Design and Description
The last purpose-built Japanese carrier construction during World War II was a group of vessels based on an improved Hiryū design, but with individual units differing in detail reflecting the changing circumstances as the conflict in the Pacific approached its conclusion. Amagi was ordered, under the provisional name of #5001, as part of the Kai-Maru 5 Program of 1942. This was a massive naval construction program intended to replace losses suffered at the Battle of Midway and focused on aircraft and aircraft carriers. The ship was one of 16 Unryū-class aircraft carriers planned, although only three were completed before the end of the war.
Amagi had a length of 227.35 meters (745 ft 11 in) overall. She had a beam of 22 meters (72 ft 2 in) and, a draft of 8.73 meters (28 ft 8 in). She displaced 20,450 tonnes (20,130 long tons). Her crew consisted of 1,595 officers and men.
The Unryū-class carriers used the same turbines and boilers as used in the Japanese cruiser Suzuya. These consisted of four geared steam turbine sets with a total of 152,000 shaft horsepower (113,000 kW) driving four shafts. Steam was provided by eight Kampon Type B water-tube boilers with a working pressure of 22 kgf/cm² (2,157 kPa; 313 psi) at 300 °C (572 °F). The ship had a designed speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). Amagi carried 3,670 tonnes (3,610 long tons) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). She had two funnels on the starboard side, each angled below horizontal. They were fitted with a water-cooling system to reduce the turbulence caused by hot exhaust gases.
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