Japanese aircraft carrier Chitose
seaplane carrier .
| |
History | |
---|---|
Empire of Japan | |
Name | Chitose |
Namesake | 千歳 (Thousand Years) |
Builder | Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Japan |
Laid down | 26 November 1934 |
Launched | 29 November 1936 |
Commissioned | 25 July 1938 |
Notes | Converted from seaplane carrier to light aircraft carrier 26 January 1943–1 January 1944 |
Recommissioned | 15 November 1943 |
Reclassified | Light aircraft carrier 15 December 1943 |
Reinstated | 1 January 1944 |
Fate | Sunk 25 October 1944 |
Stricken | 20 December 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Chitose-class aircraft carrier |
Displacement |
|
Length | 192.5 m (631 ft 7 in) |
Beam | 20.8 m (68 ft 3 in) |
Draft | 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) |
Installed power | 56,000 shp (42,000 kW) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 28.9 kn (53.5 km/h; 33.3 mph) |
Complement | 800 |
Armament |
|
Aircraft carried |
|
Aviation facilities |
|
Chitose (千歳) was a warship of the
Chitose was converted into a light aircraft carrier during 1943, and subsequently took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was sunk in the Battle off Cape Engaño, one of several actions that made up the Battle of Leyte Gulf, on 25 October 1944.
Although it has been speculated that Chitose as a seaplane carrier also carried Type A midget submarines, only her sister ship Chiyoda had that capability.[1]
Construction and commissioning
Chitose was
Service history
Seaplane carrier
Second Sino-Japanese War
When Chitose entered service, the Second Sino-Japanese War had been raging for a year. Operating her original complement of Kawanishi E7K (Allied reporting name "Alf") and Nakajima E8N (Allied reporting name "Dave") floatplanes, she supported Operation Z, the surprise unopposed landing of the Imperial Japanese Army′s 21st Army at Bias Bay on the coast of China 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Hong Kong, on 12 October 1938. The 21st Army advanced against little opposition toward its main objective, Canton, which fell to the Japanese on 29 October 1938.[1][2]
1939–1941
On 15 November 1939, the Imperial Japanese Navy established the
On 11 October 1940, Chitose was one of 98 Imperial Japanese Navy ships that gathered along with more than 500 aircraft on the Japanese coast at
By November 1941, Chitose and Mizuho made up Seaplane Tender Division 11.[1] On 2 December 1941, Chitose was deployed at Palau as the Japanese armed forces mobilized to enter World War II with an offensive against Allied forces.[1]
World War II
Philippines campaign
On 8 December 1941
After the Legaspi landings, Chitose continued to operate in support of Japanese operations in the
Dutch East Indies campaign
On 26 December 1941, Chitose was transferred to the 2nd Air Force, a component of the Netherlands Indies Force in the Eastern Occupation Forces,[1] to operate in support of Japanese forces during the Dutch East Indies campaign. She departed Davao on 2 January 1942.[1] Chitose was anchored in Malalag Bay in Davao Gulf on the coast of Mindanao on 4 January 1942 when U.S. Army Air Forces B-17D Flying Fortresses flying from Java attacked the anchorage, and five of her floatplanes suffered damage from splinters from a bomb hit on the nearby heavy cruiser Myōkō.[1]
As part of the 11th Seaplane Tender Division with Mizuho,
The
Allied opposition to the advance of Japanese forces at Manado was slight, and although Chitose and Mizuho continued to support Japanese forces ashore there on 12 and 13 January 1942, their aircraft did not need to fly any ground-support missions.[4] From 14 to 19 January, they both searched unsuccessfully for Allied submarines in the Celebes Sea, based on what turned out to be erroneous information.[4] They were released from supporting the Manado landings on 19 January 1942.[4]
Chitose and Mizuho departed Bangka Island on 21 January 1942 and proceeded to the waters off Kendari on the southeastern coast of Celebes, patrolling the waters ahead of an invasion convoy carrying SNLF forces bound for Kendari, their aircraft conducting combat air and antisubmarine patrols over and around the convoy.[4] The Battle of Kendari began with Japanese landings on 23 and 24 January 1942.[1] The two seaplane carriers provided distant support to the Japanese operation,[1] and Chitose and Mizuho arrived at Sarabanka Bay (or Salabangka Bay) on the coast of Celebes on the morning of 24 January, from which they conducted further air operations in support of Japanese forces at Kendari.[1] On 26 January, Chitose separated from Mizuho, departing Sarabangka Bay bound for the Bangka Island anchorage accompanied by destroyers.[4]
