Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi
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was an built for 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 ...
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 ...
. Named after
Mount Amagi is a range of volcanic mountains in central Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, forming the border between Izu City and Higashi-Izu Town. It is also referred to as the . The Amagi mountains have several peaks, the tallest of which a ...
, and completed late in the war, she never embarked her complement of aircraft and spent the war in Japanese waters. The ship
capsized 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 ...
in July 1945 after being hit multiple times during
airstrike An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...
s by American carrier aircraft while moored at
Kure Naval Base was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyū ...
. ''Amagi'' was refloated in 1946 and
scrapped Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has monetary value, especially recovered me ...
later that year.


Design and description

The last purpose-built Japanese carrier construction during World War II was a group of vessels based on an improved design, but with individual units differing in detail reflecting the changing circumstances as the conflict in the Pacific approached its conclusion. ''Amagi'' was ordered, under the provisional name of #5001, as part of the Kai-Maru 5 Program of 1942. This was a massive naval construction program intended to replace losses suffered at 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 focused on aircraft and aircraft carriers. The ship was one of 16 ''Unryū''-class aircraft carriers planned, although only three were completed before the end of the war. ''Amagi'' had a length of
overall Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers". Overalls were ...
. She had a
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of and a
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vessel ...
of . She displaced . Her crew consisted of 1,595 officers and men.Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 56 The ''Unryū''-class carriers used the same turbines and boilers as used in 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 ...
. These consisted of four geared
steam turbine A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
sets with a total of driving four shafts using steam provided by eight Kampon Type B
water-tube boiler A high pressure watertube boiler (also spelled water-tube and water tube) is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which boils water in the steam-gene ...
s. The ship had a designed speed of . ''Amagi'' carried of
fuel oil Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...
which gave her a range of at . She had two
funnel A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening. Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construct ...
s on the starboard side, each angled below the horizontal. They were fitted with a water-cooling system to reduce the turbulence caused by hot exhaust gases.


Flight deck arrangements

''Amagi''s
flight deck The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters ...
was long and had a maximum width of . A small
island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
was mounted well forward on the starboard side and contained the ship's
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
and air operations control center. It was fitted with a small tripod mast that mounted one of the ship's
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, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...
s. The ship was designed with two superimposed
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s that were served by two aircraft elevators, each ; the center elevator as used in ''Hiryū'' was deleted to simplify construction and reduce stress in the hull. The elevators had a maximum capacity of and took 19 seconds to go from the lower hangar to the flight deck. ''Amagi'' was fitted with hydraulically operated Type 3
arresting gear An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
with nine cables. She also mounted three Type 3 crash barricades. No
aircraft catapult An aircraft catapult is a device used to allow aircraft to take off from a very limited amount of space, such as the deck of a vessel, but can also be installed on land-based runways in rare cases. It is now most commonly used on aircraft carrier ...
was fitted. The ship mounted a retractable crane on the starboard side of the flight deck, just aft of the rear elevator. ''Amagi'' carried of
aviation gasoline Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, whi ...
for her aircraft. The ship's air group was originally intended to consist of 12
Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 19 ...
fighters, plus three in storage, 27
Aichi D3A The Aichi D3A Type 99 Carrier Bomber ( Allied reporting name "Val") is a World War II carrier-borne dive bomber. It was the primary dive bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was involved in almost all IJN actions, including the at ...
''Val'' dive bombers, plus three in reserve, and 18
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 ...
"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 plus two in crates. ''Amagi''s hangars could not accommodate so many aircraft so eleven planes were planned to be permanently carried on the flight deck. In 1943 the air group was revised to consist of 18
Mitsubishi A7M The Mitsubishi A7M ''Reppū'' (烈風, "Strong Wind") was designed as the successor to the Imperial Japanese Navy's A6M Zero, with development beginning in 1942. Performance objectives were to achieve superior speed, climb, diving, and armament o ...
"Sam" fighters (+2 in storage), 27
Yokosuka D4Y The is a two-seat carrier-based dive bomber developed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. Development of the aircraft began in 1938. The first D4Y1 was co ...
"Judy" dive bombers and six
Nakajima C6N The Nakajima C6N ''Saiun'' (彩雲, "Iridescent Cloud") was a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II. Advanced for its time, it was the fastest carrier-based aircraft put into service ...
"Myrt"
reconnaissance aircraft A reconnaissance aircraft (colloquially, a spy plane) is a military aircraft designed or adapted to perform aerial reconnaissance with roles including collection of imagery intelligence (including using photography), signals intelligence, as ...
. Of these, the C6Ns were intended to be carried on the flight deck. When the ship commissioned in 1944, neither the A7M nor the C6Ns were yet in service, so the air group was reconfigured to consist of 27 Zeros, 12 D4Ys, three of which were to be the reconnaissance version, and nine
Nakajima B6N The Nakajima B6N ''Tenzan'' ( ja, 中島 B6N 天山, "Heavenly Mountain", World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, Allied reporting name: "Jill") was the Imperial Japanese Navy's standard Aircraft carrier, carrier-borne torpedo bomber du ...
"Jill" torpedo bombers. By this time, however, the shortage of carrier-qualified aircrew was such that they were ordered to operate from shore bases and ''Amagi'' never embarked her air group.


