IJN Shin’yō (1943)

Escort Aircraft Carrier (Launched 1934 as SS Scharnhorst, converted 1942)

WW2 IJN Aircraft Carriers:

Hōshō | Akagi | Kaga | Ryūjō | Sōryū | Hiryū | Shōkaku class | Zuihō class | Ryūhō | Hiyo class | Chitose class | Mizuho class* | Taihō | Shinano | Unryū class | Taiyo class | Kaiyo | Shinyo | Ibuki |

Shin’yō (“Divine Hawk”) was an escort carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). She had been originally converted from the German ocean liner Scharnhorst (launched 1934) trapped in Kure when war broke out in 1939. The captain knew that any attempt to return to Germany would be futile. The Japanese Navy, a Germany ally since the iron pact purchased the ship for conversion as a troopship initially. But after the Battle of Midway in June 1942, converion was decided into an aircraft carrier from the summer of the 1942 to November 1943. She had was probably the largest and had the better air group of all IJN escort carriers when deployed in the western Pacific; to be torpedoed and sunk in November 1944 by USS Spadefish while underway to Singapore. Of Four torpedoes, one detonated her aviation fuel tanks and she practically disappeared with all hands.

About the MV Scharnhorst

SS Scharnhorst was a passenger ship originally built at AG Weser, DeSchiMAG at yard 891 for the Norddeutscher Lloyd, laid down in 1933. The original plan was for two ships, called Scharnhorst, Potsdam (built at Blohm + Voss in Hamburg) and Gneisenau by the new regime, that would be test-beds for new new high-pressure, high-temperature boilers, and innovative turbines. They were partly financed by the Kriegsmarine. The powerplants would be not only useful for the next Huipper class heavy cruisers but new destroyers as well. They were completed with different arrangements for comparisons:
-Gneisenau had a conventional reduction gearing from her turbines.
-Scharnhorst and Potsdam had turbo-electric transmissions, but Scharnhorst was solely fitted with two AEG turbo generators supplying current to electric motors driving the shafts whereas Potsdam had Siemens-Schuckertwerke AG motors. The latter had a long and intersting stiry and was considered for conversion to n aicraft carrier by Germany, but that’s for another day.

SS Scharnhorst was thus launched at Bremen on 14 December 1934 in a ceremony attended by Hitler. She was intended for a new line of the Norddeutscher Lloyd connecting Germany with its new ally Japan, and other importants stops in Asia-Pacific such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

The three sister ships entered the NDL express service between Bremen and the Far East and thanks to their powerplant at 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) they were among the fastest ships on that route. Scharnhorst’s maiden voyage was on 8 May 1935, reported in the newspapers. The company also added more dsitinations such as Palma de Majorca and Naples. In 1938 she landed and took passengers in Southampton from Yokohama on four occasions. In total she made four round trips between Europe and the Far East yearly and in Hong Kong in 1937, brought Chinese fishing boats sunk by Japanese aircraft in Shanghai.

The route to Shanghai in 1938 became in fact one of the main escape routes of German and Austrian Jews, since there, visas were not required. Scharnhorst last docked in Southampton on 29 June at Southampton before heading for Bremen, and later made her last trip of the year to sail for Japan in July to never return.
In September she was indeed trapped in Japan. The crew was informed cia the embassy of a plan to purchase the ship so that they could return to Germany by safer routes. The Japanese Navy eventually purchased Scharhorst on 7 February 1942, but the agreement was they they only would pay Norddeutscher Lloyd twice her value after the end of the war which of course never happened. At first she was intended as a troop ship.

She was quite similar to the Japanese passenger liners of the Nitta Maru class and so was equipped the same. From 1939 to July 1942 she was indeed to be used as troopship, but operational records are nil. She was not converted nor used at all until the Battle of Midway, when decision was made to convert her into an escort carrier on the same design conversion as the Nitta Maru class which led to the Taiyō-class escort carriers, so the conversion design was about the same, but was only approved in August, work starting in September, almost four years after her immobilisation in Japan, and 8 months after her acquisition.
Despite of similarities with other designs the conversion was still quite long, more than a year, despite reusing Steel from the uncompleted canceled fourth Yamato-class battleship for conversion.

