Kaga

13.3

Kaga

Aircraft Carrier | Japan | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points54,200

Secondary Armament #1

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #2

200 mm/50 3rd Year Type No.1 in a Model A turret10 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire4 shots/min.

Reload Time15 sec.

HE Shell200 mm Common Type4 HE

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,300

Initial HE Shell Velocity870 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell17 %

Secondary Armament #3

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 Mod.3 mount2 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire10 shots/min.

Reload Time6 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second60.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 Mod.3 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.2

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a twin mount14 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed28 knot

Turning Circle Radius1 080 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range12.22 km.

Air Detectability Range10.9 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.3

Kaga

Aircraft Carrier | Japan | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points54,200

Secondary Armament #1

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #2

200 mm/50 3rd Year Type No.1 in a Model A turret10 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire4 shots/min.

Reload Time15 sec.

HE Shell200 mm Common Type4 HE

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,300

Initial HE Shell Velocity870 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell17 %

Secondary Armament #3

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 Mod.3 mount2 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km.

Rate of Fire10 shots/min.

Reload Time6 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second60.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 Mod.3 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.2

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a twin mount14 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed28 knot

Turning Circle Radius1 080 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range12.22 km.

Air Detectability Range10.9 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

Special

Kaga — Japanese special premium Tier VIII aircraft сarrier.

Until the early 1940s, she was one of the biggest aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Initially laid down as a battleship, she was redesigned during construction to become a carrier. The ship had good armor protection for her type, carried quite numerous air group and powerful secondary battery guns.

Kaga first went on sale on 2 June 2017 on the EU servers, and on 5 June 2017 on the NA servers.

Modules

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Kaga	54,200	13	152		2/6/10	14/2/6				0	0

	Speed (knot)	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_MED_DAMAGE (HP/min)	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_AMMO_AMOUNT	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
A6M5 Zero	144			1,330		0	0

	Maximum Torpedo Damage (HP)	Speed (knot)	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
B6N Tenzan	5,400	133	1,600		0	0

	Maximum Bomb Damage (HP)	Speed (knot)	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
D4Y3 Suisei		142	1,580		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 125,000 hp	28		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Kaga is a Tier VII premium Japanese aircraft carrier. Unlike Saipan’s style of having fewer, higher tier aircraft, Kaga instead provided her captain with large numbers of lower tier aircraft. She is able to launch copious amounts of bombers at the enemy team, but must be careful of the anti-aircraft abilities of same and higher-tier ships. Her planes are also slower than other carriers at her tier, meaning they are unable to outrun enemy aircraft and will spend more time under fire by enemy anti-aircraft batteries.

Kaga features a powerful flight module with two potential loadouts. Her default setup allows her to punish anything that has inadequate AA, or has had its AA reduced over the course of the battle. Featuring two fighter squadrons, two torpedo bomber squadrons, and one dive bomber squadron, this configuration provides potentially devastating offensive power; her six-plane torpedo squadrons can push home a punishing strike while her fighters tie up the fighter squadron(s) of the enemy carrier(s). Her second flight module is less attractive, dropping one fighter squadron and one torpedo squadron in favor of two additional dive bomber squadrons. While the drop reticle for her dive bombers is small and getting all bombs to hit enemy capital ships is not difficult, the bombs themselves are very anemic, doing minimal damage and with the lowest fire chance of all carrier-dropped bombs in the game. Her primary flight module is radically more effective at doing what Kaga does best: wrecking enemy surface ships with torpedo strikes.

Like Hiryu — her contemporary in the Japanese tech tree — Kaga’s fighters are capable of holding their own if her captain invests in the Dogfighting Expert commander skill and mounts all available fighter-enhancing upgrades. Kaga also has 203mm secondary guns, but as they are secondaries, they are short range and relatively inaccurate, making them more for entertainment value than actual combat.

Captains who purchase relevant fighter and torpedo bomber upgrades and skills while focusing their energy on pushing home torpedo strikes against enemy targets will be happy with their investment in Kaga.

