Kaga

Armor Model

Overview

The Kaga was laid down at the Kawasaki shipyard in Kobe in 1920 as a Tosa-class battleship and launched in 1921. In 1922, construction was canceled due to the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty. In 1923, it was decided to complete the ship as an aircraft carrier, and it was towed to Yokosuka. The carrier's design mirrored that of the Akagi, except for the placement of the smokestacks and a shorter flight deck. The carrier participated in the Shanghai Incident and the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1934–35, the ship underwent modernization: its power plant was replaced, the main flight deck was extended in place of the additional lower decks, and anti-torpedo bulges were installed. The ship took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, sinking several American vessels. In 1942, it participated in the invasion of Rabaul, the campaign in the Marshall Islands, and the air raid on Darwin. During the Battle of Midway, on June 4, 1942, the Kaga was sunk by dive bombers from the aircraft carrier Enterprise.