The Ships of Battlegroup: Japan Kaga (CV)

Displacement	38,200 tons	Belt Armor	11 inches
Overall Length	812 feet	Deck Armor	1.5 inces
Beam	106.75 feet	Aircraft Complement	90
Speed	28.3 knots	Main Guns	10 × 8″

The Japanese battleship Kaga was originally laid down in 1918 and the hull launched in November 1921. She was designed to carry a main armament of ten 16 inch main guns mounted two per turret but later was selected to be scrapped before completion as part of the Washington Naval Disarmament Treaty of 1922. Kaga was eventually substituted for Amagi to be converted into an aircraft carrier when the latter’s hull was destroyed in an earthquake. The extensive conversion took over four years and she was not commissioned until March 31, 1928. The name "Kaga" means "Increased Joy".

Like Akagi, which she resembled, Kaga had a number of attempted innovations. One such was having a ‘flying-off’ deck forward for each of the stacked hangers. These were found to be insufficient, and by 1935 the lower decks were removed and the top and only remaining flight deck extended to the bow. Another interesting feature was the location of the island. Kaga was supposed to operate in conjunction with her carrier division partner, Akagi. It was felt that air traffic control would be enhanced if the aircraft upon take off would marshal in opposite directions. So Kaga’s island was constructed on the "standard" side of the flight deck, to starboard. She would travel on the portside of the formation with Akagi and, upon take off, her aircraft would circle to port. This put Akagi’s island to the portside of the flight desk and her air group circling to starboard. Wartime experience showed this interesting concept to be an unnecessary complication.

The 1935 refit saw the displacement rise to 38,200 tons and the number of aircraft carried increased to 90. Japan started World War II in the Pacific with the best-trained aircrews and some of the best carrier aircraft in the world. Their problem was that as the veterans fell, there were no experienced aircrew to replace them and Japanese industry proved unable to produce reliable new aircraft models in the quantities necessary to fight a total war with an enraged United States.

Kaga had a short but exciting World War II career. She participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor and raids on Australia and India. Her Pacific rampage was abruptly ended by Dauntless SBD dive bombers from U. S. S. Enterprise at the Battle of Midway. Two bombs struck her causing ammunition and fuel fires that quickly went out of control. The still burning hulk was sunk by Japanese destroyer torpedoes the next day, June 5, 1942.

For foreign aircraft carriers launched during the 1920s, see: Bearn and Hermes .

Where did we get all these fascinating historical tidbits and factoids? See the Bibliography for the culprits.