Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryū

Hiryū (飛龍, "Flying Dragon") was an aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the 1930s. Generally regarded as the only ship of her class, she was built to a modified Sōryū design. Her aircraft supported the Japanese invasion of French Indochina in mid-1940. She took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Wake Island. During the first few months of the Pacific War, the ship supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies in January 1942. The following month, her aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia, and continued to assist in the Dutch East Indies campaign. In April, Hiryū's aircraft helped sink two British heavy cruisers and several merchant ships during the Indian Ocean Raid.

After a brief refit, Hiryū and three other fleet carriers of the First Air Fleet (Kido Butai) participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombarding American forces on the atoll, the carriers were attacked by aircraft from Midway and the carriers USS Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. Dive bombers from Yorktown and Enterprise crippled Hiryū and set her afire. She was scuttled the following day after it became clear that she could not be salvaged. The loss of Hiryū and three other IJN carriers at Midway was a crucial strategic defeat for Japan and contributed significantly to the Allies' ultimate victory in the Pacific.

## Design

Hiryū was one of two large carriers approved for construction under the 1931–32 Supplementary Program. Originally designed as the sister ship of Sōryū, her design was enlarged and modified in light of the Tomozuru and Fourth Fleet Incidents in 1934–1935 that revealed many IJN ships were top-heavy, unstable and structurally weak. Her forecastle was raised and her hull strengthened. Other changes involved increasing her beam, displacement, and armor protection.

The ship had a length of 227.4 meters (746 ft 1 in) overall, a beam of 22.3 meters (73 ft 2 in) and a draft of 7.8 meters (25 ft 7 in). She displaced 17,600 metric tons (17,300 long tons) at standard load and 20,570 metric tons (20,250 long tons) at normal load. Her crew consisted of 1,100 officers and enlisted men.

### Machinery

Hiryū was fitted with four geared steam turbine sets with a total of 153,000 shaft horsepower (114,000 kW), each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by eight Kampon water-tube boilers. The turbines and boilers were the same as those used in the Mogami-class cruisers. The ship's power and slim, cruiser-type hull with a length-to-beam ratio of 10:1 gave her a speed of 34.3 knots (63.5 km/h; 39.5 mph) and made her the fastest carrier in the world at the time of her commissioning. Hiryū carried 4,500 metric tons (4,400 long tons) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 10,330 nautical miles (19,130 km; 11,890 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The boiler uptakes were trunked to the ship's starboard side amidships and exhausted just below flight deck level through two funnels curved downward.

### Flight deck and hangars

The carrier's 216.9-meter (711 ft 7 in) flight deck was 27 meters (88 ft 6 in) wide and overhung her superstructure at both ends, supported by pairs of pillars. Hiryū was one of only two carriers ever built whose island was on the port side of the ship (Akagi was the other). It was also positioned further to the rear and encroached on the width of the flight deck, unlike Sōryū. Nine transverse arrestor wires were installed on the flight deck that could stop a 6,000-kilogram (13,000 lb) aircraft. One group of three wires was positioned further forward to allow the ship to land aircraft over the bow, although this was never done in practice. The flight deck was only 12.8 meters (42 ft) above the waterline and the ship's designers kept this figure low by reducing the height of the hangars. The upper hangar was 171.3 by 18.3 meters (562 by 60 ft) and had an approximate height of 4.6 meters (15 ft); the lower was 142.3 by 18.3 meters (467 by 60 ft) and had an approximate height of 4.3 meters (14 ft). Together they had an approximate total area of 5,736 square meters (61,740 sq ft). This caused problems in handling aircraft because the wings of a Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber could neither be spread nor folded in the upper hangar.

Aircraft were transported between the hangars and the flight deck by three elevators, the forward one abreast the island on the centerline and the other two offset to starboard. The forward platform measured 16 by 13 meters (52.5 ft × 42.75 ft), the middle one 13 by 12 meters (42.75 ft × 39.3 ft), and the rear 11.8 by 13.0 meters (38.7 ft × 42.8 ft). They were capable of transferring aircraft weighing up to 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb). Hiryū had a designed aircraft capacity of 64, plus nine spares.

### Armament

Hiryū's primary anti-aircraft (AA) armament consisted of six twin-gun mounts equipped with 12.7-centimeter Type 89 dual-purpose guns mounted on projecting sponsons, three on either side of the carrier's hull. When firing at surface targets, the guns had a range of 14,700 meters (16,100 yd); they had a maximum ceiling of 9,440 meters (30,970 ft) at their maximum elevation of +90 degrees. Their maximum rate of fire was 14 rounds a minute, but their sustained rate of fire was approximately eight rounds per minute. The ship was equipped with two Type 94 fire-control directors to control the 12.7-centimeter (5.0 in) guns, one for each side of the ship; the starboard-side director was on top of the island and the other director was positioned below flight deck level on the port side.

The ship's light AA armament consisted of seven triple and five twin-gun mounts for license-built Hotchkiss 25 mm Type 96 AA guns. Two of the triple mounts were sited on a platform just below the forward end of the flight deck. The gun was the standard Japanese light AA gun during World War II, but it suffered from severe design shortcomings that rendered it largely ineffective. According to historian Mark Stille, the weapon had many faults including an inability to "handle high-speed targets because it could not be trained or elevated fast enough by either hand or power, its sights were inadequate for high-speed targets, it possessed excessive vibration and muzzle blast, and its magazines were too small to maintain high rates of fire". These 25-millimeter (1 in) guns had an effective range of 1,500–3,000 meters (1,600–3,300 yd), and an effective ceiling of 5,500 meters (18,000 ft) at an elevation of +85 degrees. The maximum effective rate of fire was only between 110 and 120 rounds per minute because of the frequent need to change the fifteen-round magazines. The Type 96 guns were controlled by five Type 95 directors, two on each side and one in the bow.

### Armor

Hiryū had a waterline belt with a maximum thickness of 150 millimeters (5.9 in) over the magazines that reduced to 90 millimeters (3.5 in) over the machinery spaces and the avgas storage tanks. It was backed by an internal anti-splinter bulkhead. The ship's deck was 25 millimeters (0.98 in) thick over the machinery spaces and 55 millimeters (2.2 in) thick over the magazines and avgas storage tanks.

## Construction and service

Following the Japanese ship-naming conventions for aircraft carriers, Hiryū was named "Flying Dragon". The ship was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 8 July 1936, launched on 16 November 1937 and commissioned on 5 July 1939. She was assigned to the Second Carrier Division on 15 November. In September 1940, the ship's air group was transferred to Hainan Island to support the Japanese invasion of French Indochina. In February 1941, Hiryū supported the blockade of Southern China. Two months later, the 2nd Carrier Division, commanded by Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi, was assigned to the First Air Fleet, or Kido Butai, on 10 April. Hiryū returned to Japan on 7 August and began a short refit that was completed on 15 September. She became flagship of the Second Division from 22 September to 26 October while Sōryū was refitting.

### Pearl Harbor and subsequent operations

In November 1941, the IJN's Combined Fleet, commanded by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, prepared to participate in Japan's initiation of a formal war with the United States by conducting a preemptive strike against the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 22 November, Hiryū, commanded by Captain Tomeo Kaku, and the rest of the Kido Butai, under Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo and including six fleet carriers from the First, Second, and Fifth Carrier Divisions, assembled in Hitokappu Bay at Etorofu Island. The fleet departed Etorofu on 26 November and followed a course across the north-central Pacific to avoid commercial shipping lanes. Now the flagship of the Second Carrier Division, the ship embarked 21 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters, 18 Aichi D3A "Val" dive bombers, and 18 Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bombers. From a position 230 nmi (430 km; 260 mi) north of Oahu, Hiryū and the other five carriers launched two waves of aircraft on the morning of 7 December 1941 Hawaiian time.

In the first wave, 8 B5N torpedo bombers were supposed to attack the aircraft carriers that normally berthed on the northwest side of Ford Island, but none were in Pearl Harbor that day; 4 of the B5N pilots diverted to their secondary target, ships berthed alongside "1010 Pier" where the fleet flagship was usually moored. That ship, the battleship Pennsylvania, was in drydock and its position was occupied by the light cruiser Helena and the minelayer Oglala; all four torpedoes missed. The other four pilots attacked the battleships West Virginia and Oklahoma. The remaining 10 B5Ns were tasked to drop 800-kilogram (1,800 lb) armor-piercing bombs on the battleships berthed on the southeast side of Ford Island ("Battleship Row") and may have scored one or two hits on them, in addition to causing a magazine explosion aboard the battleship Arizona that sank her with heavy loss of life. The 6 A6M Zeros strafed parked aircraft at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa (MCAS Ewa), claiming 22 aircraft destroyed.

The second wave consisted of 9 Zeros and 18 D3As, one of each aborting with mechanical problems. The former strafed Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay before moving on to attack Bellows Army Airfield. They strafed the airfield, and shot down two Curtiss P-40 fighters attempting to take off when the Zeros arrived and a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber that had earlier diverted from Hickam Army Airfield, and also destroyed a Stinson O-49 observation aircraft on the ground for the loss of one of their own. The fighters with remaining ammunition expended it strafing MCAS Ewa, the rendezvous point for the second-wave fighters. The D3As attacked various ships in Pearl Harbor, but it is not possible to identify which aircraft attacked which ship. Two D3As from Hiryū were lost during the attack, one shot down by Second Lieutenant George Welch.

