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| IJN Shōkaku class aircraft carrier 26,087 Tons (standard) 32,620 Tons (full load) 844' 10" x 85' 4" x 28' 10" 16 x 127mm Type 89 guns 36 x 25mm AA guns (later upgraded to 70) Aircraft: 72 plus 12 spare (December 7, 1941) 18 x A6M2 Zeros 27 x D3A1 Vals 27 x B5N1 Kates  IJN 1941   IJN December 7, 1941 |
Ship History Built at Yokosuka Dockyard at Yokosuka. Laid down December 12, 1937 as the lead ship of the Shōkaku class aircraft carrier . Launched June 1, 1939 as Shōkaku 翔鶴 meaning "soaring crane or "flying crane" in Japanese. In English sources spelled Shokaku. Commissioned August 8, 1941 in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attached to the Kure Naval District. On August 23, 1941 departs Yokosuka for a shakedown cruise to Ariake Bay off Kyushu arriving two days later and becomes the flagship of the 1st Air Fleet. On September 1, 1941 assigned to Carrier Division 5 and five days later departs Ariake Bay arriving Yokoska two days later. On September 10, 1941 becomes the flagship for Carrier Division 5. On October 4, 1941 departs Yokosuka for Oita Bay arriving two days later. On October 8, 1941 arrives Kure to joins Zuikaku for the first time and operates around Kure, Oita and Saeki. On October 12, 1941 arrives Saeki Bay then two days later Sukumo Bay and six days later Terajima Strait. On October 28, 1941 arrives Sasebo then departs the next day via Ariake Bay arriving two days later at Oita Bay. On November 2, 1941 departs Oita and the next day at Ariake Bay then two days later departs Ariake. On November 7, 1941 arrives Oita Bay and departs two days later for Kure arriving the same day. On November 14, 1941 becomes the flagship for Carrier Division 5 and three days later departs for Saeki Bay arriving the same day. On November 18, 1941 departs Saeki for Oita Bay arriving the same day. On November 19, 1941 departs Oita with Zuikaku northward arriving three days later at Hittokappu Bay the secret assembly point for Operation Z. On November 26, 1941 departs Hittokappu Bay crossing the north Pacific Ocean. On December 2, 1941 the force receives the signal "Niitakayama nobore 1208" (Climb Mt. Niitaka 1208)" and despite rough seas and bad weather the force reaches their designated position. The Shōkaku air group includes 72 aircraft including 18 x A6M2 Zeros, 27 x D3A1 Vals and 27 B5N1 Kates. Operation Z - Pearl Harbor and Oahu Attack On December 7, 1941 at 6:00am launches aircraft for the first wave including 26 x B5N1 Vals led by Lt. Cdr. Kakuichi Takahashi plus 5 x A6M2 Zeros led by Lt. Tadashi Kaneko. Lost is one Val for the attack against Pearl Harbor and Oahu. At 7:15am launches the second wave including 27 x B5N1 Kates armed with bombs led by Lt. Ichihara Tatsuo without loss. Afterwards, withdraws westward with the Japanese force. On December 23, 1941 arrives at Hashirajima then departs via Saeki arriving two days later at Kure. On January 3, 1942 departs Kure with Zuikaku arriving two days later at Hiroshima Bay, then departed with Zuikaku four days later for Hashirajima. On January 8, 1942 departs with Nagumo's Strike Force bound for Truk arrives January 14, 1942. Operation R New Britain and New Ireland On January 16, 1942 departs Truk as part of Operation "R" against Rabaul. On January 20, 1942 the Kido Butai launches a 90 plane strike against Rabaul, including 19 D3A Vals from Shōkaku and suffers no losses. On January 21, 1942 Shōkaku, Zuikaku with Chikuma and destroyers Akigumo, Kasumi, Kagero, Shiranuhi proceed to launch separate carrier aircraft raids against targets in New Guinea. Shōkaku A6M2 Zeros led by Lt Tadashi Kaneko strafe Salamua and five Zeros strafe three Junkers G 31 trimotors parked at Bulolo Airfield. Afterwards, withdraws northward to Truk. On January 25, 1942 while operating 100 miles south of Truk embarks sixteen A5M4 Claudes from Chitose Kokutai. On January 27, her aircraft are transported and land at Rabaul, afterwards returns to Truk two days later and departs the next day for Yokosuka. On February 3, 1942 arrives at Yokosuka and remains in the vicinity during the month, entering dry dock from February 27 to March 5, and two days later departs for Marcus Island to search unsuccessfully for American forces, returning March 16 to Yokosuka. Operation C Indian Ocean On March 17, 1942 departs Yokosuka as part of "Operation C" (Battle of Ceylon) with Akagi, Zuikaku, Sōryū, and Hiryū to the Indian Ocean. On April 5, 1942 the carrier aircraft strike Colombo on Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and extensively damage port facilities and sinks cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire. The mission results in the loss of a single D3A Val dive bomber from Shokaku. On April 9, 1942 launches 19 B5N Kates escorted by 10 A6M2 Zeros to strike against Trincomalee on on Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The mission results in the loss of one Zero. Later in the day, launches 18 D3A Val dive bombers against HMS Hermes (95) and HMAS Vampire and claim 13 bomb hits of the 40 that result in her sinking. On May 1, 1942 departs Truk with Zuikaku as part of strike force under the command of Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi for Operation MO to cover the planned invasion of Port Moresby with CruDiv 5 and CarDiv 5 and six destroyers from DesDiv 27 and DesDiv 7 with oiler Toho Maru. Battle of the Coral Sea On May 7, 1942 at dawn at the start of the Battle of the Coral Sea roughly 300 miles southwest of Tulagi when sighting reports of Allied warships including an aircraft carrier and cruiser to the south. At 6:20am launched her planes on a strike and discovers the warships are USS Neosho (AO-23) and USS Sims (DD-409). On May 8, 1942 D3A Vals led by Lt. Tamatsu Ema attacked U.S. carriers and damage USS Lexington (CV-2) that is later sunk. During the engagement, Shōkaku was severely damaged by carrier aircraft from USS Yorktown (CV-5). On May 9, 1942 reassigned to CarDiv 5, 1st Air Fleet escorted by destroyers proceeds northward at top speed bound for Japan for repairs. Meanwhile, U.S. submarines are alerted to the damaged carrier code named "Wounded Bear" but none are able to intercept. On May 12, 1942 rendezvous with DesDiv 15 destroyers in the Philippine Sea for the final leg of the voyage back to Japan but enroute at high speed takes on seawater from the damaged port bow causing a steep list at high speed an nearly capsizes enroute to Kure. On May 17, 1942 in the evening enters Kure Harbor but due to the damage is unable to be moored and instead anchors. The damaged carrier is inspected by Admiral Yamamoto and Vice Admiral Ugaki that praise the crew. Within a few days the damage is photographed. On May 25, 1942 placed under the command of Captain Arima Masafumi. On June 16, 1942 enters drydock at Kure Naval Yard for repairs over the next eleven days including the installation of early Type 21 radar atop the island director. On July 14, 1942 reassigned to Striking Force, 3rd Fleet, CarDiv 1. On July 18, 1942 departs Kure bound for Hashirajima arriving the next day. On July 21, 1942 departs on a training cruise and returns ten days later. On August 5, 1942 departs Hashirajima arriving at Kure three days later. On August 14, 1942 departs Kure and the next day arrives Hashirajima. On August 16, 1942 assigned to the main body, Striking Force, 3rd Fleet, CarDiv 1 as the flagship for Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. At 6:00pm depats bound for the Solomon Islands. On August 21, 1942 a refueling stop at Truk is cancelled and instead refuels at sea and at 5:00am rendezvous with Kondo's Advanced Force as the force divide and advance to their assigned positions. On August 23, 1942 a PBY Catalina spots the Japanese convoy and the carriers are held in reserve to protect the convoy and at night proceeds to the north. On August 24, 1942 participates in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons where her carrier aircraft damage USS Enterprise (CV-6). PARTIAL LIST On October 15, 1942 at 9:37am received a report of a small U.S. convoy east of Guadalcanal reported to be a light cruiser and a tugboat towing a barge and launches a strike of 8 Zero and 21 Vals plus nine B5N Kates from Zuikaku. At 10:25am they sink USS Meredith (DD-434) with one Val and two Kates lost. PARTIAL LIST On October 26, 1942 in the early morning at the start of the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands (Battle of the South Pacific) the Japanese force is spotted by a PBY Catalina and bombed without damge. At 4:45am launches four torpedo bombers to search for the enemy fleet with air crews on deck waiting for the signal to take off. At 6:50am launched nine Zeros for Combat Air Patrol (CAP) against two SBDs from USS Enterprise that spotted the Japanese force. At 6:58am one of her search planes spots an enemy carrier and the carrier launches her first strike and another scout plane to check the sighting. At 7:10am launches 20 B5N Kates under the command of Lt. Murata Shigeharu escorted by 4 Zeros then orders the second wave strike planes raised from the hangar deck and readied for launch. At 7:40 two SBDs from Enterprise bomb Zuiho and score a bomb hit on her fantail. At 8:10am launches three Zeros on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and her second strike of twenty D3A Val dive bombers under the command of Lt. Seki Mamoru escorted by five A6M2 Zeros. After take off, one Val aborts the mission and returns to the carrier. At 8:40am the carrier's radar detects enemy aircraft 78 miles, the strike from USS Hornet comprised of 15 SBDs, 6 TBFS escorted by 8 Wildcats. At 9:00am as the Hornet planes approach, her strike is approaching their carrier. At 9:27am while steaming northward at full speed, ten SBDs from Hornet attack from astern with 3-4 missing and the rest score hits with their 1,000 pound bombs and is heavily damaged with fires and damage to the flight deck. The nearly empty hangars are devestated by the bomb blasts but there is no signifigant damaged below the waterline and the carrier continues to make 30 knots. The rest of the U.S. planes fail to find the carrier. After five hours, her damage control is able to extinguish the fires but crew losses are high. Repaired in 1943 under the command of Captain Matsubara Hiroshi. She was assigned to a counter-attack against the Aleutian Islands, but the operation was canceled after the Allied victory on Attu Island. For the remainder of 1943 she was based at Truk. During 1944 she was based at Lingga near Singapore. On June 15, 1944 for the counterattack against the Mariana Islands Operation A-Go, Shōkaku was assigned to the "Mobile Fleet". Sinking History On June 19, 1944 at 11:23am during the Battle of the Philippine Sea while refueling her aircraft, Shōkaku was hit by three (or possibly four) torpedoes from a spread of six fired by USS Cavalla (SS-244). The torpedoes cause fires that were impossible to control. At 2:08pm an aerial bomb exploded detonating aviation fuel and caused Shōkaku to sink quickly at roughly Lat 11°40′N, Long 137°40′E. Aboard, 1,272 of her crew were killed or missing in the attack and sinking. Rescue Afterwards, Yahagi, Urakaze, Wakatsuki, and Hatsuzuki rescued 570 crew including Captain Matsubara. References In English sources, spelled Shokaku. Combined Fleet - IJN Shokaku: Tabular Record of Movement Contribute
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