Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō
Zuihō (瑞鳳, "Auspicious Phoenix" or "Fortunate Phoenix") was the name ship of her class of two light aircraft carriers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Originally laid down as the submarine tender Takasaki (Japanese: 高崎, "Tall Cape"), she was renamed and converted while under construction into an aircraft carrier. The ship was completed during the first year of World War II and played a minor role in the Battle of Midway in mid-1942. She participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign during the rest of 1942. Significantly damaged during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in that campaign, after repairs Zuihō covered the evacuation of Japanese forces from Guadalcanal in early 1943.
Zuihō at anchor, 28 December 1940 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Zuihō |
| Namesake | Auspicious or Fortunate Phoenix |
| Builder | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down | 20 June 1935 |
| Launched | 19 June 1936 |
| Commissioned | 27 December 1940 |
| Renamed | from Takasaki, 15 December 1940 |
| Fate | Sunk by air attack during the Battle off Cape Engaño, 25 October 1944 |
| General characteristics (as converted) | |
| Class and type | Zuihō-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 11,443 t (11,262 long tons) (standard) |
| Length | 205.5 m (674 ft 2 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 18.2 m (59 ft 8 in) |
| Draft | 6.6 m (21 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range | 7,800 nmi (14,400 km; 9,000 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement | 785 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 30 |
Her aircraft were disembarked several times in mid- to late-1943 and used from land bases in a series of battles in the Southwest Pacific. Zuihō participated in the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf in mid-1944. In this last engagement, she mainly served as a decoy for the main striking forces and was sunk by American aircraft. In between battles, the ship served as an aircraft ferry and a training ship.