The Unryū-class aircraft carriers (雲龍型航空母艦, Unryū-gata Kōkūbokan) were World War II Japanese aircraft carriers. Sixteen ships of the class were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Ship #302 in 1941) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (#5001–5015 in 1942). However, only three of the Unryū-class carriers were completed.
== Design == In the lead-up to the Pacific War the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. For them to be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on the aircraft carrier Hiryū rather than the newer and more sophisticated Taihō or the Shōkaku class. The Unryū-class aircraft carrier design was very similar to that of Hiryū. The ships were lightly built, and the main difference from Hiryū was that the carriers' island was placed on the starboard side of the ships. The carriers were capable of carrying 63 aircraft in two hangars, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū with fuel tanks protected by concrete. The ships were fitted with the same propulsion system used in the aircraft carrier Sōryū to reach 34 knots (63 km/h), though Katsuragi was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type used in destroyers and had a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h). The carriers also had a similar armament as Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.
== Construction == The first three Unryū-class aircraft carriers were laid down in 1942 and construction of a further three began the next year. Eventually, only three (Unryū, Amagi, and Katsuragi) were completed and construction of the other three carriers (Kasagi, Aso and Ikoma) was abandoned in 1945.
Ships in classes
=== Unryū class === Project number was G16. General production model of the Unryū class. 3 carriers were completed. The IJN unofficial designation for Unryū and Amagi were Modified Hiryū class (改飛龍型, Kai Hiryū-gata), Ship Number 5002–5006 were Modified Unryū class (改雲龍型, Kai Unryū-gata) also.
Unryū (built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal used the same boilers and turbines as the heavy cruiser Suzuya. Amagi and Kasagi (built by Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Shipyard) were equipped with surplus stock of the Ibuki-class cruiser machinery. Katsuragi and Aso (built by Kure Naval Arsenal) were equipped with two sets of the Kagerō-class destroyer machinery, because Japanese industrial power became scarce. Dead space was replaced by fuel tanks. Ship Number 5002 and 5005 (built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal) were to have been built simultaneously using Shinano's dock. However, they were cancelled because Shinano was continued.
=== Ikoma class === The Ikoma subclass was a simplified and sped-up construction model of the Unryū class. They were equipped with shift-arrangement machinery (four sets of parallel boilers and one turbine). Therefore, their funnels were intended to be spaced out. The IJN unofficial designation for this class was Modified Ship Number 302-class (改第302号艦型, Kai Dai 302-Gōkan-gata).
Photos
Footnotes
== References == "Unryu class". Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 February 2008. Lengerer, Hans (2010). Illustrated Record of the Transition of the Superstructures of BB Kongô Class: Introduction to CV Unryû Class. Katowice, Poland: Model Hobby. ISBN 978-83-60041-42-0. Stille, Mark (2005). Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers, 1921 - 45. New Vanguard. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-853-7. Worth, Richard (2001). Fleets of World War II. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81116-2. Shizuo Fukui, "Stories of Japanese aircraft carriers", Kōjinsha (Japan) August 1996, ISBN 4-7698-0655-8 "Rekishi Gunzō". History of Pacific War Extra, "Perfect guide, The aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy & Army", Gakken (Japan), April 2003, ISBN 4-05-603055-3 Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9 "Japan Center for Asian Historical Records"., National Archives of Japan, "List of main points and features of surface vessels under construction", Reference code: A03032074600 Monthly Ships of the World, "Kaijinsha". (Japan) No. 481, Special issue, "History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers", May 1994 No. 736, Special issue, "History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers" (New edition), January 2011 The Maru Special, Ushio Shobo (Japan) Warship Mechanism Vol. 3, "Mechanisms of Japanese 29 Aircraft Carriers", August 1981 Japanese Naval Vessels No. 23, "Japanese aircraft carriers I", January 1979 Senshi Sōsho, Asagumo Simbun (Japan) Vol. 31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", November 1969 Vol. 88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", October 1975
Notes
External links
Andrew Toppan (2000). "World Aircraft Carriers List: Japanese Aircraft Carriers". Hazegray.org. Archived from the original on 27 October 2006. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
