Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!emory!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Left-handed carriers Message-ID: <1990Nov16.051620.21442@cbnews.att.com> Date: 16 Nov 90 05:16:20 GMT References: <1990Nov15.013451.1767@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: David Taylor Research Center, Bethesda, MD Lines: 67 Approved: military@att.att.com From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) >Each and every last representation of an aircraft carrier I have >ever seen shows a carrier with the control tower on the right >hand side. The "control tower" is called an island. >Did anybody, anywhere, ever build a left-handed aircraft carrier? >[mod.note: Yes, the Japanese Akagi had a port-side island. This was >added during a reconstruction, the original having no island, and >apparently the port side was the only place with room to spare. The >Hiryu also had a port-side island, though her sister-ship, Soryu, >was completed first, and with the island to starboard. This Japanese practice applied only to their "fleet carriers" - meaning big carriers that that were the center of the fleet (carriers that the fleet was built around). The Japanese did this because they planned to sail the aircraft carriers side by side in a formation. Hence, Akagi and Kaga, being sister ships, will sail together, and Akagi, having port-side island, would sail starboard of Kaga, Kaga having starboard-side island. Akagi and Kaga were in Carrier Division 1. Similarly, Hiryu, being a sister ship of Soryu, would be teamed with Soryu. Hiryu, which has a port-side island, would sail on Soryu's starboard side (Soryu has a starboard-side island). Hiryu and Soryu were in Carrier Division 2 (if I remember right). The philosophy behind this was that the bridge personnels could see better from their ships' islands and keep proper distance between the carriers during maneuvers. However, Japan disconnected this practice when they built the Shokaku class carriers (both commissioned in 1941) and future carriers. Both Shokaku and sister ship Zuikaku had starboard-side islands. Shokaku and Zuikaku were in Carrier Division 3 (if I remember right). The fact that these Japanese carriers were assigned to their carrier divisions explains why same Japanese carriers were teamed in carrier battles. For example, in the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan committed all carrier divisions - Akagi & Kaga, Hiryu & Soryu, and Shokaku & Zuikaku. In the Japanese invasion of Wake Island, Japan sent Carrier Division 2. Thus Hiryu and Soryu were involved. In the South Pacific and Indian campaigns in early 1942, Carrier Divisions 1 & 3 were committed. After Doolittle air raid, Carrier Div. 2 (Shokaku & Zuikaku) was reassigned to the Japanese waters and Carrier Div. 3 (Hiryu & Soryu) joined Carrier Div. 1 (Akagi & Kaga). In the Battle of Coral Sea, the first carrier battle between Japan and USA happened. It was a battle between Carr. Div. 2 (Shokaku and Zuikaku) and the American carriers, USS Lexington and USS Yorktown. Another Japanese carrier (Shoho - a light carrier) was involved and was the first carrier sunk. Shokaku was badly damaged and Zuikaku lost too many aircrafts; thus Carr. Div. 2 could not participate in the coming Battle of Midway. In the Battle of Midway, Carr. Divs. 1 & 2 (Akagi & Kaga and Hiryu & Soryu) were committed, and all carriers were lost.