CV - Šinano (1944)

Shinano

WWII's largest aircraft carrier (retaining the top spot until 1960), sunk before operational deployment.


Her design was based on the Yamato class battleship. Shinano was in fact originally planned as a third battleship to the Yamato and Musashi. During her construction, however, priority was given to completing only Yamato and Musashi, and the subsequent need for aircraft carriers caused the construction of Shinano as a battleship to be halted in December 1941. At that time, construction was about half completed.
The defeat at Midway and the loss of four aircraft carriers led the Japanese Navy to the idea of building an aircraft carrier to act as a supply ship for aircraft from other carriers. It was decided that the Shinano would be converted into this type of ship. At the same time, it would be able to operate safely within range of enemy aircraft thanks to its tremendously strong armour.


Shinano's armored flight deck was 80 mm thick and was laid along the entire length of the hull. The hangar was able to accommodate 47 own deck aircraft as well as aircraft from other ships. The ship had a huge supply of aviation fuel (nearly 720,000 litres). All vital parts of the ship, including the fuel tanks and ammunition stores, received several inches of armour plating. Propulsion was provided by 12 Kampon boilers and 4 turbines, the same propulsion units as the Yamato class ships.


The plan was to deploy the Shinano in conjunction with several aircraft carriers, during combat deployments the aircraft would launch from their home carriers, the Shinano offering them the opportunity to refuel and rearm. Because of this option, the Unryu class aircraft carriers had a reduced supply of aviation gasoline.


She was commissioned on 19 October 1944, but was still undergoing a test cruise at the end of the month. During it, she was discovered by the American submarine USS Archerfish (SS-311) on the evening of 28 November 1944 and hit by four torpedoes the next day. The inexperienced crew was unable to perform the necessary salvage work, and so Shinano sank after five watches.

Sources:
Hewson, Robert: Warships; ed. Svojtka 2000; ISBN 80-7237-305-6
Grégr, René: Rulers of the Ocean; published by Naše Vojsko 1974;
Pavlík, Jan: Japanese Aircraft Carriers; published by Svět křídel 2003; ISBN 80-85280-97-1
http://hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/ijn_cv.htm

Šinano

Zdroj: ja.wikipedia.org

Commander
01.10.1944-29.11.1944 - sea captain Abe Toshio (died)


Gunnery Officer
05.11.1944-29.11.1944 - Naval Captain Yokote Katsumi


Navigation Officer
01.10.1944-29.11.1944 - Corvette Captain Nakamura Noboru (from 15.10.1944 Naval Captain)

Source:
nihonkaigun.modellmarine.de

I would take the claim of being taken into service as questionable as I have not read anywhere about Shinano being taken into service. She was sunk on one of her last training cruises by an American submarine when fuel fumes exploded on the ship, killing many shipyard workers. I would also take the figure for the number of aircraft with a grain of salt, considering she had a displacement of 62,000 tons (she was a rebuilt battleship) she should have held more aircraft than 47. If possible, give me the source where you drew it from and I will look at it and, within the time available, clarify.

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47 planes is not really nonsense, it fits the purpose for which the Shinano was built - it was intended that she operate as both a carrier and a replenishment vessel - according to www.combinedfleet.com "it was intended that she operate as both a carrier and a replenishment vessel", so in case of damage to other vessels (or if they had e.g. a full deck of planes ready for take-off etc) their planes were to land on the Shinano, which was to carry an oversized volume of aviation fuel, spare parts, bombs etc for such cases.
Its airborne air group is given by sources as about 45-55 (www.combinedfleet.com) or in the case of K. Zalewski and his book "Lotniskowce II wojny swiatowej" (Lampart, Warszawa 1994) 42 aircraft: 18x A7M2, 18xB7A, 6 C6N plus 5 reserve aircraft.