IJN · CVL

Light carrier. The name means Prancing Dragon. Laid down at Mitsubishi, Yokohama, on 26 November 1929 as an 8,000-ton ship, to stay under the Washington Treaty. Commissioned 9 May 1933. She was wet and unstable. After Tomozuru capsized in March 1934 she was rebuilt at Kure, and after the Fourth Fleet typhoon of 25 September 1935 flooded a hangar her forecastle was raised a deck. In December 1941 she covered the landings at Davao and Jolo. She worked the Malaya and Java operations, and in April 1942 she was with Ozawa in the Bay of Bengal. On 3 and 4 June she struck Dutch Harbor with Junyo, the Aleutian side of Midway. Rear Admiral Kakuta flew his flag in her. On 24 August 1942 she was sent ahead of Shokaku and Zuikaku, with Tone and the destroyers Amatsukaze and Tokitsukaze, to strike Guadalcanal. Aircraft from Saratoga hit her that afternoon. She capsized to starboard about 1755 and sank stern first at 06-10 S, 160-50 E, about 106 miles from Tulagi. Seven officers and 113 men were lost. Captain Kato survived. Not credited to one ship. Struck 10 November 1942.