was a warship 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 ...
that served from 1938 to 1944, seeing service as a
seaplane carrier
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
and later as a
light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only one-h ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In her initial guise as a seaplane carrier, she first saw service during the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
in 1938, and subsequently played a key role in the Imperial Japanese Navy's development of a network of
seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
bases on the islands of the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. After the outbreak of World War II in
the Pacific, she took part in the
Philippines campaign, the
Dutch East Indies campaign
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attempted u ...
, 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 Adm ...
, and the
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in th ...
, during which she was damaged in the
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea) took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific ca ...
and also saw service related to the
Battle of Cape Esperance
The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, in the Pacific War, Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Unit ...
.
''Chitose'' was converted into a
light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only one-h ...
during 1943, and subsequently took part in the
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a major naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invas ...
and the
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...
. She was sunk in the Battle off Cape Engaño, one of several actions that made up the Battle of Leyte Gulf, on 25 October 1944.
Although it has been speculated that ''Chitose'' as a seaplane carrier also carried Type A
midget submarine
A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...
s, only her
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
had that capability.
Construction and commissioning
''Chitose'' was
laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
on 26 November 1934 by the
Kure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
History
The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the J ...
at
Kure
is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan M ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
[ Launched on 29 November 1936, she was completed as a ]seaplane carrier
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
and commissioned on 25 July 1938.[
]
Service history
Seaplane carrier
Second Sino-Japanese War
When ''Chitose'' entered service, the Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
had been raging for a year. Operating her original complement of Kawanishi E7K
The Kawanishi E7K was a Japanese three-seat reconnaissance seaplane mainly in use during the 1930s. It was allocated the reporting name Alf by the Allies of World War II.
Design and development
In 1932 the Imperial Japanese Navy requested the K ...
( Allied reporting name "Alf") and Nakajima E8N
The Nakajima E8N was a Japanese ship-borne, catapult-launched, reconnaissance seaplane of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was a single-engine, two-seat biplane with a central main-float and underwing outriggers. During the Pacific War, it was ...
(Allied reporting name "Dave") floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...
s, she supported Operation Z, the surprise unopposed landing of the Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
′s 21st Army at Bias Bay
Daya Bay (), formerly known as Bias Bay, is a bay of the South China Sea on the south coast of Guangdong Province in China. It is bordered by Shenzhen's Dapeng Peninsula to the west and Huizhou to the north and east.
History
The bay was a hideou ...
on the coast of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
northeast of Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, on 12 October 1938. The 21st Army advanced against little opposition toward its main objective, Canton, which fell to the Japanese on 29 October 1938.["The Invasion of Canton," Pacific Eagles Accessed 10 December 2021]
/ref>
1939–1941
On 15 November 1939, the Imperial Japanese Navy established the 4th Fleet at Truk Atoll
Chuuk Lagoon, previously Truk Atoll, is an atoll in the central Pacific. It lies about northeast of New Guinea, and is part of Chuuk State within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). A protective reef, around, encloses a natural harbo ...
under the command of Vice Admiral Eikichi Katagiri
Eikichi (written: 永吉, 栄吉 or 榮吉) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese businessman and banker
*, Imperial Japanese Navy officer
*, Chinese sumo wrestler
*, Japanese singer-songwriter
Fic ...
, with ''Chitose'' as Katagiri's flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
.[ In December 1939, ''Chitose'', the ]seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
, and 24 Kawanishi H6K
The Kawanishi H6K was an Imperial Japanese Navy flying boat produced by the Kawanishi Aircraft Company and used during World War II for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was Mavis; the Navy designation was .
Design ...
(Allied reporting name "Mavis") flying boat
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
s were stationed at Truk.[ From December 1939 into 1940, ''Chitose'' and ''Kinugasa Maru'' were involved in transporting construction crews and technicians to build ]seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
and flying boat ramps at Dublon Tonowas (or Tonoas), also known by its Spanish name of Dublon, is an island in the Chuuk (formerly Truk) lagoon, Federated States of Micronesia. It has an area of 8.8 km2 and the population was 3,200 at the time of the last census (1980). A na ...
in Truk Atoll, Malakal Island
Malakal Island ("Ngemelachel" in Palauan) is an island in the state of Koror, Palau. It is located at 134.45, 7.330278.
One of the tribes in Survivor: Micronesia was named Malakal.
Malakal Island is the site of Koror's port, as well as the ra ...
in the Palau Islands
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
, Ebeye Island
Ebeye ( ; Marshallese: , or in older orthography, ; locally, , , after the English pronunciation) is the most populous island of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, as well as the center for Marshallese culture in the Ralik Chain of the a ...
and Roi at Kwajalein Atoll
Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese: ) is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking residents (about 1,000 mostly U.S. civilia ...
, and Saipan
Saipan ( ch, Sa’ipan, cal, Seipél, formerly in es, Saipán, and in ja, 彩帆島, Saipan-tō) is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States in the western Pa ...
in the Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
, and also made several voyages to and from Japan to transport construction materials to these locations.[
On 11 October 1940, ''Chitose'' was one of 98 Imperial Japanese Navy ships that gathered along with more than 500 aircraft on the Japanese coast at ]Yokohama Bay
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
for an Imperial fleet review — the largest fleet review
A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...
in Japanese history — in honor of the 2,600th anniversary of the enthronement of the Emperor Jimmu
was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the '' Nihon Shoki'' and '' Kojiki''. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture"
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. The occasion was the first time that ''Chitose'' and many other new Japanese naval vessels — including the seaplane carriers and and the heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...
s and , which had extensive floatplane-handling capabilities — were displayed to the public.[ She arrived at ]Sasebo
is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...
