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Chitose file photo [2957]

Chitose

CountryJapan
Ship ClassChitose-class Light Carrier
BuilderKure Naval Arsenal
Laid Down26 Nov 1934
Launched29 Nov 1936
Commissioned25 Jul 1938
Sunk25 Oct 1944
Displacement11,400 tons standard; 15,500 tons full
Length632 feet
Beam68 feet
Draft25 feet
Machinery2 steam turbines, 2 geared turbines, 2 shafts
Bunkerage3,000t fuel oil
Power Output56,000 shaft horsepower
Speed29 knots
Crew800
ArmamentAs tender: 4x12.7cm/40 Type 89 guns, 12x25mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns; as carrier: 8x12.7cm/40 Type 89 guns, 30-48x25mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns
Aircraft30 operational, 0 in reserve
Conversion1942
Recommission1 Jan 1944

Contributor:

ww2dbaseChitose served for the greater part of her career as a seaplane tender at Kure. On 4 Jan 1942, her aircraft covered the Japanese landings at Davao at the Philippine Islands, receiving battle damage. Later that month, she covered the landings at the Dutch East Indies and at the Gilbert Islands. During the Battle of Midway in Jun 1942, she carried seaplanes with the Transport Force with the mission to set up a seaplane base at either Eastern Island of the Midway Atoll or at Kure Atoll, but the mission was canceled due to the American victory during the battle. In Aug 1942, she was damaged during the Battle of Eastern Solomons. In late 1942, she was sent to Sasebo Navy Yard for conversion into a light carrier, which was completed in Jan 1944, and was assigned to Carrier Division 3. On 25 Oct 1944, she was part of Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's decoy fleet off Cape EngaƱo in the Philippines as a part of the Leyte campaign. At 0835 that day, she received three hits, either near misses from bombs or submarine torpedoes, on the port side forward of the number 1 elevator. Boiler rooms 2 and 4 were flooded and the ship began to list. By 0855, the list was corrected slightly, but her speed was reduced to 14 knots. At 0930, she was dead in the water and the list increased to 30 degrees. She rolled over to port and sank at 0937.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Feb 2007

Light Carrier Chitose Interactive Map

Photographs

Seaplane tender Chitose off Kagoshima, Japan, 18 Jul 193812.7cm anti-aircraft guns aboard Chitose, in the Wanshan Archipelago off Guangdong, China, Oct 1938
See all 5 photographs of Light Carrier Chitose

Chitose Operational Timeline

25 Jul 1938 Chitose was commissioned into service.
12 Oct 1942 Yugure and Yura escorted Nisshin and Chitose after Battle of Cape Esperance off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.




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More on Chitose
Personnel:
» Inoue, Isamu

Event(s) Participated:
» Invasion of the Philippine Islands
» Guadalcanal Campaign
» Solomon Islands Campaign
» Philippines Campaign, Phase 1, the Leyte Campaign

Document(s):
» Japanese Aircraft Carrier Functions
» Japanese Aircraft Carrier Operational Status By Month
» Japanese Aircraft Carrier Specifications
» Japanese Aircraft Carrier Time Operational

Partner Sites Content:
» Chitose Tabular Record of Movement

Light Carrier Chitose Photo Gallery
Seaplane tender Chitose off Kagoshima, Japan, 18 Jul 193812.7cm anti-aircraft guns aboard Chitose, in the Wanshan Archipelago off Guangdong, China, Oct 1938
See all 5 photographs of Light Carrier Chitose


Famous WW2 Quote
"No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You win the war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country!"

George Patton, 31 May 1944


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