Junyo-class Aircraft Carrier (1942)

Originally laid down as the passenger liner Kashiwara Maru, Junyo was purchased by the Navy Department in February 1941 and converted to an aircraft carrier. Commissioned on 3 May 1942, she participated in the Aleutian Islands operation with light carrier Ryujo and in October 1942 she left Japanese waters and headed for Truk to participate in operations off the Solomon Islands. On 26 October 1942, at the Battle of Santa Cruz, her aircraft damaged battleship South Dakota and antiaircraft cruiser San Juan, and helped sink carrier Hornet at at cost of twelve aircraft shot down. She remained in the South Pacific for the rest of the year, and covered the evacuation of Guadalcanal in January 1943 with other units of 2nd and 3rd Fleets. She returned to Japan for a refit in late February 1943, and returned to Truk a month later.