, Japan,on 15 October 1940 to undergo repairs and an overhaul.[
By November 1941, ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' made up Seaplane Tender Division 11.][ On 2 December 1941, ''Chitose'' was deployed at ]Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
as the Japanese armed forces mobilized to enter World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
with an offensive against Allied
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 ...
forces.[
]
World War II
=Philippines campaign
=
On 8 December 1941 Japan time
, or , is the standard time zone in Japan, 9 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+09:00). Japan does not observe daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated on several occasions. During World War II, the time zone was often referred to as ...
— 7 December 1941 on the other side of the International Date Line
The International Date Line (IDL) is an internationally accepted demarcation on the surface of Earth, running between the South and North Poles and serving as the boundary between one calendar day and the next. It passes through the Pacific O ...
in Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
— 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 vast ...
began when Japan entered World War II with its surprise 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, j ...
, Hawaii. On 8 December, ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' were attached to the 2nd Fleet to operate as part of the Fourth Surprise Attack Force, tasked with providing air cover for amphibious landings
Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...
at Legaspi in southeastern Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
in the Philippine Islands
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 ...
.[ ''Chitose'' got underway from Palau on 8 December and supported the landings on 11–12 December.][
After the Legaspi landings, ''Chitose'' continued to operate in support of Japanese operations in the Philippines campaign.][ On 14 December 1941, one of her ]Mitsubishi F1M
The Mitsubishi F1M ( Allied reporting name "Pete") was a Japanese reconnaissance floatplane of World War II. It was the last biplane type of the Imperial Japanese Navy, with 944 built between 1936 and 1944. The Navy designation was "Type Zero Obs ...
(Allied reporting name "Pete") floatplanes unsuccessfully attacked a B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
of the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Far East Air Force as the B-17 flew over Catanduanes Island
Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of Catanduanes, is an island Provinces of the Philippines, province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the List of islands of the Philippines#Catanduanes, 12th-largest island ...
off Legaspi on an anti-shipping strike.[ On 19 December, she was east of Davao on ]Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
when she launched seaplanes to reconnoiter Davao.[ From 20 to 25 December 1941 she was attached to the forces supporting the Japanese landings at Davao and at ]Jolo
Jolo ( tsg, Sūg) is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has ...
on Jolo Island
Jolo ( tsg, Sūg) is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has ...
in the Sulu Archipelago.[
]
=Dutch East Indies campaign
=
On 26 December 1941, ''Chitose'' was transferred to the 2nd Air Force, a component of the Netherlands Indies Force in the Eastern Occupation Forces,[ to operate in support of Japanese forces during the ]Dutch East Indies campaign
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attempted u ...
. She departed Davao on 2 January 1942.[ ''Chitose'' was anchored in ]Malalag
Malalag, officially the Municipality of Malalag ( ceb, Lungsod sa Malalag; tl, Bayan ng Malalag), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,158 people.
Mal ...
Bay in Davao Gulf
Davao Gulf is a gulf situated in the southeastern portion of Mindanao in the Philippines. It has an area of or about 520,000 hectares. Davao Gulf cuts into the island of Mindanao from the Philippine Sea. It is surrounded by all five provinces in ...
on the coast of Mindanao on 4 January 1942 when U.S. Army Air Forces B-17D Flying Fortresses flying from 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 List ...
attacked the anchorage, and five of her floatplanes suffered damage from splinters from a bomb hit on the nearby heavy cruiser .[
As part of the 11th Seaplane Tender Division with ''Mizuho'',][ ''Chitose'' proceeded to the waters of the ]Netherlands East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
to support the Japanese invasion of those islands as part of the 2nd Fleet, Southern Force, Netherlands East Indies Force. She rendezvoused with ''Mizuho'' and the two vessels anchored west of the Sangihe Islands
The Sangihe Islands (also spelled "Sangir", "Sanghir" or "Sangi") – id, Kepulauan Sangihe – are a group of islands which constitute two regencies within the province of North Sulawesi, in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regen ...
at 09:00 on 10 January 1942. From their anchorage, the two ships launched floatplanes to escort an invasion convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
heading for Manado
Manado () is the capital City status in Indonesia, city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 Census giving a population of 451,916 distribu ...
in northern Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
,
make reconnaissance flights, and conduct a harassing bombing raid on an Allied radiotelephone
A radiotelephone (or radiophone), abbreviated RT, is a radio communication system for conducting a conversation; radiotelephony means telephony by radio. It is in contrast to '' radiotelegraphy'', which is radio transmission of telegrams (mes ...
station.[ After sunset on 10 January, the two seaplane carriers got back underway and headed toward Manado.][
The Battle of Manado began on 11 January 1942 as Japanese ]Special Naval Landing Force
The Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF; ja, 海軍特別陸戦隊, Kaigun Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were naval infantry units of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and were a part of the IJN Land Forces. They saw extensive service in the Second Sino ...
(SNLF) personnel landed at Kema
Kema or KEMA may refer to:
* KEMA, an energy consultancy company
* Kema (river), a river in Russia
* Kema District, a district in North Sulawesi, Indonesia
*Kema Chikwe, Nigerian politician
* Kema Jack (born 1982), footballer from Papua New Guinea
...
and Manado in northern Celebes
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sul ...
,[ and ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' arrived at an anchorage at ]Bangka Island
Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is administered under the province of the Bangka Belitung Islands, being one of its namesakes alongside the smaller island of Belitung across the Gaspar Strait. The 9th largest island in In ...
off the northeastern tip of Celebes at 05:40 that day.[ Sources are unclear on the aircraft the two seaplane carriers operated, one asserting that they carried a combined 49 ]Aichi E13A
The Aichi E13A ( Allied reporting name: "Jake") was a long-range reconnaissance seaplane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1941 to 1945. Numerically the most important floatplane of the IJN, it could carry a crew of three and a bomblo ...
