 stikpusher wrote: |
| Junyo was lucky to survive the war, but only participated in two carrier actions, Santa Cruz and Phillipine Sea, where she was moderately damaged. In addition to being torpedoes (but surviving) by a US sub in Nov 43. Yes she survived the war, but due to her usage and small air group, did not contribute majorly to any battle she did fight in. Zuiho actively fought in three carrier battles where she was damaged in her first (Santa Cruz)and sunk in the last (Leyte Gulf). Again, her small air wing did not allow her to contibute decisively in battle. |
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Actually, Junyo, was a bit more active than that (from Wikepedia):
In May 1942, she was assigned to support the invasion of the Aleutian Islands, a diversionary thrust in support of the attack on Midway. On 3 June 1942, along with Ryūjō, she launched airstrikes against Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island. On 5 June she launched further strikes and was attacked by United States bombers but was not damaged.
Following the loss of four Japanese fleet carriers in the battle of Midway, Junyō was one of only four large carriers in the Japanese Navy (the others were Zuikaku, Shōkaku, and Hiyō ). This made Junyō an important ship, and great efforts were made to use her as a fleet carrier, even though she was slower and had a smaller air group than the purpose-built fleet carriers, Shōkaku and Zuikaku.
In late October 1942, during the Guadalcanal Campaign, Junyō took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. On 26 October 1942 her planes attacked the carrier USS Enterprise, the battleship USS South Dakota and the light cruiser USS San Juan, scoring hits on the latter two.
In mid-November 1942, she played a covering role in the three-day-long Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In Spring 1943, her planes were sent to Rabaul, with those of other Japanese carriers, for land-based attacks on the Allied forces gathering at Guadalcanal. In June 1943, Junyō helped protect an important convoy sent to reinforce the Japanese garrison on Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands.
In May 1944, Junyō was assigned to Operation A-Go. In the resulting Battle of the Philippine Sea on 20 June 1944 Junyō was hit by two bombs at about 17:30. Her smokestack and mast were destroyed and her deck damaged. Her air operations were stopped, but she was able to withdraw without further damage, unlike her sister ship Hiyō, sunk by torpedoes. However, most of her planes were lost in the battle.
After repairs at Kure, she was assigned to the Philippines but without planes she was unable to take part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, being relegated to transport duties.
On 9 December 1944, Junyō was carrying 200 survivors of Musashi and was accompanied by the battleship Haruna and the destroyers Suzutsuki, Fuyutsuki, and Maki. The task force was attacked at midnight by the American submarines Sea Devil, Plaice and Redfish. Junyō was hit by three torpedoes, killing 19 men. Several compartments were flooded, giving her a 10°-12° list to starboard, but she was able to make way on one engine. Maki was also damaged by a torpedo. By 04:00 the Japanese task force entered shallow waters where the American submarines could not follow.
Junyō was drydocked at Kure, but repairs were abandoned in March 1945. The lack of materials, fuel and carrier planes meant that there was no need for fleet carriers. Junyō remained moored at Sasebo until the end of the war. She was scrapped in 1947.
Likewise, with Zuiho:
January, 1941: Commissioned into the Japanese fleet and assigned to Carrier Division 3 with the Hōshō December, 1941: Participates in the attack on the Philippine Islands January, 1942: Supported invasion of the Dutch East Indies June, 1942: Battle of Midway. Led the Support Fleet and did not engage American carriers directly. Her aircraft complement consisted of 16 Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighters and 14 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers. [1] October, 1942: Assigned to First Carrier Division (with Shōkaku and Zuikaku) during the Battle of Santa Cruz. A bomber from the Enterprise disables the Flight deck of the Zuihō. January-February, 1943: Aids in evacuation of Guadalcanal along with Carriers Junyō and Zuikaku 19 June 1944: Participates in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. 24 October 1944: Participates in Battle of Leyte Gulf along with the Carriers Chiyoda, Chitose and Zuikaku. During the Battle off Cape Engaño, hits are scored on Zuihō's flight deck during an attack by a wave of American bombers. After repairing this damage, three more strike waves arrived to finally sink Zuihō. Carrying very few aircraft, she was sacrificed as a "decoy", to draw the American carrier fleet away from the Japanese main battleship fleet.