Historical Formations

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This page is a listing of a number of historical naval formations containing ships that appear in KanColle. Note that many of these formations had multiple 'generations', that ships were often part of multiple formations at a time, and that accurate historical records of these units are very difficult to ascertain. Multiple reorganizations occurred over the course of the war as losses took their toll.

For a complete listing of all IJN ships at the time of the Pearl Harbor attacks, please see the IJN Order of Battle.

Battle Squadrons

Battleship Yamato, at one point the Combined Fleet flagship.

In Japanese, there is no distinction drawn between Battleship and Cruiser divisions, they are simply called "squadrons" (sentai).

Japanese	English	Units
第一戦隊	First Battleship Division : BatDiv 1	Nagato (Flagship), Mutsu, Later: Yamato (Flagship), Musashi
第二戦隊	Second Battleship Division: BatDiv 2	Ise (Flagship), Hyuuga, Yamashiro, Fusou
第三戦隊	Third Battleship Division: BatDiv 3	Kongou (Flagship), Hiei, Haruna, Kirishima
第四戦隊	Fourth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 4	Atago (Flagship), Takao, Maya, Choukai
第五戦隊	Fifth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 5	Myoukou (Flagship), Nachi, Haguro
第六戦隊	Sixth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 6	Aoba (Flagship), Furutaka, Kako, Kinugasa
第七戦隊	Seventh Cruiser Division: CruDiv 7	Kumano (Flagship), Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya
第八戦隊	Eighth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 8	Tone, Chikuma
第九戦隊	Ninth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 9	Kitakami, Ooi
第十六戦隊	Sixteenth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 16	Ashigara (Flagship), Nagara, Kuma
第十八戦隊	Eighteenth Cruiser Division: CruDiv 18	Tenryuu, Tatsuta
第二十一戦隊	Twenty-First Cruiser Division: CruDiv 21	Tama, Kiso

Carrier Divisions

The Carrier Divisions (Kōkū sentai) were part of a different fleet system than the Battlegroups and Torpedo Squadrons, though they often had Destroyer Divisions attached to them to act as escorts.  The Japanese names of the Carrier divisions are often shortened by the shipgirls, for instance 第一航空戦隊, "Dai-ichi Kōkū Sentai" is shortened to 一航戦, "Ikkōsen".  In most translations, this is written as abbreviating "First Carrier Division" to "CarDiv1".

English Name	Japanese	Unit Members
First Carrier Division: CarDiv 1	第一航空戦隊	Akagi (Flagship), Kaga, Seventh Destroyer Division
Seventh Destroyer Division: DesDiv 7	第七駆逐隊	Ushio (Flagship), Akebono, Sazanami
Second Carrier Division: CarDiv 2	第二航空戦隊	Souryuu (Flagship), Hiryuu, Twenty-Third Destroyer Division
Twenty-Third Destroyer Division: DesDiv 23	第二十三駆逐隊	Kikuzuki (Flagship), Uzuki also Mutsuki-class Yuzuki
Third Carrier Division:  CarDiv 3	第三航空戦隊	Zuihou, Houshou, Mikazuki (Escort)
Fourth Carrier Division: CarDiv 4	第四航空戦隊	Ryuujou, Later Ise and Hyuuga
Fifth Carrier Division: CarDiv 5	第五航空戦隊	Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Oboro (Escort)

Torpedo Squadrons

Torpedo Squadrons (Suirai sentai) and their sub-components, Destroyer Divisions (Kuchikutai), were created as part of the Japanese plan to slowly wear down American forces as they came across the Pacific with superior night-fighting and long-range torpedo bombardment tactics. They were led by a single Light Cruiser flagship supervising a number of Destroyer Divisions. Destroyer Divisions who have no members implemented in KanColle are not mentioned. Some sources translate 'Torpedo Squadron' as 'Destroyer Squadron', it is this that is abbreviated to 'Desron'