(Allied reporting name "Jake") floatplanes and another that ''Chitose'' operated Mitsubishi F1Ms (Allied reporting name "Pete").[ The two seaplane tenders conducted air operations from 06:30 to 19:00 in support of the landings.][ During the day, ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' floatplanes reported engaging nine Allied flying boats and four Allied bombers, claiming two flying boats shot down;][ in one action, seven ]Netherlands Naval Aviation Service
The Netherlands Naval Aviation Service ( nl, Marineluchtvaartdienst, shortened to MLD) is the naval aviation branch of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
History
World War I
Although the MLD was formed in 1914, with the building of a seaplane base ...
and United States Asiatic Fleet
The United States Asiatic Fleet was a fleet of the United States Navy during much of the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, the fleet patrolled the Philippine Islands. Much of the fleet was destroyed by the Japanese by Februar ...
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wit ...
flying boats attacked Japanese forces landing at Manado, and a floatplane from ''Chitose'' — described by one source as an F1M — shot down one of the Dutch Catalinas.[ In a ]friendly fire
In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while eng ...
incident, one E13A from ''Mizuho'' shot down an Imperial Japanese Navy Yokosuka L3Y (Allied reporting name "Tina") carrying SNLF paratrooper
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...
s when it flew low over the anchorage without responding to recognition signals.[ Between them, the two ships lost three floatplanes — all identified by one source as E13As][ — during the day, one which crashed and two which were wrecked in emergency landings.][ The landings concluded on 12 January 1942.][
Allied opposition to the advance of Japanese forces at Manado was slight, and although ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' continued to support Japanese forces ashore there on 12 and 13 January 1942, their aircraft did not need to fly any ground-support missions.][ From 14 to 19 January, they both searched unsuccessfully for Allied submarines in the ]Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by ...
, based on what turned out to be erroneous information.[ They were released from supporting the Manado landings on 19 January 1942.][
''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' departed Bangka Island on 21 January 1942 and proceeded to the waters off ]Kendari
Kendari is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Southeast Sulawesi. With a population of 345,107 according to the 2020 census, it is the most populous city in the province, and the fourth most on Sulawesi. The city covers an area of , o ...
on the southeastern coast of Celebes, patrolling the waters ahead of an invasion convoy carrying SNLF forces bound for Kendari, their aircraft conducting combat air and antisubmarine patrols over and around the convoy.[ The ]Battle of Kendari
The Battle of Kendari took place on 24 January 1942 as part of the Japanese offensive in the Dutch East Indies. The airfield Kendari II at Kendari became an essential target for Japanese forces for its strategic location and infrastructure qua ...
began with Japanese landings on 23 and 24 January 1942.[ The two seaplane carriers provided distant support to the Japanese operation,][ and ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' arrived at Sarabanka Bay (or Salabangka Bay) on the coast of Celebes on the morning of 24 January, from which they conducted further air operations in support of Japanese forces at Kendari.][ On 26 January, ''Chitose'' separated from ''Mizuho'', departing Sarabangka Bay bound for the Bangka Island anchorage accompanied by ]destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
s.[
Assigned to support the Japanese invasion of ]Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south and various districts ('' ...
in the Molucca Islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...
, ''Chitose'' got back underway on 29 January 1942.[ She rendezvoused with ''Mizuho'' south of ]Mangole Island
Mangoli or Mangole (Xulla Mangola - earlier name.) is a large island in the Sula Islands, which are part of North Maluku province in Indonesia. It is located at , east of Taliabu Island and north of Sanana Island. It has an area of 2,142.48 km ...
at 10:00 on 30 January 1942,[ and the two seaplane carriers spent the day in the ]Manipa Strait
Manipa Island is an island in West Seram Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia. It is located 8 km off the western coast of Kelang at the western end of Seram Island and 25 km off the western coast of Buru. Including adjacent small island ...
, providing cover for Japanese invasion forces approaching Ambon and conducting harassing bombing raids against Namlea
Namlea is a town and ''kecamatan'' on the northeastern coast of the Indonesian island of Buru. It is the capital of the Buru Regency.
Climate
Namlea has a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a ...
on Buru
Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Ma ...
that doubled as reconnaissance flights.[ They departed the strait in the evening and made for an anchorage in Keelang Bay on the southwestern tip of ]Ceram Island
Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent is ...
, where they arrived at 05:50 on 31 January 1942[ to provide air cover for the invasion of Ambon, although bad weather made flight operations impossible that day.][ The weather subsequently improved, and on 1 and 2 February 1942 floatplanes from both ships provided air and antisubmarine defense to the Japanese invasion convoy, devoted about 70 ]sortie
A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops, from a strongpoint. The term originated in siege warfare. ...
s each day to heavy attacks against Allied ground forces on Ambon, and patrolled over the Banda Sea
The Banda Sea ( id, Laut Banda, pt, Mar de Banda, tet, Tasi Banda) is one of four seas that surround the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, connected to the Pacific Ocean, but surrounded by hundreds of islands, including Timor, as well as the Halma ...
