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  Amagi 天城
IJN
Unryū-class aircraft carrier

22,400 Tons (standard)
22,800 Tons (full load)
227.4m x 27m x 7.8m
6 x Twin 127mm AA guns
13 x Triple 25mm AA guns
3 x 25mm AA guns
6 x 28 12cm rockets

Armor
Belt: 48-140mm
Deck: 25-56mm

Aircraft Capability: 65
(Never fielded)
23 x A6M Zero
21 x D3A2 Val
21 x B6N Jill

Click For Enlargement
USN March 1946
Ship History
Built by Mitsubishi at Nagasaki. Laid down October 1, 1942 as Unryū-class aircraft carrier. Launched October 15, 1943 as Amagi 天城 named for Mount Amagi meaning heavenly castle and was the second warship with that name, previously, the Amagi class battlecruiser was also named Amagi. Completed August 10, 1944 and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

Wartime History
On August 10, 1944 proceeds to Oita and becomes the flagship of Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo of the Mobile Fleet until October 1944. Between September 1944 until December 1944 underwent training excercises operating between Gunchu, Kure and Hashirajima and never leaves the Inland Sea. On November 27, 1944 departs Iwakuni escorting Katsuragi for training exercises in the Inland Sea and arrives Matsuyuma on December 12, 1944.

On January 15, 1945 the 601 Kokutai (601 Air Group) was is reassigned from Matsuyama Airfield to Iwakuni Airfield with Amagi transporting the group's aircraft and personnel to Iwakuni.

On January 20, 1945 at Iwakuni then departs on February 1, 1945 arriving at Kure Harbor nine days later and enters dry dock until February 24, 1945. On March 15, 1945 assigned to the 2nd Fleet and was destined to never again depart Kure Harbor.

On March 19, 1945 attacked by U.S. Navy (USN) Task Force 58 (TF-58) carrier aircraft anchored northwest of Haruna in Kure Harbor. During the attack, a bomb hit the edge of the flight deck causing minor damage but jammed the elevator in the downward position. Amagi anti-aircraft gunners claim twelve aircraft shot down. Afterwards, repaired and refit for the remainder of the month.

On March 28, 1945 deactivated to become a static anti-aircraft defensive platform, camouflaged and moved to a semi-permanent mooring in Kure Harbor with the starboard side 50 meters off the southwest end of Mitsukojima (Mitsugojima). On April 20, 1945 reassigned for special duty as a a reserve ship of the 4th Kure Naval District manned by a skeleton crew.

Sinking History
On July 27, 1945 U.S. Navy (USN) Task Force 38 (TF-38) carrier aircraft attack Kure. The first wave did not cause any damage to Amagi, but near misses bracket both sides of the bow. Another bomb landed very close along the port side blasting a hole in the hull fifteen feet below the waterline which caused the forward bomb magazine to immediately flood cause a list to the port side.

Around 10:00am hit by two bombs only minutes apart. The first is a 500-pound bomb that detonates in the starboard passageway beside No.2 stack, severely damaging the stack and blew a small hole in the starboard hull below the flight deck.

Next, a 2,000 pound bomb hit almost exactly on the centerline dead amidships between the elevators and penetrated 25' before exploding against or just above the upper hangar deck. The blast blew apart the adjacent hangar walls and flight deck and caused 200' of the flight deck to bulge upward with the sides of the hangar bulkheads amidships blown out and a 50 meter section was hurled outward and overboard. The blast shock dropped the forward elevator and caused a large longitudinal crack in the forward flight deck that caused the deck to droop downward. The bomb blew a 25' hole in the upper hangar deck and fragments of it passed through the lower hangar destroying the watertight integrity of decks and bulkheads in the lower amidships over a wide area.

The Commanding Officer and others miraculously survived the explosion and there was little fire. Afterwards, a 5" rocket hit the intact part of the flight deck to starboard between the forward elevator and the base of the island. At the same time near-misses were landing close alongside to port, detonating below the waterline causing fragments to riddle the port side. Boiler Room no. 4 and no. 6 on the port side began to flood, and the carrier began to settle into the water.

At noon, the Captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. With some reluctance, the engineering watch evacuates, finally moving to do when another near-miss to port abreast the after elevator grazed an anti-aircraft gun and opened the port after engine room to the sea.

At 3:30pm the last watch evacuates as another twenty carrier planes attack with the port after engine room flooding. At the end of the day, the carrier is still afloat with only a slight list to port and the flight deck is completely demolished. Because the carrier was abandoned and still afloat, the the Kure Navy Yard Superintendent censures the crew for abandoning prematurely.

On July 28, 1945 for the second day, U.S. Navy (USN) Task Force 38 (TF-38) carrier aircraft attack Kure. Amagi suffered only one, possibly two additional direct hits, many near-misses to port opened plating and accelerated flooding. One bomb observed as a direct hit on the flight deck near the port deck edge opposite the No.2 stack. Amagi begins to list more notably to port, and as she heels water enters the gashes torn in the hull above the waterline by the fragments of exploding bombs alongside. Though a small fire-fighting crew from Kure Navy Yard is aboard, they report that progressive flooding has spread over the third deck.

During the night, the carrier listing through the night and by morning of July 29, the bow was nosing under. At 1000 hours she lurched sharply to port, and capsized, toppling over to an angle of 70 degrees. The bulk of the ruined flight deck and the two elevators fell overboard when she did. She grounded with bow submerged and flight deck canted slanting into the water, starboard screws exposed. Although abandoned, one officer and 4 Petty Officers and men were still assigned to the ship as caretakers.

Shipwreck
On October 13, 1945, Amagi was handed over to the U.S. Navy (USN). On November 28, 1945 inspected by U.S. Navy technicians. On February 16, 1946 the ship was authorized to be raised and scrapped. The ship was righted on November 13, 1946 righted and re-floated by December 5, 1946 and scrapping began. By December 12, 1947 completely scrapped.

References
Note, "Amagi" was also the name of Amagi (Amagi class battlecruiser) partially built 1920-1923 scrapped 1924
Combined Fleet - IJN Amagi: Tabular Record of Movement

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Last Updated
November 17, 2023

 

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July 24, 1945
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