World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSoryu was launched from Kure, Japan in Dec 1937. As the lead ship of her class of fleet carriers, she was built around a sleek cruiser-style hull and powerful engines, enabling her to outrun the carrier Kaga at only about 40% power. In fact, at the time of her launch, Soryu was the fastest aircraft carrier in the world. She participated in many early Pacific War battles as one of the main fleet carriers of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Mobile Force, including the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the Battle of Midway, her aircraft were responsible for attacking the Midway islands, and was caught by American carrier Yorktown's SBD Dauntless aircraft as her own were caught in the middle of refueling and rearming. Commander Hisashi Ohara, the Soryu's executive officer, just received the reports that Soryu's attack aircraft were ready to be launched when the American dive bombers were spotted. By then, it was already too late. He recalled:

ww2dbaseNot unlike other unfortunate ships that fell victim in naval engagements, the boiler room was often the most dangerous place to be. The seamen who worked in Soryu's boiler room were literally cooked alive by steam when the pipes bursted from the pressure of the explosions, which also immediately rendered the ship immobile. Despite the raging fires after receiving three direct bomb hits (first through the flight deck, second near the forward elevator, three near the after elevator), the watertight hull of the carrier remained in tact, therefore had she been left alone, she would remain afloat indefinitely. At 1045, abandon ship order was given, but the hull continued to hold the ship together. No official records exist as to what contributed to her ultimate sinking, but Ohara and other survivors noted a possible torpedo hit around 1915 that day. That torpedo possibly originated from a friendly destroyer that began scuttling Soryu prematurely. After the battle Nagumo claimed that Soryu sank from battle damage; it was likely that he provided altered information in order to save the face of the task force.

Aircraft Carrier Soryu Interactive Map

Photographs

Soryu Operational Timeline

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