 Zuikaku at Kobe, 25 September 1941
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Zuikaku |
| Namesake | 瑞鶴, "Auspicious Crane" |
| Builder | Kawasaki Shipyards |
| Laid down | 25 May 1938 |
| Launched | 27 November 1939 |
| Commissioned | 25 September 1941 |
| Stricken | 26 August 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk by air attack in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 25 October 1944 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type | Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement | 32,105 t (31,598 long tons) (deep load) |
| Length | 257.5 m (844 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 29 m (95 ft 2 in) |
| Draft | 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in) (deep load) |
| Depth | 23 m (75 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 34.5 knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph) |
| Range | 9,700 nmi (18,000 km; 11,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement | 1,660 |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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| Aircraft carried |
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Zuikaku (Japanese: 瑞鶴, meaning "Auspicious Crane") was the second and last Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before the beginning of the Pacific War. Zuikaku was one of the most modern Japanese aircraft carriers when commissioned, and saw successful action throughout numerous battles during the Pacific War
Zuikaku started the war as part of Kidō Butai. Her aircraft struck airfields during the attack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought the United States into the war. She also participated in the Indian Ocean raid, where her dive bombers sank or helped to sink several major British warships. Zuikaku and her sister Shōkaku were detached from Kidō Butai to support Operation Mo, where her torpedo bombers contributing to the sinking to the aircraft carrier USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea; however heavy airgroup losses and damage to Shōkaku resulting both barriers missing the Battle of Midway. She and her sister fought US carriers at the battle of the Eastern Solomons, and again at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands where she helped to sink the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. During the battle of the Philippine Sea and Battle of Leyte Gulf, she was damaged by US carrier aircraft, being sunk in the latter engagement.[2]
Throughout her career, Zuikaku sank or helped to sink at least twelve ships, including the fleet carriers Lexington and Hornet, the light carriers HMS Hermes and USS Princeton, the cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire, the destroyers USS Sims, USS Meredith, and HMS Tenedos, the submarine USS Grayback, the oil tanker USS Neosho, and the cargo ship SS Sagaing.
Zuikaku was one of six carriers to participate in the Pearl Harbor attack and was the last of the six to be sunk in the war (Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Sōryū in the Battle of Midway; Shōkaku in the Battle of the Philippine Sea; and Zuikaku in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.)
- ^ Bōeichō Bōei Kenshūjo (1967), Senshi Sōsho Hawai Sakusen. Tokyo: Asagumo Shimbunsha, p. 344
- ^ Zuikaku @ Archived 18 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine www.history.navy.mil