Mizuho

Mizuho (瑞穂 "Fresh Grain") was a seaplane carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The ship was built at Kawasaki Shipbuilding at Kobe, Japan, and was completed in February 1939.

Mizuho was built to a similar design as the seaplane carrier Chitose, but with slightly less powerful diesel engines instead of Chitose's turbines. She carried 24 seaplanes, and was equipped to carry twelve miniature submarines, although she could not carry full loads of both at one time.

Mizuho participated in invasion support for much of her career; her first mission was with the Fourth Surprise Attack Force. On 1 March 1942, planes from Mizuho and Chitose damaged the American destroyer USS Pope, which was later sunk by aircraft from the aircraft carrier Ryuujou and gunfire from the heavy cruisers Ashigara and Myoukou.

The American submarine USS Drum torpedoed Mizuho at 23:03 hours on 1 May 1942 40 nautical miles (74 kilometres) off Omaezaki, Japan. She capsized and sank at 04:16 hours on 2 May 1942 with the loss of 101 lives. There were 472 survivors, of which 31 were wounded.

Appearance

 * She has grey eyes and very long black hair tied low with a lacy hair decoration, hair decorations shaped like rice stalks on her temples and long payotwith hair tubes with red hair ribbons. She wears a green dress in a vaguely hakama style with an oversized obi, and a white lace jacket with long,furisode-style detached sleeves leading to bridal gauntlets. She also wears fishnet kneehighs under white-and-red high-heeled sandals. Medium damage reveals white lace panties with red ribbon trimming similar to a miko's sleeves.
 * Her combat gear includes an anti-air turret set upon a Shinto offertory pedestal with a shide hanging off it. On her back rests a miniature ship's stern carrying multiple cranes and a radio antenna.

Personality

 * She has a soft-spoken, yamato nadeshiko personality. She is also noted for having an appearance similar to Seaplane Tender Hime.