IJN Kaga

IJN Kaga Story

Before World War II (1939-1945), controlling the vast Pacific Ocean had been a challenge for Imperial Japan's war planners. For this reason, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) invested heavily during the interwar period to build powerful ships to handle the arduous and long voyages required.

Part of the service's stockpile was turned into a large fleet of aircraft carriers to enhance the offensive air force of Imperial Japan, and the Kaga was a product of this period.

The Kaga was originally one of two planned Tosa-class battleships, but the agreed-upon terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 changed that intent, with her incomplete hull awaiting scrap. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 resulted in the loss of the battlecruiser IJN Amagi - itself awaiting conversion to an aircraft carrier - so Kaga was chosen to replace her.

From 1933 to 1935, the warship was rebuilt to the new fleet carrier standard. She retains the original battleship-like hull of her previous design, but gains a short "flat-top" main flight deck and associated systems and subsystems for her new role.

A pair of short "takeoff" decks were also added to the foredeck, and the exhaust pipes of the engines were routed along the starboard side of the boat. The arrangements on board made it possible to carry a total of sixty fighter jets.

Two years of intensive testing ensued, and she was not launched until November 17, 1921, and her construction was finally completed on March 31, 1927. She entered service on November 30, 1929.

In 1933, she was set aside for a modernization that lasted until mid-1935, with significant improvements to her design, including a simplified full-length main flight deck, an increased number of fighters, and a more efficient traditional island structure.

When completed, the ship displaces 38,815 tons, has a length of 812.5 feet, a beam of 106.7 feet, and a draft of 31 feet. Power comes from 8 x Kampon Tyep B boilers feeding 4 x Kampon geared steam turbines producing 127,400 hp on 4 x shafts under the stern.

Ideal conditions can reach a speed of 28 knots and a range of 10,000 nautical miles (12,000 miles).

Internally, it has as many as 1,700 employees. Armor protection includes 6" panels on the belt and up to 1.5" covers on the deck. Their air force had a total of 90 aircraft (up from 60), usually a mix of A6M "Zero" fighters, D3A dive bombers and B5N torpedo bombers. The armament of the single point of defense is a 10 x 200 mm (7.9 in) anti-aircraft (AA) turret with one gun, 8 x 127 mm (5 in) anti-aircraft guns and 11 x 25 mm anti-aircraft guns.

Aircraft guns on double gun mounts.

The IJN Kaga was one of six aircraft carriers used by the IJN during the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), a devastating attack on an important US naval port in the Pacific Ocean. From there, her career took her to the East Indies, where her warplanes continued to wreak havoc on the enemy. The voyage stretched across the South Pacific and into the Indian Ocean as Japan's conquest was almost certainly against an unfortunate enemy.

However, their fortunes changed at the Battle of Midway, June 4-7, 1942. There, she suffered several direct hits from about 25 U.S. Navy Dreadnought SBD dive bombers launched from the USS Enterprise.

IJN Kaga was abandoned and burned by her owner during the operation on June 4, 1942, killing 811 Japanese personnel.

Beyond Kaga, the U.S. claims three other IJN carriers on Midway - marking the attack as a major defeat for the Japanese Navy and stripping away vital warships, seasoned pilots and experience Abundant support staff services.

Specification

Basic

Roles

DIMENSIONS

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POWER

PERFORMANCE

ARMAMENT

AIR WING