Assigned to support the Japanese invasion of Ambon Island in the Molucca Islands, Chitose got back underway on 29 January 1942.[1] She rendezvoused with Mizuho south of Mangole Island at 10:00 on 30 January 1942,[4] and the two seaplane carriers spent the day in the Manipa Strait, providing cover for Japanese invasion forces approaching Ambon and conducting harassing bombing raids against Namlea on Buru that doubled as reconnaissance flights.[4] They departed the strait in the evening and made for an anchorage in Keelang Bay on the southwestern tip of Ceram Island, where they arrived at 05:50 on 31 January 1942[1][4] to provide air cover for the invasion of Ambon, although bad weather made flight operations impossible that day.[4] The weather subsequently improved, and on 1 and 2 February 1942 floatplanes from both ships provided air and antisubmarine defense to the Japanese invasion convoy, devoted about 70 sorties each day to heavy attacks against Allied ground forces on Ambon, and patrolled over the Banda Sea.[4]
The two seaplane carriers parted company at 15:00 on 3 February 1942, when Mizuho got underway from the Keelang Bay anchorage for Staring Bay on the southeast coast of Celebes.[4] At 19:00, Chitose also departed Keelang Bay to proceed to Piru Bay on the coast of Ceram, accompanied by a patrol boat.[4]
Chitose rendezvoused with Mizuho in the
Chitose was at
On 28 February 1942 — the day of the Japanese landings on Java — Chitose and Mizuho anchored off the west coast of Bawean Island.[1][4] During the day, the two seaplane carriers launched floatplanes to protect the Japanese invasion convoy bound for Kragan from attack by Allied aircraft or by the remnants of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA) fleet defeated in the Battle of the Java Sea the previous day.[4] They sighted no ABDA ships, but did observe three gunboats and eight torpedo boats in the channel at the main Dutch naval base at Sarabaya.[4] During the day, Japanese landings took place at Batavia, Merak, Banten Bay, and Eretenwetan.[1]
On 1 March 1942, plans to set up a seaplane base at Kragan were scrapped when the Japanese found the waters off the beach there too shallow for seaplane operations.[4] Remaining off Bawean Island, Chitose and Mizuho began air operations in support of the landings in the morning.[4] At 09:45, they curtailed ground-support operations to focus on protecting the Japanese invasion fleet from air attack, and during the day E13A1s from the two ships claimed three Allied Northrop light bombers shot down, but much of what they did on 1 March is ambiguous or poorly documented.[4] One of the ships launched two floatplanes at 11:40 to follow up on a reported sighting west of Bawean Island of the Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Exeter and destroyer HMS Encounter, and at 12:40 the ships launched a strike by 11 Mitsubishi F1M2 (Allied reporting name "Pete") floatplanes against Exeter and Encounter, but they failed to find the ships due to frequent tropical rain squalls.[4] Meanwhile, at 12:30 an F1M2 from Chitose sighted the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Pope (DD-225) off Java.[1] A strike by Chitose and Mizuho aircraft as well as floatplanes from the heavy cruisers Ashigara, Myōkō, Nachi, and Haguro sometime between 13:00 and 14:30 inflicted damage that caused flooding and disabled one of Pope′s propeller shafts.[1] Later, a strike by six Nakajima B5N (Allied reporting name "Kate") torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Ryūjō attacked Pope, and Ashigara and Myōkō intercepted and sank her at 15:40.[1][4]
On 2 March 1942, Chitose and Mizuho set up a seaplane base at
Chitose was reassigned to the N Occupation (or Expeditionary) Force on 15 March 1942 for operations in
April–May 1942
Chitose departed Ambon Island bound for Sasebo, Japan, on 21 April 1942, and with the
Battle of Midway
The 11th Seaplane Tender Division, now consisting of Chitose and the seaplane tender
The Japanese suffered a decisive defeat on 4 June 1942 during the Battle of Midway and subsequently cancelled the invasion of Midway.[1] Chitose was detached from the Midway Invasion Force on 7 June 1942 and proceeded to Wake Island in company with the heavy cruisers Haguro and Myōkō and three destroyers.[1] She then returned to Japan.
June–July 1942
Chitose was assigned to the A Air Group of the Occupation Force on 18 June 1942.