While returning to Japan after the attack, Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, commander of the First Air Fleet, ordered that Sōryū and Hiryū be detached on 16 December to attack the defenders of Wake Island who had already defeated the first Japanese attack on the island. The two carriers reached the vicinity of the island on 21 December and launched 29 D3As and 2 B5Ns, escorted by 18 Zeros, to attack ground targets. They encountered no aerial opposition and launched 35 B5Ns and 6 A6M Zeros the following day. They were intercepted by the 2 surviving Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters of Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-211. The Wildcats shot down 2 B5Ns before they were shot down by PO3c Isao Towara. The garrison surrendered the next day after Japanese troops were landed.

The carriers arrived at Kure on 29 December. They were assigned to the Southern Force on 8 January 1942 and departed four days later for the Dutch East Indies. The ships supported the invasion of the Palau Islands and the Battle of Ambon, attacking Allied positions on the island on 23 January with 54 aircraft. Four days later the carriers detached 18 Zeros and 9 D3As to operate from land bases in support of Japanese operations in the Battle of Borneo. Hiryū and Sōryū arrived at Palau on 28 January and waited for the arrival of the carriers Kaga and Akagi. All four carriers departed Palau on 15 February and launched air strikes against Darwin, Australia, four days later. Hiryū contributed 18 B5Ns, 18 D3As, and 9 Zeros to the attack. Her aircraft attacked the ships in port and its facilities, sinking or setting on fire three ships and damaging two others. The Zeros destroyed 1 P-40E as it was taking off, 2 Consolidated PBY Catalina seaplanes on the water, and a Zero was forced to crash land after being damaged by a P-40E of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 33rd Pursuit Squadron.

Hiryū and the other carriers arrived at Staring Bay on Celebes Island on 21 February to resupply and rest before departing four days later to support the invasion of Java. On 1 March 1942, the ship's D3As damaged the destroyer USS Edsall badly enough for her to be caught and sunk by Japanese cruisers. Later that day the dive bombers sank the oil tanker USS Pecos. The four carriers launched an airstrike of 180 aircraft against Tjilatjep on 5 March and set the town on fire, sinking five small ships, and damaging nine others that later had to be scuttled. Two days later, they attacked Christmas Island and Hiryū's aircraft sank the Dutch freighter Poelau Bras before returning to Staring Bay on 11 March to resupply and train for the impending Indian Ocean raid. This raid was intended to secure newly conquered Burma, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies against any Allied attack by destroying base facilities and forces in the eastern Indian Ocean.

### Indian Ocean Raid

On 26 March, the five carriers of the First Air Fleet departed from Staring Bay; they were spotted by a Catalina about 350 nautical miles (650 km; 400 mi) southeast of Ceylon on the morning of 4 April. Six of Hiryū's Zeros were on Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and helped to shoot it down. Nagumo closed to within 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) of Colombo before launching an airstrike the next morning. Hiryū contributed 18 B5Ns and 9 Zeros to the force; the latter encountered a flight of 6 Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from 788 Naval Air Squadron en route and shot them all down without loss. The Japanese aircraft encountered defending Hawker Hurricane fighters from Nos. 30 and 258 Squadrons RAF over Ratmalana airfield and Hiryū's fighters claimed to have shot down 11 with 3 Zeros damaged, although the fighters from the other carriers also made claims. British losses were 21 Hurricanes shot down and 2 more forced to crash land. The D3As and B5Ns inflicted some damage to the port facilities, but a day's warning had allowed much of the shipping in the harbor to be evacuated. The British were attempting to find Nagumo's ships all morning and Hiryū's Zeros on CAP over the fleet helped to shoot down an RAF Catalina, shot down a Fairey Albacore torpedo bomber and drove off another from the carrier Indomitable. Later that morning the British heavy cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire were spotted and Hiryū launched 18 D3As. They sank both ships in combination with the dive bombers from the other carriers.

On the morning of 9 April, Hiryū's CAP shot down another Catalina attempting to locate the fleet and, later that morning, contributed 18 B5Ns, escorted by 6 Zeros, to the attack on Trincomalee. The fighters engaged 261 Squadron RAF, claiming to have shot down two with two more shared with fighters from the other carriers. British losses were only eight fighters, but the Japanese pilots claimed a total of 49 aircraft shot down when the RAF only had 16 Hurricanes in the fight. The British pilots shot down one of Hiryū's B5Ns and forced another to crash land while they were bombing the port. Meanwhile, a floatplane from the battleship Haruna spotted the small aircraft carrier Hermes, escorted by the destroyer , and every available D3A was launched to attack the ships, escorted by nine Zeros. Hiryū contributed 18 dive bombers and 3 fighters, but they arrived too late to assist in sinking them and found two other ships further north. They sank the freighter RFA Athelstone and her escorting corvette, Hollyhock. While this was going on, Akagi narrowly escaped damage when 9 British Bristol Blenheim bombers from Ceylon penetrated the CAP and dropped their bombs from 11,000 feet (3,400 m). Hiryū had eight Zeros aloft, along with 12 more from the other carriers, and collectively they accounted for 5 of the British bombers for the loss of 1 of Hiryū's Zeros. The Blenheims ran into the D3As from Shōkaku, escorted by Hiryū's Zeros, on their way back home and lost one more bomber to the Japanese aircraft. The dive bombers claimed to have shot down two Blenheims in conjunction with the Zeros, which claimed one on their own, for the loss of one Zero shot down by the bombers' gunners and one D3A damaged. After launching the dive bombers that sank Hermes and the other ships, the First Air Fleet reversed course and headed southeast for the Malacca Strait and Japan.

On 19 April, while transiting the Bashi Straits between Taiwan and Luzon en route to Japan, Hiryū, Sōryū, and Akagi were sent in pursuit of the American carriers Hornet and Enterprise, which had launched the Doolittle Raid against Tokyo. They found only empty ocean, as the American carriers had immediately departed the area to return to Hawaii. The carriers quickly abandoned the chase and dropped anchor at Hashirajima anchorage on 22 April. Having been engaged in constant operations for four and a half months, the ship, along with the other three carriers of the First and Second Carrier Divisions, was hurriedly refitted and replenished in preparation for the Combined Fleet's next major operation, scheduled to begin one month hence. While at Hashirajima, Hiryū's air group was based ashore at Tomitaka Airfield, near Saiki, Ōita, and conducted flight and weapons training with the other First Air Fleet carrier units.

### Midway

Concerned by the American carrier strikes in the Marshall Islands, Lae-Salamaua, and the Doolittle raids, Yamamoto was determined to force the U.S. Navy into a showdown to eliminate the American carrier threat. He decided to invade and occupy Midway Atoll, which he was sure would draw out the American carriers to defend it. The Japanese code-named the Midway invasion Operation MI. Unknown to the Japanese, the U.S. Navy had divined the Japanese plan by breaking its JN-25 code and had prepared an ambush using its three available carriers, positioned northeast of Midway.

On 25 May 1942, Hiryū set out with the Combined Fleet's carrier striking force in the company of Kaga, Akagi, and Sōryū, which constituted the First and Second Carrier Divisions, for the attack on Midway. Her aircraft complement consisted of 18 Zeros, 18 D3As, and 18 B5Ns. Also aboard were three A6Ms of the 6th Kōkūtai intended as the aerial garrison for Midway. With the fleet positioned 250 nmi (460 km; 290 mi) northwest of Midway at dawn (04:45 local time) on 4 June 1942, Hiryū's portion of the 108-plane airstrike was an attack on the facilities on Sand Island with 18 torpedo bombers, one of which aborted with mechanical problems, escorted by nine Zeros. The air group suffered heavily during the attack: Two B5Ns were shot down by fighters, with a third falling victim to antiaircraft fire. Heavy damage forced a fourth, flown by squadron leader Rokuro Kikuchi, to crash-land on Kure Atoll, where he and his crew were later discovered and killed by U.S. forces. A fifth B5N was forced to ditch on its return, and five more were damaged beyond repair. In addition, two Zeros were also deemed unserviceable, although none were lost.

The carrier also contributed three Zeros to the total of 11 assigned to the initial CAP over the four carriers. By 07:05, the carrier had six fighters with the CAP, which helped to defend the Kido Butai from the first U.S. attackers from Midway Island at 07:10. At this time, Nagumo's carriers were attacked by six U.S. Navy Grumman TBF Avengers and four USAAC Martin B-26 Marauders, all carrying torpedoes. The Avengers went after Hiryū while the Marauders attacked Akagi. The 30 CAP Zeros in the air at this time, including the six from Hiryū, immediately attacked the American airplanes, shooting down five of the Avengers and two of the B-26s. The Avengers shot down one of Hiryū's Zeros. The surviving aircraft dropped their torpedoes, but all missed.

At 07:15, Nagumo ordered the B5Ns on Kaga and Akagi rearmed with bombs for another attack on Midway Island. This process was slowed by the number of ordnance carts used to handle the bombs and torpedoes and the limited number of ordnance elevators. This meant that the torpedoes could not be struck below until after all the bombs were moved up from their magazine, assembled and mounted on the aircraft. This process normally took about an hour and a half; more time would be required to bring the aircraft up to the flight deck, and to warm up and launch the strike group. Around 07:40, he reversed his order when he received a message from one of his scout aircraft that American warships had been spotted. Depleted of ammunition, two of Hiryū's CAP Zeros landed aboard the carrier at 07:40.