English Name	Japanese	Unit Members
First Torpedo Squadron: Desron 1	第一水雷戦隊	Abukuma (Flagship), Sixth Destroyer Division, Twenty-First Destroyer Division, Twenty-Seventh Destroyer Division, Seventeenth Destroyer Division
Sixth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 6	第六駆逐隊	Hibiki (Flagship), Akatsuki, Inazuma, Ikazuchi
Seventeeth Destroyer Division: Desdiv 17	第十七駆逐隊	Urakaze (Flagship), Isokaze, Hamakaze, Tanikaze
Twenty-First Destroyer Division: DesDiv 21	第二十一駆逐隊	Wakaba (Flagship), Hatsuharu, Nenohi, Hatsushimo
Twenty-Seventh Destroyer Division: DesDiv 27	第二十七駆逐隊	Shigure (Flagship), Shiratsuyu, Ariake and Yugure
Second Torpedo Squadron: Desron 2	第二水雷戦隊	Jintsuu (Flagship), later Noshiro (Flagship), Sixteenth Destroyer Division, Fifteenth Destroyer Division, Eighteenth Destroyer Division, Eighth Destroyer Division, Thirty-First Destroyer Division
Eighth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 8	第八駆逐隊	Ooshio, Asashio, Michishio, Arashio
Fifteenth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 15	第十五駆逐隊	Natsushio (Flagship), Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio, later Kagerou
Sixteenth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 16	第十六駆逐隊	Yukikaze (Flagship), Amatsukaze, Hatsukaze, Tokitsukaze
Eighteenth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 18	第十八駆逐隊	Shiranui (Flagship), Kagerou, Arare, Kasumi
Thirty-First Destroyer Division: Desdiv 31	第三十一駆逐隊	Naganami (Flagship), Makinami
Second Destroyer Division: Desdiv 2 (1944)	第二駆逐隊	Hayashimo (Flagship), Kiyoshimo, Akishimo
Third Torpedo Squadron: Desron 3	第三水雷戦隊	Sendai (Flagship), Eleventh Destroyer Division, Ninteenth Destroyer Division, Twelfth Destroyer Division
Eleventh Destroyer Division: DesDiv 11	第十一駆逐隊	Hatsuyuki (Flagship), Fubuki, Shirayuki
Twelfth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 12	第十二駆逐隊	Shirakumo (Flagship), Murakumo, Shinonome
Nineteenth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 19	第十九駆逐隊	Uranami (Flagship), Ayanami, Shikinami, Isonami
Fourth Torpedo Squadron: Desron 4	第四水雷戦隊	Naka (Flagship), Second Destroyer Division, Fourth Destroyer Division, Twenty-Fourth Destroyer Division
Second Destroyer Division: DesDiv 2	第二駆逐隊	Murasame (Flagship), Yuudachi, Harusame, Samidare
Fourth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 4	第四駆逐隊	Arashi (Flagship), Maikaze, Nowaki, Hagikaze
Ninth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 9	第九駆逐隊	Asagumo, Yamagumo, Natsugumo, Minegumo
Twenty-Fourth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 24	第二十四駆逐隊	Umikaze (Flagship), Suzukaze, Yamakaze, Kawakaze
Fifth Torpedo Squadron: Desron 5	第五水雷戦隊	Natori (Flagship), Twenty-Second Destroyer Division
Twenty-Second Destroyer Division: DesDiv 22	第二十二駆逐隊	Satsuki (Flagship), Fumizuki, Nagatsuki, Minazuki
Sixth Torpedo Squadron: Desron 6	第六水雷戦隊	Yuubari (Flagship), Thirtieth Destroyer Division
Thirtieth Destroyer Division: DesDiv 30	第三十駆逐隊	Mutsuki (Flagship), Kisaragi, Yayoi, Mochizuki, later Uzuki
Tenth Torpedo Squadron: Desron 10	第十水雷戦隊	Nagara, later Agano (Flagship), later Yahagi (Flagship), Fourth Destroyer Division, Sixteenth Destroyer Division, Seventeenth Destroyer Division, Sixty-First Destroyer Division The 10th Desron was formed in 1942 somewhat ad-hoc and so contains divisions that were previously members of other squadrons, plus the newly-formed 61st Division.
Sixty-First Destroyer Division: DesDiv 61	第六十一駆逐隊	Akizuki, Teruzuki, later Wakatsuki, Hatsuzuki, Suzutsuki.

Submarine Squadrons

Because there were many, many Submarines and Submarine Tenders which are not represented in Kancolle, this section is a bit sparse.  It is included primarily to show the ships that were part of any Submarine Squadrons or Submarine Divisions.

English Name	Unit Members
First Submarine Squadron: Subron 1	Second Submarine Division: I-19
Third Submarine Squadron: Subron 3	Taigei (Flagship), Third Submarine Division: I-8 (Flagship), Twelfth Submarine Division: I-168
Fourth Submarine Squadron: Subron 4	Kinu (Flagship)
Fifth Submarine Squadron: Subron 5	Yura (Flagship)
Eleventh Submarine Squadron: Subron 11	First Submarine Division: I-401, Fifteenth Submarine Division: I-58

Fleets

The IJN had a number of different 'Fleet' units of varying purposes and sizes.  They were primarily administrative formations rather than combat formations.  All were considered part of the "Combined Fleet", which was the primary administrative unit of the IJN.  It is included separately to show the ships and units that were directly attached to it.

