Q&A · 1:49:43-1:50:15

An earlier Shokaku would shift Japan's carrier names

An earlier carrier named Shokaku would leave the later hull needing another name, shifting the sequence without removing that ship.

Question

If an earlier Hosho-derived carrier had already received the name Shokaku, what would happen to the later historical Shokaku?

Short answer

The later ship would receive another carrier name, probably Zuikaku, while the remaining names in the sequence would shift accordingly.

Notes

If an earlier Hosho-derived carrier already carried the name Shokaku, the later historical carrier would receive another name. Zuikaku is suggested as the next choice, followed by Taiho for the following ship. The proposal does not require retiring or renaming the earlier carrier merely to preserve the historical sequence.