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Review: Kaga from the NA forums

Pros:

• Has an unprecedented number of reserve aircraft on deck, enough for at least three full sized strikes on each plane type and significantly more if the player intentionally reduces squadron size.
• Kaga carries a powerful secondary armament consisting of several 127mm and 203mm guns.
• Is generally durable, with a healthy hp pool and a surprisingly well protected citadel.
• Has a 22% torpedo protection damage reduction.
• The drops four attacking torpedoes in one run, only matched by Saipan.
• He dive bombs can start fires and will exceed AP contemporaries unless the later can score citadels.
• Attackers can make up to four passes at a target under ideal conditions. This keeps target spotted for longer.
• Drops a superior number of dive bombs in one pass at four compared to Shokakau.
• Is deceptively a superior scout to her contemporaries due to the generally expendable nature of her aircraft.

Cons:

• Travelling at a speed of 28 knots, Kaga is somewhat slow in comparison to her counterparts.
• Kaga is hard to maneuver. The ship has a rudder shift time of 14.4 seconds and a turning circle radius of 1080m.
• Kaga’s planes can be fragile against higher tier anti-aircraft or other aircraft and generally don't survive clusters of AA even at top tier.
• The aircraft are slow, especially in comparison to that of Saipan’s.
• The Attackers use only two planes per run versus the normal three resulting in less rockets and less kit chance.
• Her use of He dive bombs the normal IJN AP means that battleships and relevant cruisers can heal most damage they deal to them. AP dive bombs scoring a large number of citadels can exceed the functional raw damage of her bombs.
• Inferior individual torpedo damage compared to other tier eight carriers, unusual for the IJN.

Research

As a Premium ship, Kaga doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Kaga are as follows:

• Slot 1: Air Groups Modification 1
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1 
• Slot 3: Air Groups Modification 2
• Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1 ()

Upgrade Slot 3 is the main choice of upgrades with Kaga. For players looking to improve their fighter's capabilities, Air Groups Modification 2 is highly recommended, especially when using the Type 7 mod. 2 flight control system. Otherwise, the Flight Control Modification 1 helps players land and launch Kaga`s multiple flight squadrons.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns.	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines.	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time. ★★★	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm.	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range. ★★★	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated.
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding.	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier.	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. ★★★	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship.	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target.	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes.
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only. ★	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Meh     Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

Kaga can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 

Due to Kaga’s poor concealment, the premium version of this consumable is recommended in case enemy surface ships decide to focus fire on her with high explosive rounds.

Camouflage

As a Premium ship, Kaga comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

As a carrier, Kaga is able to mount a maximum of four signal flags simultaneously. Mounting a November Echo Setteseven () is recommended to improve the ship's anti-aircraft defenses as well as her aircraft’s rear gunner damage. Juliet Whiskey Unaone () flags may also be mounted to improve the flooding chance for the torpedo bombers. India Yankee () and Juliet Yankee Bissotwo () flags are also recommended to decrease time of fire and flooding recovery respectively. Lastly, economic flags such as Equal Speed Charlie London (🚫), Zulu (🚫), and Zulu Hotel (🚫) can be mounted to improve credit or experience gain per battle.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time. ★	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used.
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

• 

  Kaga as seen in port.

• 

  Closeup of Kaga's air group.

• 

  Kaga launches a B5N torpedo bomber.

• 

  Kaga launches an A6M fighter.

• 

  A squadron of B5Ns fly-over Kaga.

• 

  Portside outboard profile of Kaga.

• 

  A furball erupts as Kaga attempts to strike an enemy Ranger.

• 

  Kaga’s torpedo bombers finish the job.

• 

  Flag of Kaga. Given to players who purchased a special bundle containing Kaga.

Historical Info

Kaga, 1935

Construction

Builder: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kobe, Japan

Laid down: 19 July 1920

Launched: 17 November 1921

Builder: Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Yokosuka, Japan

Re-classified: 21 November 1923

Completed: 31 March 1928

Commissioned: 1 November 1929

---

Specifications

38,200 tons displacement, standard

247.8m length

32.5m beam

9.48m draft

---

Machinery

8 oil-fired boilers, 4 multi-stage geared turbines

5,300 tons of fuel oil

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Performance

28 knots at 127,400 shaft horsepower

10,000 nautical miles at 15 knots

---

Armor

Main Belt: 120-152mm

Flight Deck: 38mm

Torpedo Bulges: 19mm

Casemates: 25mm

Hangar: 16mm

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Armament

Main

Ten (10x1) 20cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun

Secondary

Sixteen (8x2) 127mm Type 89 DP guns

Anti-Aircraft

Twenty-two (11x2) 25mm Type 96 AA guns

---

Aircraft

Total

90 aircraft (72 standard + 18 reserve)

Fighters

Twenty-one (21) Mitsubishi A6M "Zero"

Torpedo Bombers

Twenty-seven (27) Nakajima B5N "Kate"

Dive Bombers

Twenty-seven (27) Aichi D3 "Val"

---

Complement

2,019 men

Artist's rendering of Kaga.

