The world's first purpose-built aircraft carrier was a laboratory of trial and error

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the legendary carriers of World War II, there was Hōshō. Commissioned in 1922, this Japanese vessel wasn't just a warship; it was a floating laboratory where the very physics of naval aviation were being written in real-time.

Hōshō was the first ship in the world built from the keel up as an aircraft carrier, following the British HMS Hermes. Her development was a masterclass in iterative design. Originally conceived as a seaplane carrier with a forward flying-off deck, she underwent radical transformations based on direct feedback from aircrews. By 1919, her design shifted to a flush-decked carrier, removing the island and moving funnels to the side to create an unobstructed flight deck—a layout that would define Japanese carrier doctrine for years.

Because she was a pioneer, Hōshō served as a primary testing ground for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). She was used to evaluate fifteen different types of arresting gear, optical landing aids, and even a gyrostabilizer from the American Sperry Gyroscope Company. The latter proved initially unreliable due to poor technician training, highlighting the growing pains of integrating complex Western technology into new naval roles. Her role was so foundational that the lessons learned on her deck directly influenced the construction of the Ryūjō and the massive conversions of the Akagi and Kaga.

Despite her importance, Hōshō's combat record was modest. During the 1932 Shanghai Incident, her small air group of roughly 15 aircraft provided limited effectiveness, leading to her being placed in reserve as a training ship in 1939. While she served in a minor capacity during the June 1942 Battle of Midway, the vessel primarily functioned as an instructor for most of the conflict. She survived the conflict with only minor damage, eventually serving to repatriate Japanese troops before being scrapped in 1946.

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