.[
The two seaplane carriers parted company at 15:00 on 3 February 1942, when ''Mizuho'' got underway from the Keelang Bay anchorage for ]Staring Bay
Staring-baai (Dutch language, Dutch for Staring Bay) is a bay off the Southeast Peninsula, Sulawesi, southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It lies slightly southeast of Kendari, the provincial capital of South East Sulawesi, where it opens ...
on the southeast coast of Celebes.[ At 19:00, ''Chitose'' also departed Keelang Bay to proceed to Piru Bay on the coast of Ceram, accompanied by a ]patrol boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
.[
''Chitose'' rendezvoused with ''Mizuho'' in the ]Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers of water in Indonesia. The sea is bounded on the north by the island of Celebes and on the south by Sunda Islands of Flores and Sumbawa.
Geography
The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea (to the west), Java ...
southwest of Kabaena Island at 07:20 on 8 February 1942, and the two ships headed westward to support Japanese landings at Makassar
Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
on the southwest coast of Celebes.[ The landings began that evening around midnight in bad weather with poor visibility.][ ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' were anchored in ]Makassar Strait
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Pe ...
southwest of Bulunrue Island south of Celebes at 03:40 on 10 February 1942 when three U.S. Army Air Forces LB-30 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
bombers of the Far East Air Force's 19th Bomb Group
The 19th Operations Group (19 OG) is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 19th Airlift Wing, stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
Equipped with the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, the group provides part of Ai ...
attcked them, damaging ''Chitose''.[ At 19:20, ''Chitose'' parted company with ''Mizuho'', getting underway along with two patrol boats for ]Jolo
Jolo ( tsg, Sūg) is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has ...
in the Sulu Islands in the Philippines.[ ''Chitose'' supported Japanese operations against ]Surabaya
Surabaya ( jv, ꦱꦸꦫꦧꦪ or jv, ꦯꦹꦫꦨꦪ; ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Indonesia, Indonesian province of East Java and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. L ...
in eastern Java on 14 February 1942.[
''Chitose'' was at ]Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located on the east coast of the island of Borneo, the city is the financial center of Kalimantan. Balikpapan is the city with the largest economy in Kalimantan with an estimated 2 ...
in Japanese-occupied Dutch Borneo
Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo.
In 2019, ...
by 22 February 1942, and she took aboard aircraft from the crippled seaplane tender
A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...
there, bringing the combined aircraft complement of ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' back nearly to full strength.[ ''Chitose'' got back underway on 24 February 1942 to support the Japanese invasion of Java.][ She rendezvoused with ''Mizuho'' south of Sebuku off the southeast coast of ]Borneo
Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...
on 25 February, and the two ships anchored off Cape South — the southern tip of Borneo — for a time on 26 February before getting back underway and heading westward toward Cape Puting while covering the Japanese invasion force.[ They anchored off Cape Puting on 27 February 1942 and conducted air operations that day during the ]Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea ( id, Pertempuran Laut Jawa, ja, スラバヤ沖海戦, Surabaya oki kaisen, Surabaya open-sea battle, Javanese : ꦥꦼꦫꦁꦱꦼꦒꦫꦗꦮ, romanized: ''Perang Segara Jawa'') was a decisive naval battle o ...
, although bad weather at the anchorage allowed them to launch few aircraft.[ That evening they accompanied the Japanese invasion convoy southward toward ]Bawean Island
Bawean ( id, Pulau Bawean) is an island of Indonesia located approximately north of Surabaya in the Java Sea, off the coast of Java. It is administered by Gresik Regency of East Java province. It is approximately in diameter and is circumn ...
.[
On 28 February 1942 — the day of the Japanese landings on Java — ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' anchored off the west coast of Bawean Island.][ During the day, the two seaplane carriers launched floatplanes to protect the Japanese invasion convoy bound for Kragan from attack by Allied aircraft or by the remnants of the ]American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II. The command consists of the forces of Australia ...
(ABDA) fleet defeated in the Battle of the Java Sea the previous day.[ They sighted no ABDA ships, but did observe three ]gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-steam ...
s and eight torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...
s in the channel at the main Dutch naval base at Sarabaya.[ During the day, Japanese landings took place at ]Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
, Merak, Banten Bay Banten Bay also known as Bantam Bay is a bay in Banten province, near the north-west tip of Java (island), Java, Indonesia. It is part of the Java Sea and has a total water surface of approximately 150 square kilometres and an average depth of seven ...
, and Eretenwetan.[
On 1 March 1942, plans to set up a seaplane base at Kragan were scrapped when the Japanese found the waters off the beach there too shallow for seaplane operations.][ Remaining off Bawean Island, ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' began air operations in support of the landings in the morning.][ At 09:45, they curtailed ground-support operations to focus on protecting the Japanese invasion fleet from air attack, and during the day E13A1s from the two ships claimed three Allied Northrop light bombers shot down, but much of what they did on 1 March is ambiguous or poorly documented.][ One of the ships launched two floatplanes at 11:40 to follow up on a reported sighting west of Bawean Island of the ]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 F ...
heavy cruiser and destroyer , and at 12:40 the ships launched a strike by 11 Mitsubishi F1M2 (Allied reporting name "Pete") floatplanes against ''Exeter'' and ''Encounter'', but they failed to find the ships due to frequent tropical rain squall
A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed lasting minutes, as opposed to a wind gust, which lasts for only seconds. They are usually associated with active weather, such as rain showers, thunderstorms, or heavy snow. Squalls refer to the ...
s.[ Meanwhile, at 12:30 an F1M2 from ''Chitose'' sighted the U.S. Navy ]destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...
off Java.[ A strike by ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' aircraft as well as floatplanes from the heavy cruisers , ''Myōkō'', , and sometime between 13:00 and 14:30 inflicted damage that caused flooding and disabled one of ''Pope''′s ]propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
shafts.[ Later, a strike by six ]Nakajima B5N
The Nakajima B5N ( ja, 中島 B5N, Allied reporting name "Kate") was the standard carrier-based torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) for much of World War II.