Conversion of Shin’yō

Conversion work on Scharnhorst started in September 1942 at Kure Navy Dockyard and until December 1943, with conflicting data on her commission. Some sources states she was commissioned on 15 November 1943, others on 15 December 1943. The main differences in design with the Taiyō-class was that she retained the original propulsion machinery and that external bulges were added to help increase stability. It seems her fina speed was even greater than the original liners at 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph). Shin’yō’s facilities included two lifts and a hangar large enough for 33 aircraft, but this included 6 spares in parts. Her true air group was 27 which was the same as the Taiyō-class.

Hull and general design of Shin’yō

As rebuilt, Shin’yō was shorter than the original liners at 606 ft 11 in (184.99 m) between perpendiculars, 621 ft 3 in (189.36 m) overall. The beam was larger now that blister were added, uo to 84 ft (26 m) for a greater draft of 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m). As for facilities, she had a 590.5 long, 80.5 ft wide (180 x 24.5 m) flight deck, 4,410m² total surface, plus two elevators fore and aft, and a single large hangar (size unknown) and the two lifts measured the same hjkhkhkh (12 x 13m). Aircraft fuel stowage is unknown. In addition to the blisters, which also participated in the ASW protection in some way (which the previous Taiyō-class missed) she received additional protection in the form of concrete filling sandwiched walls protecting bomb magazines and petrol tanks.

Powerplant

Shin’yō was powered by a pair the same two AEG geared turbines supplied with superheated steam from four Schichau boilers which were rated for 26,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW). Final top speed after conversion, destpire the addition of blisters was 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). At 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) she still was able to reach 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi). As other superheated boilers built in Germany at the time, as shown latter by the Hipper class and Destroyers, were troublesome to say the least. The Japanese replaced them shortly after completion. There was a single rudder of large size, so the ship were reasonably responsive at the helm.

Armament of Shin’yō

Shin’yō was armed with eight 127 mm/40 (5 in) Type 89 dual-purpose guns in four twin mounts mounted in sponsons,two per side, installed in a symmetrical way port and starboard. The first pair was forward amidships and the second abaft of the second elevator. This was completed by a beefier armament than previous vessels, with no less than thirty 25 mm/60 Type 96 anti-aircraft guns in ten triple mounts, also installed symmetrically, two forward sponsoned on the faceted bridge supporting the forward section of the flight deck, two higher up aft of these, four aft amidships, and two oon a platform over the poop.
Later in 1943 twelve more 25 mm/60 guns were installed in single mounts wherever possible and after her refit in July 1944, eight more 25 mm/60 guns added for fifty total. So she was well armed for an escort carrier, but given her poor ASW protection, this was for naught.

127mm/40 or 5 inches Type 89

Standard dual purpose artillery in service from 1932. Twin gun mounts
Barrel 5,080 mm (16 ft 8 in) bore length for 3,100 kgs (6,834 lb). Elevation +90°, manual, 8-14 rpm
Shell fixed 127 x 580mm .R 23.45 kgs (51.7 lb) Mvz 725 mps (2,380 ft/s) range 14,800 m (48,600 ft) 45°, 9,440 meters (30,970 ft) ceiling.
Main article

25mm/60 type 96 AA

Barrel 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) L/60, weight 1,800 kg (4,000 lb) triple mount, crew 9. +85° elevation.
Shell 25×163mm 0.98 inches, Gas operated 200–260 rpm (cyclic) with 15-round box magazine
Muzzle velocity 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s) range 85° 3 km (9,800 ft) effective.
Main article

Type 1 2-go radar

Shin’yō received the Type 2 Model 2 Model 1 also called the Air Search Radar (“21-Go” Air Search Radar) and is a bedframe 1850 lb (840 kg).
Wavelength 150 cm pwdt 10 microsecond, PRF 1000 Hz Power 5 kW Range 60 nm (100 km) aircraft group. ~1 mile accuracy.
Using two horizontal sets of four dipoles as a transmitter and two horizontal sets of three dipoles for the receiver and an A scope
It was installed on Taiyo and the three Kaiyo sisters.
Src

Shin’yō’s Air Group

She carried 27 aircraft instead of 25, and at first, was to operate as a regular fleet carrier with nine A6M2 fighters and 21 B5N “Kate” torpedo bomber in an attack role. Later she was provided with D3A “Val” and D4Y “Judy” dive bombers as well as B6N “Grace” torpedo bombers. Depending on the missions, this air group changed a lot in her short career.