Design

Kaga was originally conceived as a Tosa-class battleship, the would-be successors to the Nagato-class of battleships. The fate of the Tosa-class ships was irrevocably altered in 1922 as a result of the Washington Naval Treaty; all major naval powers agreed to adhere to a moratorium on battleship construction. Kaga’s fate was sealed: she would be scrapped. In the treaty’s wake, the Japanese sought to convert two of their incomplete Amagi-class battlecruisers – Amagi and Akagi – into aircraft carriers as the treaty allowed two capital ship hulls above 30,000 tons to undergo conversion. In a twist of fate, Amagi was damaged during the 1923 Tokyo earthquake and Kaga received a new lease on life; substituted in the former’s place for conversion work.

Unlike her predecessor – Akagi – Kaga was based on a battleship hull. A larger beam, a smaller length, and outdated machinery resulted in below average speeds for a fleet carrier; at 27 knots, Kaga was the slowest of the Kidō Butai. Regardless of such differences, Kaga was still a suitable replacement, as she possessed the same general layout as the Amagi-class battlecruisers.

As originally built, Kaga implemented a multi flight-deck construction in the hopes that this would speed up the aircraft launch-recovery cycle by allowing both actions simultaneously. Each deck fulfilled a specific purpose: the top flight deck was for recovery (the only “full-length” deck) where as the middle and lower flight decks were for launching aircraft only. As such, only the top flight deck possessed landing lights and arresting gear whilst the two lower decks were fed directly from the two superimposed main hangars. Over time – as aircraft became heavier and required longer takeoff rolls – the usage of the two, short launch decks became dubious at best.

The correct ejection of exhaust gases was still an on-going challenge and fleet carriers like Akagi and Kaga were still utilizing experimental systems. Originally built, Kaga collected exhaust in a pair of horizontal ducts positioned on the sides of the vessel and expelled the gases to the rear. The idea itself had merit; this way there was as little physical obstruction as possible on the flight deck for the landing aircraft. To no one’s surprise, the hot gases were a constant nuisance to pilots as it would interfere with the landing approach; Kaga herself was too slow to “out run” the hot exhaust and the gases would linger around the top flight deck. Additionally, the exhaust system was near living quarters and made accommodations rather unbearable.

Kaga’s battleship pedigree was seen through her retention of a main armaments battery. In her original configuration she possessed ten 20cm Type 3 rifles: four in twin-gun turrets flanking the middle flight deck forward, and six in single casemate mounts aft. The Type B turret mounts were unique to Kaga and Akagi that they could elevate to +70˚ to combat aircraft, in theory. The casemates themselves saw limited practicality as they had limited elevation and traverse. Such firepower was added in the belief that carriers should have the autonomous ability to repel surface threats. Additionally, she was armed with twelve 120mm Type 10 guns in six twin-mounts in sponsons off the side. They were hampered by restricted firing angles due to their position.

In 1934, Kaga underwent a massive reconstruction in the hopes to solve many of her glaring deficiencies. The impractical multi flight-deck configuration was removed and instead the top flight deck was rebuilt to span the entire length of the ship. Concurrently, the hangers were extended and she received a third elevator situated to the front. As well, an island superstructure was added to the starboard side of the flight deck. In hopes to increase speed, 4 multi-staged turbines and 8 oil-fired boilers replaced her original 4 single-stage turbines and 12 mixed-fuel boilers; this increased power by over 30,000 shaft horsepower. But due to the addition of extra torpedo bulges to lower her center-of-gravity, her displacement increased as well and thus she only gained a single knot of speed. Kaga’s original rearward exhaust system was changed to a single down-turned funnel off the starboard side. With the removal of the middle fight-deck, the 20cm guns in the front were also moved to the aft as 4 additional casemates. The 120mm AA guns were replaced with sixteen 127mm Type 89 guns in 8 twin-mounts and additionally twenty-two 25mm Type 96 AA guns in 11 twin-mounts were added. The Type 89 had good performance, but their real deficiency was seen in their mounts and fire control directors. Both were manually operated and in the heat of combat, could not track fast moving targets. The Type 96 had poor performance. Not only were the weapons manually trained, but also the hitting power was under-average, and the usage of 15-round magazines severely hampered sustained rate-of-fire.

