The were World War II Japanese aircraft carriers. Sixteen ships of the class were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Ship #302 in 1941) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (#5001–5015 in 1942). However, only three of the Unryū-class carriers were completed.

Design

In the lead-up to the Pacific War the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. For them to be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on the aircraft carrier rather than the newer and more sophisticated or the .Stille (2005), p. 37

The Unryū-class aircraft carrier design was very similar to that of Hiryū. The ships were lightly built, and the main difference from Hiryū was that the carriers' island was placed on the starboard side of the ships. The carriers were capable of carrying 63 aircraft in two hangars, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū with fuel tanks protected by concrete. The ships were fitted with the same propulsion system used in the aircraft carrier to reach , though was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type used in destroyers and had a maximum speed of . The carriers also had a similar armament as Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.Stille (2005), p. 38

Construction

The first three Unryū-class aircraft carriers were laid down in 1942 and construction of a further three began the next year. Eventually, only three (, , and ) were completed and construction of the other three carriers (, and ) was abandoned in 1945.

Ships in classes

Unryū class Project number was G16. General production model of the Unryū class. 3 carriers were completed. The IJN unofficial designation for Unryū and Amagi were ,Shizuo Fukui, p.273 Ship Number 5002–5006 were Shizuo Fukui, p.274 also. Unryū (built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal used the same boilers and turbines as the heavy cruiser Suzuya. Amagi and Kasagi (built by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Shipyard) were equipped with surplus stock of the Ibuki-class cruiser machinery.The Maru Special (1981), p.55 Katsuragi and Aso (built by Kure Naval Arsenal) were equipped with two sets of the machinery, because Japanese industrial power became scarce. Dead space was replaced by fuel tanks. Ship Number 5002 and 5005 (built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal) were to have been built simultaneously using 's dock. However, they were cancelled because Shinano was continued.Shizuo Fukui, p.331

+ Construction data Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate302 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal 1 August 1942 25 September 1943 6 August 1944 Sunk by , 19 December 1944.5001 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard 1 October 1942 15 October 1943 10 August 1944 Sunk by air raid, 28 July 1945. Salvaged and scrapped between 5 December 194612 November 1947.5002 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Cancelled, 1943; materials were used for .5003 Kure Naval Arsenal 8 December 1942 19 January 1944 15 October 1944 Scrapped between 22 December 194630 November 1947.5004 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard 14 April 1943 19 October 1944 (June 1945)Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.18 84% complete. Construction stopped on 1 April 1945. Scrapped between 1 September 194631 December 1947.5005 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Cancelled, 1943; materials were used for Shinano.5006 Kure Naval Arsenal 8 June 1943 1 November 1944 (September 1945) 60% complete. Construction stopped on 9 November 1944. Damaged by air raids in July 1945. Scuttled, July 1945. Salvaged and scrapped between 21 December 194626 April 1947.

Ikoma class The Ikoma subclass was a simplified and sped-up construction model of the Unryū class. They were equipped with shift-arrangement machinery (four sets of parallel boilers and one turbine).Shizuo Fukui, p.275 Therefore, their funnels were intended to be spaced out. The IJN unofficial designation for this class was .

+ Construction data Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate5007 Kawasaki-Kobe Shipyard 5 July 1943 17 November 1944 (October 1945) 60% complete. Construction stopped, 9 November 1944. Scrapped 4 July 194610 March 1947.5008 The Maru Special (1979), p.38 or Daiji Katagiri, p.83–84 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard (November 1943) (December 1945) Cancelled on 5 May 1944Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.955009 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (July 1943) (March 1946)Cancelled on 11 August 1943Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.71–745010 Mitsubishi-Nagasaki Shipyard (April 1944) (June 1946)5011 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (June 1944) (September 1946)5012 Kure Naval Arsenal (June 1944) (September 1946)5013 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (June 1944) (March 1947)5014 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (October 1944) (September 1947)5015 Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (January 1945) (March 1948)

Photos

Footnotes

References

Shizuo Fukui, "Stories of Japanese aircraft carriers", Kōjinsha (Japan) August 1996, History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy & Army", Gakken (Japan), April 2003, Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, , National Archives of Japan, "List of main points and features of surface vessels under construction", Reference code: A03032074600 Monthly Ships of the World, (Japan) No. 481, Special issue, "History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers", May 1994 No. 736, Special issue, "History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers" (New edition), January 2011 The Maru Special, Ushio Shobo (Japan) Warship Mechanism Vol. 3, "Mechanisms of Japanese 29 Aircraft Carriers", August 1981 Japanese Naval Vessels No. 23, "Japanese aircraft carriers I", January 1979 Senshi Sōsho, Asagumo Simbun (Japan) Vol. 31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", November 1969 Vol. 88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", October 1975

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