Although the B5N was substantially faster and more capable than its Al ...
(Allied reporting name "Kate") torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a military aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes. Torpedo bombers came into existence just before the First World War almost as soon as aircraft were built that were capable of carrying the weight ...
s from the aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
attacked ''Pope'', and ''Ashigara'' and ''Myōkō'' intercepted and sank her at 15:40.[
On 2 March 1942, ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' set up a seaplane base at Karangdawa, east of Cape Awarawara, from which they continued to support the Java landings.][ They departed ]Bawean Island
Bawean ( id, Pulau Bawean) is an island of Indonesia located approximately north of Surabaya in the Java Sea, off the coast of Java. It is administered by Gresik Regency of East Java province. It is approximately in diameter and is circumn ...
on 3 March escorted by three patrol boats and headed for Kendari, which they reached on 6 March.[ After routine maintenance and repairs, they got underway from Staring Bay on 9 March 1942 to return to the combat area at Cape Awarawara, but Dutch forces on Java surrendered that day.][ They arrived at Kragan on 12 March, dismantled the seaplane base, and at 20:00 departed Kragan bound for Makassar, where they arrived at 11:30 on 14 March.][ There ''Chitose'' and ''Mizuho'' separated for the last time, when ''Mizuho'' was reassigned and departed for Japan.][
''Chitose'' was reassigned to the N Occupation (or Expeditionary) Force on 15 March 1942 for operations in ]Netherlands New Guinea
Dutch New Guinea or Netherlands New Guinea ( nl, Nederlands-Nieuw-Guinea, id, Nugini Belanda) was the western half of the island of New Guinea that was a part of the Dutch East Indies until 1949, later an overseas territory of the Kingd ...
.[ The N Force assembled at Ambon Island on 29 March 1942.][ ''Chitose'' arrived at Boela on Ceram Island on 31 March and thereafter provided cover for a series of Japanese landings along the coast of Netherlands New Guinea, at ]Fakfak
Fakfak () is a town in West Papua and seat of the Fakfak Regency. It had a population of 12,566 at the 2010 Census, which rose to 18,900 at the 2020 Census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. It is served by Fakfak Airport. It is the only town i ...
on 1 April, Babo on 2 April, and Sorong
Sorong is the largest city and the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua. The city is located on the western tip of the island of New Guinea with its only land borders being with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia's ...
on 4 April 1942.[ She then provided cover for landings at ]Ternate
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the we ...
in the Molucca Islands on 7 April, at Djailolo on Halmahera
Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island.
Hal ...
on 8 April, at Manokwari
Manokwari is a coastal town and the capital of the Indonesian province of West Papua. It is one of only seven provincial capitals of Indonesia without a city status. It is also the administrative seat of Manokwari Regency. However, under pro ...
on the coast of Netherlands New Guinea on 12 April, and at Moemi and Seroei on Japen Island off the north coast of New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
on 15 April 1942.[ At ]Nabire
Nabire is a town in the Indonesian province of Central Papua, at the western end of New Guinea. The town is the administrative seat of the Nabire Regency, and has been designated to be the administrative capital of the new province. It is served by ...
on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea on 17 April 1942, she transferred 63 troops to the auxiliary gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-steam ...
which ''Taiko Maru'' put ashore on the east side of Japen Island on 18 April.[ ''Chitose'' then returned to providing cover for Japanese landings in Netherlands New Guinea, at Sarmi and on ]Wakde
Wakde is an island group in Sarmi Regency, Papua, Indonesia, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas. It comprises two islands, Insumuar (the larger) and Insumanai (much smaller).
History
Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, th ...
on 19 April and at Hollandia on 20 April 1942.[
]
=April–May 1942
=
''Chitose'' departed Ambon Island bound for Sasebo, Japan, on 21 April 1942, and with the New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign of the Pacific War lasted from January 1942 until the end of the war in August 1945. During the initial phase in early 1942, the Empire of Japan invaded the Australian-administered Mandated Territory of New Guinea (23 Jan ...
completed, she was reassigned to the Advance Force on 23 April 1942.[ She made an overnight stop at Davao on 25–26 April and arrived at Sasebo on 1 May 1942.][ She was in ]drydock
A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...
at Sasebo from 9 to 16 May 1942 for a refit, then departed Sasebo on 16 May bound for Kure.[ During May 1942, she became the ]flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
of the 11th Seaplane Tender Division.[ She departed Kure bound for Saipan on 21 May 1942.][
]
=Battle of Midway
=
The 11th Seaplane Tender Division, now consisting of ''Chitose'' and the seaplane tender , was assigned to participate in Operation MI — the planned Japanese invasion of Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; haw, Kauihelani, translation=the backbone of heaven; haw, Pihemanu, translation=the loud din of birds, label=none) is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Midway Atoll is an insular area of the Unit ...
