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was the world's first commissioned ship that was designed and built as an aircraft carrier,〔 pre-dated ''Hōshō'' and had a long landing deck, but was designed and initially built as an ocean liner. The first purpose-designed aircraft carrier to be laid down was HMS ''Hermes'' in 1918 but she was completed after ''Hōshō''.〕 and the first aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Commissioned in 1922, the ship was used for testing carrier aircraft operations equipment, techniques, such as take-offs and landings, and carrier aircraft operational methods and tactics. The ship provided valuable lessons and experience for the IJN in early carrier air operations. ''Hōshō'' superstructure and other obstructions to the flight deck were removed in 1924 on the advice of experienced aircrews. ''Hōshō'' and her aircraft group participated in the Shanghai Incident in 1932 and in the opening stages of the Sino-Japanese War in late 1937. During those two conflicts, the carrier's aircraft supported Imperial Japanese Army ground operations and engaged in aerial combat with aircraft of the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. The small size of the ship and her assigned airgroups (usually around 15 aircraft) limited the effectiveness of her contributions to combat operations. As a result, the carrier was placed in reserve after her return to Japan from China and she became a training carrier in 1939. During World War II, ''Hōshō'' participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942 in a secondary role. After the battle, the carrier resumed her training role in Japanese home waters for the duration of the conflict and survived the war with only minor damage from air attacks. She was used as a repatriation transport after the war, making nine trips to bring some 40,000 Japanese soldiers and civilians to Japan from overseas locations. ''Hōshō'' was scrapped in Japan beginning in 1946. ==Design and description== Construction of a seaplane carrier was authorized by the Japanese government in its "eight-six" fleet program of 1918.〔Milanovich, pp. 10–11; Evans and Peattie, p. 180〕 A planned sister ship, named ''Shokaku'', was cancelled in 1922 before any construction started.〔Watts, p. 169〕〔Howarth (p. 148), Gardiner, and Gray (p. 240) and Jentschura, Jung, and Mickel (p. 41) state that ''Hōshō'' was initially laid down as a tanker named ''Hiryu''. According to Milanovich, (pp. 10–11), this is only partially correct at best. The ship was ordered as one of six Special Ships (''Tokumukan'') as part of the "eight-six" fleet program; the other five ships were completed as oil tankers.〕 ''Hōshō'' was the second warship, after the British , to be designed from the keel up as an aircraft carrier, but was launched and completed earlier than ''Hermes''.〔Evans and Peattie, pp. 181–182〕 ''Hōshō'' was planned as a seaplane carrier like the British with a forward flying-off deck, 32 aircraft, four low-angle guns, and four anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The plan was revised after reports were received from Japanese observers with the Royal Navy in Europe about the desirability to be able to land aircraft on the ship. The new requirements were modeled on after she received her rear flight deck in 1918. The ship was to be capable of and fitted with a forward flight deck, superstructure and funnels amidships, and a large hangar aft. Shortly thereafter based on observations of landing trials on ''Furious'' and , the world's first flush-decked aircraft carrier, ''Hōshō's'' flight deck design was revised in April 1919. The superstructure was removed and the funnels were moved to one side to create an unobstructed, full-length flight deck, and the ship was reclassified as an aircraft carrier. The ship's hull was based on that of a large cruiser and she was given a small island. Her three funnels were mounted on the starboard side and swiveled to lie horizontal during flight operations. ''Hōshō''s designed speed was reduced to , based on British experiences during World War I.〔Milanovich, pp. 9, 11〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Japanese aircraft carrier Hōshō」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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