3rd Carrier Division (Imperial Japanese Navy)

The 3rd Carrier Division (第三航空戦隊,, Dai San Kōkū Sentai, "San Kōsen") was primarily a seaplane tender unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet.

Third Carrier Division
Zuikaku in Autumn 1944
Active	June 1, 1936 – November 15, 1944
Country	Empire of Japan
Allegiance	Axis Powers of World War II
Branch	Imperial Japanese Navy
Type	Naval aviation unit
Role	Aircraft carrier support
Engagements	Battle of the Philippine Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf
Commanders
Notable commanders	Kakuji Kakuta
Insignia
Identification symbol	Kamoi Kamoi (カモヰ) Notoro Notoro (ノトロ) Zuihō in 1941-42 CI-xxx Hōshō in 1941-42 CII-xxx Chitose in early 1944 331-xxx Chiyoda in early 1944 332-xxx Zuihō in early 1944 333-xxx late 1944 653-xxx

Organization

Date	Higher unit	Ships and air units
1 June 1936 (original)	Combined Fleet	Kamoi, Destroyer Squadron 28 : Asanagi, Yūnagi
1 December 1936	disbanded
27 August 1937	3rd Fleet	Kamoi
20 October 1937	China Area Fleet	Kamoi, Notoro
1 December 1937	3rd Fleet	Kamoi, Kagu Maru, Kamikawa Maru
1 February 1938	5th Fleet	Kamoi, Kagu Maru, Kamikawa Maru
15 December 1938	disbanded
15 November 1940	1st Fleet	Ryūjō, Hōshō, Destroyer squadron 34 : Akikaze, Tachikaze, Hakaze
11 August 1941		Zuihō, Hōshō, Mikazuki, Yūzuki
1 April 1942	disbanded
1 February 1944	3rd Fleet	Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuihō, 653rd Naval Air Group[1]
15 August 1944		Zuikaku, Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuihō, 653rd Naval Air Group
15 November 1944	disbanded

Commander

	Rank	Name	Date	Note
1	R.ADM	Takamoto Togari	1 June 1936
x		disbanded	1 December 1936
2	Capt./R.ADM	Kōkichi Terada	27 August 1937	Rear-Admiral on 1 December 1937
x		disbanded	15 December 1938
3	R.ADM	Kakuji Kakuta	15 November 1940
4	R.ADM	Torao Kuwabara	1 September 1941
x		disbanded	1 April 1942
x		vacant post	1 February 1944
5	R.ADM	Sueo Ōbayashi	15 February 1944
6		vacant post	1 October 1944
x		disbanded	15 November 1944