Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:00:06-2:01:14

Why Amagi was especially vulnerable to earthquake damage

Earthquake losses depended on a hull being complete enough to suffer structural distortion but not complete enough to launch safely, with Amagi the major example.

Aircraft CarriersAmagi Class BattlecruisersEarthquake DamageGreat Kanto EarthquakeJapanese NavyShip ConstructionShip LaunchingShipyardsStructural Deformation
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Question

Besides the major carrier program, which Japanese naval construction was affected by earthquakes?

Short answer

Amagi is the identified example; construction stage affected vulnerability, but the other ships involved are not identified.

Notes

A hull's construction stage can determine how destructive an earthquake becomes. Very incomplete construction might collapse into material that can be recovered and rebuilt, while a vessel ready for launch can be moved into the water. The dangerous middle state is a substantial structure that can suffer deformation while still being unable to launch. Amagi is the example identified here, but no other affected Japanese ships are identified.