List of sunken aircraft carriers

Amagi, capsized in Kure harbor, 1946

With the advent of heavier-than-air flight, the aircraft carrier has become a decisive weapon at sea.[1] In 1911 aircraft began to be successfully launched and landed on ships with the successful flight of a Curtiss Pusher aboard the USS Pennsylvania.[2] The British Royal Navy pioneered the first aircraft carrier as floatplanes, as flying boats under performed compared to traditional land based aircraft.[3] The first true aircraft carrier was the HMS Argus,[2][4] launched in late 1917 with a complement of 20 aircraft, a flight deck of 550 ft (170 m) and 68 ft (21 m) wide.[4] The last aircraft carrier sunk in wartime was the Japanese carrier Amagi, in Kure Harbour in July 1945. The greatest loss of life was the 2,046 killed on the Akitsu Maru—a converted passenger liner with a small flight deck, carrying the Imperial Japanese Army's 64th Infantry Regiment.

France

Image Ship Type Aircraft Component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
HMS Biter (D97) later Dixmude Escort carrier 21 aircraft June 10, 1966 Mediterranean Sea — Out of service 1953. Sunk by United States Navy as target.

Germany

Image Ship Type Aircraft Component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
Graf Zeppelin Fleet Carrier 42 aircraft August 16, 1947 55°31′03″N 18°17′09″E / 55.51750°N 18.28583°E / 55.51750; 18.28583 — Never completed during World War II and extensively damaged by retreating Germans. Possibly sunk by USSR as target.

Italy

Image Ship Type Aircraft Component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
Aquila Fleet carrier 51 aircraft April 19, 1945 Genova Harbor, Italy — Never completed. Sunk by Italian divers to prevent use as a blockship by Germans.
Sparviero Light carrier 34 aircraft October 5, 1944 Genova Harbor, Italy — Never completed. Sunk by Germans to block Genova Harbor

Japan

Image Ship Type Aircraft Component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
Akagi Fleet Carrier 66 aircraft June 5, 1942 30°30′N 178°40′W / 30.500°N 178.667°W / 30.500; -178.667 267 Crippled by dive bombers during the Battle of Midway later sunk by torpedoes from Japanese destroyers the following day.
Akitsu Maru Escort carrier 8 aircraft November 15, 1944 East China Sea 2046 Torpedoed by USS Queenfish
Amagi Fleet carrier 66 aircraft June 27, 1945 Kure Harbor "Light" Sunk during the attack on Kure Harbour 24–27 July
Chitose Light Carrier 30 aircraft October 25, 1944 19°20′N 126°20′E / 19.333°N 126.333°E / 19.333; 126.333 903 Sunk by torpedo bombers during the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Chiyoda Light Carrier 30 aircraft October 25, 1944 18°37′N 126°45′E / 18.617°N 126.750°E / 18.617; 126.750 1470 Sunk by cruisers USS Santa Fe, USS Mobile, USS Wichita, and USS New Orleans during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Chuyo Escort carrier 27 aircraft December 4, 1943 32°37′N 143°39′E / 32.617°N 143.650°E / 32.617; 143.650 1250 Torpedoed by submarine USS Sailfish (SS-192)
Hiyō Fleet carrier 53 aircraft June 20, 1944 16°20′N 132°32′E / 16.333°N 132.533°E / 16.333; 132.533 247 Sunk by torpedo bombers during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
Hiryū Fleet carrier 53 aircraft June 5, 1942 Midway Atoll 385 Crippled by dive bombers during the Battle of Midway, later scuttled by torpedoes fired from the Japanese destroyer Makigumo
Kaga Fleet carrier 72 aircraft June 5, 1942 Midway Atoll 811 Crippled by dive bombers during the Battle of Midway, later scuttled by torpedoes fired from the Japanese destroyer Hagikaze
Ryūjō Light Carrier 48 aircraft August 24, 1942 Solomon Islands 120 Sunk by torpedo bombers and dive bombers during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons
Shinano Fleet carrier 120 aircraft November 29, 1944 32°0′N 137°0′E / 32.000°N 137.000°E / 32.000; 137.000 1435 Torpedoed by submarine USS Archer-Fish
Shinyo Escort carrier 27 aircraft November 17, 1944 East China Sea 1130 Torpedoed by submarine USS Spadefish (SS-411)
Shōhō Light Carrier 30 aircraft May 6, 1942 16°07′S 151°54′E / 16.117°S 151.900°E / -16.117; 151.900 834 Sunk by dive bombers during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Shōkaku Fleet carrier 72 aircraft June 19, 1944 11°40′N 137°40′E / 11.667°N 137.667°E / 11.667; 137.667 1272 Torpedoed by submarine USS Cavalla during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
Sōryū Fleet Carrier 57 aircraft June 4, 1942 30°38′N 179°13′W / 30.633°N 179.217°W / 30.633; -179.217 711 Sunk by dive bombers during the Battle of Midway.
Taihō Fleet Carrier 65 aircraft June 19, 1944 12°05′N 138°12′E / 12.083°N 138.200°E / 12.083; 138.200 1650 Torpedoed by submarine USS Albacore during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
Unryū Light Carrier 57 aircraft December 19, 1944 29°59′N 124°03′E / 29.983°N 124.050°E / 29.983; 124.050 1238 Torpedoed by submarine USS Redfish
Unyō` Escort Carrier 27 aircraft September 17, 1944 19°8′N 116°36′E / 19.133°N 116.600°E / 19.133; 116.600 239 Torpedoed by submarine USS Barb
Zuihō Light carrier 30 aircraft October 25, 1944 19°20′N 125°15′E / 19.333°N 125.250°E / 19.333; 125.250 215 Sunk by aircraft from US Navy Task Force 38 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Zuikaku Fleet Carrier 72 aircraft October 25, 1944 19°20′N 125°51′E / 19.333°N 125.850°E / 19.333; 125.850 843 Sunk by aircraft from US Navy Task Force 38 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf

United Kingdom

Image Ship Type Aircraft component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
Ark Royal Fleet carrier 60 aircraft November 14, 1941 36°3′N 4°45′W / 36.050°N 4.750°W / 36.050; -4.750 1 Torpedoed by German submarine U-81 on November 13, 1941. Sank while under tow to Gibraltar.
Audacity Escort carrier 8 aircraft December 21, 1941 43°45′N 19°54′W / 43.750°N 19.900°W / 43.750; -19.900 73 Torpedoed by German submarine U-751
Avenger Escort carrier 15 aircraft November 15, 1942 36°15′N 07°45′W / 36.250°N 7.750°W / 36.250; -7.750 516 Torpedoed by German submarine U-151
Courageous Fleet carrier 48 aircraft September 17, 1939 50°10′N 14°45′W / 50.167°N 14.750°W / 50.167; -14.750 519 Torpedoed by German submarine U-29
Dasher Escort carrier 15 aircraft March 27, 1943 Firth of Clyde
55°36′N 5°00′W / 55.600°N 5.000°W / 55.600; -5.000		 379 Sunk from internal explosion of unknown cause.
Eagle Fleet carrier 30 aircraft August 11, 1942 38°3′N 3°1′E / 38.050°N 3.017°E / 38.050; 3.017 131 Torpedoed by German submarine U-73
Glorious Fleet carrier 48 aircraft June 8, 1940 Norwegian Sea
68°38′N 03°50′E / 68.633°N 3.833°E / 68.633; 3.833		 1207 Sunk by gunfire from German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
Hermes Fleet carrier 20 aircraft April 9, 1942 Indian Ocean east of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka 307 Sunk by Imperial Japanese aircraft.

United States

Image Ship Type Aircraft Component Sinking
Date Location Casualties Conditions
America Fleet Carrier 79 aircraft May 14, 2005 Cape Hatteras — Scuttled after being used as target
Bismarck Sea Escort Carrier 27 aircraft February 21, 1945 Off Iwo Jima 318 Sunk by two Japanese kamikaze aircraft during the Battle of Iwo Jima
Block Island Escort Carrier 24 aircraft May 29, 1944 Off the Canary Islands 6 Torpedoed by German submarine U-549
Gambier Bay Escort Carrier 28 aircraft October 25, 1944 Off Samar Island in the Philippines 130 Sunk by Japanese surface ships of center force during the Battle off Samar
Hornet Fleet Carrier 90 aircraft October 27, 1942 Off the Santa Cruz Islands 140 Crippled by torpedo bombers and dive bombers from Japanese Fast Carriers, sunk by torpedoes from the Japanese destroyers Makigumo and Akigumo after failed attempt to scuttle.
Independence Light Carrier 30 aircraft September 29, 1951 Farallon Islands — Used as target during Operation Crossroads and later scuttled after decontamination tests
Langley Seaplane Tender 34 aircraft February 27, 1942 Tjilatjap harbor (Java) 16 Crippled by Japanese dive bombers later scuttled by torpedoes and gunfire from the escorting ships
Lexington Fleet Carrier 91 aircraft May 8, 1942 Coral Sea 216 Sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers during the Battle of the Coral Sea
Liscome Bay Escort Carrier 28 aircraft November 24, 1943 off Butaritari Island 644 Torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-175
Ommaney Bay Escort Carrier 28 aircraft January 4, 1945 Sulu Sea 95 Crippled by a Japanese kamikaze, later Scuttled by the escorting destroyer USS Burns
Oriskany Fleet Carrier 91 aircraft May 17, 2006 off Pensacola, Florida — Sunk to become an artificial reef
Princeton Light Carrier 45 aircraft October 24, 1944 Leyte Gulf 108 Sunk by land based Japanese bomber during the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Saint Lo Escort Carrier 28 aircraft October 25, 1944 Leyte Gulf 143 Sunk by Japanese kamikaze aircraft during the Battle off Samar
Saratoga Fleet Carrier 91 aircraft July 25, 1946 Bikini Atoll — Sunk as target during Operation Crossroads
Wasp Fleet Carrier 76 aircraft September 15, 1942 Southeast of San Cristobal Island 193 Sunk by the Japanese submarine I-19
Yorktown Fleet Carrier 90 aircraft June 7, 1942 North of Midway Island 81 Crippled by Japanese dive bombers and torpedo bombers during the Battle of Midway later sunk by Japanese submarine I-168 while under tow.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Bishop & Chant, p. 1
  2. 1 2 Bishop & Chant, p. 8
  3. ↑ Bishop & Chant, p. 9
  4. 1 2 Polmar, p. 30

References

External links

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