Japanese aircraft carrier Zuihō
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 1934 |
| Launched: | December 1940 |
| Commissioned: | January 1941 |
| Fate: | Sunk by air attack in the battle of Cape Engaño on 25 October 1944 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 14,200 tons (fully loaded) |
| Length: | 712 ft (213 meters) |
| Beam: | 75.5 ft |
| Draught: | 21.7 ft |
| Propulsion: | Geared turbines S.H.P. 52,000 = 28.2 kt 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 28.2 knots (51.8 km/h) |
| Complement: | 785 |
| Armament: | 8 × 5"/40 cal in 4 twin mounts 2 sets removed 1934 56 × 25 mm anti-aircraft guns |
| Aircraft: | 24-30 |
The Imperial Japanese Ship Zuihō was first laid down as the high-speed oiler Takasaki in 1934. As the Japanese became aware of the importance of carrier aviation the Takasaki was converted in January 1940 to the aircraft carrier Zuihō. Zuihō is the sister ship of the Shōhō (Battle of the Coral Sea) . Sunk by American bombers during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
[edit] Name
In Japanese, Zuihō means “Happy (or Lucky) Bird of Paradise”
[edit] History
- January, 1941: Commissioned into the Japanese fleet and assigned to Carrier Division 3 with the Hōshō
- December, 1941: Participates in the attack on the Philippine Islands
- January, 1942: Supported invasion of the Dutch East Indies
- June, 1942: Battle of Midway. Lead the Support Fleet and did not engage American carriers directly.
- October, 1942: Assigned to First Carrier Division (with Shōkaku and Zuikaku) during the Battle of Santa Cruz. A bomber from the Enterprise disables the Flight deck of the Zuihō.
- January-February, 1943: Aids in evacuation of Guadalcanal along with Carriers Junyō and Zuikaku
- February, 1944: Participates in the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
- 24 October 1944: Participates in Battle of Leyte Gulf along with the Carriers Chiyoda, Chitose and Zuikaku. During the Battle off Cape Engano, hits are scored on Zuihō's flight deck during an attack by a wave of American bombers. After repairing this damage, three more strike waves arrive to finally sink Zuihō. Carrying very few aircraft, she was sacrificed as a "decoy", to draw the American carrier fleet away from the Japanese main battleship fleet.