Career of IJN Shin’yō

In November 1943 as completed. Only CC photo available.

On 1 November 1943, Shin’yō started her sea trials and departed for a short shake-down cruise. She was more likely commissioned on 15 November, completed on 15 December 1943 and trained a few days, assigned to the Grand Escort Command on the 20th. For six months she multiplied training maneuvers in the Japanese Home Islands. No partucular details given (see TrOm src). On 26 June 1944 she made a short cruise from and back to Kure, and on 6 July 1944 she left Kure with her additional AA.

On 13 July 1944, she escorted convoy Hi-69 with her sisters Taiyō and Kaiyō, all carrying additional aircraft for the Philippines airfields on Luzon. Shin’yō was the only one tasked to provide air cover and probably had two squadrons of A6M zeros. The convoy was also protected by three light cruisers (Kashii) and the destroyers Chiburi, Sado. They arrived safely on 20 July and five days later, Shin’yō left with another convoy for Singapore in the same mission of air cover. The convoy arrived on 31 July. She departed four days later with convoy Hi-70 (eight transports) for Moji. Shin’yō was also escorted by the light cruisers Kashii and Kitakami, and several smaller craft. The convoy arrived on 15 August and Shin’yō had a short refit at Kure from the 16h.

On 8 September, Shin’yō escorted the convoy Hi-75 (9 transports) escorted by destroyers Kanju, Mityake, Manju and Desdiv 30(Yuzuki and Uzuki), bound for Singapore. On 13 September, it stopped briefly in Takao (Formosa) before heading on the 14th and arriving on the 22th. Shin’yo then was ordered to escort convoy Hi-76 from Singapore to Moji on 3 October (Kanju, Manju, Miyake, Kurahashi, sub chaser N°28 and Hiyodori). The convoy stopped in Mihara on 19–20 October. On 22 October however, Shin’yō was detached to proceed to the Saiki airbase, west Inland Sea arriving, on 24 October, landing crews. She left for Kure for replenishement of fuel and supplies. On 7 November, she was tasked to escort back the crippled IJN carrier Jun’yō.

On 9 November she is ordered to escort convoy Hi-81 loaded with aircraft for the Philippines. She had 14 B5N “Kate” torpedo bombers assigned to her for the operation, leaving on 14 November and comprising also 5 destroyers (TSUSHIMA, DAITO, KUME, SHONAN, KASHI) and escorts No.9 and No. 6 for seven troopships carrying both an army and tank division. On 15 November, while in the East China Sea, Akistu Maru is claimed by USS Queenfish.

Two days later, another is sunk, and the tanker is torpedoed but stays afloat. At the same tipe USS Barb attack, but misses the carrier. Later that night Shin’yō is torpedoed for good, sunk this time by USS Spadefish (SS-411) 200 kilometers southwest of Saishu Island at 23:00, claiming six fired, four hits in quick succession. Her fuel tanks explodes and starts a massive fire completely obliterating the ship as it spreads out in other fuel lines and ammo storage. Most of the crew perishes. Only 70 out of 1,200 officers are rescued. Shin’yō sank stern first. Spadefish continued to attack but is driven off. Shin’yō is formally stricken on 10 January 1945. There are some inconsistencies about the events, so see the full Tabular Record of Movement for details in the always excellent website by Tully (src. below).

Read More/Src

Books

Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922-1946. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press.
Gardiner, Robert & Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-913-9.
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Vol. I: Major Surface Vessels. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9.
Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
Polmar, Norman & Genda, Minoru (2006). Aircraft Carriers : A History of Carrier Aviation and its Influence on World Events. Washington, DC: Potomac Books. ISBN 1-57488-663-0.
Stille, Mark (2006). Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers: 1921–1945. Oxford: Osprey Books. ISBN 1-84176-853-7.
Tully, Anthony P. (2002). “IJN Shinyo: Tabular Record of Movement”. Kido Butai. Combinedfleet.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.

Links

on combinedfleet.com/
combinedfleet.com/Shinyo.htm (archive)
on en.wikipedia.org/
on navypedia.org/

Model Kits

Pit-Road 1:700