HIRYU aircraft carrier

[aukepalmhof]

Built as an aircraft carrier by Yokosuka Navy Yard for the Imperial Japanese Navy.
08 July 1936 laid down.
16 November 1937 launched as the HIRYU (means Flying Dragon) as one of the Soryu class aircraft carriers.
Displacement 17,300 tons standard, 20,250 tons full load. Dim. 222.0 x 22.3 x 7.74m.(draught)
Powered by four sets geared steam turbines, 153.000 shp, four shafts. Speed 34 knots.
Range by a speed of 18 knots, 10,330 mile.
Armament 12 – 127mm and 31 – 25mm AA guns.
Carried 73 aircraft.
Crew 1103.
05 July 1939 commissioned.
In 1941, commanded by Captain Tomeo Kaku, HIRYU was assigned to Carrier Division 2. 10 July 1941 assigned to FU Escort Fleet, participated in FU Operations from 10 to 30 July. 26 November 1941 assigned to Striking Force Main Body, CarDiv 2. On 7 December 1941 she was with the Strike Force in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She launched two attack waves of planes against the island of Oahu: ten Kates targeted ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, eight Kates targeted WEST VIRGINIA, OKLAHAMA, and Helena and six Zeros attacked US air bases at Wheeler Field and Barbers Point.
From 21 December to 23 December she launched air strikes against Wake Island. In January 1942 she supported the invasion of Ambon in the Moluccas. On 19 February 1942, together with her sister ship SORYU she launched an air strike against Darwin, Australia.
In March 1942 she took part in the battle of the Java Sea, attacking Allied shipping at Tjilatjep and Christmas Island and sinking the Dutch freighter POELAU BRAS . In April 1942 she took part in the Indian Ocean raid, striking Royal Navy bases at Colombo and Trincomalee Ceylon and helping to sink the cruisers CORNWALL DORSETSHIRE e, the aircraft carrier HERMES, and her escort destroyer VAMPIRE..
On 19 April 1942 she pursued the US carriers HORNET and ENTERPRISE after they launched the Doolittle Raid, but failed to catch them.
In May 1942, HIRYU sailed on her final mission. Her aircraft complement consisted of 21 Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters, 21 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers, and 21 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers. On 4 June 1942 she took part in the battle of Midway. At 4:30 AM she launched a strike against Midway Island, destroying planes and damaging installations. After KAGA, SORYU and AKAGI were disabled by air attack at about 10:25 AM, HIRYU was the only operational carrier left to the Japanese. She launched two waves of planes at 10:50 and 12:45 against YORKTOWN, heavily damaging the American carrier with bombs and torpedoes (she was sunk later by I-168..
Japanese search planes had located the remaining American aircraft carriers, and all surviving aircraft from the Carrier Striking Force had landed on HIRYU and were refueled and armed; but while preparing to launch a third strike against them, HIRYU was attacked at 5:03 PM by 13 SBD Dauntless dive bombers from ENTERPRISE. She was hit by four 1000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs, three on the forward flight deck and one on or near the forward elevator. The explosions started fires among the aircraft on the hangar deck. The forward half of the flight deck collapsed into the hangar bay.
Although HIRYU 's propulsion was not affected, the fires could not be brought under control. At 9:23 PM her engines stopped, and at 1:58 AM a major explosion rocked the ship. The order to abandon ship was given shortly afterwards and the survivors were taken off by the destroyers KAZAGUMO and MAKIGUMO. Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi and Captain Kaku remained on board as HIRYU was scuttled at 5:10 AM by torpedoes from MAKIGUMO. She sank at 9:12 AM, taking 35 men down with her (another 350 or so had been killed by the bombs, fires and explosions). Thirty-five were rescued by the US Navy and taken prisoner. Admiral Yamaguchi's insistence on going down with his carrier robbed the Japanese of one of their most experienced and brilliant carrier admirals.
Uganda 1992 200s sg1056, scott 975f
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_a ... Hiry%C5%AB and various other web-sites.

[D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen]

Puntland State of Somalia 2011, 5000 a. StG.?