Akagi Country: Japan Type: Aircraft carrier Service: 1927 - 1942 Name: Akagi Ordered: 1920 (as a battlecruiser) Laid down: 7 December 1920 (as a battle cruiser) Launched: 22 April 1925 (as an aircraft carrier) Commissioned: 27 March 1927 Struck: 25 September 1942 Fate: Scuttled 5 June 1942

The Akagi was an aircraft carrier serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Akagi was laid down as an Amagi class battlecruiser at Kure, Japan. However, the Washington Naval Treaty, which Japan signed in 1922, prevented Japan from completing Akagi. Because the Treaty authorized conversion of two battleship or battlecruiser hulls into aircraft carriers of up to 33,000 tons displacement, the incomplete hulls of Amagi and Akagi were selected for completion as carriers.

The Amagi hull was damaged beyond economic repair in the earthquake of 1 September 1923. Akagi, the only remaining member of her class, was launched on 22 April 1925 and completed at Kure Naval Arsenal on 27 March 1927. As completed, the ship had two hangar decks with a capacity of 61 aircraft. From 1935 to 1938, Akagi received a massive reconstruction at Sasebo Naval Arsenal. It extended the hangars forward, removed the flying off decks, and increased aircraft capacity to 91. The refit added an island superstructure on the port side of the ship, which was an unusual arrangement.

Akagi was active off China during the during the Sino-Japanese War. Akagi was the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy strike force attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941. During the Battle of Midway, the Akagi was severely damaged (4 June 1942) and scuttled (5 June 1942).