Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi
![]() Amagi
| |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | Amagi (天城) |
Namesake | Mount Amagi |
Builder | Mitsubishi, Nagasaki |
Laid down | 1 October 1942 |
Launched | 15 October 1943 |
Commissioned | 10 August 1944 |
Fate | Capsized after air attacks, 29 July 1945, scrapped 1946–1947 |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | Unryū-class aircraft carrier |
Displacement | 20,450 t (20,130 long tons) |
Length | 227.35 m (745 ft 11 in) |
Beam | 22 m (72 ft 2 in) |
Draft | 8.73 m (28 ft 8 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) |
Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
Complement | 1,595 |
Sensors and processing systems |
|
Armament |
|
Armor |
Amagi (天城) was an
Design and description
The last purpose-built Japanese carrier construction during World War II was a group of vessels based on an improved
Amagi had a length of 227.35 meters (745 ft 11 in)
The Unryū-class carriers used the same turbines and boilers as used in the heavy cruiser Suzuya. These consisted of four geared steam turbine sets with a total of 152,000 shaft horsepower (113,000 kW) driving four shafts using steam provided by eight Kampon Type B water-tube boilers. The ship had a designed speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). Amagi carried 3,670 metric tons (3,610 long tons) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).[3] She had two funnels on the starboard side, each angled below the horizontal. They were fitted with a water-cooling system to reduce the turbulence caused by hot exhaust gases.[4]
Flight deck arrangements
Amagi's
The ship's air group was originally intended to consist of 12 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, plus three in storage, 27 Aichi D3A Val dive bombers, plus three in reserve, and 18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers plus two in crates. Amagi's hangars could not accommodate so many aircraft so eleven planes were planned to be permanently carried on the flight deck. In 1943 the air group was revised to consist of 18 Mitsubishi A7M "Sam" fighters (+2 in storage), 27 Yokosuka D4Y "Judy" dive bombers and six Nakajima C6N "Myrt" reconnaissance aircraft. Of these, the C6Ns were intended to be carried on the flight deck. When the ship commissioned in 1944, neither the A7M nor the C6Ns were yet in service, so the air group was reconfigured to consist of 27 Zeros, 12 D4Ys, three of which were to be the reconnaissance version, and nine Nakajima B6N "Jill" torpedo bombers. By this time, however, the shortage of carrier-qualified aircrew was such that they were ordered to operate from shore bases and Amagi never embarked her air group.[7]
Armor, armament and sensors
Amagi's waterline armored belt was 46 millimeters (1.8 in) thick over her machinery spaces and 140 millimeters (5.5 in) over her magazines. Her deck armor above the machinery was 25 millimeters (0.98 in) thick, but the armor above the magazines was 56 millimeters (2.2 in) thick.[8]
The ship's primary armament consisted of a dozen 40-
Two Type 94 high-angle
Service
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/IJN_carrier_Amagi_capsized_off_Kure_in_1946.jpg/220px-IJN_carrier_Amagi_capsized_off_Kure_in_1946.jpg)
Amagi's
This did not prevent the aircraft from
The
The ship was stricken from the
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ Silverstone, p. 325
- ^ a b c Lengerer 2010b, p. 106
- ^ a b c Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 56
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, pp. 115, 117
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, pp. 110–112, 118
- ^ Lengerer 2010a, p. 154
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, pp. 117–118
- ^ Sturton, p. 184
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, p. 118
- ^ Stille, p. 37
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, p. 119
- ^ Lengerer 2010b, pp. 119–120
- ^ a b c d e Tully
References
- Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
- Lengerer, Hans (2010a). Illustrated Record of the Transition of the Superstructures of BB Kongô Class: Introduction to CV Unryû Class. Katowice, Poland: Model Hobby. ISBN 978-83-60041-42-0.
- Lengerer, Hans (2010b). "Katsuragi and the Failure of Mass Production of Medium Sized Aircraft Carriers". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2010. London: Conway. pp. 103–121. ISBN 978-1-84486-110-1.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.
- Stille, Mark (2005). Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers 1921–1945. New Vanguard. Vol. 109. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-853-7.
- Sturton, Ian (1980). "Japan". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Tully, Anthony P. (2004). "IJN Amagi: Tabular Record of Movement". Kido Butai. Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy: Shokaku Class, Soryu, Hiryu, Unryu Class, Taiho (PDF). Kojinsha. Vol. 6.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-8229-3665-8.