Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano

We recently posted about the discovery of the wreck of the Japanese battleship Musashi, in the Sibuyan Sea off the Phillipines. The Musashi was the second of the Yamato class of battleships, which were considered by many to be the largest battleships every constructed.  There was a third Yamato class ship under-construction in Japan toward the end of the World War II.  It was the Shinano, which was converted into a “super-carrier,” the largest aircraft carrier ever built at the time.  Not only was Shinano the largest of her type, but she also had the shortest career of any major warship of World War II.  From commissioning to sinking, she survived only ten days.

On November 29, 1944, ten days after she was commissioned, she was sunk on her maiden voyage by the submarine USS Archerfish with four torpedoes roughly 110 miles south-west of Toyko Bay.

Initially, the Archerfish under the command of Commander Joseph F. Enright, was not given credit for the carrier sinking as the Office of Naval Intelligence was not aware of the existence of the super-carrier.  The Archerfish was first credited with sinking a cruiser. Only after the war ended when the US learned of the Shinano, Archerfish received the Presidential Unit Citation, and Enright received the Navy Cross.  To this day, Shinano is the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine.

Unlike her two battleship sisters, the wreck of Shinano has not yet been discovered.  Thanks to Ed Mosely for pointing out the Shinano.