#49: IJN Shinano: The Largest Aircraft Carrier Ever Sunk
At 71,890 tons fully loaded, the IJN Shinano holds the grim distinction of being the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine. On November 29, 1944, just 17 days after commissioning and during her maiden voyage, the submarine USS Archerfish put four torpedoes into her hull, sending this colossus to the bottom of the Pacific in just over 11 hours.
Originally laid down as the third Yamato-class battleship, Shinano was converted mid-construction into a heavily armored support carrier following the catastrophic carrier losses at Midway. Her flight deck featured 75mm armor plating, thicker than some cruisers' belt armor. The rushed conversion and poorly trained damage-control crew sealed her fate, making Shinano a cautionary tale in defense technology about the dangers of cutting corners under wartime pressure.
