Shokaku class aircraft carrier

[Robert9670]

The Shokaku class was a class of aircraft carriers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy before World War II.  2 ships made up this class, Shokaku and Zuikaku.  Shokaku and her sister ship Zuikaku were 2 of the 6 carriers that were present for the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Shokaku and Zuikaku were present in every carrier battle, except for the Battle of Midway.  Shokaku was sunk by the American submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244) on June 19, 1944 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, followed by Zuikaku being sunk by air attack on October 25, 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf

 

Shokaku

http://www.combinedf...om/shokak01.jpg

 

Zuikaku

http://www.combinedf...om/zuikak01.jpg

 

 

General characteristics

 

Type:  Aircraft Carrier

 

Displacement:  25,675 long tons (26,087 t) standard

32,000 long tons (33,000 t) full load

 

Length:  257.5 m (844 ft. 10 in.)

 

Beam:  26 m (85 ft. 4 in.)

 

Draft:  8.9 m (29 ft. 2 in.)

 

Installed power:  160,000 shp (120,000 kW)

 

Propulsion:  4 x Kampon geared steam turbines

8 x boilers

4 x shafts

 

Speed:  34.5 knots (63.9 km/h, 39.7 mph)

 

Range:  7,581 nmi (14,040 km, 8,724 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h, 21 mph)

 

Complement:  1,660

 

Armament:  16 x 127mm (5 in) dual-purpose guns

36-96 x 25mm (1 in) Type 96 AA guns

 

Aircraft carried:  72 (+12)

 

Ships in class:  Shokaku, Zuikaku

[Robert9670]

Shokaku on August 23, 1941 upon completion and delivery to the Imperial Japanese Navy

 

Shokaku in 1941

[Robert9670]

Shokaku crewmembers fight fires on the flight deck after being hit by American bombs during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands

[Robert9670]

Zuikaku at Kobe on September 25, 1941 after launching, awaiting delivery to the Imperial Japanese Navy

[Robert9670]

Zuikaku in November 1941

[Robert9670]

Zuikaku cruising toward Hitokappu Bay, Iturup, in November 1941.  Kaga is in the background

[Robert9670]

Zuikaku (left center) and Zuiho (right) under attack by U.S. Navy dive bombers at the Battle of Cape Engano, October 25, 1944

[Robert9670]

The crew of the sinking Zuikaku salute as the flag is lowered

[triptyx]

Wow to that last image.  Impressive.

[triptyx]

Robert9670, on 09 January 2013 - 05:52 PM, said:

Zuikaku (left center) and Zuiho (right) under attack by U.S. Navy dive bombers at the Battle of Cape Engano, October 25, 1944

The ships in that image look more like a pair of cruisers or a battleship and a cruiser than flat tops.  You can see pointed bows on them and what look like centerline super structures.  Are you sure they're the right ships??

[Robert9670]

triptyx, on 09 January 2013 - 06:14 PM, said:

The ships in that image look more like a pair of cruisers or a battleship and a cruiser than flat tops.  You can see pointed bows on them and what look like centerline super structures.  Are you sure they're the right ships??

Yep, it's the Zuikaku and the Zuiho, that's what the description for the image said

[RMS_Gigantic]

Here's the ship as she will appear in WoWs (in-game model and texture, drawn-in background):

 

[Robert9670]

The 28 chief shipbuilders of the Shokaku pose at the ship's prow prior to launching (May 30, 1939)

[Robert9670]

Planes from the Shokaku preparing for the attack on Pearl Harbor

 

Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" leaves the Shokaku for Pearl Harbor

[Robert9670]

Sailors winching up the anchor on the quarter-deck of Zuikaku, November 26, 1941

[Robert9670]

A Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" taking off from Zuikaku to attack Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941

[Robert9670]

Banzai! Three cheers by the crew of the sinking Zuikaku

[Wunderwaffen1945]

Awesome pics man

[Ariecho]

+1 for the pics!

[Tanz]

Like all the others  :Smile_great: on the pics

[laminater5555]

There are something about Japanese ships and there awesome hulls that draw me in :)

[AlternateRouge]

rest assure my friend that Shokaku will be remembered in WOWS as a legendary ship of its tier

[HaradaTaro]

Second only to the essex class.  Very good ships, the best carrier produced by the Empire.

[Robert9670]

Zuikaku (center) and two destroyers under attack by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 20, 1944

[Crag_r]

HaradaTaro, on 10 January 2013 - 06:15 PM, said:

Second only to the essex class.  Very good ships, the best carrier produced by the Empire.

I'm not sure about that, im sure the Shinano class was slightly better if only lacking a proper damage control