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| IJN Modified Sōryū-class aircraft carrier 17,300 tons (standard) 20,165 tons (full load) 12 × 127mm DP guns 31 × 25mm AA guns Aircraft: 57  Renzo 1942 |
Ship History Built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal at Yokosuka in Japan. Laid down on July 8, 1936. Launched on November 16, 1937. Commissioned on July 5, 1939 as Hiryū 飛龍 meaning "Flying Dragon". Also spelled Hiryu in English sources. Built within the specifications of the Washington Naval Treaty that was in place at the time, which placed limits on its tonnage and armament and a port side island. Commanded by Captain Tomeo Kaku. Wartime History On April 10, 1941 assigned to Carrier Division 2. Next, on July 10, 1941 assigned to "FU" escort fleet and participated in "FU" operations during July 10-30, 1942 departing Yokosuka with Soryu. Arrived at Sama on July 16, 1942 then departed on July 25, 1941. On July 29-30, 1941 stopped at Condor and St. James. On August 1, 1941 arrives at Sama. On August 7, 1941 arrives at Sasebo and remains until the end of the month and enters dry dock until September 10, 1941. On September 15, 1941 departs Sasebo bound for Kagoshima. On September 22, 1941 receive flag from Soryu and becomes flagship of Carrier Division 2. Hiryu remains in the vicinity of Kagoshima until the end of October. On October 26, 1941 the flag is returned to Soryu. On November 18, 1941 departs Kyushu with Soryu bound for Hitokappu Bay (Kasatka) arriving four days later. On November 26, 1941 assigned to Striking Force Main Body, Carrier Division 2 and departs departs Hitokappu Bay (Kasatka) as part of the "Hawaii Operation". On December 2, 1941 roughly 940 miles north of Midway Atoll the force receives the signal "Niitakayama nobore 1208" (Climb Mt. Niitaka December 8) from the Combined Fleet indicating hostilities will commence December 8, 1941 (Toyko time). On December 4, 1941 in the northern Pacific the weather deteriorated with rough seas and refueling is delayed until the next day. On December 5, 1941 roughly 600 miles north of Oahu the force refuels from the 2nd Supply Group. On December 6, 1941 roughly 400 miles north of Oahu the force refuels from the 1st Supply Group. At the start of the Pacific War, Hiryū planes were assigned to the 2nd Carrier Divison with two vertical blue stripes on the rear fuselage behind the Hinomaru (Rising Sun). Zero fighters have tail code BII-1xx (last two digits aircraft number) and Val dive bombers and Kate torpedo bombers marked with tail code BII-2xx (last two digits aircraft number). Pearl Harbor Attack On December 7, 1941 Hiryū was part of the strike force that attacked Pearl Harbor and Oahu. During the first wave of the attack, Hiyu launched ten B5N1 Kates that targeted Battleship Row hitting USS Arizona BB-39 and USS California BB-44. Eight B5N1 Kates that targeted USS West Virginia, USS Oklahoma and USS Helena CL-50. Her six A6M2 Zeros that attacked Wheeler Field and Barbers Point. Lost was A6M2 Zero 2266 pilot PO1c Shigenori Nishikaichi force landed on Niihau Island (Niʻihau) and survived but was later killed on December 13, 1941. Between December 21, 1941 until December 23, 1941 conducts air strikes against Wake Island. During January 1942 supported the invasion of Ambon Island. On February 19, 1942 Hiyu and Soryu launched carrier aircraft to attack Darwin in Northern Territory in Australia. Lost is A6M2 Zero 5349 pilot Hajime Toyoshima that force lands and is captured becoming Australia's first Prisoner Of War (POW). During March 1942 Hiryu partiicpated in the Battle of the Java Sea attacking Allied shipping at Tjilatjap and Christmas Island and sinking the Dutch freighter Poelau Bras. In April 1942 Hiryu participated in the Indian Ocean raid with her carrier aircraft attacking Colombo and Trincomalee on Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and helping to sink cruisers HMS Cornwall, HMS Dorsetshire, aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (95), and her escort destroyer HMS Vampire. On April 19, 1942 chased the U.S. Navy carrier force including USS Hornet and USS Enterprise that launched the "Doolittle Raid" of B-25B Mitchells that bombed Japan but fails to catch them. Battle of Midway On June 4, 1942 at 4:30am during the Battle of Midway, Hiryu had an aircraft complement of 21 x A6M2 Zeros, 21 x D3A Val dive bombers and 21 x B5N Kate torpedo bombers launched a strike against Midway Atoll destroying planes and damaging ground installations. At 7:55am sixteen U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) SBD Dauntless led by SBD Dauntless 2129 piloted by Major Lofton R. Henderson attack Hiryu without result. By 10:30am, Hiryu was the last undamaged aircraft carrier in the Japanese force after SBD dive bombers hit Kaga, Sōryū and Akagi. At 10:50am launched eighteen D3A Vals led by Lt. Michio Kobayashi escorted by six A6M2 Zeros on a strike against USS Yorktown (CV-5). Enroute, the Zeros spotted six SBDs from VB-6 damaging two Zeros that were forced to return, leaving only four that were now trailing behind the dive bombers. At 11:52 the Japanese formation was spotted on radar and intercepted by F4F Wildcats flying Combat Air Patrol (CAP). Only seven D3A Vals manage to make an anvil attack against USS Yorktown (CV-5) and scored three bomb hits and two near misses causing fires and was dead in the water. Only five Vals and one Zero returned from the strike. At 1:31pm, Hiryu launched another strike with ten B5N1 Kates led by Lt. Joichi Tomanaga flying a damaged plane leaking fuel escorted by six A6M2 Zeros on a strike against the remaining U.S. aircraft carriers. Enroute, they spotted a carrier they believed to be undamaged but was USS Yorktown (CV-5) that was underway despite the earlier bomb damage. Detected on radar, six F4F Wildcats on CAP intercpted plus intense anti-aircraft fire from the carrier and escorts. The Kates divided for an anvil attack from both sides of the carrier. B5N1 Kate piloted by Lt. Joichi Tomonaga was intercepted by F4F Wildcat piloted by LCDR John S. Thach Commanding Officer (C.O.) of VF-3 and damaged and set on fire. Despite the damage, he managed to release his torpedo but missed. The other Kates managed to score two torpedoe hits on the port side of USS Yorktown (CV-5). with the first impacting at 4:20pm. The remaining five Kates and four Zeros returned to Hiryu by 3:45pm. At 2:20pm Hiryu was again spotted by American search planes. Meanwhile, Japanese search planes located the remaining enemy aircraft carriers as the remaining Hiryu planes were being refueled and armed. In the afternoon, a formation of four B-17 Flying Fortress led by B-17E "Yankee Doodle" 41-2463 spotted the burning wreckage of the other carriers and searched the area for a reportedly last intact aircraft carrier. Forty minutes later, two B-17s piloted by Lt. Wuertele and Lt. Grundman located Hiryu and Haruna and made bomb runs on both and claiming hits, but in fact none were scored. At 4:45 Hiryu was attacked by 24 x SBD Dauntless from USS Enterprise targeted the carrier while 16 x SBDs from USS Yorktown target Haruna. Despite 13 x A6M2 Zeros flying Combat Air Patrol (CAP) they were caught by surprise. At 5:05 the dive bombers commence their dive bombing runs and begins evasive maneuvers but the SBDs score four 1,000 pound bombs on the forward flight deck with one hitting near the forward elevator. The explosions started fires among the aircraft in the hangar deck and the forward half of the flight deck collapsed. Although the carrier's propulsion were not affected, the raging fires could not be brought under control. At 9:23pm her engines stopped leaving the damaged carrier dead in the water. At 11:58 an explosion rocked the damaged carrier. Sinking History On June 5, 1942 at 3:15am the crew were order to abandon ship. Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi and Captain Kaku elected to remained on aboard. The surviving crew were resued by destroyers Makigumo and Kazagumo. At 5:10am Makigumo fired a torpedo at the port side to scuttle Hiryū it but ran too deep and missed. Next, circled and fired a second torpedo at the starboard side and exploded but the destroyer departed immediately without observing the sinking. At 7:00am a B4Y from Hosho observed the damaged carrier still afloat and photographs the damaged carrier. They also observe crew still aboard. Destroyer Tanikaze is dispatched to finish scuttling her but does not arrive before the carrier sinks. At 9:00am the last thirty-nine crew launch the cutter and were the last to escape. At 9:12am the damaged carrier finally upends and sinks bow first roughly 240-260 miles northwest of Midway Atoll. Aboard, thirty-five crew remained including Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi and Captain Tomeo Kaku. With his decision to go down with the carrier, the loss of Yamaguchi deprived the Japanese Navy one of their most experienced and brilliant leaders. A total of 383 of her crew died in the engagement and sinking. Officially stricken from the Navy registry on September 25, 1942. Fates of the Crew Most of the crew were rescued by destroyers Kazagumo and Makigumo. During the attack another 350 or so had been killed during the attack by bombs, fires and explosions. The 39 crew aboard the cutter floated at sea for two weeks with four died of wounds or exposure. The cutter was spotted by a PBY Catalina and rest were rescued by USS Ballard and became Prisoners Of War (POW). Memorials The painting "Last moments of Admiral Yamaguchi" by Kita Renzo depicts the last moments of Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi and Captain Kaku. References Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) Japanese Naval and Merchant Shipping Losses During World War II by All Causes pages 2 (Hiryu), 105 (index Hiryu) "Last moments of Admiral Yamaguchi" by Kita Renzo Combined Fleet - IJN Hiryu: Tabular Record of Movement Fortress Against The Sun (2001) page 192 Contribute
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