The Shinano, a Japanese aircraft carrier, had its official trial run on 11 November 1944 around Tokyo Bay. One of the workers on board wrote the following account.
When I stood at the stern, the people standing at the bow looked as small as peas. I remember crying out in admiration. Heavy revolving artillery surrounded the flight deck like porcupine quills. The Shinano was the greatest aricraft carrier in the world.
On 28 November, the Shinano left for its home port, Kure. On the next day, four torpedoes from a US submarine ended its short life. This ship took an enormous bite out of the national budget, and dockworkers toiled incessantly round the clock to complete it. It was swallowed up by the sea without engaging in a single battle, taking over 1,430 victims down with it.
一九四四年十一月十一日，日本航空母艦信濃號於東京灣正式試航，船上一名工人有以下記述。
我站在船尾，看站在船頭者，小如豌豆。我記得當時失聲讚歎。飛機升降甲板周圍，是可旋轉的重砲，有如豪豬身上的刺。信濃號是當時全球最大的航空母艦。
十一月二十八日，信濃號出發，往其所屬的吳市。第二天，美國一艘潛艇發射四枚魚雷，信濃號短暫的歷史就告結束。這艘船用了國家大筆經費，造船廠工人日夜不停工作，然後建成。但沒有打過一場仗，就遭大海吞噬。同時沉下水底的，還有一千四百三十餘人。