Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo
Encyclopedia
Unyō was a Taiyō-class escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy
in World War II
.
of the shipping line
Nippon Yusen
, laid down in the Mitsubishi
shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy
in October 1941. Between 25 November 1941 and 31 May 1942, Yawata Maru was rebuilt in Kure to be an auxiliary aircraft carrier
. Her flight deck measured 150 by 23 m (492.1 by 75.5 ft) and was equipped with two elevators. She had no island, catapults
or arresting gear
. On 31 July 1942, she was reclassified as an escort carrier and renamed Unyō (雲鷹, "Hawk tear the cloud").
s and .
On 10 July 1943, off Truk, she was hit by a single torpedo fired by the American
submarine .
On 19 January 1944, while en route to Yokosuka, she was hit and heavily damaged by three torpedoes fired by . While sheltering at Garapan Anchorage, Saipan
on 23 January, a follow-up attack by Halibut was driven off. Following repairs, she was back in service by June 1944.
On 17 September, Unyō was struck by two torpedoes fired by . Her crew’s struggle to keep Unyō afloat were in vain. Of the approximately 1,000 people aboard (crew and passengers), 761 were rescued.
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Construction and conversion
The (八幡丸) linerOcean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
of the shipping line
Shipping line
-History of shipping lines:Large-scale shipping lines became widespread in the nineteenth century, after the development of the steamship in 1783. At first, Great Britain was the centr of development; in 1819, the first steamship crossing of the Atlantic Ocean took place and by 1833, shipping lines...
Nippon Yusen
Nippon Yusen
Japan-based or NYK Line, is one of the largest shipping companies in the world. It is a core Mitsubishi company. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.-1870-1900:...
, laid down in the Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
shipyard in Nagasaki in December 1938, launched in October 1939 and commissioned in July 1940, was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
in October 1941. Between 25 November 1941 and 31 May 1942, Yawata Maru was rebuilt in Kure to be an auxiliary aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
. Her flight deck measured 150 by 23 m (492.1 by 75.5 ft) and was equipped with two elevators. She had no island, catapults
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
or arresting gear
Arresting gear
Arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is the name used for mechanical systems designed to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBAR aircraft carriers. Similar systems...
. On 31 July 1942, she was reclassified as an escort carrier and renamed Unyō (雲鷹, "Hawk tear the cloud").
Operational history
Unyō was used primarily for flight training and aircraft transport. She often sailed with her sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s and .
On 10 July 1943, off Truk, she was hit by a single torpedo fired by the American
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
submarine .
On 19 January 1944, while en route to Yokosuka, she was hit and heavily damaged by three torpedoes fired by . While sheltering at Garapan Anchorage, Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on 23 January, a follow-up attack by Halibut was driven off. Following repairs, she was back in service by June 1944.
On 17 September, Unyō was struck by two torpedoes fired by . Her crew’s struggle to keep Unyō afloat were in vain. Of the approximately 1,000 people aboard (crew and passengers), 761 were rescued.