At 07:55, the next American strike from Midway arrived in the form of 16 Marine Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers of Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) under Major Lofton R. Henderson. Hiryū's three CAP fighters were among the nine still aloft that attacked Henderson's planes, shooting down six of them as they executed a fruitless glide bombing attack on Hiryū. In return, the gunner of one of the Dauntlesses shot down one of Hiryū's Zeros. At roughly the same time, the Japanese carriers were attacked by 12 USAAC B-17s, bombing from 20,000 feet (6,100 m). The high altitude of the B-17s gave the Japanese captains enough time to anticipate where the bombs would land, and they successfully maneuvered out of the impact area. Four B-17s attacked Hiryū, but missed with all their bombs.

Hiryū reinforced the CAP with launches of three more Zeros at 08:25. These fresh Zeros helped defeat the next American air strike from Midway, 11 Vought SB2U Vindicator dive bombers from VMSB-241, which attacked the battleship Haruna starting around 08:30. Haruna escaped damage and three of the Vindicators were shot down. Although all the American air strikes had thus far caused negligible damage, they kept the Japanese carrier forces off-balance as Nagumo endeavored to prepare a response to news, received at 08:20, of the sighting of American carrier forces to his northeast.

Hiryū began recovering her Midway strike force at around 09:00 and finished shortly by 09:10. The landed aircraft were quickly struck below, while the carriers' crews began preparations to spot aircraft for the strike against the American carrier forces. The preparations were interrupted at 09:18, when the first attacking American carrier aircraft were sighted. These consisted of 15 Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers of VT-8, led by Lieutenant Commander John C. Waldron from the Hornet. They attempted a torpedo attack on Soryū, but all of the American planes were shot down by the 18 CAP fighters, leaving one surviving aviator treading water.

Shortly afterwards, 14 Devastators from Torpedo Squadron 6 (VT-6) from Enterprise, led by Lieutenant Commander Eugene E. Lindsey, attacked. Lindsey's aircraft tried to sandwich Kaga, but the CAP, reinforced by four additional Zeros launched by Hiryū at 09:37, shot down all but four of the Devastators, and Kaga dodged the torpedoes. Hiryū launched another trio of CAP Zeros at 10:13 after Torpedo Squadron 3 (VT-3) from Yorktown was spotted. Two of her Zeros were shot down by Wildcats escorting VT-3 and another was forced to ditch.

While VT-3 was still attacking Hiryū, American dive bombers arrived over the Japanese carriers almost undetected and began their dives. It was at this time, around 10:20, that in the words of Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully, the "Japanese air defenses would finally and catastrophically fail." Three American dive bomber squadrons now attacked the three other carriers and set each of them on fire. Hiryū was untouched and proceeded to launch 18 D3As, escorted by six Zeros, at 10:54. En route, the Zeros engaged a group of Enterprise SBDs that they had spotted. They failed to shoot down any of the dive bombers, but two of the Zeros were shot up by the bombers' rear gunners, with one Zero forced to ditch near a destroyer on its return. American radar detected the incoming Japanese dive bombers at 11:52 and vectored Yorktown's CAP of 20 Wildcats against them. The Wildcats shot down three of the remaining Zeros for the loss of one of their own and engaged the D3As. Only seven of the dive bombers survived long enough to make their attack on Yorktown and two of those were shot down by flak during their dive, but they made three direct hits and two near misses that badly damaged the carrier and set her on fire.

Confident that his men had sunk Yorktown, Yamaguchi launched a second wave of ten B5Ns (including one from Akagi), escorted by six Zeros (two from Kaga), at 13:30, with the instruction that they attack a separate carrier than that hit by the first wave. However, the Americans had managed to extinguish the fires on Yorktown by 14:00, and the carrier was making 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) by 14:30 when the second strike group approached. As a result, the strike pilots mistook her for one of her undamaged sisters, and launched the attack. At that moment, six Wildcats were on CAP duty, and four of these were vectored toward the attacking aircraft while the other two were retained to cover the takeoff of ten Wildcats fueling on deck. The Japanese were jumped at 14:38 by two Wildcats, which shot down one torpedo bomber before they were both shot down by the escorting Zeros (two Zeros were shot down later for the loss of one Wildcat). Four more B5Ns fell during the attack, but two of the survivors managed to score hits on Yorktown that damaged three boilers and knocked out all electrical power so that she could not pump fuel oil to starboard to counteract her six-degree list to port. Seventeen minutes later, after the list increased to 23 degrees, the crew was ordered to abandon ship. Of the four Zeros and five B5Ns that returned to Hiryū, only two Zeros and three bombers were still airworthy.

Yamaguchi radioed his intention to Nagumo at 16:30 to launch a third strike against the American carriers at dusk (approximately 18:00), but Nagumo ordered the fleet to withdraw to the west. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, Enterprise and Hornet had already launched airstrikes well before then. Enterprise launched a total of 26 Dauntlesses at 15:25 using her own aircraft plus those from Yorktown that had been forced to recover aboard her after Yorktown was damaged, and Hornet launched 16 more of her own Dauntlesses at 16:00. At this point in the battle, Hiryū had only four airworthy dive-bombers and five torpedo-planes left. She also retained 19 of her own fighters on board, as well as a further 13 Zeros on CAP (a composite force of survivors from the other carriers). At 16:45, Enterprise's dive bombers spotted the Japanese carrier and began to maneuver for good attacking position while reducing altitude. At 16:56, just as the first Dauntlesses were beginning their dives, Nagumo ordered a change in course to 120 degrees, possibly to prepare to recover his reconnaissance floatplanes, that threw off the aim of the leading SBDs. The Japanese did not even spot the Americans until 17:01. The CAP shot down two of the American aircraft in their dives and another after it was forced to abort its dive when some of Yorktown's SBDs passed in front of it, starting their own dives. Hiryū was struck by four 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs, three on the forward flight deck and one on the forward elevator. The explosions started fires among the aircraft on the hangar deck. The forward half of the flight deck collapsed into the hangar while part of the elevator was hurled against the ship's bridge. The fires were severe enough that the remaining American aircraft attacked the other ships escorting Hiryū, albeit without effect, deeming further attacks on the carrier as a waste of time, because she was aflame from stem to stern. Beginning at 17:42, two groups of B-17s attempted to attack the Japanese ships without success, although one bomber strafed Hiryū's flight deck, killing several anti-aircraft gunners.

Although Hiryū's propulsion was not affected, the fires could not be brought under control. At 21:23, her engines stopped, and at 23:58 a major explosion rocked the ship. The order to abandon ship was given at 03:15, and the survivors were taken off by the destroyers Kazagumo and Makigumo. Yamaguchi and Kaku decided to remain on board as Hiryū was torpedoed at 05:10 by Makigumo as the ship could not be salvaged. One torpedo missed and the other struck near the bow without the typical plume of water, although the detonation was quite visible. Around 07:00, one of Hōshō's Yokosuka B4Y aircraft discovered Hiryū still afloat and not in any visible danger of sinking. The aviators could also see crewmen aboard the carrier, men who had not received word to abandon ship. They finally launched some of the carrier's boats and abandoned ship around 09:00. Thirty-nine men made it into the ship's cutter only moments before Hiryū sank around 09:12, taking the bodies of 389 men with her. The cutter drifted for 14 days before being discovered by a PBY Catalina and rescued by the seaplane tender USS Ballard. Four men died of their wounds or exposure before being picked up and a fifth died that night.

The loss of Hiryū and the three other IJN carriers at Midway, comprising two thirds of Japan's total number of fleet carriers and the experienced core of the First Air Fleet, was a strategic defeat for Japan and contributed significantly to Japan's ultimate defeat in the war. In an effort to conceal the defeat, the ship was not immediately removed from the Navy's registry of ships, instead being listed as "unmanned" before finally being struck from the registry on 25 September 1942.

The IJN selected a modified version of the Hiryū design for mass production to replace the carriers lost at Midway. Of a planned program of 16 ships of the Unryū class, only six were laid down and three were commissioned before the end of the war.

Aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan

World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean


SSC Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli (), is an Italian professional football club based in the city of Naples that plays in Serie A, the top flight of Italian football. In its history, Napoli has won three Serie A titles, six Coppa Italia titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and one UEFA Cup.

The club was formed in 1926 as Associazione Calcio Napoli following the merger of U.S. Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club. Napoli saw relatively little success in its early years, winning their first major trophy in the 1962 Coppa Italia. Napoli then saw increased success in the late 1970s (including their second Coppa Italia in 1976) and especially in the 1980s, after the club acquired Diego Maradona in 1984. During his time in Naples, Maradona helped the team win several trophies, which led to the club retiring his number 10 jersey. During this period, Napoli won two league titles (in 1987 and 1990), the 1987 Coppa Italia, the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana, and their only European trophy with the 1989 UEFA Cup. Following his departure, however, Napoli struggled financially, and endured several relegations and a bankruptcy, prior to being re-founded in 2004 by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis. Under his leadership, the club has stabilized, which has led to renewed on-field success, winning 2005–06 Serie C1, the 2012, 2014, and 2020 Coppa Italia titles, and the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana, eventually culminating in their third league title in 2023, the first since Maradona's departure.

