Hiryu was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The fighting recorded for her runs from the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 to her loss at Midway in June 1942.
On 7 December 1941 she was in the attack on Pearl Harbor. She launched aircraft in the strike and came through the day unhit.
On 11 December 1941 she was at the Battle of Wake Island. Her aircraft gave air cover for the second landing.
On 1 March 1942 she took part in the loss of Edsall. Nine of her dive bombers flew in the strike of twenty-six aircraft that stopped Edsall, and that attack included a dive-bomb hit by Hiryu.
On 4 June 1942, at the Battle of Midway, her aircraft hit Yorktown. Dive bombers and torpedo planes from Hiryu left Yorktown dead in the water. The submarine I-168 sank Yorktown on 7 June.
Later on 4 June, after her aircraft had crippled Yorktown, American carrier dive bombers wrecked Hiryu with bombs. She was scuttled the next day, 5 June 1942, at Midway. Tomeo Kaku was in command when she was lost.