , was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He is noted for his role in commanding Japanese naval aviation units in the Pacific War. Biography Kakuta was a native of rural Minamikanbara, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. He gr ...
(4th Carrier Division - from 1941) File:Gunichi Mikawa.jpg, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa (3rd Battleship Division) File:SentaroOmori.jpg, Vice Admiral Sentarō Ōmori (1st Destroyer Squadron) File:ShigeyoskiMiwa.jpg, Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Miwa (3rd Submarine Squadron) File:RyunosukeKusaka.jpg, Vice Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka (Chief of staff, 1st Air Fleet) File:Kaku Tomeo.jpg,
Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
(2nd Carrier Division: Hiryu) File:Yanagimoto Ryusaku.jpg, Rear Admiral
Ryusaku Yanagimoto was captain of the aircraft carrier in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography A native of Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture, The Yanagimoto family were descendants of Shinto priests who had been sent from Ise Jingu to Hirado in ...
(2nd Carrier Division: Soryu)


Operations


Pearl Harbor

The ''Kidō Butai'' (also known as the ''Carrier Striking Task Force'') set sail from
Hitokappu Bay Kasatka Bay ( rus, Залив Касатка, Zaliv Kasatka), formerly known by its Japanese name , is a natural harbor at the central part of Iturup, Kuril Islands. It has been controlled by the Soviet Union since the Soviets annexed the Kuril ...
, Japan under Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo on 26 November 1941, arriving in Hawaiian waters on Sunday, 7 December 1941 Hawaiian time. At around 8am, the first wave began its attack on the US Pacific Fleet based at
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the ...
and on outlying airfields. By the end of the day, 21 American ships were either sunk or crippled, 188 aircraft were destroyed, and almost 2,500 Americans were killed. Japan was now formally at war with the United States. For the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
, this fleet had a strength of 103 level bombers, 128
dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...
s, 40 torpedo bombers, 88 fighter planes, plus 91 planes for a total of 441 planes.


Bombing of Darwin

The Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the town, ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attempt to prevent the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
from using them as bases to contest the invasion of Timor and
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
. The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves. The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids and there were a number of civilian casualties.


Indian Ocean Raid

Between 31 March and 10 April 1942 the Japanese conducted a naval sortie against Allied naval forces in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by ...
. The Fast Carrier Task Force (''Kidō Butai''), consisting of six carriers commanded by Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, inflicted heavy losses on the British fleet, with the sinking of 1 carrier, 2 cruisers, 2 destroyers, and 23 merchant ships for the loss of 20 aircraft. Attacks on the island of
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
were also carried out.


Battle of the Coral Sea

The 1st Air Fleet dispatched the Fifth Carrier Division in the Coral Sea during the return from the Indian Ocean. On May 7 the USN sighted the Port Moresby invasion force and mistook it for the main carrier force. Admiral Fletcher sent an aircraft strike which sank the IJN light carrier ''Shōhō''. After this loss of air cover, the Port Moresby invasion force abandoned its mission and retreated north. On the same day the IJN sighted and sank USN destroyer and oiler . The primary action took place on 8 May. Both carrier forces sighted and attacked each other. As a result, was sunk and was damaged by a Japanese air strike. USN aircraft managed to damage ''Shōkaku'', meaning that she and her sister ship were unable to participate in the following operation. The remaining fleet returned to Japan to prepare for the Midway invasion (Operation MI).


Battle of Midway

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto planned to lure and destroy USN carriers by attacking the Midway Islands in June 1942. The Japanese were unaware that the United States had broken their naval code. As a result of this, USN carriers were already in the area when the Japanese attacked Midway. On 3 June US land-based bombers from Midway attacked the Japanese fleet but scored no hits. On 4 June, due to the poor reconnaissance efforts and tactical mistakes of Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, USN dive bombers were able to surprise the Japanese carrier force and destroyed three carriers (''Akagi'', ''Kaga'' and ''Sōryū''). At the time of the attack the Japanese carriers were in the process of preparing to launch an air strike against the US carriers and their hangars were full of loaded aircraft, bombs and aviation fuel which decisively contributed to their destruction. Carrier ''Hiryū'' managed to survive the attack and Rear Admiral
Tamon Yamaguchi was a rear admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and in the Pacific War during World War II. Yamaguchi′s carrier force was part of the attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently participated in ...
launched a strike against ''Yorktown''. Aircraft from ''Hiryū'' managed to cripple ''Yorktown'', which was later sunk by . In response, the US launched a strike against ''Hiryū'' and sank her. That day the Japanese lost four aircraft carriers and much of their experienced aircrew.


Battle of the Philippine Sea

The US Navy's attack on the Japanese base at Truk (Chuuk) on 17 February 1944 (
Operation Hailstone Operation Hailstone ( ja, トラック島空襲, Torakku-tō Kūshū, lit=airstrike on Truk Island), 17–18 February 1944, was a massive United States Navy air and surface attack on Truk Lagoon conducted as part of the American offensive driv ...
) surprised the Japanese military. In response, the Japanese Navy ordered all of the 61st Air Flotilla to the Mariana Islands. Its Number 261 Kaigun Kōkūtai (fighter) advanced to Saipan circa 19–24 February 1944, but attrition in air combats and illness weakened the unit greatly and it played only a minor role in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Elements of No. 263 Kaigun Kōkūtai (fighter) of the 61st Air Flotilla were stationed on Guam from 15 June 1944 and participated in the battle.Hata, Ikuhiko; Izawa, Yasuho and Shores, Christopher (2011). ''Japanese Naval Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces 1932–1945'', Grub Street, p. 212,


Battle of Leyte Gulf

After disastrous losses at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Japanese carrier force was again practically without aircrew and aircraft. This meant that at the Battle of Leyte Gulf the IJN carrier force was only used as a decoy force where it was ultimately destroyed, the battle that saw the last ''Kidō Butai'' survivor, ''Zuikaku'', along with ''Zuiho'', ''Chiyoda'' and ''Chitose'' succumbing to US air attacks of Admiral
William F. Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (October 30, 1882 – August 16, 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the other ...
's Task Force 38.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* Hata, Ikuhiko; Izawa, Yasuho and Shores, Christopher, (2011). ''Japanese Naval Air Force Fighter Units and Their Aces 1932–1945'', Grub Street, * * Prange, Gordon W. in collaboration with Goldstein, Donald M. and Dillon, Katherine V. (1981). ''At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor'', Penguin Books, Ltd., * Thorpe, Donald W. (1977). ''Japanese Naval Air Force Camouflage and Markings World War II''. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1977. (hardcover; paperback ). * "Monthly the Maru" series, and "The Maru Special" series, (Japan) * "Monthly Ships of the World" series, (Japan) * "Famous Airplanes of the World" series and "Monthly Kōku Fan" series, Bunrindō (Japan)


External links


''Kidō Butai at Combined Fleet.com''


{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Air Fleet Of The Imperial Japanese Navy Fleets of the Imperial Japanese Navy Units of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 1945 disestablishments in Japan