Japanese aircraft carrier Shinyo
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- For the Japanese suicide boats, see Shinyo.
 Shinyo in November 1943 |
|
| Career (Japan) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Shinyo |
| Acquired: | 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 15 November 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk 17 November 1944 |
| Notes: | Converted from the German liner SS Scharnhorst |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Unique escort carrier |
| Displacement: | 17,500 tons |
| Length: | 621 ft 3 in (189.4 m) |
| Beam: | 84 ft 0 in (25.6 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft 10 in (8.2 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 shaft steam turbines, 26,000 shp |
| Speed: | 22 knots (41 km/h) |
| Complement: | 942 |
| Armament: |
Upon completion in 1943:
From 1944:
|
| Aircraft carried: | 33 |
Shinyo was an escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, converted from the German ocean liner Scharnhorst, which had been purchased by the Japanese Navy. The Scharnhorst had been trapped in Kure, Japan, following the outbreak of World War II in Europe, which precluded any attempt for the ship to return to Germany.
Contents |
[edit] Conversion
The ship had been planned to be operated as a troop ship, but following the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway, it was decided to convert the liner into an escort carrier.[1] Conversion work on Sharnhorst began in September 1942. Steel from the uncompleted hull of the cancelled fourth Yamato class battleship was used in the conversion process. Scharnhorst's design was similar to the Japanese passenger liners of the Nitta Maru class, which were also converted into the Taiyō class escort carriers, so her conversion followed a similar plan. The main differences were that Shinyo retained her original propulsion machinery, and the addition of external bulges which helped increase stability. Shinyo was fitted with two aircraft elevators and a single hangar, giving her the ability to operate 27 aircraft, with a further 6 spare airframes.
[edit] Armament
Shinyo was armed with four Type 89 mounts. Ten triple 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were also mounted initially, for a total of 30 guns. That total was increased to 50 total guns in a refit in July 1944. [2]
[edit] Service history
Shinyo was commissioned into the fleet in December 1943, and was subsequently assigned to the Grand Escort Command. Starting in July 1944, Shinyo escorted convoys. Shinyo was escorting a convoy bound for Singapore in November 1944 when she was attacked and sunk by the American submarine Spadefish. Shinyo's weakly armored fuel tanks exploded and started a massive fire that destroyed the ship and killed most of her crew.
[edit] References
- ^ Stille, Mark: Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers: 1921-1945, page 42. Osprey Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84603-009-3
- ^ Stille, Mark: Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers: 1921-1945, page 43. Osprey Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-84603-009-3
