BASIC SHIP DATA

Both carriers were of the same class. RYUHO was laid down in 1933, launched and commissioned in 1934. Her modernization had already been finished by the time the war began.

Displacement 10,000 tons
Length 210 meters
Beam 18 meters
Draft 5.2 meters
Guns four 127mm dual purpose guns; many 47mm and 25mm automatic guns
Planes forty-two aircraft
Power 13,000hp
Maximum speed 20 knots

DAMAGE TO SHIP and AFTEREFFECTS - ZUICHO

During the Battle of Santa Cruz on 26 October 1942, ZUICHO was attacked by US dive bombers and suffered two direct hits from bombs. Fires broke out and the flight deck was seriously damaged. The ship went out of commission and required repairs.

DAMAGE TO SHIP and AFTEREFFECTS - RYUHO

On 19 March 1945 while underway in the vicinity of Kure, RYUHO was attacked by a large number of American aircraft and received three direct hits from 250 kg bombs, two hits from 127mm rockets as well as hits from other rockets.

One bomb, which fell in the middle of the ship, made holes in the flight deck and outboard bulkhead of the hangar about 10 and 5 meters long respectively. A rupture about 12 meters long was torn in the outer side plating. Another bomb also hit the middle of the ship and caused significant damage to the upper deck. The third bomb hit the flight deck portside on the bow and caused a rupture in the outer plating. The forward elevator was blown completely out of its shaft by the explosion.

After the holes in the hull were sealed, it required 15 days to pump out the water which had been taken on because of the damage. Both rockets which hit the ship had armor-piercing heads but the damage caused by their explosions was not severe. Although seven more rockets hit the carrier, none exploded and so there was almost no damage to the ship from the rockets.

Twenty men were killed and thirty were wounded by the bomb explosions and related damage.

CONCLUSIONS

ZUICHO was seriously damaged on the flight deck due to two direct hits from bombs, and the ship went out of commission.

The hull of RYUHO (flight deck and hangar decks) suffered such severe damage that it was impossible to conduct flight operations, and extensive repairs were required at a naval yard.