Armor, armament and sensors

''Amagi''s
waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. Specifically, it is also the name of a special marking, also known as an international load line, Plimsoll line and water line (positioned amidships), that indi ...
armored belt Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal vehicle armor, armor plated onto or within the outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and aircraft carriers. The belt armor is designed to prevent projectiles from p ...
was thick over her machinery spaces and over her
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s. Her deck armor above the machinery was thick, but the armor above the magazines was thick. The ship's primary armament consisted of a dozen 40-
caliber In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
12.7 cm Type 89 anti-aircraft (AA) guns in twin mounts on
sponson Sponsons are projections extending from the sides of land vehicles, aircraft or watercraft to provide protection, stability, storage locations, mounting points for weapons or other devices, or equipment housing. Watercraft On watercraft, a spon ...
s on the ship's sides. ''Amagi'' was initially equipped with 16 triple 25 mm Type 96 and three single AA gun mounts, most on sponsons along the sides of the hull. By the end of the war, the ship mounted 22 triple and 23 single mounts. These guns were supplemented by six 28-round AA rocket launchers. For defense against submarines, the carrier was fitted with six
depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
throwers and carried between six and ten depth charges for them. Two Type 94 high-angle
fire-control director A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a hu ...
s, one on each side of the ship, were fitted to control the Type 89 guns. Each director mounted a rangefinder. Six Type 95 directors controlled the 25 mm guns and the rocket launchers. Early warning was provided by two Type 2, Mark 2, Model 1 air search
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, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
s. One of these was mounted on the top of the island while the other retracted into the port side of the flight deck, between the two elevators. In addition, ''Amagi'' had two smaller Type 3, Mark 1, Model 3 air search radars, one mounted on the tripod mast on the island and the other on the aft starboard retractable radio mast.Lengerer 2010b, pp. 119–120


Service

''Amagi''s
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
was laid down by
Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...
in
Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
, on 1 October 1942. She was launched on 15 October 1943 and completed on 10 August 1944. The ship was transferred among a number of ports on the
Inland Sea An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...
until she arrived in Kure in February 1945 and was ordered to be camouflaged. Her intended air group, Air Group 601, was committed to the
Battle of Iwo Jima The Battle of Iwo Jima (19 February – 26 March 1945) was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJ ...
about that same time. ''Amagi'' was briefly refitted from 10 to 24 February. On 19 March, the ship was attacked by aircraft from
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 ...
and lightly damaged by one bomb that struck the edge of the flight deck. On 13 April, the ship was permanently moored at an island in Kure harbor and extensively camouflaged. This did not prevent the aircraft from
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 task ...
from locating and attacking the ship on 24 July. She was hit twice and experienced several near-misses. A bomb detonated near the rear funnel, severely damaging it, but doing little other damage aside from blowing a small hole in the starboard hull. A bomb penetrated the flight deck and detonated in the upper hangar, between the elevators. The explosion blew a section of a hangar wall overboard and the walls of the upper hangar deck were bulged and perforated multiple times. The flight deck between the elevators was bulged up and buckled for a length of and the forward elevator was dropped to the bottom of its shaft. It also blew a hole in the upper hangar deck. Fragments from the explosion penetrated into the bowels of the ship, penetrating bulkheads and decks below. Fragments from near-misses penetrated the sides of the port hull and caused the forward bomb magazine, two boiler rooms, and the aft port engine room to flood.Tully The
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
ordered the ship abandoned later in the day, and the carrier was still afloat in the evening, albeit with a slight
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 and down by the bow. Over the next couple of days, more compartments in the ship flooded and she settled on the bottom of the harbor. Another attack on 28 July hit her several more times and the resulting damage from those hits and more near-misses to port caused the ship to list further to port. This gradually increased through the next day until ''Amagi'' capsized at 10:00 on the morning of 29 July with part of her flight deck falling overboard. The losses among the ship's crew are unknown, but were supposedly light. The ship was stricken from the
Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...
on 30 November and salvage work began on 5 December. The holes in the ship's hull had to be sealed to pump the water out and decrease her draft. The remains of her flight deck and upper hangar could not be made watertight and were removed using
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
. Pontoons were used to right the ship and she was refloated on 31 July 1946. The salvage job was conducted by the
Hitachi Zosen is a major Japanese industrial and engineering corporation. It produces waste treatment plants, industrial plants, precision machinery, industrial machinery, steel mill process equipment, steel structures, construction machinery, tunnel boring ma ...
facility in Kure and they scrapped the ship afterward. The job was completed by 12 December 1947.


Notes


Footnotes


References

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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amagi Unryū-class aircraft carriers Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1943 ships World War II aircraft carriers of Japan Aircraft carriers sunk by aircraft Shipwrecks in the Inland Sea World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean Maritime incidents in July 1945 Ships sunk by US aircraft