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IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY (JAPAN)

AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS

RYUHO light aircraft carrier (1935/1942)

Ryuho 1942

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
龍鳳 [Ryuho] (ex-態芸 [Taigei])     Yokosuka K K 12.4.1933 16.11.1933 31.3.1935 // 28.11.1942 damaged 19.3.1945, never repaired, BU 1946

 

Displacement standard, t

13360

Displacement full, t

16700

Length, m

197.3 pp 210.0 wl 215.6 oa

Breadth, m

19.6 wl 23.0 fd

Draught, m

6.67

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Kampon geared steam turbines, 4 Kampon boilers

Power, h. p.

52000

Max speed, kts

26.5

Fuel, t

oil 2900

Endurance, nm(kts) 8000(18)
Armament

4 x 2 - 127/40 89-shiki, 10 x 3 - 25/60 96-shiki, 4 x 2 - 25/60 96-shiki, 31 aircraft (A6M fighters, D3A, D4Y diving bombers, B5N torpedo bombers)

Complement

989

Aircraft facilities (fd - 4,255m², ha - 2,306m² / ~11,530m³): Flight deck: 185.0x23.0m. There was hangar (124x18.6x?m). There were 2 lifts (13.6x12.0m). Aircraft fuel stowage: ?.         

Year fighters torpedo bombers
6.1943 21 A6M2 9 B5N
6.1944 9 A6M2, 18 A6M5 9 B6N

 

Project history: Former submarine tender Taigei (10000t standard, 2 diesels, 14000hp, 20kts, 2x2 127mm/40, 12 light AA guns, 3 seaplanes), completed in March, 1935. As well as in a case with Tsurugisaki (later Zuiho), she was built taking into account of possibility of conversion to carrier, however was unsuccessful: welded hull was too weak, and high freeboard at shallow draught did not ensure a demanded stability. In 1936-1937 she passed capital reconstruction: the hull was strengthened, bulges were fitted. Displacement has thus increased on 500t. In 1941-1942, according to confidential mobilisation plan, Taigei was converted to aircraft carrier Ryuho. On design ship in many respects repeated Zuiho and Shoho, but was a little bit larger. Diesel machinery of tender also should be replaced by turbine, unified with Kagero class destroyers. But owing to larger displacement and presence of bulges on speed Ryuho yielded to predecessors 1.5-2kts. Greatest thickness of decks over machinery was only 13mm.

It is necessary to mark, that Ryuho has appeared one of the most unsuccessful carriers of Japanese Navy. Weak construction, absence of any protection and unsatisfactory sectioning of hull into compartments in an underwater part have significantly limited her usage in operations.

Ship protection: There was poor underwater protection.

Modernizations: 8.1943: + 4 x 1 - 25/60 96-shiki, 3 x 2 - 13.2/76, 1-shiki 2-go radar

8/1944: flight deck was lengthened to 198.1 m; + 19 x 1 - 25/60 96-shiki, 11 x 1 - 13.2/76, 6 x 28 - 120 AA RL

Naval service: 12.12.1942 Ryuho was damaged by a torpedo from American submarine Drum and was under repair till March, 1943. 19.3.1945 in the Japanese Interior Sea she was attacked by American carrier aircraft (TF.58), received three hits of 227kg of air bombs and hardly damaged. She was never repaired, 20.4.1945 stricken and in 1946 scrapped.
 

Ryuho

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14