 Zuikaku atKobe, 25 September 1941 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Zuikaku |
| Namesake | 瑞鶴, "Auspicious Crane" |
| Builder | Kawasaki Kobe Shipyard |
| Laid down | 25 May 1938 |
| Launched | 27 November 1939 |
| Commissioned | 25 September 1941 |
| Stricken | 26 August 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk by air attack in theBattle of Leyte Gulf, 25 October 1944 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | Shōkaku-classaircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 32,105 t (31,598long tons) (deep load) |
| Length | 257.5 m (844 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 29 m (95 ft 2 in) |
| Draft | 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in) (deep load) |
| Depth | 23 m (75 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 4 × gearedsteam turbines |
| Speed | 34.5knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph) |
| Range | 9,700 nmi (18,000 km; 11,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement | 1,660 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor |
|
| Aircraft carried |
|
Zuikaku (Japanese:瑞鶴; meaning "Auspicious Crane") was the second and lastShōkaku-classaircraft carrier built for theImperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before the beginning of thePacific War.Zuikaku was one of the most modern Japanese aircraft carriers when commissioned, and saw successful action throughout numerous battles during thePacific War.
Zuikaku started the war as part ofKidō Butai. Her aircraft struck airfields during theattack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought theUnited States into the war. She also participated in theIndian Ocean raid, where her dive bombers sank or helped to sink several major British warships.Zuikaku and her sisterShōkaku were detached from Kidō Butai to supportOperation Mo, the invasion ofPort Moresby, New Guinea, during which her torpedo bombers contributed to the sinking of the aircraft carrierUSS Lexington at theBattle of the Coral Sea; however heavy airgroup losses and damage toShōkaku resulted in both carriers missing theBattle of Midway. She and her sister fought US carriers at theBattle of the Eastern Solomons, and again at theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands where she helped to sink the aircraft carrierUSS Hornet. During theBattle of the Philippine Sea andBattle of Leyte Gulf, she was damaged by US carrier aircraft, being sunk in the latter engagement.[2]
Zuikaku was one of six carriers to participate in the Pearl Harbor attack and was the last of the six to be sunk in the war (Akagi,Kaga,Hiryū, andSōryū in theBattle of Midway;Shōkaku in theBattle of the Philippine Sea; andZuikaku in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.)
A memorial for the fallen personnel of theZuikaku is located at the grounds ofKashihara Shrine, located in the city ofKashihara,Nara Prefecture,Japan.[3]
Zuikaku was laid down on 25 May 1938, launched on 27 November 1939, and formally commissioned on 25 September 1941. On the day of commissioning,Zuikaku departed on her maiden voyage fromKobe toKure. Under the command of Captain Yokokawa Ichibei,Zuikaku departed for Oita Bight on October 7, arriving at her destination the next day where for the first time she joined hersister shipShōkaku. Both ships made upCarrier Division 5.[4]
On 26 November 1941, she leftHitokappu Bay for theattack on Pearl Harbor as part of theKidō Butai ("Mobile Force"). Her aircraft complement consisted of 18Mitsubishi A6M "Zero"fighters, 27Aichi D3A "Val"dive bombers, and 27Nakajima B5N"Kate" torpedo bombers. On 7 December, she launched two waves of aircraft against American military installations on the island ofOahu. In the first wave, 25Val dive bombers attackedWheeler Army Airfield and fiveZero fighters attacked the airbase atKaneohe. In the second wave, 27high-level Kate bombers attacked the airbase atHickam Field.
On the 24th of December,Zuikaku arrived back at Kure alongsideShōkaku,Kaga, andAkagi (Sōryū andHiryū having previously departed to attackWake Island), and she was drydocked from the 30th to January 3rd. MeetingShōkaku on the 5th, they departed Hiroshima Bay on the 8th, arriving atTruk on the 14th. In aid of the Japanese conquest against Pacific islands, on January 20 they launched 19 dive bombers and 6 fighters to attackRabaul, then the next day struck bothLae andSalamaua, and on the 23rd launched strikes to aid the successful landings on both Rabaul andKavieng before returning to Truk on the 29th.Zuikaku finally took part in a failed attempt to sweep for allied aircraft carriers on February 1st before departing back to Japan, arriving atYokosuka on the 13th, where her pilots took part in vigorous training exercises until the 28th.[4]
Zuikaku would play a key role in theIndian Ocean Raid throughout April, where the Kidō Butai (excludingKaga which scraped her hull on a reef) attacked various British warships and positions in a multiple-day raid. On the 5th,Zuikaku's air group attackedColombo in an event since named theEaster Sunday Raid. Her torpedo bombers sank thedestroyerHMS Tenedos, while her dive bombers damaged thetankerSan Cirilo. Later that night, alongside the other aircraft carriers,Zuikaku's aircraft engaged and sank the heavy cruisersHMS Cornwall andHMS Dorsetshire.[5][6][7] On the 9th,Zuikaku andShōkaku raidedTrincomalee, where they destroyed the cargo shipSS Sagaing and damaged the monitorHMS Erebus.
