IJN Hosho-- Part 2: Sino-Japanese War and World War II

IJN stands for Imperial Japanese Navy.

The Hosho participated in the  Shanghai Incident  in 1932 and the opening stages of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937.  The carrier's air group supported Japanese forces on the ground and also fought the Nationalist Chinese Air Force.  The small size of the Hosho limited the number of planes it could carry to 15 and as a result limited its effectiveness causing it to be placed in reserve on return to Japan.

In 1939, she became a training ship.

During World War II, the Hosho participated in the Battle of Midway in a backup role.  After that, it was back to training pilots in Japanese waters for the duration of the conflict.  It sustained just minor damage during U.S. air attacks in the final stages of the war.

Surrendered, she participated in the return of Japanese troops in the Pacific and was later scrapped.

--GreGen