By attendance, Napoli have the fourth-largest fan base in Italy, and were ranked as the fifth highest-earning football club in Serie A, with \$182 million in revenue during the 2017–18 season. In 2018, Forbes estimated the club is the fifth most valuable club in Italy, worth \$379 million. Napoli are also one of the associate members of the European Club Association.

Since 1959, the club has played their home games at the Stadio San Paolo, which was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after the Argentine's death in 2020. Napoli traditionally wear sky blue shirts, white shorts, and sky blue socks at home and white shirts, white or sky blue shorts, and white or sky blue socks away; this is derived from the shirts of Naples FBC and the shorts of Internazionale Napoli after the clubs merged to form Napoli's predecessor Internaples in 1922. Napoli have rivalries with Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan and AC Milan. The club's anthem is "'O surdato 'nnammurato", one of the most famous songs in the Neapolitan language.[^1]

## History

### Origins

Although the club was officially founded in 1926, Napoli traces its roots to the first relevant Neapolitan club, founded as Naples Foot-Ball & Croquet Club in 1905 by English sailor William Poths and his associate Hector M. Bayon. Neapolitans such as Conforti, Catterina and Amedeo Salsi were also involved; Salsi was named the club's first president. The original kit of the club was a sky blue and navy blue striped shirt, with black shorts. Naples' first match was a 3–2 win against the English crew of the boat Arabik with goals from William MacPherson, Michele Scafoglio and Léon Chaudoir.

Early into its existence, the Italian Football Championship was limited to just northern clubs, so southern clubs competed against sailors or in cups such as Thomas Lipton's Lipton Challenge Cup. In the cup competed between Naples FBC and Palermo FBC Naples won three finals. The foreign contingent at the club broke off in 1911 to form Internazionale Napoli, who wore blue shirts with white shorts, in time for both club's debut in the Italian Championship of 1912–13. Each of the teams won a Prima Categoria southern Italian title and therefore competed in the national semifinal, Naples doing so in 1912–13 and Internazionale Napoli in 1913–14. They were set to face each other for the southern title again in 1914–15 but it was canceled due to World War I.

Due to financial pressure, the two rival clubs merged as the Foot-Ball Club Internazionale-Naples, abbreviated as FBC Internaples on 2 October 1922. Internaples', and later Napoli's kits are derived from those of Naples FBC and Internazionale Napoli; adopting the sky blue from Naples' shirts and the white shorts from Internazionale Napoli.

### FBC Internaples

The merged club was seen by some media and fans to be a continuation of Internazionale Napoli rather than a new club; it played its games at Internazionale Napoli's Terme di Agnano rather than Naples FBC's Campo del Poligono and kept Internazionale Napoli's nickname of Gli Azzurri (The Blues) rather than I Blucelesti (The Navy Blue and Sky Blues) used by Naples. Internaples were also given the nickname I Puledri (the foals), as the horse is a symbol of Naples.

Internaples were immediately enrolled in the top-flight Prima Divisione Lega Sud championship, as both Internazionale Napoli and Naples competed in that division pre-merger. Since the end of World War I both clubs had lost dominance of the region to the likes of Puteolana and Savoia. Even with the combined strength of Internaples, Savoia still proved to be the top team in southern Italy. Internaples reached the interregional semi-final of Lega Sud in each of its first two seasons, and reached the Lega Sud final in 1925–26. This secured the club a spot in the new Divisione Nazionale for the following season.

### The birth of Associazione Calcio Napoli

Under the presidency of Giorgio Ascarelli, and likely under pressure from the new fascist government to "Italianize" the club name, Internaples changed its name to Associazione Calcio Napoli on 25 August 1926. The newly renamed team also moved from the Terme di Agnano to a new stadium, the Stadio Militare dell'Arenaccia. After a poor start, with a sole point in an entire championship, Napoli was re-admitted to Serie A's forerunner, the Divisione Nazionale, by the Italian Football Federation ("FIGC"), and began to improve thanks in part to Paraguayan-born Attila Sallustro, who was the first fully fledged hero to the fans. He was a capable goal-scorer and eventually set the all-time goal-scoring record for Napoli, which was later surpassed by players like Diego Maradona and Marek Hamšík.

Napoli entered the Serie A era under the management of William Garbutt. During Garbutt's six-year stint, the club would be dramatically transformed, frequently finishing in the top half of the table. This included two third-place finishes during the 1932–33 and 1933–34 seasons, with added notables such as Antonio Vojak, Arnaldo Sentimenti and Carlo Buscaglia. However, in the years leading up to World War II, Napoli went into decline, only surviving relegation in 1939–40 by goal average.

Napoli lost a closely contested relegation battle at the end of 1942 and were relegated to Serie B. They moved from the Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli to the Stadio Arturo Collana and remained in Serie B until after the war.

### Post-war era and first trophies

Play restarted in 1945 with two divisions: one consisting of Serie A teams from the north and one combined division of Serie A and Serie B teams from the central and south, with the top four of each division advancing to the national round that followed. Napoli won the Centro-Sud Serie A-B to secure a place in the Divisione Nazionale (where they placed fifth) and automatic promotion to the next season's Serie A. They were relegated after two seasons for a bribery scandal. The club won the Serie B title that season to ensure top flight football at the start of the 1950s. Napoli moved to their new home ground Stadio San Paolo in 1959.

Despite erratic league form with highs and lows during this period, including multiple relegations and promotions, Napoli won their first major trophy when they beat SPAL to lift the Coppa Italia in 1962, with goals from Gianni Corelli and Pierluigi Ronzon. The victory made Napoli the first team to win the Coppa while in Serie B, and they were promoted to Serie A that season. Their fourth relegation cut celebrations short the following season.

### Name change

As the club changed their name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli on 25 June 1926 they began to rise up again, gaining promotion in 1964–65. Under the management of former player Bruno Pesaola, they won the Coppa delle Alpi and were back among the elite in Serie A, with consistent top-five finishes. Napoli came very close to winning the league in 1967–68, finishing just behind Milan in second place. Some of the most popular players from this period were Dino Zoff, José Altafini, Omar Sívori and hometown midfielder Antonio Juliano. Juliano would eventually break the appearance records, which still stands today.

### League stability and second Coppa Italia

The trend of Napoli performing well in the league continued into the 1970s, with third place spots in 1970–71 and 1973–74. Under the coaching of former player Luís Vinício, this gained them entry into the early UEFA Cup competitions. In 1974–75, they reached the third round knocking out Porto 2–0 en route. During the same season, Napoli finished second in Serie A, just two points behind champions Juventus. Solid performances from locally born players such as Giuseppe Bruscolotti, Antonio Juliano and Salvatore Esposito were relied upon during this period, coupled with goals from Giuseppe Savoldi.

The club won their second Coppa Italia trophy in 1975–76, eliminating Milan and Fiorentina en route, before beating rivals Hellas Verona 4–0 in the final. That season, they also defeated Southampton 4–1 on aggregate to lift the 1976 Anglo-Italian League Cup. Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup for 1976–77, where they reached the semi-finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Anderlecht. In the Italian league, Napoli were still very much a consistent top six side for much of the late 1970s. Even into the earliest two seasons of the 1980s, the club were performing respectably with a third-place finish in 1980–81. Napoli's Primavera squad was also doing well at the time, winning the Torneo di Viareggio Cup in 1975 and their only Campionato Nazionale Primavera title in 1979. However, by 1983, they had slipped dramatically and were involved in relegation battles.

### Napoli on the rise: Maradona era

Napoli broke the world transfer record fee after acquiring Diego Maradona in a €12 million deal from Barcelona on 30 June 1984. The squad was gradually re-built, with the likes of Ciro Ferrara, Salvatore Bagni and Fernando De Napoli filling the ranks. The rise up the tables was gradual, by 1985–86, they had a third-place finish under their belts, but better was yet to come. With the attacking trio of Maradona, Bruno Giordano, and Careca (nicknamed MaGiCa), the 1986–87 season was the landmark in Napoli's history, becoming just the third Italian team to win the double after securing the Serie A title by three points and then beating Atalanta 4–0 to lift the Coppa Italia.

Because a mainland Southern Italian team had never won the league before, this turned Maradona into a cultural, social and borderline religious icon for Neapolitans, which stretched beyond the realms of just football.

The club were unsuccessful in the European Cup in the following season and finished runners-up in Serie A. However, Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup for 1988–89 and won their first major European title. Juventus, Bayern Munich and PAOK were defeated en route to the final, where Napoli beat VfB Stuttgart 5–4 on aggregate, with two goals from Careca and one each from Maradona, Ferrara and Alemão.

Napoli added their second Serie A title in 1989–90, defeating Milan by two points in the title race. However, this was surrounded by less auspicious circumstances as Napoli were awarded two points for a game, when in Bergamo, an Atalanta fan threw a 100 lira coin at Alemão's head.

A controversial set of events set off at the 1990 World Cup, when Maradona made comments pertaining to North–South inequality in the country and the risorgimento, asking Neapolitans to root for Argentina in the semi-finals against Italy in Naples.

> I don't like the fact that now everybody is asking Neapolitans to be Italian and to support their national team. Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism.

