How a pair of dreadnoughts became makeshift aircraft carriers

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Designed to secure Japanese naval dominance, the Ise-class battleships underwent a radical transformation. After losing most of their aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway in 1942, these aging dreadnoughts were rebuilt with flight decks, attempting to pivot from heavy gun platforms to vessels capable of operating floatplanes.

Originating from the Eight-Eight Fleet Program, the Ise-class battleships were part of a strategy to ensure Japan's capital ships numbered at least 70% of those in the United States Navy. This ratio, proposed by Admiral Satō Tetsutarō, was intended to ensure Japan could win a major decisive battle in its own territorial waters. The ships were originally built as dreadnoughts for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I. This naval strategy was a response to the rise of the British Royal Navy and the United States. The 1907 Imperial Defence Policy originally outlined the requirement for eight modern battleships and eight armoured cruisers to achieve this parity.

By the eve of the Pacific War, the vessels were considered obsolete. Following the catastrophic loss of much of the IJN's aircraft carrier strength during the Battle of Midway in mid-1942, the two ships were modified. Their rear gun turrets were replaced with flight decks to accommodate an air group of floatplanes, though a shortage of aircraft and pilots meant they never used these capabilities in combat. The modification involved replacing the rear pair of gun turrets with a flight deck. This design change occurred because the IJN needed to operate floatplanes after their carrier losses.

Despite their specialized reconstruction, their combat roles remained varied and often secondary. They served as decoys during the Battle off Cape Engaño in late 1944 and acted as transport vessels for strategic materials like petrol during Operation Kita in early 1945. The class was eventually reduced to reserve and sunk by American airstrikes in July 1945, before being scrapped between 1946 and 1947. During their final months, the vessels were utilized to ferry troops and supplies to various Japanese bases. They were eventually destroyed by American air attacks in July 1945.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Japan converted two luxury ocean liners into frontline aircraft carriers during World War II.
• The Japanese battleship designed to outmatch the United States through sheer quality
• How a World War I battlecruiser became a fast battleship for the Pacific War
• Japan's first dreadnoughts were a technological leap that ended in tragedy and deception
• The Japanese battlecruisers that forced the United States to build bigger ships
• Istria County: The Croatian Peninsula That Has Been Ruled by Romans, Venetians, and Austrians
• Why these seven Greek islands spent centuries avoiding Ottoman rule while others fell
• From TikTok absurdity to global commerce: the rise of Italian brainrot
• Interstate 90 is the longest freeway in America, stretching over 3,000 miles coast-to-coast.
• How a five-stringed rusty guitar launched a global music career
• The 1,786-mile artery connecting the Great Lakes to the subtropics
• A battlecruiser reborn as a carrier, then lost in a single morning

More in Basics · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics