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

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

December 27, 1922: Japanese Launch the First Purpose-Built Aircraft Carrier in the World

DECEMBER 27, 1922

Japanese aircraft carrier  IJN Hosho becomes the first purpose-built aircraft carrier commissioned in the world.  Set the stage for a certain latter event in 1941, didn't it.

--GreGen