#107
Post
by hisashi » 07 Sep 2003, 16:14
Windward, thank you for correcting my post.
In 1932, Japanese government offered a subsidization program to ship industry as a remedy in the Great Depression. It was a scrap-and-build program to replace old, uneconomical ships. The fourth act of this sort, 1937 in effect, was a big subsidization program applicable for any ship of 6,000 tons or more and 19 knots or faster. That is, this program intended to keep good large merchant ships for war, and the applicants were expected to be requisitioned at war. The decision to allow subsidy was individually made, and navy requested the constructor of individual ships, for example, that this ship should be one knot faster. For the largest ship type, such as Junyo (Kashihara-Maru) and Chuyo (Nitta-Maru), navy made requests so that navy convert them to aircraft carriers.
In total 28 ships were allowed subsidizations. For example, Hokoku-Maru and Aikoku-Maru which served as raider ships in Indian Sea were included in them.
In 1940, seeing the order of new carriers by U.S. navy (Essex class) Japanese navy decided to reqiusition and convert three unfinished subsidized ships to carriers. Kashihara-Maru (Junyo), Izumo-Maru (Hiyo) and Kasuga-Maru (Taiho). Only the last of NGK ships was unfinished, so it has become the nameship of this type as carriers.
Navy bought the former two in February 1941 before completion (June and July 1942) but Kasuga-Maru was not taken over this time. Kasuga-Maru, almost completed as a merchant ship, was refit as a carrier from May 1 to August 31, 1941.
At first of the pacific war Kasuga-Maru belonged to the 4th air squadron under combined fleet, and had flying group of her own. Navy gave her transport mission continually, and lastly moved her to Kure military district HQ; that is, out of first line order of battle. While Junyo participate in the raid of Dutch Harbor, Taiyo and Unyo (refit from Nov 1941 to May 1942).
Junyo was an auxilliary carrier when she was commissioned in May 1942, but reclassified as a regular carrier in July 1942 with Hiyo, a week before her commission. In August 1, 1942 (not 1941), navy took over (bought) Taiyo (and perhaps her sisters), and reclassified them as regular carrier in August 31 (Chuyo began refit in August 10 and completed as regular carrier in November 25).
What happened in July and August 1942? Of course it came from what happened in June 1942 - Midway. In addition to Chuyo, navy sought large merchant ships left, and found Argentina-Maru, Kaiyo. The conversion of Kaiyo took longer because they must install more powerful engine. Scharnhorst was given (with a promise to pay twice the value of the ship after the war ) to japanese navy in June 30, 1942, but it is not clear whether Japanese navy made this offer after Midway.
Navy spent much more time for Junyo class in earlier stage of construction than in Taiyo class, and bought them just after the conversion began. It was partly true that navy spent more for Junyo class for improvement, but also, navy expected less to Taiyo class.
Hisashi NAMIKAWA