Soryu

Sōryū (蒼龍, blue dragon) is the name of the Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Sōryū, the lead ship of the Sōryū-class, a pair of light aircraft carriers built in the late 1930s. The class was designed to provide a compact, capable platform for air operations and played a significant role in early World War II naval aviation.

Construction and service history

Sōryū was constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1930s and was commissioned in 1939. She served with the 1st Carrier Division and participated in several major operations during the early Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and subsequent operations in the Indian Ocean and the Central Pacific.

Battle of Midway and sinking

During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Sōryū fought alongside her sister ship Hiryū and other Japanese carriers. She was sunk on 4–5 June 1942 after sustaining heavy air strikes from United States Navy carrier aircraft, marking a significant loss for the IJN in the battle.

Legacy

The Sōryū-class, named after the lead ship, reflected contemporary attempts by the Japanese to balance aircraft capacity, speed, and defensive protection in carrier design. The name Sōryū also means “blue dragon” in Japanese, a term that appears in mythological and cultural contexts beyond the ship.

See also

Sōryū-class aircraft carriers; Japanese aircraft carriers; Naval history of World War II.