Later that night, a Japanese floatplane launched from the battleshipHaruna managed to locate the light carrierHMS Hermes, andZuikaku's air group was the first to respond, quickly followed byShōkaku. Bombers from the pair hitHermes almost 40 times, smashing the carrier into a burning hulk. The pair were then joined by planes from the fellow aircraft carrierAkagi, who on her own sank the destroyerHMAS Vampire. The floating wreck ofHermes rapidly sank, having only managed to shoot down six attacking planes.[6][7]
Zuikaku, alongsideShōkaku, was the first aircraft carrier in history to sink an enemy aircraft carrier in combat.[citation needed]
In May 1942, she was assigned along withShōkaku to supportOperation Mo, the invasion ofPort Moresby, New Guinea. On the 7th, a large US naval force was located by spotters from the heavy cruisersFurutaka andKinugasa, prompting both ships to launch their planes, fearing US carriers in the area. However, once attacked, it was discovered to only be a US convoy. Not wanting their efforts to go to waste, planes from bothZuikaku andShōkaku combined to sink the destroyerSims and the oil tankerNeosho.[8][9]: 189–190
Alerted byintercepted anddecryptedJapanese naval messages, the Americans dispatched the carriersUSS Yorktown andLexington to stop the operation. On the same day as the carrier's initial attack, the US planes located the light carrierShōhō, whichLexington's aircraft crippled beforeYorktown's aircraft finished her off. BothZuikaku andShōkaku sent out plane squadrons to scout for the US carriers, but failed to make contact on the 7th.[9]: 198–206
On the 8th, a spotter plane fromLexington located bothZuikaku andShōkaku, and both carriers attacked with their air groups. Hidden by a rain squall,Zuikaku escaped detection, butShōkaku was hit three times by bombs and was unable to launch or recover her aircraft. In return,Zuikaku's planes located the American carriers, and proceeded to wreak havoc on both ships. First,Zuikaku's torpedo bombers, commanded byShigekazu Shimazaki, caughtLexington in apincer attack, hitting the flat top with two torpedoes, cutting her speed to 24 knots and punching through the gasoline storage tanks, leaking gas fumes throughout the ship. Her dive bombers, commanded byTamotsu Ema, then attacked and crippledYorktown with a bomb hit that caused severe damage to her hangar bay and aviation storage rooms and over a dozen near misses.Shōkaku's dive bombers then hitLexington with three bombs to her flight deck, starting a large fire.[10][11][9]: 198–206
Damage control efforts quickly persisted onLexington, putting out the fires fromShōkaku's bomb hits. However, gas fumes fromZuikaku's torpedo hits leaked throughout the ship. When the fumes reached electric motors, a chain reaction of explosion after explosion riddledLexington with fatal damage.Lexington began to sink, as her crew was evacuated. To make sure she hit the ocean floor and wasn't captured by Japanese forces,Lexington was scuttled by escorting destroyers.[11]
Zuikaku was undamaged in the battle, but sustained severe losses in aircraft and aircrew. This required her to return to Japan with her sister ship for resupply and aircrew training, and neither carrier was able to take part in theBattle of Midway in June 1942, where every carrier that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack besides the twoShōkaku-class ships was sunk by American carrier-based aircraft. Both ships returned to Kure,Shōkaku still operating under her own power despite immense damage. On the 21st,Zuikaku was targeted by the submarineUSS Pollack, but was not damaged. She spent the rest of June and July transiting to various ports and naval facilities.[4]
In August 1942, commanded by Captain Tameteru Notomo,Zuikaku was dispatched as part of theFirst Carrier Division along with the repairedShōkaku and their escorts to oppose the American offensive in theSolomon Islands. Their goal was to sink US shipping operating in the Solomons to aid in recapturingHenderson Field, an ex-Japanese air base which was captured by American forces and being used against Japanese shipping to great effect.[4]
On the 24th, a floatplane launched from theheavy cruiserChikuma spotted a large American task force, consisting of the aircraft carriersUSS Enterprise andUSS Saratoga, and their escorts, battleshipUSS North Carolina, four cruisers, and eleven destroyers. Subsequently, bothZuikaku andShōkaku launched 37 aircraft and attacked the US ships. Due to the haste of Japanese pilots, almost all attacks were focused onEnterprise to heavy results. The effectiveness of US anti aircraft, particularly ofNorth Carolina's part, shot down many attacking aircraft, but in the end, both carriers crippledEnterprise with three bomb hits. They nearly sank her, with a squadron of seven dive bombers, three fromShōkaku and four fromZuikaku, nearly delivering the final blow whenNorth Carolina shot down every single attacking plane.[4][12]