— and on 28 May 1942 ''Chitose'' and ''Kamikawa Maru'' got underway from Saipan headed for Midway as part of the Midway Invasion Force under the command of Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondo.[ ''Chitose'' embarked 16 floatplane ]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 ...
and four reconnaissance floatplanes for the operation,[ and she and ''Kamikawa Maru'' made the voyage to Midway as part of a convoy that also included 12 transports and an oiler, escorted by the ]light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...
and nine destroyers.[ As the convoy approached Midway on 3 June 1942, nine U.S. Army Air Forces B-17 Flying Fortresses bombed it and U.S. Navy PBY Catalina ]amphibious aircraft
An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boats ...
attacked it with torpedo
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
es, but ''Chitose'' escaped damage.[ On 4 June 1942, a PBY of U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44) found the convoy, and ''Chitose'' launched three Mitsubishi F1M (Allied reporting name "Pete") floatplanes to intercept it; they shot the PBY down from an altitude of with the loss of five members of its crew.][ Its six survivors were rescued from the water by another PBY on 6 June, but one of them died on 7 June 1942.][
The Japanese suffered a decisive defeat on 4 June 1942 during 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 Adm ...
and subsequently cancelled the invasion of Midway.[ ''Chitose'' was detached from the Midway Invasion Force on 7 June 1942 and proceeded to ]Wake Island
Wake Island ( mh, Ānen Kio, translation=island of the kio flower; also known as Wake Atoll) is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion, east of Guam, west of Honolulu, southeast of To ...
in company with the heavy cruisers and ''Myōkō'' and three destroyers.[ She then returned to Japan.
]
=June–July 1942
=
''Chitose'' was assigned to the A Air Group of the Occupation Force on 18 June 1942.[ She departed Kure on 26 June 1942 bound for ]Chichijima
, native_name_link =
, image_caption = Map of Chichijima, Anijima and Otoutojima
, image_size =
, pushpin_map = Japan complete
, pushpin_label = Chichijima
, pushpin_label_position =
, pushpin_map_alt =
, ...
in the Ogasawara 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 readi ...
, where she made a port call from 28 to 29 June 1942.[ She then returned to Japan and spent July 1942 in the ]Tokyo Bay
is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan, and spans the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is both the most populous a ...
area.[ On 14 July 1942, she again became flagship of Seaplane Tender Division 11, and as of that day carried 14 Mitsubishi F1M2 (Allied reporting name "Pete") and five ]Aichi E13A
The Aichi E13A ( Allied reporting name: "Jake") was a long-range reconnaissance seaplane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1941 to 1945. Numerically the most important floatplane of the IJN, it could carry a crew of three and a bomblo ...
1 (Allied reporting name "Jake") floatplanes, with two of each type in reserve.[ She was in drydock at the ]Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama.
History
In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate government established the ...
in Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
, Japan, from 20 to 23 July 1942.[
]
=Guadalcanal campaign
=
The Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in th ...
began on 7 August 1942 with United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
landings on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
.[ ''Chitose'' departed Sasebo on 9 August headed for Yokosuka, where she arrived on 11 August.][ She departed Yokosuka later the same day bound for Truk as part of Kondo's 2nd Fleet Support Force in company with the ]battleship
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 of ...
, five heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and 10 destroyers.[ She called at Truk from 17 to 23 August 1942, when she sortied as part of Kondo's Advance Force in company with five heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and six destroyers as Japanese forces deployed for an operation to reinforce Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, resulting in the ]Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and, in Japanese sources, as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea) took place on 24–25 August 1942, and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific ca ...
.[
]
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The Battle of the Eastern Solomons began on 24 August 1942. At around 10:15, three F1M2s from ''Chitose'' attacked a PBY Catalina searching for the Japanese aircraft carrier force, and another three F1M2s drove off a PBY looking for Japanese troopship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
s.[ Another ''Chitose'' floatplane discovered U.S. Navy ]Task Force 11
Task Force 11 (TF 11 or alternately Commander Task Force 11, CTF 11) is a designation that has been used by the United States armed forces for two separate units.
World War II
During World War II, Task Force 11 was a United States Navy aircraft ...
, centered around the aircraft carrier , and Task Force 16
Task Force 16 (TF16) was one of the most storied task forces in the United States Navy, a major participant in a number of the most important battles of the Pacific War.
It was formed in mid-February 1942 around ''Enterprise'' (CV-6), with Vic ...
, centered around the aircraft carrier .[ At 18:20, two ]SBD Dauntless
The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main carrier-based scout/dive ...
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 througho ...
s from Bombing Squadron 3 (VB-3) aboard ''Saratoga'' attacked ''Chitose'', damaging her port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
engine and hull plates and setting three F1M2s on her deck on fire.[ She took on a 30-degree ]list
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
to port.[
The destroyer took ''Chitose'' under ]tow
Towing is coupling two or more objects together so that they may be pulled by a designated power source or sources. The towing source may be a motorized land vehicle, vessel, animal, or human, and the load being anything that can be pulled. Th ...
on 25 August 1942 and headed toward Truk.[ En route, seven B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces 11th Heavy Bombardment Group attacked the ships, but inflicted no damage on them.][ As ''Minegumo'' and ''Chitose'' neared Truk on 28 August, they experienced an ]antisubmarine
An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...
alert which culminated in an attack by the U.S. Navy submarine
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 ...
against the nearby battleship , which was arriving at Truk from Japan with an escort of three destroyers.[ ''Flying Fish''′s four torpedoes missed ''Yamato'',][ and all the Japanese ships arrived safely at Truk.
]
August–October 1942
On 28 August, the Imperial Japanese Navy created the R Area Air Force, a floatplane unit intended to reinforce land-based Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service
The was the Naval aviation, air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.
The Japanese military acquired their first air ...
aircraft in the Solomon Islands.[ ''Chitose'' put her floatplanes ashore at Truk so that they could deploy to the ]Shortland Islands
The Shortland Islands is an archipelago of Western Province, Solomon Islands, at . The island group lies in the extreme north-west of the country's territory, close to the south-east edge of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea.
The largest isl ...
as part of the R Area Air Force, then underwent repairs at Truk.[ With them done, she headed for Japan for further repairs at the ]Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama.
History
In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate government established the ...
