| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Taiyō |
| Completed: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Escort aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 17,830 tons standard 19,500 tons max. |
| Length: | 173.7 m (570 ft) waterline 180.4 m (592 ft) overall |
| Beam: | 22.5 m (74 ft) |
| Draught: | 7.74 m (25.4 ft) (Taiyō: 8.0 m (26.2 ft)) |
| Propulsion: | 4 Kampon water-tube boilers 2 Kampon geared steam turbines 25,200 shp (18,522 kW) 2 shafts, 1 rudder |
| Speed: | 21 knots (39 km/h) |
| Range: | 6,500 nmi. (12,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) Other sources: 8,500 nmi. |
| Armament: | see individual ships for details |
| Armour: | 25 mm side belt over machinery spaces and magazines |
| Aircraft carried: | 23-27 |
The Taiyō class (大鷹型 Taiyō-gata) was a three-strong class of escort carriers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II.
These ships were ocean liners built by the shipping line Nippon Yusen, requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy and converted to escort carriers. They were usually employed as air-crew training ships, aircraft transports and as anti-submarine convoy escorts. None of them survived the war, all were sunk by submarines.
| Laid down | Launched | Commissioned (as carrier) | Sunk | |
| Taiyō (大鷹) | 6 January 1940 | 19 September 1940 | 2 September 1941 | 18 August 1944 |
| Chūyō (冲鷹) | 9 May 1938 | 20 May 1939 | 25 November 1942 | 4 December 1943 |
| Unyō (雲鷹) | 14 December 1938 | 31 October 1939 | 31 May 1942 | 17 September 1944 |
Zrínyi Katonai Kiadó. ISBN 963-326-326-3
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