Japanese aircraft carrier Taiyō

"Taiyō" was a "Taiyō" class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.

Construction and Conversion

The 17.100-GRT "Kasuga Maru" (春日丸) liner of the shipping line Nippon Yusen was laid down in the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki in January 1940 and launched in September of the same year. In February 1941, before she was completed as a passenger ship, "Kasuga Maru" was requisitioned for transportation of military stores and personnel.After she completed a few such voyages, it was decided to convert her to an escort carrier. The conversion took place in Sasebo between May and September 1941. Her flight deck measured 150x23 meters and was equipped with two elevators. With no island, catapults or arresting gear, "Kasuga Maru" was classified as an auxiliary carrier. On August 31st 1942, she was renamed "Taiyō" (大鷹, “goshawk”) and reclassified as a warship.

Operational History

"Taiyō" was used primarily for flight training and aircraft transport.She was torpedoed and hit by US submarines on several occasions: on September 28th 1942, south of Truk by the USS "Trout", then on April 9th 1943 by the USS "Tunny" and on September 24th 1943 by the USS "Cabrilla". Each time, she was repaired and put back to service. During her career, "Taiyō’s" anti-aircraft armament was upgraded several times. On August 18th 1944 off Cape Bolinao, Luzon, while escorting a convoy headed for Manila, "Taiyō" was hit by a torpedo fired by the submarine USS "Rasher". The hit caused the carrier’s avgas and oil tanks to explode, and "Taiyō" sank in merely 26 minutes, with few survivors.

Commanding Officers

Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Shizue Ishii - 1 May 1941 - 11 August 1941

Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Kanichi Takatsugu - 11 August 1941 - 1 September 1941

Capt. Kanichi Takatsugu - 1 September 1941 - 24 October 1942

Capt. Tarohachi Shinoda - 24 October 1942 - 29 May 1943

Capt. Takamatsu Matsuda - 29 May 1943 - 17 November 1943

Capt. Toshiro Matsuno - 17 November 1943 - 15 February 1944

Capt. Akitomo Beppu - 15 February 1944 - 20 March 1944

Capt. Shuichi Sugino - 20 March 1944 - 18 August 1944

Notes and references

* Dr. Bak József et al (1984): Hadihajók. Típuskönyv.Zrínyi Katonai Kiadó. ISBN 963-326-326-3
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/taiyo.htm Imperial Japanese Navy Page]
* [http://www.voodoo.cz/ww2car/ships/japan/taiyo.html Carriers of World War Two]
* [http://candamo.iespana.es/japon/tecnicas/itaiyote.htm]
* [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_47-45_10ns.htm Naval Weapons of the World]
* [http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Japonia/Aircraft_Carriers/CVE_1941_Taiyo_class/_Taiyo_class.html Warship.get.pl]
* [http://homepage3.nifty.com/jpnships//showa1/showa1_oshu_nyk.htm]
* "Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.64 Mutsuki class destroyer", Gakken (Japan), May 2008, ISBN 4-05-605091-2