In retrospect, one of Kaga’s more significant drawbacks that was never addressed was the design of her aircraft hangars. Most Japanese fleet carriers were constructed with enclosed, unarmored hangars, with thin bulkheads. This was in hopes that an explosion would be vent laterally instead of vertically, thus saving the flight deck. In actuality, the opposite occurred; damage to the hangar deck ruptured the flight deck. Considering aircraft refueling and re-arming occurred in the hangars, poor ventilation and fire suppression systems meant damage to the hangars was difficult to mitigate and crippling to the ship.

Kaga was built at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries shipyard in Kobe, Japan. After her official reclassification in 1923, work on her conversion commenced at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in 1925, and completed by 1928. A year later, she was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as their latest fleet carrier.

Service

Four years after her completion and commission, Kaga’s first combat action came in early 1932 where Kaga, flagship of the 1st Carrier Division alongside Hōshō, spent the entirety of February supporting the Imperial Japanese Army’s attack on the Chinese coastal lynch pin of Shanghai. During these engagements, three of Kaga’s Nakajima A1N2 fighters scored the IJN’s first air-to-air combat victory in late February against the Chinese forces. Following the ceasefire on 3 March, Kaga and Hōshō returned to the Combined Fleet to resume training exercises. These early carrier exercises were vital to the development of both Japanese and international carrier doctrines. Aircraft carriers were initially intended to act as force multipliers in the Imperial Japanese Navy, primarily by supporting the fleet’s Battleships as per the “decisive battle” doctrine. As carrier doctrine evolved, aerial strikes against enemy carriers became of equal importance to battleship engagements, to secure air superiority during a battle to allow carriers to attack enemy surface vessels with little to no danger from enemy fighters. Aircraft carriers would operate with or ahead of the main battle line, and an emphasis on high top speed and larger aircraft requiring longer flightdecks. Due to this shift in ideology, Kaga was judged inferior to her half-sister Akagi due to her lower top speed and smaller flight deck, on top of her problematic funnel arrangement, and was first in line for an extensive reconstruction that lasted from 1934 until the middle of 1935.

Following the completion of her reconstruction, Kaga was assigned to Carrier Division 2 as the only carrier of the division, where she trained for another two years until the Marco Polo Bridge incident that sparked the full-on war between Japan and the Chinese coalition (known as the Second Sino-Japanese War). In 1937, Kaga joined CarDiv 1 alongside Ryūjō and Hōshō to attack central and southern China with the IJN, while the IJA pushed down from the north. Kaga’s air group engaged the Chinese air force over central China, with mixed successes. An attack group consisting of 29 attack planes and 16 bombers with no fighter escort took off to strike multiple targets on the Chinese coastline. They were forced to change targets due to bad weather, and were then intercepted by Chinese fighters, losing eight attack planes and surrendering a ninth. Exact total losses are unclear, but it was enough to forbid any aerial bombing mission without fighter escorts. Japanese fighters, however, often had great success against the exported American fighters the Chinese air force used, suffering little to no losses in dogfights while escorting Japanese attack aircraft. Kaga’s final attack during this sortie was several strikes against the Chinese light cruisers Ping Hai and Ning Hai. Both ships sunk in the banks of the Yangtze River, to later be risen and put into service by the IJN. Kaga and CarDiv 1 spent the rest of 1937 moving to and from mainland Japan and occupied China, ferrying aircraft for land bases or carrying out strikes herself. In December 1937, a group of IJN aircraft launched from Kaga attacked three oil barges escorted by the American river gunboat USS Panay (PR-5), sinking the three barges and USS Panay, taking American lives with it. This resulted in “The Panay Incident”, which while Japan apologized to the USA and paid an indemnity, but this nonetheless turned US opinion against Japan.