The Stadio San Paolo was the only stadium during the competition where the Argentine national anthem was not jeered, Maradona bowed to the Napoli fans at the end and his country went on to reach the final. However, after the final, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) forced Maradona to take a doping test, which he failed testing positive for cocaine; both Maradona and Napoli staff later claimed it was a revenge plot for events at the World Cup. Maradona was banned for 15 months and would never play for the club again. The club still won the Supercoppa Italiana that year, with a record 5–1 victory against Juventus, but it would be their last major trophy for 22 years. In the European Cup, they were eliminated in the second round.

### Decline

Though the club finished fourth during the 1991–92 season, Napoli gradually went into decline after that season, both financially and on the field. Players such as Gianfranco Zola, Daniel Fonseca, Ciro Ferrara and Careca had all departed by 1994. Nonetheless, Napoli qualified for the 1994–95 UEFA Cup, reaching the third round and in 1996–97, Napoli appeared at the Coppa Italia final, but lost 3–1 to Vicenza; Napoli's primavera squad won the Coppa Italia Primavera that season. Napoli's league form had dropped lower, and relegation to Serie B came at the end of 1997–98 when they won only two matches all season.

The club returned to Serie A after gaining promotion in the 1999–2000 season, though after a closely contested relegation battle, they were relegated immediately back down the following season. By August 2004, Napoli was declared bankrupt. To secure football in the city, film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis re-founded the club under the name Napoli Soccer, as they were not allowed to use their old name until the next season. FIGC placed Napoli in Serie C1, where they missed out on promotion after losing 2–1 in play-offs to local rivals Avellino in 2004–05.

Despite the fact Napoli were playing in a low division, they retained higher average attendances than most of the Serie A clubs, breaking the Serie C attendance record with 51,000 at one match.

### Resurgence

The following season, they secured promotion to Serie B and De Laurentiis brought back the club's history, restoring its name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli in May 2006. After just one season in Serie B, they were promoted to the top division, along with fellow "sleeping giants" Genoa. In 2010, under manager Walter Mazzarri, Napoli finished in sixth place to qualify for a 2010–11 UEFA Europa League spot. Napoli finished third in the 2010–11 season, qualifying directly for the group stage of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.

In the 2011–12 season, Napoli ended in fifth place in Serie A, but defeated unbeaten champions Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico to win the Coppa Italia for the fourth time in the club's history, 25 years after their last cup win. The team finished second in its group of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, progressing to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Chelsea. In 2012–13, Napoli finished in second place in Serie A, the club's best performance since winning the 1989–90 Scudetto. Edinson Cavani finished as top scorer in the division with 29 goals, which resulted in him being sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record fee of €64 million.

In the 2013 close-season, Mazzarri left Napoli and Rafael Benítez became the club's manager. They finished the 2013–14 season by winning the 2014 Coppa Italia Final, their fifth title in the tournament, with a 3–1 win against Fiorentina, as well as qualifying for the Champions League, but missed out on the group stage as they lost to Athletic Bilbao in the play-off round. Their subsequent run in the Europa League ended when they lost 2–1 on aggregate to FC Dnipro in the semi-finals. They finished the 2014–15 season in fifth, with Benítez then leaving for Real Madrid and being replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

In Sarri's first season in charge in the 2015–16 season, Napoli finished in 2nd place on 82 points and were knocked out of the Europa League in the round of 32 against Villarreal. In the following season, Napoli finished in 3rd place on 86 points and were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 against Real Madrid. This year saw the breakout season for Dries Mertens who scored 34 goals in all competitions after he was moved from the left-wing to centre-forward following Milik's torn Anterior cruciate ligament.

In the 2017–18 season, Napoli challenged for the title for the entire season, and finished with a club record of 91 points. However, the title ultimately went to Juventus in the penultimate round of matches. On 23 December 2017, Marek Hamšík overtook Diego Maradona as Napoli's all-time leading scorer after scoring his 115th goal. At the end of the season, Sarri left for Chelsea, succeeded by Carlo Ancelotti in May 2018. He managed the club to another second-place finish, but was sacked on 10 December 2019, following a poor run of results in the 2019–20 season which left them seventh in the table. Gennaro Gattuso was named head coach the next day. On 14 June 2020, Dries Mertens became Napoli's all-time top scorer after scoring his 122nd goal in a Coppa Italia semi-final match against Inter. Napoli went on to win the 2019–20 Coppa Italia in a penalty shoot-out against Juventus in the final.

In December 2020, Napoli renamed San Paolo after Diego Maradona, after the passing away of their beloved club icon. Napoli finished fifth in Serie A that season after a draw on the final day, missing a Champions League berth by one point.

In the 2021–22 season, Luciano Spalletti replaced Gennaro Gattuso as head coach and led the team to the third place in Serie A, securing a Champions League spot for the azzurri after a two-years absence.

In the 2022–23 season, Napoli clinched the Serie A title for the first time since the 1989–90 season, and their third title overall, following a 1–1 draw against Udinese on 4 May 2023, their first time as titleholders since the days of Diego Maradona. Meanwhile, in the concurrent Champions League season, Spaletti led them into the quarter finals for the first time in their European history, where they were beaten 2–1 (1–0 on the road and 1–1 at home) by fellow Serie A side Milan.

## Club staff

### Presidents

Below is the official presidential history of Napoli, from when Giorgio Ascarelli took over at the club in 1926, until the present day.

### Managers

Napoli has had many managers and trainers, co-managers in some seasons, since 1926.

## Players

### First-team squad

### Out on loan

.

### Primavera squad

### Retired numbers

In the summer of 2000, Napoli retired the jersey number 10 belonged to former club legend Diego Maradona, who played for the club from 1984 to 1991. In order, the last players to wear number 10 were Fausto Pizzi (1995–1996), Beto (in 1996–1997), Igor Protti in 1997–1998 was the last player to play and score a goal with the number 10 shirt in Serie A and Claudio Bellucci in 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 in Serie B. Karl Corneliusson wore the number 10 shirt in 2004–2005 in Serie C. In Serie C the starting players had to wear shirts with the number 1-11.

However, for regulatory reasons, the number was reissued on blue shirts 2004 to 2006 Serie C1, a tournament utilizing the old numbering from 1 to 11. The last player to wear and score goals with this shirt in an official match was Mariano Bogliacino in the home match of 18 May 2006 against Spezia, valid for the final leg of the Supercoppa di Lega Serie C1; primacy belongs to him also for last appearance in the championship, 12 May 2006 at the home match against Lanciano. As regards exclusively the championship, however, the honour goes to the Argentine footballer Roberto Sosa, the distinction of being the last to wear the 10 at the San Paolo and at the same time to score in the match against Frosinone on 30 April 2006.

## Culture

### Colours, badge and nicknames

As Naples is a coastal city, the colours of the club have always been derived from the blue waters of the Gulf of Naples. Originally, while using the name Naples FBC, the colours of the club implemented two shades of blue. However, since the 1920s, a singular blue tone has been used in the form of azure. Thus, Napoli share the nickname "Azzurri" with the Italy national team. The shade of blue has been sky blue in many instances.

Napoli typically wear azure shirts with white shorts at home and white shirts with either white or blue shorts away, though in recent years the away kits have often deviated from this tradition.

One of the nicknames of Napoli is "I ciucci", which means "the donkeys" in the Neapolitan language. Napoli were given this name after a particularly poor performance during the 1926–27 season. It was originally meant to be derogatory, as the Neapolitan symbol is a rampant black horse, but the club adopted the donkey as a mascot named "'''O Ciuccio".

Napoli's first badge featured a rampant horse on top of a football with the letters "ACN" around it. The current club badge features a large "N" placed within a circle. This crest can be traced back to Internazionale Napoli, which used a similar design on their shirts. Since the club officially adopted the "N badge" as its representative, Napoli have altered it slightly at various times; sometimes it features the club's name around it, sometimes it does not. The main difference between each badge is the shade of blue used. Usually the "N" is white, although it has occasionally been gold (especially prior to 1980).

"Partenopei" is a popular nickname for the club and people from the city of Naples in general. It is derived from Greek mythology where the siren Parthenope tried to enchant Odysseus from his ship to Capri. In the story, Odysseus had his men tie him to the ship's mast so he was able to resist the song of the siren. Consequently, Parthenope, unable to live with the rejection of her love, drowned herself and her body was washed up upon the shore of Naples.

## Supporters and rivalries

### Support

Napoli is the fourth most supported football club in Italy with around 13% of Italian football fans supporting the club. Like other top clubs in the country, Napoli's fanbase goes beyond the Italian border; in 2018 the society announced that the team had over 35 million supporters worldwide and 120 million people who liked to watch Napoli matches.

The main ultra groups of Napoli are Fedayn EAM 1979, Ultras Napoli, Fossato Flegreo, Secco Vive, Mastiffs, Brigata Carolina, Teste Matte, Sud1996, Nuova Guardia, Vecchi Lions and Masseria.

Napoli fans have occasionally cheered loud enough to register as earthquakes on seismographs at University of Naples Federico II.

> In the morning we went to the San Paolo to warm up, Carlos (Tevez) was telling me about this stadium, but I've played for Barça so I said to myself, it can't be that big of a deal! Yet when I set foot on that pitch I felt something magical, different. In the evening, when there was the anthem of the Champions League, hearing 80,000 people whistling us I realized what a mess we were in! I did play some important matches in my career, but when I heard that cry for the first time my legs were shaking! Well, it was there that I realized that for those people this is not just a team, it is a visceral love, like the one between a mother and a son! It was the only time I remained on the pitch after losing a match, just to enjoy the show.

