Japanese CVE Air Groups?

[redcoat]

I’ve only been able to find one more CVE with aircraft on deck. It is Taiyo class though – Chuyo. I don't know the date. The photo looks like it may have been taken by an Allied plane during/after an air attack.




Other photos of CVEs without aircraft on deck.

Unyo in early May 1943



Kaiyo on 15th November, 1943



Shinyo in November 1943

[John 3rd]

Very NICE! I've seen a couple of them and haven't seen the others. A very nice contribution...

[windlessmill7777]

ORIGINAL: redcoat

I vaguely remember seeing a Japanese language website which claimed that Shinyo had various aircraft: Vals, Kates, Comets and Zeros. I can't find the site now unfortunately. I do not remember how reliable its sources were.

redcoat, I know some Japanese website described that Japanese CVE had Judy, Zero but also mentioned "transported to land base" not for carrier-ops.

ORIGINAL: redcoat
Kaiyo is listed in Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of War (Shizuo Fukui) since she survived the war. The author says she carried 24 aircraft: 18 fighters and six bombers. It could be that she only had these aircraft in 1945 when she was operating as a training carrier. She may have had other aircraft when she was used in an escort role.

Nope. Kaiyo was used for "target ship of Kamikaze training" without any carrier aircraft. Not used for proper carrier-ops training.

ORIGINAL: redcoat


I can't be sure about the aircraft types. Moreover, I haven't checked the TROMs for the two carriers and so I do not know whether the aircraft are being ferried or used operationally.

Planes on Chuyo is J1N1-C Irving (recon type). this shot was taken at the port of Truk.

[windlessmill7777]

ORIGINAL: redcoat


I’ve only been able to find one more CVE with aircraft on deck. It is Taiyo class though – Chuyo. I don't know the date. The photo looks like it may have been taken by an Allied plane during/after an air attack.

This is famous mistaken. 'Till later 1990's, in Japan this ship was believed as "Sinking Chuyo after US sub attack".
One military analyst claimed this is not Chuyo because the ship has 12.7cm Single AA and Chuyo had never equipped 12.7cm Single AA but Dual AA.
He researched sources carefully and interviewed survived crew of Unyo, Taiyo and Chuyo. Then the fact is "This ship is Unyo that went stern at Yokosuka coast, around Feb. 4, 1944"

Unyo was attacked by USS Haddock at Saipan on Jan. 19, 1944 and dameged her bow. Crew had emergency-repair of bow and retreated to Yokosuka. But unfortunately, the sea got stormy, the waves took her bow right before she entered the port of Yokosuka.
The picture was taken by a recon plane of IJN 452 Ku from Tateyama.

[John 3rd]

Thanks for the clarafication.

I just read in Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War (Rene Francillon) that Jills were carried by Shinyo, Taiyo, and Unyo. That was rather surprising...

[redcoat]

ORIGINAL: Windlessmill

ORIGINAL: redcoat
Kaiyo is listed in Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of War (Shizuo Fukui) since she survived the war. The author says she carried 24 aircraft: 18 fighters and six bombers. It could be that she only had these aircraft in 1945 when she was operating as a training carrier. She may have had other aircraft when she was used in an escort role.

Nope. Kaiyo was used for "target ship of Kamikaze training" without any carrier aircraft. Not used for proper carrier-ops training.

"In early 1945 she became training carrier in the Inland Sea, used for the training of flying off or landing and specially for the target of the kamikaze planes."

Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of War (Published April 1947)

Thanks for the clarification about the mislabelled 'Chuyo' photo. Unyo was also Taiyo class. Chuyo did indeed have slightly different AA armament from Taiyo and Unyo - from 1943.

[redcoat]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

I just read in Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War (Rene Francillon) that Jills were carried by Shinyo, Taiyo, and Unyo. That was rather surprising...

On Page 460 of the same book it says that the Shinyo, Taiyo and Unyo were allocated some Yokosuka D4Ys.

[John 3rd]

I'll take a look at that. Think there were simply no dedicated units to the CVEs because the Japanese 'vision' for their use kept evolving during the war.

[windlessmill7777]

Hi, all.
Here's super-detailed 1/700 scale Chuyo and original Nitta maru.

http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~d98/chuyo.html

This is awesome and breath-taking crafted model.
I cannot believe this is 1/700 even now...

Planes are Ki-48 Lily.
Actually, On December 12-18 1942, Chuyo ferried 22 Ki-48 which belongs to IJA 45th Sentai from Yokosuka to Truk.

Please visit the author's page and enjoy another great IJN vessels and planes!

http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~d98/index.html

[Swayin]

wow, very nice models indeed!