Kaga continued supporting Japanese attacks on central China until the end of 1938, where she returned to Japan and was placed in reserve status to undergo a second lengthy overhaul, lasting until late 1940. Kaga’s experiences off China further solidified the advanced IJN carrier doctrine, emphasizing on the importance in amassing and concentrating naval air power offshore for successful land attacks. In April 1941, the IJN formed the First Air Fleet that placed all its fleet carriers under a single command. Kaga joined the First Carrier Division alongside her half-sister Akagi, spending most of 1941 training with their new-age aircraft in preparation for the Attack on Pearl Harbor. With training complete by November that year, Kaga moved to the Kuriles to prepare for the secret Hawaii Operation, where the IJN amassed their naval power. By 6 December 1941, Kaga and the Combined Fleet of the IJN were 400 miles north of Hawaii, where the fleet oilers present detached with a destroyer escort before the carriers continued into Hawaiian waters to enter striking range.

On the morning of 7 December 1941, 183 aircraft, 35 launched from Kaga, formed the first attack wave and struck Pearl Harbor. These attack planes targeted the battleships USS Arizona (BB-39), USS West Virginia (BB-48), USS Tennessee (BB-43), USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and USS Nevada (BB-36), causing the magazine detonation of Arizona, the capsizing of Oklahoma, severe damage to West Virginia, medium damage to Nevada, and only mild damage to Tennessee. After the first wave, the second wave of 167 aircraft, 32 launched from Kaga, struck Pearl Harbor again, her fighters wreaking havoc on the grounded aircraft at the airfields, and her aircraft striking West Virginia a second time, causing her to sink, forcing Nevada to beach herself and only dealing minor damage to USS Maryland (BB-46). By 0945, the planes had retired to their home carriers, with Kaga taking the heaviest losses, losing 15 of the 29 total aircraft lost. Kaga and the other carriers withdrew to mainland Japan, before Kaga departed for Truk in January 1942, a crucial Japanese naval base in the Caroline Islands, joining Akagi to prepare for the Japanese invasions of Rabaul and Kavieng.

Departing from Truk on 20 January 1942 with a large surface fleet — including Kaga, Akagi, Shōkaku, Zuikaku, and the battleships Hiei and Kirishima — 100 attack aircraft, 36 from Kaga, struck the port of Rabaul in New Britain. Shōkaku and Zuikaku of Carrier Division 5 detached and moved to the Bismarck Sea, and CarDiv 1 struck the port of Kavieng, New Ireland, while CarDiv 5 struck ports along the northern shores of New Guinea. Kaga’s planes hit Rabaul again, securing aerial control of the area and continuing aerial patrols before regrouping with the other carriers and returning to Truk by the end of the month. Kaga and Akagi, alongside Carrier Division 2’s Sōryū and Hiryū, moved with a large Japanese fleet to strike Port Darwin on the northern coast of Australia, in mid-February 1942. This strike virtually flattened Port Darwin, sinking several cargo ships and a US destroyer, paralyzing one of the most crucial supply ports to the southern theater of the Pacific War. Kaga spent March supporting Japanese naval invasions of Indonesian islands, before returning to mainland Japan for hull repairs after drifting into a reef in early February. Her repairs lasted until early May, returning to CarDiv 1 and becoming the flagship of the First Air Fleet. Following rigorous training, and the threat to mainland Japan posed by American aircraft carriers after the Doolittle Raid, Kaga, along with Akagi of CarDiv1 and CarDiv 2 departed to sail for her final operation; the Invasion of Midway.

At 0430 local time on 4 June 1942, the first attack wave of 108 planes, 27 from Kaga, were launched against Midway Island. At 0700, Hiryū spread the message that a second strike against Midway was necessary, just before American land-based bombers attacked Akagi and Hiryū. The first attack wave returned, but were unable to land due to the presence of American attack aircraft, while Kaga launched eight more fighters. By 0850, all the first wave aircraft were recovered, and the fleet adjusted course and prepared for an anti-ship strike against the American aircraft carriers in the area. At 0938, an enemy torpedo bomber group was sighted, launched from USS Enterprise (CV-6) that directly targeted Kaga. Japanese fighters shot down 10 of the 14 torpedo bombers, with Kaga safely dodging the six fish that were dropped. At 1010 the fleet changed course again to evade a third sighted American torpedo bomber group, but as Kaga prepared to launch fighters, Hiryū spotted approximately 30 dive bombers almost directly overhead Kaga. Kaga took evasive action, but was struck by several 500- and 1000-pound bombs from Enterprise’s air group. Ready-to-launch planes on Kaga’s deck were directly struck and exploded, with fueled and armed torpedo bombers exploding in the hangers, causing an unstoppable aviation fuel fire. One bomb directly hit Kaga’s bridge, killing most of her most experienced crew, including her captain. By this point, Akagi and Sōryū were also burning, with only Hiryū remaining relatively undamaged, as she radioed for the destroyers in the area to escort the damaged carriers back to the main Japanese fleet. Under provisional command, Kaga attempted to comply, barely managing a speed beyond 8 knots before her engine rooms were consumed by the fires. Kaga became dead in the water, with the Japanese destroyer Hagikaze moving up to recover survivors. By 1640, the situation for Kaga was deemed hopeless. Remaining personnel on-board jumped into the sea, to be recovered by Hagikaze and Maikaze. By sunset, all surviving crew had disembarked the floundering carrier. At 1925, Hagikaze was ordered to scuttle her, and fired two torpedoes at Kaga’s starboard side. Kaga’s surviving crew watched their beloved carrier sink from aboard Hagikaze, as Kaga went down with a loss of 814 out of 1,708 men.