### Rivalries

Unlike other Italian cities such as Genoa, Milan, Rome and Turin, Napoli is the only major football club in the city and therefore there is no derby in the strict sense of the term. The now-infrequent derby with Savoia, the next largest club in Naples, was played for the first time 24 December 1939, during the knockout phase of the 1939–40 Coppa Italia, the score was 1–3 in favor of Napoli. The last meeting between the clubs was in Serie B in 2000, won 0–1 by Napoli.

Napoli's most hated rivals are AS Roma, known as the Derby del Sole (Derby of the Sun), and the principal northern team Juventus. As Napoli is the most important southern Italian team, there are a lot of rivalries with several northern teams, like Milan, Internazionale, Atalanta and Hellas Verona They also have a rivalry with the other Roman club Lazio, and contest the Derby Mezzogiorno (Midday Derby/Derby of Southern Italy) against Bari and Derby Bourbon (referencing the family that ruled the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) against Foggia.

The Derby del Sud Italia (Derby of Southern Italy) against Catanzaro was considered one of the most important rivalries in Italy during the 1970s.

The fans of Napoli do co-star in two particular derbies in Italy against other regional teams: Derby della Campania generally refers to a rivalry with regional clubs, mainly Avellino and Salernitana.

### Friendships

A "friendly rivalry" with Palermo is contested, known as the Derby delle Due Sicilie (Derby of the Two Sicilies), in reference to the historical link of the former Kingdom of Two Sicilies. Another friendly rivalry exists with Catania known as the Derby del Vulcano (Volcano Derby), referencing Mount Vesuvius near Naples and Mount Etna near Catania.

Friendships with teams outside Italy exist Borussia Dortmund, Celtic, and Lokomotiv Plovdiv, among others.

Napoli formerly had a famous and long-standing friendship with the fans of Genoa, but the friendship ended in 2019. Napoli also once had a friendship with Roma.

## Finances

S.S.C. Napoli was expelled from the professional league in 2004. Thanks to Article 52 of N.O.I.F., the sports title was transferred to Napoli Soccer (later the "new" Napoli) in the same year, while the corporate entity which administered the "old" Napoli was liquidated. In the second last season before bankruptcy, the club was partially saved by the non-standard accounting practice of amortization after Silvio Berlusconi, owner of Milan and Prime Minister of Italy, introduced Italian Law 91/1981, Article 18B.

Since re-foundation in 2004, the club's large numbers of supporters provided the main source of income, particularly through gate revenues and TV rights. Napoli made an aggregate profit in 2006–07 Serie B. They have continued to be profitable since returning to Serie A. Napoli equity in 2005 was a negative €261,466, having started from €3 million capital. By 2010 the equity was at €25,107,223 and Napoli achieved self-sustainability.

### Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

## Stature and statistics

### League history

- 1926–1929 Divisione Nazionale (1st tier)
- 1929–1942 Serie A (1st tier)
- 1942–1943 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 1943–1946 No contests (World War II)
- 1946–1948 Serie A (1st tier)
- 1948–1950 Serie B (2nd tier) – Champions: 1950
- 1950–1961 Serie A (1st tier)
- 1961–1962 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 1962–1963 Serie A (1st tier)
- 1963–1965 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 1965–1998 Serie A (1st tier) – Champions: 1987, 1990
- 1998–2000 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 2000–2001 Serie A (1st tier)
- 2001–2004 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 2004–2006 Serie C1 (3rd tier) – Champions: 2006
- 2006–2007 Serie B (2nd tier)
- 2007–present Serie A (1st tier);– Champions: 2023

## Honours

### National

### League

- Serie A

\* Winners (3): 1986–87, 1989–90, 2022–23

- Serie B

\* Winners (2) 1945–46 (Serie A-B Southern Italy co-champions with Bari), 1949–50

- Serie C1

\* Winners (1): 2005–06 (Group B)

### Cups

- Coppa Italia

\* Winners (6): 1961–62, 1975–76, 1986–87, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2019–20

- Supercoppa Italiana

\* Winners (2): 1990, 2014

### European

- UEFA Cup

\* Winners (1): 1988–89

### Other titles

- Anglo-Italian League Cup

\* Winners (1): 1976

- Coppa delle Alpi

\* Winners (1)': 1966

## UEFA club coefficient ranking

## Records and statistics

Marek Hamšík holds Napoli's official appearance record, having made 520. He also holds the record for league appearances with 408 over the course of 12 years from 2007 to 2019.

The all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli is Dries Mertens, with 148 goals. He also holds the record for league goals with 113.

Diego Maradona finished the season of Serie A as the league's top scorer, known in Italy as the Capocannoniere'', in the 1987–88 season with 15 goals. This achievement was matched by Edinson Cavani in 2012–13, Gonzalo Higuaín in 2015–16, and Victor Osimhen in 2022-23.

The record for most goals in a single league season belongs to Gonzalo Higuaín, with 36 in the 2015–16 Serie A.

The biggest ever victory recorded by Napoli was 8–1 against Pro Patria, in the 1955–56 season of Serie A. Napoli's heaviest championship defeat came during the 1927–28 season when eventual champions Torino beat them 11–0.

On 26 July 2016, Gonzalo Higuaín became the third-highest football transfer of all-time and highest ever transfer for an Italian club when he joined Juventus for €90 million.

On 31 July 2020, Napoli confirmed the signing of Victor Osimhen from Lille for a transfer fee of €70 million, making him Napoli's most expensive signing.

## Notable people

- Letterio Catapano
- Diego Maradona

## See also

- European Club Association
- Napoli (futsal)

[^1]: Joseph Sciorra, Italian Folk: Vernacular Culture in Italian-American Lives (2010), page 116 "the Neapolitan standard O surdato 'nnammurato (A Soldier in Love)"

Italian association football club based in Naples

Association football clubs established in 1926


Stone Temple Pilots (2010 album)

Stone Temple Pilots is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. The album was released worldwide from May 21 through May 27, 2010, and is the band's first album since 2001's Shangri-La Dee Da. The album is the result of the band's reunion, which occurred in April 2008 with their North American tour. After Stone Temple Pilots had begun playing together, the band decided to record again, but a lawsuit filed by Atlantic Records on June 12, 2008, made the sixth album an uncertainty. Atlantic eventually withdrew the lawsuit, and the band's attorney called the legal situation a "misunderstanding". The album is also the band's final release with the full original lineup, as vocalist Scott Weiland was dismissed from the band in 2013, and died in 2015.

Robert DeLeo, against Atlantic Records' wishes, insisted that he and his brother Dean DeLeo produce the record themselves, which began production in early 2009. Because recording took place during breaks in the band's touring schedule, production took nearly ten months to complete. Three studios were used simultaneously, including Robert's home studio and Eric Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios. Scott Weiland recorded vocals at his own Lavish Studios. Don Was came in as an additional producer to help keep the band's separate recording sessions in sync, as well as to work closely with Weiland during the recording of his vocals. The album was completed in December 2009, and mixing and mastering were finished by February 2010.

The album received generally favorable reviews. Most critics agreed that Stone Temple Pilots was heavily inspired by country and rock music from the 1960s and 1970s. The band confirmed these assertions and that lyricists like Bob Dylan, and guitarists like Speedy West and Brad Whitford were influences. The album was promoted during the band's performances at music festivals and headlining concerts, as well as in interviews with music websites and magazines, including Billboard and Spin, and radio and television talk shows. "Between the Lines" was the first single, released on March 22. The second and third singles, "Take a Load Off" and "Cinnamon", were released later in the year. Stone Temple Pilots sold 62,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.

## Background

After separating in 2002, Stone Temple Pilots reunited in April 2008 for a 75-date North American tour. Scott Weiland would hear new material from Robert and Dean DeLeo while the band performed sound checks during the tour, but he would not collaborate in the songwriting process until he was through promoting his solo album, "Happy" in Galoshes.

Despite the band's intent, a future album from the group was uncertain. On June 12, 2008, Atlantic Records filed a lawsuit against Weiland and Eric Kretz, claiming the two had threatened to terminate their contract unless changes were made. Stone Temple Pilots had delivered six albums (five studio records and the compilation, Thank You) and Atlantic wanted a seventh album with an option for two more. In a statement made by email, the band said they were surprised and disappointed by the lawsuit.

Stone Temple Pilots stressed that a new album would be recorded as long as both parties in the lawsuit acted in good faith, but in November 2008, Weiland would comment, "I was told, and I was told for years, that we were free from Atlantic.... I have no interest in making a record for a major label." Weiland expressed interest in exploring distribution options after the band's reformation. Commenting on his idea, he said, "[O]ther bands, they make more money doing things in an unconventional fashion as opposed to doing it... with the major labels." Dean was curious about Weiland's idea but was aware that the band was contractually obligated to release two more albums. Increasing the uncertainty in the future of a new album, Weiland added, "I'm proud of everything we've written. But to make another record would mean another couple of years of my life dedicated to that, and I just don't know if that's where I see myself going."