, arriving at Yokosuka in September 1942.[ After their completion, she departed Yokosuka on 14 September 1942, called at Truk from 18 to 20 September, at ]Rabaul
Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about 600 kilometres to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in ...
on New Britain
New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...
in the Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km.
History
The first inhabitants o ...
from 22 to 24 September, at the Shortland Islands and at Buin on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands from 25 to 27 September before arriving at Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2009, it had a population of 17,248.
Kavi ...
on New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago on 28 September 1942.[
During ''Chitose''′s stay at Kavieng, one of her F1M2s flying ]combat air patrol
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
spotted four Allied
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 ...
fighters and five B-17E Flying Fortresses of the U.S. Army Air Forces 72nd Bombardment Squadron approaching the fleet on 4 October 1942.[ To prevent them from attacking the seaplane carrier , the F1M2's pilot rammed the lead B-17E, tearing off the B-17E's right ]wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
and vertical stabilizer
A vertical stabilizer or tail fin is the static part of the vertical tail of an aircraft. The term is commonly applied to the assembly of both this fixed surface and one or more movable rudders hinged to it. Their role is to provide control, sta ...
and damaging the F1M2's right wing.[ The F1M2's two-man crew ]parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...
d to safety before their floatplane crashed and was rescued by the destroyer , and the B-17E crashed with the loss of its entire crew.[
]
Battle of Cape Esperance
''Chitose'' departed Kavieng on 7 October 1942 and proceeded to Rabaul, where she was assigned to the Reinforcement Force of the Outer South Seas Force[ and tasked with carrying reinforcements to the Japanese forces fighting on Guadalcanal. Departing Rabaul on 8 October 1942, she made for the anchorage in the Shortland Islands, which she reached on 9 October.][ At the Shortlands, ''Chitose'' and ''Nisshin'' between them embarked 280 troops of the ]Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
's 2nd Division along with four 150-mm howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
s with their prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...
s, two field gun
A field gun is a field artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances ( field artille ...
s, 14 caissons, an antiaircraft gun, ammunition, provisions, and 675 other men.[ They departed the Shortlands on 11 October 1942 bound for Tassafaronga Point on the north coast of Guadalcanal escorted by six destroyers — four of them also carrying reinforcements — and covered by a force of heavy cruisers and destroyers which planned to distract Allied forces by bombarding Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.][ While the ]Battle of Cape Esperance
The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, in the Pacific War, Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Unit ...
raged nearby between the Japanese covering force and a task force of U.S. Navy cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles.
The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...
s and destroyers during the night of 11–12 October 1942, ''Chitose'', ''Nisshin'', and their accompanying destroyers discharged their passengers and cargo at Guadalcanal unmolested and, except for two destroyers detached to search for survivors of the sunken heavy cruiser , headed back to the Shortlands, which they reached on 14 October 1942.[
]
October–November 1942
While ''Chitose'' was at the Shortlands, one of her floatplanes sighted an American supply convoy approaching Guadalcanal on 15 October 1942.[ Based on the floatplane's sighting report, the aircraft carrier launched an airstrike against the convoy which sank the destroyer .][
''Chitose'' refueled from the oiler ''Omurosan Maru'' on 27 October 1942, and on 3 November 1942 ''Kamikawa Maru'' replaced her as flagship of Seaplane Tender Division 11.][ In company with the seaplane carrier and escorted by two destroyers, ''Chitose'' departed the Shortlands on 3 November bound for Truk, where the ships arrived on 6 November.][ ''Chitose'' got back underway on 10 November and proceeded to Sasebo, arriving there on 15 November 1942.][ She was drydocked at the ]Sasebo Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
History
The Sasebo Naval District was established at Sasebo, Nagasaki in 1886, as the third of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the ...
on 28 November 1942.[
]
Aircraft carrier
Conversion
''Chitose'' began conversion to a light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only one-h ...
at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal on 26 January 1943. She was recommissioned on 1 November 1943 and moved to Kure on 17 December 1943. After final fitting out
Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...
, she was completed as an aircraft carrier on 1 January 1944.
January–June 1944
Upon completion of her conversion, ''Chitose'' on 1 January 1944 was assigned to the 1st Mobile Fleet and attached to its 3rd Fleet. On 11 January 1944 she departed the Seto Inland Sea bound for Singapore, which she reached on 20 January. She got back underway on 25 January 1944 headed for Sasebo. During her voyage, she was assigned to Carrier Division 3, 3rd Fleet, 1st Mobile Fleet, on 1 February 1944. She arrived at Sasebo on 4 February 1944.
''Chitose'' departed Sasebo on 15 February 1944, called at Kagoshima
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, Japan, from 16 to 20 February, and then proceeded to Saipan, where she arrived on 26 February 1944. She got back underway on 29 February 1944 to return to Japan, and arrived at Yokosuka on 4 March 1944. She moved from Yokosuka to Kisarazu
is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 136,023 in 63,431 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Kisarazu is located in the midwest ...
on 13 March, then back to Yokosuka on 17 March 1944. She was in drydock at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal from 19 to 24 March, then departed Yokosuka on 25 March bound for the Seto Inland Sea, which she reached on 27 March 1944. She remained in the Seto Inland Sea through April 1944.
On 5 and 6 May 1944, ''Chitose'' embarked aircraft of Air Group 653, and on 11 May 1944 she departed Saeki, Japan, to head for Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim M ...
in the southern Philippines, where she and her sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
''Chiyoda'' — which also had been converted from a seaplane carrier into an aircraft carrier — were to rendezvous with a task force consisting of the battleship , the aircraft carriers , , , and , and three destroyers. After pausing briefly at Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
on 12 May, she headed south, and on 16 May 1944 arrived at Tawi-Tawi, where Japanese naval forces were assembling to carry out Operation A-Go, the Japanese defense of the Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...
