Japanese aircraft carrier Hiyō
Appearance
Aircraft carrier Hiyo
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History | |
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Japan | |
Name | Hiyō |
Laid down | 30 November 1939 |
Launched | 24 June 1941 |
Commissioned | 31 July 1942 |
Stricken | 10 November 1944 |
Fate | Sunk 21 June 1944 Battle of the Philippine Sea. |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Hiyō-class aircraft carrier |
Displacement | 26,949 tons |
Length | 719 ft 7 in (219.33 m) |
Beam | 87 ft 7 in (26.70 m) |
Draught | 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m) |
Propulsion | System turbine, 56,520 hp |
Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h) |
Complement | 1,224 |
Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) Twelve 5 inch (130 mm) guns Up to seventy-six 25 mm anti-aircraft guns 6 × 28 5 inch (130 mm) AA rockets (from 1944) |
Aircraft carried | 53 |
Hiyō (Japanese: 飛鷹 "Flying Hawk") was a Hiyō-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was laid down as the fast luxury passenger liner Idzumo Maru by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japan Mail Steamship company) but was purchased along with her sistership by the Japanese Navy in 1940 and converted to an aircraft carrier. Her sister ship became the Junyō. Her bridge was built on the starboard side, and its funnel was slightly tilted to the outside in order to increase visibility on the flight deck.
Service History
Hiyō fought in the Pacific campaign of World War II, starting the war with an aircraft complement of 12 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, 18 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers and 18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers.
- November 1942, twice damaged by air raids at Truk.
- April 1943, slight damage by air raid on Truk.
- 10 June 1943, while en-route to Truk Hiyo was hit by two to four torpedoes from submarine Trigger. Two boiler rooms were flooded and the carrier came to a stop. The light cruiser Isuzu was despatched to assist, but the carrier managed to return to Japan on her own power.
- December 1943, ferried aircraft to Singapore, Saipan, and Truk.
- In the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Hiyō was part of Force `B' together with the sister carrier Junyo, the light carrier Ryuho, the battleship Nagato, heavy cruiser Mogami and a screen of eight destroyers. During the battle Hiyo was attacked on 20 June 1944 first by dive-bombers and later by 4 TBF Avengers from Belleau Wood. She was hit by two torpedoes and went dead in the water as fires spread. After two hours, explosions occurred causing her to sink in position 15°30′N 133°50′E / 15.500°N 133.833°E.
Commanding Officers
- Chief Equipping Officer - Captain Akitomo Beppu - 15 November 1941 - 31 July 1942
- Captain Akitomo Beppu - 31 July 1942 - 30 November 1942
- Captain Michio Sumikawa - 30 November 1942 - 1 September 1943
- Captain Izumi Furukawa - 1 September 1943 - 15 February 1944
- Captain Toshiyuki Yokoi - 16 February 1944 - 20 June 1944
External links