The IJN Soryu was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. As opposed to some earlier Japanese carriers which were redesigns on battlecruiser (IJN Akagi) or battleship (IJN Kaga) hulls, she was designed from the start as an aircraft carrier. At close to 65 km/h (35 kts), she was the fastest carrier in the world at launch.
IJN Soryu in Days of Infamy[]
The IJN Soryu was one of the many Japanese carriers that took part in the Japanese invasion of Hawaii in December 1941. After the islands had been conquered in early 1942, the carrier stayed behind as part of the task force designated with defending Hawaii.
After the Doolittle raid on Oahu, the two Japanese carriers in the vicinity, the Akagi, and the Soryu were dispatched to hunt down the remaining US carriers and destroy them. However, US submarines were waiting and put two torpedoes into Soryu's side, severely crippling her and forcing her back to Japan for extensive repairs. Soryu never returned to Hawaii.
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