IJN Hosho-- Part 1: The World's First Purpose-Built Carrier

In the last post, I wrote about the commissioning of the Japanese ship Hosho on December 27, 1922 as the first-ever naval ship built as an aircraft carrier.  This is of special interest since it was the Japanese aircraft carriers and their planes that did most of the damage at Pearl Harbor that day.  Was the Hosho among the attackers?

I did some more research on the vessel.

From Wikipedia.

It was the world's first  commissioned ship that was built to bean aircraft carrier.  Before this, aircraft carriers were converted ships.  Japan's second purpose-built carrier was the Akagi which did take part in the Pearl Harbor attack.

The Hosho provided Japan with valuable lessons in the construction of their future carriers.

The Hosho stats:

552 feet long,  59-foot beam, 25 knots,  512 crew and could carry 15 planes.

However, unlike most Japanese aircraft carriers, the Hosho survived the war.

--GreGen