Chitose was built as a seaplane carrier. Kure Naval Arsenal launched her on 29 November 1936 and the Navy commissioned her on 25 July 1938. The name means a thousand years. After Midway she was rebuilt with a flight deck and came back as a light carrier.
On 25 October 1944 she was in Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's Northern Force, off Cape Engaño, with Zuikaku, Zuiho, and Chiyoda. The force was there to draw the American carriers north. Carrier aircraft of Task Force 38 sank her that morning. The sinking is not credited to one ship.
She went down with the last of Japan's carrier fleet. Chiyoda was stopped the same day and finished by gunfire. Zuikaku and Zuiho were sunk as well.