. While ''Chitose'' was at sea off Tawi-Tawi conducting air training on 22 May 1944, the U.S. Navy submarine fired a spread of torpedoes at her at 09:24, but they exploded in her wake and she escaped damage.
To escape the growing danger of submarine attack off Tawi-Tawi and reach a better jumping-off point for the defense of Saipan, which U.S. ships and aircraft had begun to bombard on 11 June 1944, ''Chitose'' departed Tawi-Tawi on 13 June 1944 to move to Guimaras
Guimaras , officially the Province of Guimaras ( hil, Kapuoran sang Guimaras; tl, Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Jordan while its largest local government ...
in the western Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; tl, Kabisayaan ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao ...
. Arriving there on 14 June, she began to take on supplies. On 15 June 1944, with U.S. forces landing on Saipan, Operation A-Go was activated, and ''Chitose'' headed for the Marianas along with the rest of the 1st Mobile Fleet.
Battle of the Philippine Sea
With the Marianas campaign underway, the activation of Operation A-Go resulted in the Japanese 1st Mobile Fleet meeting U.S. Navy Task Force 58
The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet), was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through the end of the war in August 1945. The task ...
in the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19–20, 1944) was a major naval battle of World War II that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invas ...
on 19–20 June 1944. ''Chitose'' formed part of the 1st Mobile Fleet's Van Force along with ''Chiyoda'' and ''Zuihō'', screened by the battleships ''Yamato'', ''Musashi'', , and , four heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and seven destroyers. On 19 June, the first day of the battle, ''Chitose'' participated in airstrikes against Task Force 58, and on 20 June she rook part in antiaircraft actions as Task Force 58 aircraft counterattacked. The battle resulted in crippling losses for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, including three aircraft carriers and hundreds of aircraft.
June–October 1944
After the Japanese defeat in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, ''Chitose'' withdrew, anchoring at Okinawa on 22 June 1944 and getting back underway on the morning of 23 June to return to Japan. She arrived at Kure on 1 July 1944 and remained there for the rest of the month, spending 20–26 July 1944 in drydock at the Kure Naval Arsenal. She was assigned to the 2nd Diversion Attack Force on 3 August 1944, but remained in the Seto Inland Sea and in the waters of Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
.
Battle of Leyte Gulf
After United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
forces landed on Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in the Philippines on 20 October 1944, beginning the Battle of Leyte
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
, Japanese naval forces approached Leyte from several directions to oppose the landings. Among the forces responding was Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. Ozawa has been noted for his unusual height, measuring in at over tall, although his exact height has not been reliabl ...
′s Northern Force, consisting of ''Chitose'', the aircraft carriers ''Chiyoda'', ''Zuikaku'', and ''Zuihō'' and the hybrid battleship-aircraft carriers and , screened by three light cruisers and eight destroyers. After the disastrous losses of aircraft and aircrew in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, the Japanese had only 108 aircraft aboard the four aircraft carriers and none on the two battleship-aircraft carriers, and the Northern Force's mission was to serve as decoy, drawing the aircraft carriers of U.S. Navy Task Force 38
The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet), was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through the end of the war in August 1945. The tas ...
northward and away from Leyte, where the Japanese hoped that their battleships, cruisers, and destroyers could destroy the American landing force.
The resulting Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fou ...
began on 23 October 1944, and on the afternoon of 24 October American aircraft located Ozawa's force in the Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
off Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
's Cape Engaño. Around dawn on 25 October, the Battle off Cape Engaño
The Battle of Leyte Gulf ( fil, Labanan sa golpo ng Leyte, lit=Battle of Leyte gulf; ) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. It was fo ...
— one of several actions making up the Battle of Leyte Gulf — began when Ozawa launched a small airstrike against Task Force 38 which suffered heavy losses and accomplished nothing
Task Force 38 counterattacked with a series of large, punishing airstrikes. During the first strike, ''Chitose'' was targeted by planes from the aircraft carrier . At 08:35, a line of three large explosions — either torpedo hits or near-misses by bombs — took place on ''Chitose''′s port side forward of the Number 1 aircraft elevator
An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...
. Boiler rooms 2 and 4 flooded, and ''Chitose'' immediately took on a 30-degree list and suffered rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
failure. Her crew succeeded in reducing the list to 15 degrees, but by 08:55 further flooding had increased it to 20 degrees. At 08:55, ''Chitose''′s forward starboard engine room
On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for the ship's operation may be segregated into vari ...
flooded, cutting her speed to , and her speed subsequently fell further when her after starboard engine failed. When the after port engine room flooded at 09:25, ''Chitose'' went dead in the water, and her list grew to 30 degrees. The light cruiser attempted to close with her and take her in tow, but it proved impossible.
At 09:37, an hour after her initial wounds, in the Philippine Sea at position , ''Chitose'' capsize
Capsizing or keeling over occurs when a boat or ship is rolled on its side or further by wave action, instability or wind force beyond the angle of positive static stability or it is upside down in the water. The act of recovering a vessel fro ...
d to port and nosed under, with the loss of 904 men. ''Isuzu'' rescued 480 survivors, and the destroyer rescued 121.
The Japanese struck ''Chitose'' from the Navy list on 20 December 1944:
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Chitose specifications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chitose
Chitose-class aircraft carriers
Ships built by Kure Naval Arsenal
1936 ships
Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan
World War II aircraft carriers of Japan
Aircraft carriers sunk by aircraft
World War II shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea
Maritime incidents in October 1944
Ships sunk by US aircraft
Seaplane tenders of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Ships sunk by aircraft during the Battle of Leyte Gulf