Taihō

Taihō. The lead ship of the her class, she was the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy designed from the keel up with an armored flight deck, a feature intended to provide greater survivability against Allied air attacks. Commissioned in early 1944, her operational life was brief but significant, serving as the flagship of the First Mobile Fleet during the pivotal Battle of the Philippine Sea. Her design represented a major evolution in Japanese carrier doctrine, incorporating lessons from earlier conflicts including the Battle of Midway.

History

The development of the *Taihō* was a direct response to the heavy losses sustained by the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier force during the first years of the Pacific War. Following the devastating losses at the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, naval planners sought a more resilient carrier design. Her construction was authorized under the 1939 and 1942 Naval Armaments Supplement Programme and was undertaken in great secrecy at the Kobe yard of the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation. Her keel was laid down in July 1941, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, and she was launched in April 1943, entering service in March 1944 under the command of Captain Tomozo Kikuchi.

Design and construction

*Taihō*'s design was a radical departure from previous Japanese carriers like the *Shōkaku*-class, prioritizing protection over aircraft capacity. Her most defining feature was an 80 mm thick armored flight deck, designed to withstand bomb hits from United States Navy dive bombers. The hull incorporated extensive side protection systems and internal subdivision to improve damage control. Her island structure was integrated with a large, downward-curving smokestack, a unique feature intended to keep exhaust gases away from the flight deck. Unlike earlier carriers, she was equipped with two aircraft elevators and utilized a more enclosed hangar design, influenced by British carriers such as *HMS Illustrious*.

Service record

Upon commissioning, *Taihō* was immediately assigned as the flagship of the First Mobile Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa. After brief training in the Inland Sea, she deployed to Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines in May 1944. Her only major combat operation was the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, part of the larger Battle of Saipan. On 19 June, she launched her air group, consisting of aircraft like the A6M Zero and D4Y Suisei, against the United States Fifth Fleet under Admiral Raymond Spruance. Her air wing suffered catastrophic losses in the action later dubbed the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot."

Loss

On the morning of 19 June 1944, the submarine *USS Albacore* fired a spread of torpedoes at *Taihō*. One torpedo struck the carrier's starboard side forward, damaging an aviation fuel tank and fracturing fuel lines. The hit caused gasoline vapors to seep into the hangar deck. Poor damage control procedures, including the decision to open hatches and run ventilation fans to clear the fumes, allowed the highly volatile vapors to spread. Several hours later, a massive explosion, likely triggered by an electrical spark, tore through the ship. The blast buckled the armored flight deck and ignited uncontrollable fires. Admiral Ozawa transferred his flag to the cruiser *Haguro*, and *Taihō* sank by the stern later that afternoon, taking down approximately 660 officers and crewmen.

Legacy

The loss of *Taihō*, coupled with the sinking of the carriers *Shōkaku* and *Hiyō* in the same battle, crippled the Imperial Japanese Navy's carrier air power beyond recovery. Her sinking highlighted critical Japanese deficiencies in damage control and aviation fuel handling compared to the United States Navy. While her armored deck concept was advanced and influenced postwar carrier designs like the *Midway*-class, her operational failure underscored the importance of trained personnel and robust safety protocols. The wreck of *Taihō* was discovered in 2019 by the research vessel RV Petrel, resting on the floor of the Philippine Sea.

Category:Aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy Category:Shipwrecks in the Philippine Sea Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean