light Cruisers Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Sakawa The last IJN light cruisers The Agano class (阿賀野型軽巡洋艦) were the last Japanese light cruiser built in Japan, before the larger Oyodo class, mostly cancelled. But they arrived late in the war: The fourth, IJN Sakawa, was only completed in December 1944, very last Japanese cruiser since shipyards were … Read more
IJN armoured aircraft carrier. The world’s largest aircraft carrier The third member of the Yamato super-battleships, IJN Shinano (信濃 – A province in Central Japan) had an uncertain fate before it was decided to convert her as an aicraft carrier, capitalizing on the best armoured hull in the world at the time, and record displacement. … Read more
Imperial Japanese Navy, 1936-44. IJN Chitose, IJN chiyoda Convertible seaplane tenders with a short career The Chitose class were started 1934 and 1936 as “cheats” towards international naval treaties, designed as seaplane tenders but at the start modular enough to be quickly converted as light aircraft carriers in wartime. As such, both in service as … Read more
Imperial Japanese Navy, Fleet Armoured Aircraft Carrier 1941-44. The Imperial Japanese Navy Taihō was a modern Fleet Aircraft Carrier designed as a successor to the Zuikaku class (1940). She was designed to give a quatitative edge to the Japanese, just as Yamato was for capital ships. As the head of a planned serie, IJN Taiho … Read more
Japan, 1938-45: IJN Jun’yō, Hiyō The first IJN converted liners Jun’yō (隼鷹, “Peregrine Falcon”) and Hiyō (飛鷹, “Flying Hawk”) were two Hiyō-class aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). They were started before the war as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru and Izumo Maru, respectively, but both were purchased by the IJN in 1941 … Read more
Japan, 1933-45. IJN Ryūhō was one of the five converted light fleet aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (alongside the Zuiho and Chitose class), formerly auxilary vessels for which the Washington treaty was vague. Converted from the seaplane tender IJN Taigei in 1941-42, IJN Ryūhō arguably was the least appealing. She suffered from numerous … Read more
Japan, 1937-44. Zuihō (瑞鳳), Shōhō (祥鳳) The double life of the Zuihō pair Digitally colorized photo of IJN Shoho in December, 20, 1941 at Yokosuka by irootoko Jr. Always keen on cheating on the Washington Naval Treaty, the IJN staff planned a way to circumvent the limitations imposed upon them, by crating “convertible” vessels, declared … Read more
Light/Heavy Cruisers Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya, Kumano. As Japan signed the treaty of London, the Imperial Navy was capped for heavy cruisers, and with extra limitations in tonnage. This led to the creation of four six “light” cruisers equiped with fifteen 6-in guns, later to be swapped for 8-in guns in wartime: The Mogami class (最上型) … Read more
WW2 Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers About 80 destroyers 1919-1945 Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyer’s complete overview Japanese destroyers acquired a fearsome reputation during WW2, contrary to WWI where they mostly completely forgotten, if not for their brief action in the Mediterranean, and deeds during the Port Arthur attack in 1905. This reputation is due to several … Read more
Empire of Japan, 1920. Light Cruisers: IJN Nagara, Isuzu, Natori, Yura, Kinu, Abukuma The second “three piper” light cruiser serie The six Nagara-class light cruisers (長良型軽巡洋艦, Nagaragata keijun’yōkan) of the Imperial Japanese Navy were part of the massive 1919 naval plan. They followed the previous Kuma class, being almost repeats with little changes. They made … Read more
