Talk:Construction/@comment-126.86.91.84-20131014140907/@comment-24049657-20131014141553

Shoukaku was struck by three torpedos from the American submarine USS Cavalla. Normally it would react to such an attack but it was in the middle of refueling and rearming aircraft and therefore had no response, so the fires got way out of control. This led to chain event when an air bomb exploded, which basically blew up all of the fuel vapors. Eventually when they decided to evacuate, it decided to say 'fuck it' and sink faster than they could evacuate.

TL:DR, it was in the worst possible position to be torpedoed, which led to a chain of unlucky events which sunk it.