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal campaign began on 7 August 1942 with United States Marine Corps landings on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.[1] Chitose departed Sasebo on 9 August headed for Yokosuka, where she arrived on 11 August.[1] She departed Yokosuka later the same day bound for Truk as part of Kondo's 2nd Fleet Support Force in company with the battleship Mutsu, five heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and 10 destroyers.[1] She called at Truk from 17 to 23 August 1942, when she sortied as part of Kondo's Advance Force in company with five heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and six destroyers as Japanese forces deployed for an operation to reinforce Japanese forces on Guadalcanal, resulting in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.[1]
Battle of the Eastern Solomons
The Battle of the Eastern Solomons began on 24 August 1942. At around 10:15, three F1M2s from Chitose attacked a PBY Catalina searching for the Japanese aircraft carrier force, and another three F1M2s drove off a PBY looking for Japanese
The destroyer
August–October 1942
On 28 August, the Imperial Japanese Navy created the R Area Air Force, a floatplane unit intended to reinforce land-based Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service aircraft in the Solomon Islands.[1] Chitose put her floatplanes ashore at Truk so that they could deploy to the Shortland Islands as part of the R Area Air Force, then underwent repairs at Truk.[1] With them done, she headed for Japan for further repairs at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, arriving at Yokosuka in September 1942.[1] After their completion, she departed Yokosuka on 14 September 1942, called at Truk from 18 to 20 September, at Rabaul on New Britain in the Bismarck Archipelago from 22 to 24 September, at the Shortland Islands and at Buin on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands from 25 to 27 September before arriving at Kavieng on New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago on 28 September 1942.[1]
During Chitose′s stay at Kavieng, one of her F1M2s flying
Battle of Cape Esperance
Chitose departed Kavieng on 7 October 1942 and proceeded to Rabaul, where she was assigned to the Reinforcement Force of the Outer South Seas Force
October–November 1942
While Chitose was at the Shortlands, one of her floatplanes sighted an American supply convoy approaching Guadalcanal on 15 October 1942.[1] Based on the floatplane's sighting report, the aircraft carrier Zuikaku launched an airstrike against the convoy which sank the destroyer USS Meredith (DD-434).[1]
Chitose refueled from the oiler Omurosan Maru on 27 October 1942, and on 3 November 1942 Kamikawa Maru replaced her as flagship of Seaplane Tender Division 11.[1] In company with the seaplane carrier Chiyoda and escorted by two destroyers, Chitose departed the Shortlands on 3 November bound for Truk, where the ships arrived on 6 November.[1] Chitose got back underway on 10 November and proceeded to Sasebo, arriving there on 15 November 1942.[1] She was drydocked at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal on 28 November 1942.[1]
Aircraft carrier
Conversion
Chitose began conversion to a
January–June 1944
Upon completion of her conversion, Chitose on 1 January 1944 was assigned to the
Chitose departed Sasebo on 15 February 1944, called at Kagoshima, Japan, from 16 to 20 February, and then proceeded to Saipan, where she arrived on 26 February 1944.[5] She got back underway on 29 February 1944 to return to Japan, and arrived at Yokosuka on 4 March 1944.[5] She moved from Yokosuka to Kisarazu on 13 March, then back to Yokosuka on 17 March 1944.[5] She was in drydock at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal from 19 to 24 March, then departed Yokosuka on 25 March bound for the Seto Inland Sea, which she reached on 27 March 1944.[5] She remained in the Seto Inland Sea through April 1944.[5]
On 5 and 6 May 1944, Chitose embarked aircraft of Air Group 653, and on 11 May 1944 she departed
To escape the growing danger of submarine attack off Tawi-Tawi and reach a better jumping-off point for the defense of Saipan, which U.S. ships and aircraft had begun to bombard on 11 June 1944, Chitose departed Tawi-Tawi on 13 June 1944 to move to Guimaras in the western Visayas.[5] Arriving there on 14 June, she began to take on supplies. On 15 June 1944, with U.S. forces landing on Saipan, Operation A-Go was activated, and Chitose headed for the Marianas along with the rest of the 1st Mobile Fleet.[5]
Battle of the Philippine Sea
With the
June–October 1944
After the Japanese defeat in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, Chitose withdrew, anchoring at Okinawa on 22 June 1944 and getting back underway on the morning of 23 June to return to Japan.[5] She arrived at Kure on 1 July 1944 and remained there for the rest of the month, spending 20–26 July 1944 in drydock at the Kure Naval Arsenal.[5] She was assigned to the 2nd Diversion Attack Force on 3 August 1944, but remained in the Seto Inland Sea and in the waters of Kyushu.[5]
Battle of Leyte Gulf
After
The resulting
Task Force 38 counterattacked with a series of large, punishing airstrikes. During the first strike, Chitose was targeted by planes from the aircraft carrier USS Essex (CV-9). At 08:35, a line of three large explosions — either torpedo hits or near-misses by bombs — took place on Chitose′s port side forward of the Number 1 aircraft elevator.[5] Boiler rooms 2 and 4 flooded, and Chitose immediately took on a 30-degree list and suffered rudder failure.[5] Her crew succeeded in reducing the list to 15 degrees, but by 08:55 further flooding had increased it to 20 degrees.[5] At 08:55, Chitose′s forward starboard engine room flooded, cutting her speed to 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), and her speed subsequently fell further when her after starboard engine failed.[5] When the after port engine room flooded at 09:25,[5] Chitose went dead in the water, and her list grew to 30 degrees.[5] The light cruiser Isuzu attempted to close with her and take her in tow, but it proved impossible.[5]
At 09:37, an hour after her initial wounds, in the Philippine Sea at position 19°20′N 126°20′E / 19.333°N 126.333°E, Chitose
The Japanese struck Chitose from the Navy list on 20 December 1944.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr Tully, Athony (19 May 2014). "IJN Seaplane Carrier CHITOSE: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "The Invasion of Canton," Pacific Eagles Accessed 10 December 2021
- ^ "2012 Fleet Review" (PDF). Japan Defense Focus. December 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Tully, Anthony (31 October 2018). "IJN Mizuho:Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Tully, Anthony (5 October 2001). "IJN Seaplane Carrier CHITOSE: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
Bibliography
- Lengerer, Hans (2023). The Aircraft Carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Army: Technical and Operational History. Vol. II. Katowice, Poland: Model Hobby. ISBN 978-83-60041-71-0.
- Lengerer, Hans (2021). "Chitose and Chiyoda". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2021. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. pp. 165–179. ISBN 978-1-4728-4779-9.