Japanese aircraft carrier Kaiyo
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| Career (Japan) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kaiyo |
| Commissioned: | November 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | 1945 |
| Fate: | scrapped post war |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 13600 tons standard |
| Length: | 166 m |
| Beam: | 21.9 m |
| Draft: | 6.4 m |
| Propulsion: | steam turbines, 52000 hp |
| Speed: | 23.8 knots |
| Complement: | 830 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
Type 21 radar |
| Armament: | 8 x 12.7cm |
| Armor: | none |
| Aircraft carried: | 24 |
Kaiyo was a escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The ship was launched in end of 1938 as the liner Argentina Maru. After the defeat at Midway, the Japanese Navy was in need of new carriers, and in December 1942 it was decided to convert the liner Argentina Maru into a carrier. Her diesel engines were replaced by destroyer type turbines. After the conversion was completed in November 1943 she was renamed Kaiyo. During the war the ship was mainly used as an aircraft transport. On 19 March 1945 while moored at Kure naval base Kaiyo was hit by an American air raid which caused flooding. On 18 July 1945 Kaiyo hit a mine which caused moderate damage. Few days later on 24 July 1945 the ship was again hit in an air raid this time causing severe flooding and the crew decided to ground the ship to prevent sinking. Further air strikes caused even more damage. After the war Kaiyo was refloated and scrapped from 1946 to 1948.
