Shōkaku

Shōkaku was the lead ship of her class of two aircraft carriers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before the Pacific War. Along with her sistership Zuikaku, she took part in several key naval battles during the war, starting the attack on Pearl Harbor where she destroyed air fields and other land facilities.

During the Indian Ocean Raid, April 1942, Shōkaku dive bombers sank the armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector and helped to sink the light carrier HMS Hermes and the steamship SS Sagaing. At the battle of the Coral Sea later that May - assisted by Zuikaku - Shōkaku aircraft scored primary credit for sinking the aircraft carrier USS Lexington.

Shōkaku dive bombers also sank the destroyer USS Sims and helped to sink the fleet oilier USS Neosho. However, she was in turn crippled by bomb hits and taken out of action.

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