The band's attorney, Gary Stiffelman, clarified that the complaint was a result of a "misunderstanding" during contract negotiations, and a representative for Atlantic stated the lawsuit had been voluntarily dismissed. The final negotiation details between Atlantic and the band remain unknown. Weiland later clarified, "I didn't want to record for Atlantic because I didn't know anybody there anymore, except for Craig Kallman. Since then I've gotten to know Craig much better, and I've gotten to know the Atlantic staff pretty extensively."

Recording a new album was, according to Robert, a "natural progression" after the band began playing together again. "The thing that kind of introduces us back together is all those memories of the songs, and once you start playing those songs... it always takes us back to... 18 years now. It can take us back to our past and think about where we were when we were writing these songs, and that's a bond, I think, [that] will always keep us together as four people.... It just progressed into, 'Maybe it's time to make a new record.'"

## Production

Stone Temple Pilots marks the first time Robert and Dean have written together since Army of Anyone's only release in 2006 and also their first album to not feature their longtime producer Brendan O'Brien; some of Dean's contributions date from this period, but "Dare If You Dare" was written while Talk Show was touring. Robert and Dean began writing new material by November 2008, but, except for clips played during the tour sound checks, Weiland would not hear anything new until after February 2009. The recording process took place over a period of ten months, due largely to the band's touring schedule, but the majority of actual studio time was spent experimenting with different instruments and miking techniques. Pre-production for the album took place at Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios and consisted mainly of Dean, Robert, and Kretz sifting through musical ideas.

Robert insisted, against Atlantic Records' initial wishes, that he and Dean produce the album together. This freed the band from the constraints of any outside producer's schedule. The recording process could then be intertwined with tour dates, which, Dean said, resulted in improved performances on the record. Dean admitted they had been spoiled by working with producer Brendan O'Brien on previous releases. "I'm not so good at walking around the control room with a pen and clipboard in my hands, marking down what takes are the best. It's a lot of work. But I like being the very best I can be, and when you're producing, you are taking on everyone's performances and wanting it to be the best it can be."

The DeLeos often worked off each other when writing the songs. Robert's primary instrument for composing was the bass, and Dean complimented his achievements: "It's probably easier to tell a story through a piano or a guitar, but when [someone] can tell a story with a bass, that's pretty remarkable." Robert recognized the important roles each of the band members played in bringing his songs to life:

> When I personally write a song, it's such an honor and a pleasure to give that song to these guys, because I know that song is going to be interpreted the best way possible. Everyone's going to put their imprint on that song and make that song the best STP song it can be, whether it be the playing or the arranging or the writing of everyone doing their part.... What has really been the body of our records has been that contribution of all of us as four people.

CDs were submitted to Weiland containing music in completed demo form, including scratch melodies, which Weiland had the option to use or discard. Dean did not mind when his melodies were not accepted by Weiland. "[W]hen I write a song, I know what I want it to be melodically. But Scott always... knocks my melodies out of the water." Weiland worked on the lyrics using these demo arrangements, often making suggestions for musical phrases to be doubled or moved. Weiland was credited for the lyrical melodies, but Robert pointed out, "This record was made in a way that Scott wasn't really there for the creation of these songs, musically." However, both Dean and Robert would be surprised at the direction Weiland would take the songs, which could have been composed with an entirely different vision. Robert found this to be a strength within the band. "People always have this misconception that a band all need to think alike... [There are] so many different ways of looking at songs and [how they're] put together, and that's really the beauty of a great band".

Working as an additional producer, Don Was helped keep Weiland's and the rest of the band's separate recording sessions in sync by bringing them together to perform live. When the band performed together, they would do so acoustically, so each member could hear the nuances of the songs. Weiland credited Was for helping the band learn how to play together again. Was also worked closely with Weiland during the recording of the vocals.

By June 2009, the band had written eighteen songs, twelve of which were planned to be released on the album, with B-sides for Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe selected from the remaining songs. Recording began in early 2009, at times taking place in three studios simultaneously. Bass lines and overdubs were recorded at Homefry Studio, located in the basement of Robert's house. The majority of "Cinnamon" and "First Kiss on Mars", including drums, were recorded in Robert's home studio. Dean's guitars were recorded at Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios, and Weiland's vocals were recorded at his Lavish Studios. By early December, nine songs had been finished, and the entire record was completed later that month. Mixing began in January 2010 with Chris Lord-Alge, and mastering for the album was completed in February by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound. Robert described the overall feel of the album as having a " '60s vibe." Though previous albums explored new sounds, Weiland acknowledged that the new album would be a "back-to-basics rock record."

In a retrospective interview in 2017, Robert DeLeo commented that he would "never want to make a record like that again", referring to how the songwriting and recording process with the DeLeos and Kretz was kept separate from Weiland and referred to the initial vocal takes as "not satisfactory...we were doing four different versions of [the songs] to figure out what key is the best" because of communication difficulties between both parties.

## Composition

The music on Stone Temple Pilots was influenced by various styles, most notably country music and 1960s and 1970s rock. Various amps and vintage guitars from Dean's and Robert's personal collections were used to produce the desired sounds. Dean's guitars included two 1970s Gibson Les Pauls, a 1956 Stratocaster, three Telecasters dating between 1965 and 1966, and a 1960s double-cut Danelectro. An assortment of amps were used, including 10-, 15-, and 20-watt Valco speakers and late 1960s 18- and 20-watt Marshall combos. Robert recorded the bass lines to "First Kiss on Mars" with a 1950s six-string Danelectro Longhorn bass, and Weiland used Robert's collection of vintage microphones for some of his vocals. Dean exclaimed, "Most bands do a retro thing and apologize for it. We're unapologetically retro here. That was the whole idea!"

Leading up to the recording process, Dean had been listening to country, drawing inspiration from 1960s guitarists like Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, Hank Garland, Pete Drake, Hank Snow and Aerosmith's Brad Whitford. Songs like "Hickory Dichotomy" gave Weiland and Kretz a "Down South" and "swampy kind of feeling". Although it was recorded in standard tuning, "Hickory Dichotomy" features a slide guitar solo performed in open G. Both "Cinnamon" and "Maver" were recorded with a Telecaster set up for Nashville tuning, and Dean described "First Kiss on Mars" as having a "down-home country kind of feel", but noted Weiland's influence on the song: "That title takes it to this whole other plateau."

Several of the songs were inspired by 1960s and 1970s rock bands. "Between the Lines" was written with The Animals, The Zombies and Paul Revere & the Raiders in mind, and Weiland considered "Cinnamon" to be a combination of 1960s British pop and Ian Curtis (of Joy Division). "Huckleberry Crumble" was inspired by Aerosmith, specifically "Same Old Song and Dance". Dean admitted to the similarities: "The arrangement is almost the same: riff, solo, verse, chorus, solo, back to a second verse—it's pretty much the same setup." He also noted how the song sounded different depending on the type of instruments used to play it. "It's amazing how, if you were to present that opening riff on a Tele really clean, it's almost a country riff. But if you present it with a Les Paul through a Marshall, it takes on this whole different thing."

Weiland's lyrics were unique to previous albums, which had been solely focused on himself and his drug addictions. He studied lyricists to learn how to write differently. "[In] the '90s, I was so overwhelmed with my heroin addiction, and so a lot of the stuff was just from my point of view. Now, I tend to look at some of the greats like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. I look at their storytelling [and] I try to tell stories. Every song doesn't have to be narcissistically written about how I feel on that day." Stone Temple Pilots became the third album Weiland had ever recorded sober, after Velvet Revolver's Libertad and Stone Temple Pilot's first album, Core. Weiland was also influenced by his ex-wife, Mary Forsberg, about whom he specifically wrote on "Cinnamon". Weiland's inspiration for "First Kiss on Mars" came from the music itself. He explained his lyrics succinctly: "When I first heard [the song], it sounded intergalactic." Critics and interviewers of the band noticed that Weiland's vocalizations were drawn from David Bowie.

## Title and artwork

Several titles were considered before the band settled on the eponymous name. Kretz explained, "We've always tried to come up with very witty and interesting names for our records and we just felt that it was time, 18 years into the Stone Temple Pilots career, to put out a self-titled album." Robert agreed that the new title was a testament to the "new chapter" in the band's career. Weiland also felt the band was starting over and thought the music expressed this on its own. "We don't need to come up with some major conceptual title. The image on the cover and the music speak for themselves."

The album cover incorporates the artwork Peace Fingers Red, designed by Shepard Fairey. According to Kretz, "It was just something to kind of symbolize more of our attitude right now.... We definitely are in a really good place right now as a band and really want to spread some peace and love across the world as much we can. We're going to do it through music and the celebration of rock and roll." The artwork on the deluxe edition released in Target stores added gold foil to the patterns.

## Promotion and release

Stone Temple Pilots was promoted through various media outlets, including the Internet, radio, and on television, with live performances and interviews by the band. The earliest reported premiere of the album was on February 23, 2010, when the new album was played in its entirety at a private listening party held at Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar in New York City. Among those in attendance were Stone Temple Pilots, journalists from several venues, and Craig Kallman, Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records. Stone Temple Pilots opened an early-2010 tour on March 18 at the South by Southwest music festival, where four new songs were premiered: "Between the Lines", "Huckleberry Crumble", "Bagman", and "Hickory Dichotomy". On March 27, the band was filmed performing live at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The footage appeared on VH1's Friday Night Alright series two months later on May 21, which included a performance of "Between the Lines".

