Design
In the lead-up to the Pacific War the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) attempted to build a large number of fleet carriers. So that they could be built quickly, the design for these ships was based on that of the aircraft carrier Hiryū rather than the newer and more sophisticated Taihō or the Shōkaku class.
The Unryū class aircraft carrier design was very similar to that of Hiryū. The ships were lightly built, and the main difference from Hiryū was that the carriers' island was placed on the starboard side of the ships. The carriers were capable of carrying 63 aircraft in two hangers, and were fitted with two elevators. The Unryū class carried a smaller quantity of aviation fuel than Hiryū and the fuel tanks were protected by concrete. The ships' were to be fitted with the same propulsion system as had been used in the aircraft carrier Sōryū and were capable of reaching 34 knots (63 km/h), though Katsuragi was instead fitted with two turbines of the same type as were used in destroyers and had a maximum speed of 33 knots (61 km/h). The carriers also had a similar armament to that fitted on Hiryū and were equipped with two Type 21 radars and two Type 13 radars.
Read more about this topic: Unryu Class Aircraft Carriers
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