The Katsuragi, an
Unryu class aircraft carrier, was
laid down at the
Kure Navy Yard on
December 8, 1942 and was launched a little more than a year later, on
January 19, 1944. It wasn't until
October 15, 1944 however that she was completely finished, but despite being completed she was never deployed. She was damaged by air strikes on
Kure late in the war and never participated in combat actions. After the
war she was used as a
repatriation ship until 1947, when she was scrapped in
Osaka.
The Katsuragi, as a member of the
Unryu class of aircraft carriers, the final class of fleet carriers built by the
Imperial Japanese Navy, was intended to be used in attacks against
US convoys, not in fleet actions. She was to serve with large screen of cruisers and destroyers and, with that in mind, was fitted with a
power plant similar that that used
cruisers and
destroyers. The Katsuragi was one of only two other
Unryu class carriers to be completed, though all were sunk close to port without ever seeing combat.
Specifications
Laid down: December 8, 1942
Launched: January 19, 1944
Date completed: October 15, 1944
Displacement: 22 500 tones (full)
Length: 731.5 ft
Full Dimensions: 731.5 x 72 x 25.5 ft
Aircraft: 60-70
Dimensions
Length: 731.5 ft
Beam: 72ft
Flight Deck Length: 748.3 ft
Flight Deck Width: 88.69'ft
Displacement
Standard: 18 500 tons
Full Load: 22 500 tons
Propulsion
Boilers: 8 Kanpon boilers
Turbines: Generated steam turbines
Horsepower: 155 000
Speed: 33.5 knots
Shafts: 4
Complement
Approx: 1590
Armour
Main Side Belt: up to 3" main belt
Flight Deck Armour: 2.0"
Deck Armour: 2.5"
Armament
Main Guns: 12 x 5"/40 cal DP in 6 twin mountings
Secondary: 6 x 7"/45
Heavy AA: 89 x 25 mm+6 cal
Light AA: 22 x 13.2mm MG
Trivia
'Katsuragi' is named after '
Katsura Castle' a mountain and is written with the
kanji '
arrowroot' and '
castle'. Katsuragi is also used as the last names of one of the characters in
Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Hideaki Anno the creator of that anime, used
Imperial Japanese Warships as a source of names for his characters,
Misato Katsuragi's last name was chosen because of this ship.
Source of specifications: http://www.geocities.com/japaneseships/