Beginning in late April, Amazon.com advertised that they would be streaming a new song in its entirety each week leading up to the release of the album. Four songs total were streamed, including "Between the Lines", "Hickory Dichotomy", "Bagman", and "Huckleberry Crumble". On May 21, all twelve tracks of the album became available for streaming in their entirety on Billboard's website. That same month, the band appeared on a radio talk show and two late night television talk shows. On May 18, Stone Temple Pilots was the guest on the Howard Stern Show. The following night, May 19, Stone Temple Pilots performed "Between the Lines" on the Late Show with David Letterman. The band performed two mini-concerts for two episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The first concert was recorded at the Gramercy Theater in Manhattan, New York, and aired on the evening of May 26. The second concert was performed the following night and aired on May 27. Stone Temple Pilots became Artist of the Month for American cable television network ESPN during June, though the network began featuring the band's music during the month of May. Songs from previous releases, as well as "Fast As I Can", "Cinnamon", "Dare If You Dare", and "Take a Load Off", were played during the network's television programming and were listed on the network's website, which included links to purchase the songs.

Stone Temple Pilots was released worldwide over a period of a week. Several foreign markets released the album on May 21, including Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands. The U.S. released the album on May 25, and countries like Sweden, Finland, and Japan released the album on May 26. Different versions of the album were released, including retailer-specific versions. The standard 12-track album was released on CD and vinyl. Deluxe and Japanese versions of the album included a second disc with four bonus tracks. Target stores sold a deluxe edition version that included gold foil on the artwork and an 18-panel poster, and iTunes included a music video, an interview video, and a pre-order bonus track.

On June 1, "Between the Lines" was released, along with two other songs, as part of a Stone Temple Pilots pack for the rhythm video game Guitar Hero. On June 5, the band performed at the KROQ Weenie Roast, hosted by the U.S. radio station. For the duration of June, the band played at various festivals in Europe, beginning with the Nova Rock Festival in Nickelsdorf, Austria, on June 11 and completing on June 28 in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy. The band returned to North America to perform at the rock festival Rock on the Range in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on August 7. They launched their headline tour on August 10 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado.

### Singles

"Between the Lines" became the album's first single; it was released digitally on the band's Twitter page on March 22, later peaking at number one on the Billboard Rock Songs chart.The music video for "Between the Lines", directed by Christopher Sims, was shot on April 11 in Los Angeles, California, and premiered on Fuse TV's Top 20 Countdown on May 7.The song was written by Robert, with a guitar solo written by Dean. Robert was inspired by the 1960s rock groups The Zombies and The Animals, and had been picturing "a '60s go-go beat and a girl in a miniskirt" before Weiland changed the song's meaning with his lyrics. Dean commented on how Weiland had turned "Between the Lines" into a love song: "Sometimes we don't feel musically what Scott does lyrically. He took it to an exciting place. It's pretty twisted." Weiland's lyrics reflected on his relationship with his ex-wife, Mary Forsberg, and his history with drug abuse. Speaking of the at-times strange lyrics, Weiland cited The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" as an inspiration. "Sometimes you throw together random words that phonetically sound good with the melody and then you get to the meat of the song in the chorus." "Between the Lines" was originally the working title of the song, which Weiland incorporated into his lyrics.

"Take a Load Off" was the band's second single, which was released on June 15, and the accompanying music video was released in September. The video is a culmination of clips edited together, including moments with the band—both on and off stage—, samples of cartoons, and "all-American imagery". "Take a Load Off" topped the Alternative Chart at number 24.

"Cinnamon" was released as the band's third single, which debuted at number 49 on the Alternative Chart. The first music video for the song was filmed in mid-2010, directed by Aggressive (the combined efforts of directors Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro), and produced by Anke Thommen, but the video was reshot. Kretz said simply that the first video had "the wrong director". The second music video was filmed in December 2010, directed by Dennis Roberts and photographed by Adam Bricker, however this video was also shelved in May 2011 without ever being released.

## Previews and pre-release

On February 23, 2010, the album was previewed in its entirety during a private listening party at Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar in New York City. Craig Kallman, Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records, delivered a speech praising the members of the band and their influence on the music industry, comparing them to Led Zeppelin. Several members of the audience described the songs as "Beatles-esque" and the album "a natural, melodic progression for Stone Temple Pilots." Robert DeLeo cautioned against the overuse of the "Beatles" label. "I think there's always going to be a sense of Beatles on whatever anybody does. I mean, the Beatles have been such a huge influence and inspiration on music in general. The Beatles, they're ingrained in everybody's mind.... The Beatles are like our nursery rhymes for all of us; it's the planet's nursery rhymes."

William Goodman of Spin described the album as a "signature blend of tuneful melodies and rock guitar crunch, psychedelic solos and impressive crooning courtesy of Scott Weiland," adding that two songs in the second half of the album were slower and performed with acoustic guitar. Rick Florino of ARTISTdirect.com extolled the album as "the rock record of the decade," calling it "a masterpiece that will officially solidify STP alongside the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time."

## Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic suggested that Stone Temple Pilots proved the band members, after nearly a decade of side-projects, needed each other. The album's sound picked up where Shangri-La Dee Da left off, but the lack of Brendan O'Brien's production, which Erlewine believed was a "key ingredient" to the previous albums, was evident. "[W]ith another set of ears in the studio... perhaps the entire set would be sharpened." Jon Dolan's brief review in Entertainment Weekly called the music "cheap and easy pop-rock mimicry". He noted that Weiland sounded "effervescent" now that the singer was drug-free, but Dolan still found his lyrics to "weigh him down".

Brad Wheeler, writing for The Globe and Mail, wondered if the eponymous title was an allusion to the Atlantic Records contractual dispute. He went on to remark on the music's combination of 90s era "guitar flash and crunch" and The Beatles. Wheeler did not think the album moved the band or its sound forward, calling it "a quasi-comeback album that neither defiles nor builds upon the band's legend." Amirose Eisenbach of IGN wrote that the music was not "anything especially unique". Eisenbach analyzed several tracks, observing that some songs "start off promising" only to result in "uninspired, generic hooks," while other songs struggle with their musical direction. Despite this, Eisenbach felt the album had "enough going on inside the album's 41 minutes that it's worth a listen."

Newsday's Glenn Gamboa praised the band for "not reliving the past", but he found enough similarities to the band's previous releases to appeal to listeners. He considered the album successful because the band had been "reflecting their time apart and their work with Velvet Revolver and Army of Anyone." Mike Schiller, writing for PopMatters, called the album's title an appropriate fit with the band's apparent ease of writing with "obvious" influences. He described the title as, "more homage than it is subconscious plagiarism," before listing Nirvana, Aerosmith, Joy Division, John Lennon, David Bowie, and even the band's Purple as having intentionally shaped the album. Schiller decided the album was a "bonus" because, in the near-decade gap since the band's last release, "people have moved on". He concluded that Stone Temple Pilots is "a far more fitting epilogue" than the last album, before considering it, "perhaps, [the] next chapter".

Ronnie Kerswell of Rock Sound said that the album "does not disappoint", describing it as having "heady guitar trips and crunching grooves". She found Weiland's voice to be improved in part due to his sober lifestyle and wrote that the band was "back in action". USA Today's Jerry Schriver praised the band for releasing a "cohesive, self-produced reunion album", but admitted the tracks were not "timeless". The songs were found to be "pleasant" but "disposable" and inoffensive. Schriver commended Dean DeLeo for keeping the "well-constructed tunes" moving forward, despite Weiland's lyrics. Allison Stewart, writing for The Washington Post, decided the album was a "small victory" and "respectable" but ultimately "a weirdly mild, tension-free outing." Like other critics, Stewart noticed the influences on the album, including country and "psych-rock", and thought the band was "better at mixing their influences in novel ways than at actually being novel themselves."

## Commercial performance

Stone Temple Pilots peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 61,933 copies its first week. The album was prevented from reaching number one by the television soundtrack Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers. The album dropped to number 16 in its second week and to number 45 in its third week. The album also peaked at number one on Billboard's Hard Rock and Rock Albums charts, as well as number one on the Alternative Songs chart. The album reached the top 10 in two countries, Canada (number two) and New Zealand (number 6); the top 40 in three countries, Australia (number 21), Finland (number 35) and Switzerland (number 36); and the top 100 for two countries, Austria (number 54) and Germany (number 52). Sales for the album dropped 70% in its second week, selling 18,601 copies, and continued to drop another 44% in its third week, selling 10,473 copies. The fourth week saw sales drop 18%, with 8,538 copies sold.

## Track listing

## Personnel

### Stone Temple Pilots

- Scott Weiland – lead vocals
- Dean DeLeo – guitar, production
- Robert DeLeo – bass, backing vocals, production
- Eric Kretz – drums

### Production

- Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
- Don Was – additional producer
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Russ Fowler – engineer
- Bill Appleberry – engineer, keyboards
- Doug Grean – engineer
- Mike Gerlach – assistant engineer
- Jared Hirshland – assistant engineer
- Arik Garcia – assistant engineer
- Keith Armstrong – assistant mixer
- Nik Karpen – assistant mixer
- Brad Townsend – additional engineering
- Andrew Schubert – additional engineering
- Shepard Fairey – cover image
- Mark Obriski – art direction & design
- David J. Harrigan III – additional design
- Chapman Baehler – photography
- Dana DuFine – management

## Charts

## Release history