NeitherZuikaku orShōkaku were damaged during the battle, althoughShōkaku barely avoided being bombed byEnterprise. However, together they lost 25 aircraft out of 37 launched, and planes fromSaratoga sank thelight carrierRyūjō, while planes from Henderson Field sank the destroyerMutsuki and thetroopshipKinryu Maru. The battle is considered a US victory asZuikaku and the other Japanese ships retreated without sinking a single American vessel.[4][13]
While the US still maintained air superiority through Henderson field, their carrier force was greatly diminished. After her big action,Saratoga was crippled by a torpedo fired from the submarineI-26, putting her out of action, while in September the aircraft carrierUSS Wasp was sunk by three torpedo hits fired by the submarineI-19. These actions leftUSS Hornet as the only American fleet carrier operating in the Pacific, shortly joined by the repairedEnterprise. Taking advantage of this,Zuikaku andShōkaku were sent out to attack the remaining US carriers in a decisive battle, now joined by the aircraft carrierJun'yō and the light carrierZuihō and their escorts. This would culminate in theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
The force set out on October 11. On the 15th, a Japanese patrol plane spotted the destroyerUSS Meredith towing a barge that carried fuel and bombs for US forces at Guadalcanal.Zuikaku's air group quickly responded, and in a ten-minute battle hitMeredith with three torpedoes and a number of bombs, causing the destroyer to roll over and sink.[14] The force continued on, and on the 26th was spotted by aCatalina seaplane, shortly followed by the attacks of bothHornet andEnterprise, just as the Japanese wanted. Dive bombers fromEnterprise hitZuihō with a bomb that prevented her from recovering aircraft, while dive bombers fromHornet scorchedShōkaku with at least 3–4 (and potentially up to 6) bomb hits and damaged the heavy cruiserChikuma with two bombs.[4]
In return, the Japanese planes wreaked havoc on American shipping. Fighters fromZuihō shot down an American torpedo bomber, which in a bamboozling series of events launched its torpedo as it crashed in a friendly fire incident that sank the destroyerUSS Porter, whileJun'yō damaged the battleshipUSS South Dakota and the light cruiserUSS San Juan with bomb hits.[15]Zuikaku focused her attacks onHornet, and hit her with three bombs. Two of her bombers that were shot down proceeded to crash intoHornet, one of which still had its bomb equipped which exploded on impact. Meanwhile, planes fromShōkaku hitHornet with two torpedoes. The damage from both ships left Hornet dead in the water and heavily listing.[4]
Under tow from the heavy cruiserUSS Northampton, damage control efforts attempted to correct the list on the crippled, but not sunkHornet in an attempt to save the ship. However, further air attacks persisted. A flight of nine torpedo bombers from bothShōkaku andJun'yō attacked the flat top, and whileJun'yō's planes missed,Shōkaku hitHornet with a third and fatal torpedo which caused the US to abandon all efforts to saveHornet.[16]
Zuikaku hitHornet with another bomb while US destroyers attempted to scuttleHornet (though due to the quality of US torpedoes, all either missed or failed to explode).Hornet slowly sank, and was listing at a 45-degree angle when she was discovered by the destroyersAkigumo andMakigumo. They fired their torpedoes, claiming three hits. Because of this, they are sometimes credited with sinkingHornet, but she was already sinking due to damage from the previous air attacks, and would have sunk regardless of any further damage, meaning it's debatable whether they deserve credit forHornet's sinking as opposed to the carrier's loss being pinned solely on theShōkaku twins.[4]
Of the 110 aircraft launched by the Japanese carriers, only 67 returned toZuikaku. She then returned to the home islands via Truk for training and aircraft ferrying duties.
In February 1943, she covered the evacuation of Japanese ground forces fromGuadalcanal. In May, she was assigned to a mission to counterattack theAmerican offensive in theAleutian Islands, but this operation was cancelled after the Allied victory onAttu on 29 May 1943. Later in 1943, under the command of Captain Kikuchi Tomozo, she was again based at Truk and operated against U.S. forces in theMarshall Islands, but never managed to see combat throughout the rest of the year.
