The sister of the Shinyo (ex Scharnhorst) in German hands (Gneisenau) was also to be converted under the name 'Jade', the Germans already having a Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in service.
IJN Shinyo, IJN Kaiyo, IJN Taiyo, etc (CVE-1943/45)
The Japanese made their major escort carriers with too many warship features
for them to be pure convoy escorts. They looked and were armed like miniature
fleet carriers. The IJN Shinyo (ex-Scharnhorst) was converted from an interned
German merchantmen while others from whatever merchantmen were available. The
Japanese also went for oilers and merchantmen still able to provide their usual
service but with a flight deck and small hangar to act as carriers. The only
Shipbucket drawings are of the Shinyo and some of the MAC carriers. The Japanese
should have not worried about guns and armament. Enough to duel with a submarine
was all that might be required, anything else should be provided by the convoy
escorts.
The sister of the Shinyo (ex Scharnhorst) in German hands (Gneisenau) was also
to be converted under the name 'Jade', the Germans already having a Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau in service.
| Displacement | 17,500 tons std, 21,000 tons full load |
| Length | 621 feet |
| Breadth | 85 ft |
| Draught | 27 ft |
| Machinery | 2 shaft, turbines, 26,000shp |
| Speed | 22 knots |
| Range | 10,000 miles at 18 knots |
| Armament | 8 x 5" (4x2) 30 x 25mm (10x3) |
| Aircraft | 32 |
| Complement | 920 |
| Notes | IJN Shinyo (1943) x 1 IJN Akitsu Maru (1944) x1 IJN Shimane Maru (1945) x 1 IJN Yamashio Maru (1945) x 1 IJN Kaiyo (1943) x 2 IJN Taiyo (1944-45) x 6 |
Even the Japanese Army got into the conversion of merchant ships to aircraft
escorts. But with that large crane aft, flying on may have been a bit
problematic. Without the crane and a slightly longer aft deck the ship would
have been a bit more useful. One of those times it should have been left to the
professionals.
By 1945 the Japanese were getting desperate to get aircraft onto escorts with
the convoys from Singapore to Japan. The oilfields of Surabaya were the main
source for oil fuel for the ships. Transporting the oil in oilers was fraught
with danger from the US submarines that roamed throughout the South China Seas,
ravaging the convoys. The Japanese had been slow to realise the need for
defensive units for the convoys.
Both oilers and merchantmen were converted in this manner to give some aircraft
cover. Unfortunately there were very few aircraft left to put aboard the
merchant carriers.
Model of the escort carrier Kaiyo, which like the Shinyo was a minor aircraft
carrier, more akin to the light fleet carriers than the escort carriers in other
navies, with lots of armament.
Below: the Japanese Navy finally got it right with the Taiyo type as an escort
carrier. No 5" in sight, just a few 25mm and aircraft. All they needed. Too
little to late.
