IJN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AKAGI

Akagi was a Japanese carrier whose keel was laid in 1920, launched in November 1925, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in March 1927. The ship was 260.7 m long, 31.3 m wide, and her full displacement was 41,300 tons. The maximum speed of the Akagi aircraft carrier was around 30-31 knots, and its main armament consisted of 91 on-board planes. Originally, Akagi, like another Japanese carrier, Kaga, was built as a liner under the '8 + 8' fleet expansion program, but due to international commitments by the government in Tokyo, work was stopped and the hull was to be scrapped. Ultimately, however, it was decided to build an aircraft carrier on the largely finished hull, which actually happened. At the time of entry into service, Akagi had as many as three flight decks, but with the development of aviation technology, it was decided to thoroughly rebuild it, which took place in 1935-1938. As a result of it, the shape of the hull was radically changed and only one flight deck was preserved. During World War II, Akagi took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and fought in the Bismarck Archipelago in early 1942 supporting the Rabaul landing. In April this year, he also took part in the famous rally of the Japanese fleet to the Indian Ocean. He also took part in the Battle of Midway (June 1942) where he was sunk by American on-board planes.