Zuikaku started off 1944 by entering drydock at Kure on January 8, and leaving drydock on the 17th. On February 13,Zuikaku was assigned to carrier division 1 alongsideShōkaku, and over 2 days received her air group, but her new pilots were poorly trained and inexperienced, a grand fall from the glory days of the Kidō Butai. However, they were sufficient to scoreZuikaku another kill when on 27 February, her torpedo bombers hunted down the submarineUSS Grayback and quickly sank her with a single 250-kilogram (551 lb) bomb hit.[17][4] After ferrying aircraft toSingapore and being drydocked, she joinedShōkaku and the new armored aircraft carrierTaihō.
In June she was assigned to Operation A-Go, an attempt to repulse the Allied invasion of theMariana Islands. On 19 June, in theBattle of the Philippine Sea,Taihō andShōkaku were both sunk by Americansubmarines, leavingZuikaku, the only survivor of Carrier Division One, to recover the Division's few remaining aircraft. On 20 June, a bomb hit started a fire in the hangar, butZuikaku's experienced damage control teams managed to get it under control, and she was able to escape under her own power. After this battle,Zuikaku was the only survivor of the six fleet carriers that had launched the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In October 1944, she was the flagship of AdmiralJisaburo Ozawa's decoy Northern Force inOperation Shō-Gō 1, the Japanese counterattack to theAllied landings on Leyte. On 24 October, as part of the depletedThird Carrier Division, which had just 108 aircraft across four carriers, she launched aircraft along with the light carriersZuihō,Chitose, andChiyoda in an ineffective strike against theU.S. Third Fleet. Several of these aircraft were shot down, and the majority of the surviving aircraft did not return to the carriers, instead landing at Japanese land bases onLuzon. However, some of her aircraft madekamikaze attacks and helped sink thelight carrierUSS Princeton; and most of the others were sent to other surviving carriers and air bases, to later sink theescort carrierUSS St. Lo during theBattle off Samar after again using the newkamikaze tactics.
The next day, during theBattle off Cape Engaño, she launched her few remaining aircraft forcombat air patrol, search, or to join the aircraft already on Luzon. She then came under heavy air attack and was hit by seven torpedoes and nine bombs. WithZuikaku listing heavily to port, Ozawa shifted his flag to thelight cruiserŌyodo. The order to abandon ship was issued at 13:58 and the naval ensign was lowered.Zuikaku rolled over and sank stern-first at 14:14, taking the lives of Rear Admiral (promoted from captain 10 days earlier) Kaizuka Takeo and 842 of the ship's crew; 862 officers and men were rescued by thedestroyersWakatsuki andKuwa. Before her loss,Zuikaku was the last surviving Japanese carrier to have attacked Pearl Harbor. She was also the only Japanese fleet carrier (as opposed to a light carrier) to have been sunk by aircraft-launched torpedoes, as all others were sunk by bombs delivered by dive bombers or submarine-launched torpedoes.[2]
| Date | Ship Name | Ship Type | Battle | Nationality | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 April 1942 | San Cirilo | Oil tanker | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Damaged |
| 5 April 1942 | Tenedos | Destroyer | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Sunk |
| 5 April 1942 | Cornwall | Heavy cruiser | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Sunk |
| 5 April 1942 | Dorsetshire | Heavy cruiser | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Sunk |
| 9 April 1942 | Sagaing | Cargo ship | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Sunk |
| 9 April 1942 | Erebus | Monitor | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Damaged |
| 9 April 1942 | Hermes | Light aircraft carrier | Indian Ocean Raid | British | Sunk |
| 7 May 1942 | Sims | Destroyer | Battle of the Coral Sea | US | Sunk |
| 7 May 1942 | Neosho | Oil tanker | Battle of the Coral Sea | US | Sunk |
| 8 May 1942 | Lexington | Aircraft carrier | Battle of the Coral Sea | US | Sunk |
| 8 May 1942 | Yorktown | Aircraft carrier | Battle of the Coral Sea | US | Damaged |
| 15 October 1942 | Meredith | Destroyer | N/A | US | Sunk |
| 26 October 1942 | Hornet | Aircraft carrier | Battle of Santa Cruz | US | Sunk |
| 26 October 1942 | Smith | Destroyer | Battle of Santa Cruz | US | Damaged |
| 27 February 1944 | Grayback | Submarine | N/A | US | Sunk |
| 24 October 1944 | Princeton | Light aircraft carrier | Battle of Leyte Gulf | US | Sunk |
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