Hōshō

Armor Model

Overview

Japan began its first experiments with aircraft carriers featuring full-length flight decks immediately after World War I. In December 1919, a small naval tanker was laid down, and the decision was made the following year to convert it into an aircraft carrier. British specialists participated in the design process. The first Japanese aircraft carrier was built in Yokohama. Initially, the ship was used primarily for testing the capabilities of carrier-based aircraft and refining design solutions for application on future carriers. In the 1930s, the carrier participated in the Shanghai Incident and the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1941, the ship joined the Combined Fleet, conducting reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols in support of the fleet's main forces. In 1945, the ship was damaged by American bombers in Kure Harbor. After the war ended, Hōshō served as a transport vessel for troops returning to Japan.