William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-7-15
The Japanese built the largest aircraft carrier in World War II. It was the Shinano and she was 290 yards long and displaced 65,800 metric tons. She was launched on on Oct. 8, 1944. She was ready for sea on Nov. 19. She was sunk 10 days later by the submarine USS Archerfish.
It’s interesting to note how bad the Japanese’ situation was by the time they built the Shinano. She was supposed to have been the third Yamato-class battleship, but in the wake of Midway and the Solomons campaign, they converted her to an aircraft carrier. But she wasn’t intended for use as a fleet carrier, but more like a floating repair, refit and resupply ship for aircraft bases around the shrinking defensive perimeter of their empire. They just weren’t in a position to provide the aircraft for one more fleet carrier by 1944. The country that had practically invented the massed carrier task force in 1941 was no longer in a position to wield such a weapon.
I forgot to add that for all the use they got out of the Shinano as an aircraft carrier, the Japanese might as well have finished her as a battleship as originally designed.
Great info, Brad. Thanks!