Ibuki was laid down in 1942 as an improved heavy cruiser descended from the Mogami design. The extensive aviation facilities associated with Japan's reconnaissance cruisers made conversion to a light carrier a plausible wartime response. Some reports envisioned support for as many as twelve seaplanes, an aviation establishment already pulling the design toward carrier-like functions. Work shifted to the carrier design in December 1943, but the ship was never completed and was scrapped after the war. The unfinished hull connected the cruiser aviation trend to Japan's late attempt to turn that capacity into a true flight deck.
Notable Point · 55:39-57:12
Ibuki from heavy cruiser to light carrier
Ibuki's incomplete conversion shows how far the aviation emphasis in Japan's heavy-cruiser development could carry a hull away from its original role.