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| IJN Sōryū-class aircraft carrier 15,900 tons (standard) 18,800 tons (normal) 6 × 127mm DP guns (3x2) 14 x Twin 25mm AA (7x2) Aircraft: 63 plus 9 reserve 21 x A6M2 Zeros 18 x D3A Vals 18 x B5N Kates  USAAF June 4, 1942 |
Ship History Built by Kure Naval Arsenal at Kure. Laid down November 20, 1934. Launched December 23, 1935. Commissioned January 29, 1937 into the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as Sōryū meaning Blue (or Green) Dragon in Japanese. In English spelled Soryu. Assigned to the 2nd Carrier Division with 18 A6M4 Claudes due to shortages, these were substituted with A4N1 biplanes, 27 D1A2 dive bombers and 12 B4Y torpedo bombers. Second Sino-Japanese War On April 25, 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War the Soryu air group was transferred to Nanking Airfield to support Japanese forces advancing up the Yangtze River. In June 1938 transferred to Wuhu and later Anquing to provide aerial defense. In China, one pilot died after shooting down a Chinese plane. Some of her pilots and planes remained in China. On July 10, 1938 her aircraft returned to Soryu and supported operations over Canton until September but experienced no air combat. The carrier returned to Japan in December 1938 and spent the next year and a half engaged in training excercises. PARTIAL HISTORY 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. Pearl Harbor On December 7, 1941 Soryu launched her planes at 6:18am as part of the first wave of Type 0 / A6M2 Zeros and Type 97 / B5M1 Kates including eight B5N1 Kates that were to target aircraft carriers moored on the northwest side of Ford Island. Finding none, they switched to alternate targets. One of her Kates torpedoed USS Utah (BB-31) causing the battleship to capsize and damaged USS Raleigh (CL-7). Another Kates released a torpedo aimed at USS Helena (CL-50) that passed under USS Oglala (CM-4) before hitting her engine room. A third Kate targeted USS California BB-44. Meanwhile, ten Kates armed with 800 kg armor piercing bombs target "Battleship Row" on the southeast side of Ford Island and may have scored one or two hits. Meanwhile, her eight A6M2 Zeros strafe parked planes at Ewa Field claiming twenty-seven aircraft destroyed on the ground and five in the air. In the second wave, Soryu launched nine Type 0 / A6M2 Zeros and seventeen Type 99 / D3A1 Vals. Her Zeros target NAS Kaneohe Bay with one Zero shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Returning, two Zeros were lost in air combat and they claim two shot down. Her Vals attack warships in Pearl Harbor with two shot down. Lost is A6M2 Zero 3277 Tail B1-151 pilot Lt. Commander Fusata Iida. PARTIAL HISTORY On December 21, 1941 at 4:40am roughly 350 miles off Wake Atoll launches a strike of 14 D3A1 Vals escorted by nine A6M2 Zeros plus 15 Vals ecorted by 9 Zeros from Hiryu on a strike against Wake Atoll without opposition. On December 22, 1941 at 9:00am launches another strike by B5N1 Kates armed with two 250kg bombs each escorted by Zeros against against Wake Atoll. Intercepted by two F4F Wildcats from VMF-211 with two Kates shot down while both Wildcats are shot down by escorting Zeros. On December 23, 1941 at 4:12am as Japanese forces land on Wake Island launches five strkes to support the landing operation and meet weak anti-aircraft opposition. When the U.S. garrison surrenders hours later, departs for Japan arriving six days later. PARTIAL HISTORY On March 17, 1942 departs Yokosuka as part of "Operation C" with Akagi, Zuikaku and Hiryū to the Indian Ocean to strike Colombo on Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and sank cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire. PARTIAL HISTORY Operation MI - Battle of Midway On June 4, 1942 at dawn at the start of the Battle of Midway the Japanese fleet including Soryu was 290 northwest of Midway when she launched eighteen B5N Kates escorted by nine A6M2 Zeros to attack Midway Airfield on Eastern Island. Inbound to the target, a B5N was shot down and another shot down by anti-aircraft fire and two ditched near U.S. destroyers returning from the mission. Four others were damaged beyond repair. Meanwhile, three of her Zeros flew a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over the carriers. PARTIAL HISTORY At 10:25, Sōryū was attacked by thirteen SBD Dauntless dive bombers from Bombing Squadron 2 (VB-2) from USS Yorktown and sustained three direct hits from 1,000 pound bombs. One penetrated to the lower hangar deck amidships, and the other two exploded in the upper hangar deck fore and aft. Her hangars contained armed and fueled aircraft preparing for the upcoming strike that caused secondary explosions and rupturing the steam pipes in the boiler rooms. Within a very short time, fires on the ship were out of control. At 10:40am she stopped and her crew was ordered to abandon ship five minutes later. Aboard Soryu, out of her crew of 1,103, a total of 711 died. This was the highest mortality percentage of all the Japanese carriers lost in the Battle of Midway largely due to the explosions in both hangar decks. Sinking History On June 4, 1942 by early evening, the damaged carrier was still afloat and showed no signs of sining, so Isokaze scuttled her with torpedoes. At 7:15pm Sōryū sank at roughly Lat 30°38′N Long 179°13′W. Captain Yanagimoto elected to remain aboard the carrier and went down with her. Officially stricken from the Navy register on August 10, 1942. Rescue After the order to abandon ship, her surviving crew were rescued by destroyers Isokaze and Hamakaze. References Combined Fleet - IJN Soryu: Tabular Record of Movement Contribute
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