Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi History and Specs.

Japanese Aircraft Carrier Akagi

The Imperial Japanese Navy Aircraft Carrier Akagi was originally laid down in the early 1920's as a Battlecruiser but after the Washington Naval Treaty was converted to an aircraft carrier and was completed in 1927. The Akagi was modernized in the mid 1930s and its airplane capacity was increased from 60 to 91 warplanes which included dive bombers, torpedo bombers and fighters. The Akagi maintained a crew of approximately 2000 officers and men and was armed with ten eight inch guns. The Akagi served as the First Air Fleet Flagship of Vice Admiral Nagumo during the first six months of the war and led the Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. However, while leading the Fleet during the attack on Midway on June 4, 1942 she was attacked by Dive Bombers from the USS Enterprise and suffered such severe damage that she was scuttled the following day.