A decade before the outbreak of World War 2, the Japanese Imperial Navy was already building its strength. But limited by strict international treaties that aimed to prevent another naval arms race after World War 1, the Japanese Empire's expansionist dream was about to be smothered.
Still, the Japanese were determined to bulk up their fleet. Taking advantage of a loophole, they cleverly outsmarted the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, which restricted the amount and size of ships that the signatories could build.
They then built a secret aircraft carrier that was too small to be considered a proper one, yet robust enough to take several torpedo bombers, dive bombers, and fighters to the seas.
By the time the international authorities realized the technicality, IJN Ryūjō, or the Prancing Dragon, was already under construction, and became the only light aircraft carrier of its kind - and in fact, an outlaw…
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