The loss of Kaga, Akagi, Sōryū, and — eventually — Hiryū at the Battle of Midway was the most catastrophic blow the Imperial Japanese Navy suffered during World War II, trading four of their six operational fleet carriers for only one American carrier in a gambit they never truly recovered from. As the war went on, Japanese industry sharply fell behind the juggernaut of American manufacturing, and Japan played on the back foot until their surrender in 1945.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Kaga’s overall dark gray camouflage is missing. De-mounting the permanent camouflage will reveal her historical appearance, but at the cost of the camouflage's bonuses.
• Light and dark green camouflage was only applied to aircraft carriers beginning in mid-1944; Kaga was sunk in June 1942.

Historical Gallery

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  Kaga’s fitting-out in 1928. This stern view shows the long funnel extending aft below the flight deck, and three 8-inch (200 mm) guns in casemates.

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  Kaga undergoing post-launch trials off Tateyama, 15 September 1928.

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  Kaga in 1930 as completed, with all three flight decks visible.

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  Aerial overhead view of Kaga in 1930. Note the three flight decks as well as the two dual 203mm turrets forward.

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  Kaga conducting air operations in 1930. On the upper deck are Mitsubishi B1M torpedo bombers preparing for takeoff. Nakajima A1N Type 3 fighters are parked on the lower deck forward.

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  Bow view of Kaga, 1933. The three flight decks which existed prior to her major refit in 1934 are prominently visible.

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  Kaga in 1934 after reconstruction showing the new, full-length flight deck above the wide battleship hull.

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  Kaga after her modernization, with her distinctive downward-facing funnel.

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  Kaga in 1936, visible behind Aoba.

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  Kaga conducts air operations in 1937. On deck are Nakajima A2N, Aichi D1A, and Mitsubishi B2M aircraft.

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  A Japanese Type 96 attack plane flies near Kaga during the China incident, circa 1937.

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  A view from the flight deck of Akagi, November 1941. Kaga is directly astern. The other two visible aircraft carriers are likely, from left to right, Soryu or Hiryu (horizon, center) and Shokaku or Zuikaku (horizon, right).

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  Kaga (foreground), with Zuikaku (background), heads toward Pearl Harbor sometime between 26 November and 7 December 1941.

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  A crashed Type 99 being recovered after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The plane was later identified as having been part of Kaga's air group.

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  Lieutenant Shōichi Ogawa led Kaga’s dive bomber group in the attack on Midway Island. Ogawa was fatally wounded later the same day when Kaga was hit by American dive bombers.

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  Dive bomber pilots from Enterprise who helped fatally damage Kaga on 4 June. Ensign John Q. Roberts, who was shot down and killed by Kaga’s anti-aircraft guns, is standing at the far left of the photo. The bomb that killed Kaga's senior officers on the bridge may have been dropped by Ensign James C. Dexter, standing third from the right.

Video

References

• Stille, M., Bryan, T. (2005) Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carriers: 1921-45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd.
• Brown, D. (1977). Aircraft Carriers. New York, NY: Arco Publishing Company.
• Lengerer, H. (1982). Akagi and Kaga; in Roberts, J. Warship IV. London, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
• Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. London, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
• https://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_79-50_3ns.php
• https://www.combinedfleet.com/kaga.htm
  

Ships of Japan

Aircraft Carriers