English Name	Unit Members
Combined Fleet	Yamato (Flagship), First Battleship Division, 4th Submarine Squadron, 5th Submarine Squadron, 11th Seaplane Tender Division: Chitose, Also Directly Attached: Akashi, Chiyoda Contained as Subdivisions: First Fleet, Second Fleet, Third Fleet, Fourth Fleet, Fifth Fleet, Sixth Fleet, First Air Fleet
First Fleet	Second and Third Battleship Divisions, Sixth and Ninth Cruiser Divisions, First and Third Destroyer Squadrons, Third Carrier Division
Second Fleet	Atago (Flagship), Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Cruiser Divisions, Second and Fourth Destroyer Squadrons
Third Fleet	Ashigara (Flagship), Sixteenth Cruiser Division, Fifth Destroyer Squadron
Fourth Fleet	Eighteenth Cruiser Division, Sixth Destroyer Squadron
Fifth Fleet	Twenty-First Cruiser Division
Sixth Fleet	First Submarine Squadron, Second Submarine Squadron, Third Submarine Squadron
Eighth Fleet	Choukai (Flagship), Sixth Cruiser Division, Eighteenth Cruiser Division, Yuubari Also known as the Mikawa fleet, after its Admiral, Mikawa Gunichi.
First Air Fleet	First, Second, Fourth, and Fifth Carrier Divisions

Battle Participants

Here are the ships (present in KanColle) that participated in a number of famous battles, both successfully and unsuccessfully.

