Shokaku” translates from japanese language roughly as “Crane flying in the sky” and was the class ship beside her sister ship named “Zuikaku” which translates as “Fortunate Crane”; them together building the 5th carrier division of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

The building contracts for these carrier vessels (CV) were granted 1937 within the same national budget the Yamato class was confirmed. The Washington Naval Treaty expired 1936 and the goal of the japanese navy was to not only show predominance in the Pacific theater but also to enable the empire to secure and expand territories.
The Shokaku class CVs were rootedly designed as full carriers and based on a radically modified version of the carrier IJN Hiryu.

One has to acknowledge that there are voices calling the Shokaku class the most modern and able carrier design up until the introduction of the american Essex class in 1943.

The construction of the Shokaku was delayed through demands from the japanese aircraft command. Initially the two smoke stacks were supposed to go one in front and one aft the command tower. The japanese designers turned the smoke stacks down to the side of the fuselage to prevent smoke interfering with the airplane duties on the flight deck. This was possible, since the hangar deck was totally enclosed and protected. However, the japanese aircraft command wanted both smoke stacks to go aft the command tower.
Peacetime

The only peacetime the Shokaku saw was between 08th August 1941 until start of the “Hawaii Operation” (Pearl Harbor) starting 26th November 1941, which the IJN Shokaku attended with 15 ZERO, 27 Val and 27 KAte airplanes.

Eén versie mogelijk;