This book covers the design and construction of the two well-known Soryu and Hiryu carriers, and the lesser-known ships of the Unryu class, and relies on original Japanese source material, including numerous photos, drawings, and specifications. How and why the Japanese designed and constructed the WWII-era, medium-sized Soryu, Hiryu, and Unryu-class aircraft carriers, and how they were operated, is covered in detail. The Imperial Japanese Navy planned the construction of 45 aircraft carriers from 1918 to 1943 and commissioned 25 of them between 1922 and 1944. These types were large, medium, and small aircraft carriers, with some converted from other warship classes, and escort aircraft carriers remodeled from passenger ships. The medium type presented here formed the majority, with a total of 18 planned: five were completed, three remained in various completion stages at the end of the Pacific War, and ten were eventually canceled.

About the Author
Lars Ahlberg and Hans Lengerer have coauthored books about the aircraft carrier Taiho and the Yamato-class battleships and recently published Armourclad Fuso to Kongo Class Battle Cruisers. They privately published Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships. Hans Lengerer and Lars Ahlberg have coauthored books about the aircraft carrier Taiho, the armor-clad Fuso- to Kongo-class battle cruisers, and the Yamato-class battleships, the last of which was recently published. They privately publish Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships.


Book Information
ISBN 9780764360770
Author Lars Ahlberg
Format Hardback
Page Count 128
Imprint Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Publisher Schiffer Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 513g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 229mm * 19mm