Battle Name	Unit Members
Operation AI - (The Attack on Pearl Harbor)	Akagi, Kaga, Ushio, Sazanami, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Akigumo Hiei, Kirishima, Tone, Chikuma Abukuma, Hamakaze, Urakaze, Tanikaze, Isokaze, Shiranui, Kagerou, Arare, Kasumi I-168
Battle of Wake Island	Yuubari, Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Mochizuki, Yayoi, Mutsuki, Kisaragi (sunk) Later reinforced by: Souryuu, Hiryuu, Tone, Chikuma
Battle of Badung Strait	Asashio, Ooshio, Michishio, Arashio
Battle of the Java Sea	Nachi, Haguro Jintsuu, Yukikaze, Tokitsukaze, Amatsukaze, Hatsukaze, Naka, Yuudachi, Samidare, Murasame, Harusame, Sazanami, Ushio
Battle of Sunda Strait	Mogami, Mikuma, Natori Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Murakumo, Shikinami Also present but not involved in battle: Suzuya, Kumano, Ryuujou, Chiyoda, Isonami
Second Battle of the Java Sea	Myoukou, Nachi, Ashigara, Haguro Inazuma, Akebono
Battle of the Coral Sea	Myoukou, Haguro, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Shouhou (sunk), Ushio, Akebono, Shiratsuyu, Shigure, Kikuzuki (sunk) Tenryuu, Tatsuta, Kako, Aoba, Kinugasa, Furutaka, Uzuki, Mutsuki, Mochizuki, Yayoi, Sazanami
Indian Ocean Raid	Akagi, Hiryuu, Souryuu, Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Ryuujou, Akigumo Kongou, Hiei, Kirishima, Haruna Tone, Chikuma, Choukai, Kumano, Mikuma, Mogami, Suzuya Abukuma, Yura, Hamakaze, Isokaze, Tanikaze, Urakaze, Kagerou, Shiranui, Kasumi, Arare, Maikaze, Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Murakumo
Battle of Midway (Operation MI)	Akagi (sunk), Kaga (sunk), Souryuu (sunk), Hiryuu (sunk), Tone, Chikuma, Haruna, Kirishima, Nagara, Nowaki, Maikaze, Yuugumo, Makigumo, Urakaze, Tanikaze, Hamakaze, Isokaze, Akigumo Yamato, Mutsu, Nagato, Houshou, Chiyoda, Sendai, Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Murakumo, Isonami, Shikinami, Ayanami Kongou, Hiei, Atago, Choukai, Myoukou, Haguro, Yura, Murasame, Yuudachi, Harusame, Samidare, Asagumo, Zuihou, Mikazuki, Akashi Jintsuu, Kuroshio, Yukikaze, Tokitsukaze, Amatsukaze, Hatsukaze, Shiranui, Kagerou, Arare, Kasumi, Chitose Kumano, Mogami, Mikuma (sunk), Suzuya, Asashio, Arashio I-168
Aleutian Islands Invasion (Operation AL)	Nachi, Inazuma, Ikazuchi Ryuujou, Junyou, Takao, Maya, Akebono, Ushio, Sazanami Hyuuga, Fusou, Ise, Yamashiro, Kitakami, Ooi, Suzukaze, Shigure, Shiratsuyu Abukuma, Hatsuharu, Nenohi, Wakaba, Hatsushimo Kiso, Tama I-19
Battle of Savo Island	Choukai, Aoba, Kako, Furutaka, Kinugasa, Yuubari, Tenryuu
Battle of the Eastern Solomons (Second Battle of the Solomon Islands)	Ryuujou (sunk), Tone, Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Mutsuki (sunk) Many other ships present but no others had any real part in the battle.
Battle of Cape Esperance	Aoba, Kinugasa, Furutaka (sunk), Hatsuyuki, Fubuki (sunk), Murakumo (sunk), Akizuki, Asagumo, Shirayuki
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands	Akizuki (damaged before the battle), Yura (sunk before the battle) Atago, Takao, Myoukou, Maya, Isuzu, Suzukaze, Naganami, Junyou, Kuroshio Shoukaku, Zuikaku, Zuihou, Kumano, Hatsukaze, Yukikaze, Maikaze, Hamakaze, Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze Hiei, Kirishima, Tone, Chikuma, Suzuya, Nagara, Makigumo, Akigumo, Urakaze, Tanikaze, Isokaze, Nowaki
First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal	Hiei (sunk), Kirishima, Nagara, Samidare, Murasame, Asagumo, Amatsukaze, Yukikaze, Ikazuchi, Inazuma, Akatsuki (sunk), Harusame, Yuudachi (sunk) Shigure, Shiratsuyu (rear guard, did not engage in combat)
Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal	Kinugasa (sunk the morning before the battle) Kirishima (sunk), Takao, Atago, Nagara, Sendai, Shikinami, Ayanami (sunk), Asagumo, Samidare, Hatsuyuki, Shirayuki, Inazuma
Battle of the Komandorski Islands	Nachi, Maya, Tama, Abukuma, Wakaba, Hatsushimo, Inazuma, Ikazuchi
Battle of Tassafaronga (Battle at Lunga Point)	Naganami, Suzukaze, Kuroshio, Kagerou
Battle of Kolombangara	Jintsuu (sunk), Yukikaze, Mikazuki, Hamakaze, Satsuki
Battle of Vella Lavella	Fumizuki, Akigumo, Isokaze, Yuugumo (sunk), Shigure, Samidare
Battle of Empress Augusta Bay	Myoukou, Haguro, Agano, Naganami, Hatsukaze (sunk), Sendai (sunk), Shigure, Samidare, Shiratsuyu
Battle of the Bismarck Sea	Shirayuki (sunk), Arashio (sunk), Asashio (sunk), Tokitsukaze (sunk), Yukikaze, Shikinami
Batle of Leyte Gulf	Northern Force:  Zuikaku (sunk), Zuihou (sunk), Chitose (sunk), Chiyoda (sunk), Ise, Hyuuga, Akizuki (sunk), Isuzu, Ooyodo, Tama (sunk) Center Force:  Yamato, Musashi (sunk), Nagato, Kongou, Haruna, Atago (sunk), Takao, Maya (sunk), Choukai (sunk), Myoukou, Haguro, Kumano, Suzuya (sunk), Tone, Chikuma (sunk), Noshiro (sunk), Shimakaze, Hayashimo (sunk), Naganami, Yahagi, Nowaki (sunk), Kiyoshimo, Urakaze, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Isokaze Southern Force (Nishimura Fleet): Yamashiro (sunk), Fusou (sunk), Mogami (sunk), Shigure, Michishio (sunk), Asagumo (sunk) Second Striking Force: Nachi, Ashigara, Abukuma (sunk), Akebono, Ushio, Kasumi, Shiranui (sunk), Wakaba (sunk), Hatsuharu, Hatsushimo Troop Transport Unit:  Aoba, Kinu (sunk)
Operation Ten-Go	Yamato (sunk), Yahagi (sunk), Yukikaze, Hatsushimo, Hamakaze (sunk), Isokaze (sunk), Kasumi (sunk)

Credit

User:headlessnewt constructed this article and furnished most of it.