Aoba (heavy cruiser). Aoba-class cruisers Aoba-class cruisers

Construction

The construction of ships of this type was associated with the implementation of the "New shipbuilding program to replace ships under the terms of the Washington Treaty of 1923." In 1922, the decision was made to build six new heavy cruisers. Four of them were classic examples of "Washington-type" cruisers with a displacement of 10,000 tons and 10 200-mm guns (the future type Myoko). Two were supposed to have characteristics close to the two cruisers of the type already under construction at the shipyards. Furutaka, in order to make up with them a connection of four homogeneous ships in the future. The cruisers received the provisional name "medium type cruisers". Future Aoba was considered the second most bookmarked in the series, therefore it was listed in the documents as "Medium type cruiser No. 2" or "Class A cruiser No. 4"... The construction order was issued in June 1923, and the ship itself was laid down at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki on September 18, 1923. The ship is traditionally named after Mount Aobasan in Miyagi Prefecture. The name was used for the first time in the Japanese navy. The estimated cost of the cruiser was 15 million yen

Initially, the cruiser was supposed to be another ship of the type Furutaka, however, at the design stage, at the initiative of the Naval General Staff, significant changes were made to it, which led to the fact that the new pair of heavy cruisers was separated into a separate type. The most serious changes were in armament: instead of single-gun turrets of the main caliber, two-gun turrets were installed, more powerful anti-aircraft guns were installed. The dimensions of the pipes and superstructures were changed, the installation of a catapult was provided. As a result, the new ships significantly exceeded all normal overload limits, the total displacement exceeded 9800 tons. The draft increased and, accordingly, the height of the freeboard decreased, the speed and cruising range decreased. The stability of the ship also deteriorated significantly.

Armament

Artillery armament

The main caliber consisted of six 200-mm guns with a barrel length of 50 caliber guns of type 3, mounted in three twin-gun turrets of the "C" model. The gun mounts, put into service in 1926, had an elevation angle of 40 °, which provided a firing range of 26 kilometers. The installation of massive two-gun turrets instead of the single-gun "semi-towers" of the "A" model made it possible to increase the firing range, increase the rate of fire, reduce the fatigue of the servants, especially those working on the supply of ammunition, and make the feed more reliable and protected. However, this resulted in a significant weight gain of almost 126 tonnes. In addition, the two-gun turrets turned out to be too large for these cruisers - after test firing, the hull and deck around the aft turret had to be strengthened.

Replacing the main caliber artillery was one of the main tasks of the modernization of 1938-40. On Aoba were installed new 203.2-mm guns type 2 No. 1 with a maximum elevation angle of 40 degrees and a firing range of almost 29 kilometers. Now the cruiser could use heavier and more effective Type 91 "diving" shells. In October 1942, one of the towers was completely destroyed in the battle at Cape Esperance, and since there was nothing to replace it, it was temporarily dismantled and the hole in the deck was closed 25 -mm steel plate. As a result, by February 1943, the number of main caliber guns was reduced to four. The tower was repaired and returned to its place during the next repair of the cruiser in the fall of 1943.<

Anti-aircraft armament

Medium caliber, the main task of which was the ship's air defense, consisted of four 120-mm type 10 artillery guns with a barrel length of 45 calibers, which appeared in the Navy only in 1926. They were installed in model "B" single-gun installations without shields with manual operation. In 1930, the model "B" units were replaced by units with a shield and an electro-hydraulic drive of the model "B", for which small sponsors had to be made. During the modernization of 1938-40. it was not possible to install more advanced twin 127-mm installations due to their excessive weight and dimensions. Therefore on Aoba 120-mm guns were left and replaced the artillery fire control system.

For short-range protection from aircraft on the bridge, there were two 7.7-mm Lewis machine guns, which were imported from England and were adopted in 1925. These machine guns were too heavy and unreliable. In general, the ship's anti-aircraft armament was clearly insufficient, which was generally typical for all warships built in the 1920s. in 1932, sponsons were installed on the sides of the bow superstructure for two quad mounts of 13.2-mm Hotchkiss machine guns on manual bollards, which in Japan were called 13-mm Type 93 machine guns.

During the modernization of 1938-40. around the second chimney were installed four coaxial 25-mm automatic guns type 96, and instead of quad mountings of 13-mm machine guns, coaxial ones were left. During the repair of the ship in late 1942 and early 1943. were installed two triple 25-mm mounts (one instead of the main turret number 3, the second instead of 13-mm machine guns. As a result, the total number of 25-mm guns reached 14 units.

When Aoba was damaged once again, during the repair in Kura, the main battle tower was returned to its place and the built-in installation of 25-mm guns had to be dismantled. To compensate for the weakening of anti-aircraft artillery in the area of ​​the mainmast, two twin installations of the same caliber were installed. But the most radical strengthening of anti-aircraft weapons was made in June 1944, when, during repairs in Singapore, the ship received two built-in 25-mm installations: in the bow superstructure and in the stern. By this time, the Japanese command was actively saturating all ships with these machine guns, so 15 more single installations were placed throughout the ship. They did not receive any fire control systems, so their combat value was low, but nominally, in the middle of 1944, the number of these guns reached 36 units. Being in Kura at the end of the war, the ship was actually used as a floating air defense battery, so four more paired 25-mm guns were additionally installed on it.

Torpedo armament

Although initially the installation of dangerous torpedo armament on Type A cruisers was not envisaged, they were nevertheless installed. The Naval General Staff planned that night battles with massive use of torpedo weapons would become one of the main types of combat. Therefore, the armament of cruisers with torpedoes became a prerequisite... On Aoba six twin-tube fixed torpedo tubes of type 12 were installed at once. The total number of torpedoes reached 24 units of type 8 year No. 2 with 610-mm caliber.

During the modernization of 1938-40. Type 12 torpedo tubes were replaced by two four-tube rotary tubes with shields on the upper deck on the sides of the catapult. Since 1940, these cruisers carried 16 torpedoes of type 93: 8 were in the TA, and the rest 4 each from the side - in closed racks in front of the vehicles on rollers, which made it possible to quickly reload.

Aircraft armament

Since the "A" type cruisers were intended primarily for reconnaissance purposes, the requirement of the Naval General Staff to install an aircraft catapult was quite logical. Initially, the ship entered service without a catapult, but already in 1929 it received a Kure type catapult No. 1, operating on compressed air. In 1929, both cruisers were equipped with the Yokosuka K1Y seaplane, which remained on them until the end of 1931. A year later, the cruisers received the Nakajima E2N seaplanes. During the modernization, a new gunpowder catapult of the Kure type No. 2 model 5 was installed. The aircraft of the cruiser was represented by two reconnaissance seaplanes Kawanishi E7K and Nakajima E8N: one on a catapult, the other on a platform behind a tripod mainmast equipped with a more powerful crane. From November 1940 to September the following ships temporarily carried one fuel and lubricants of these types.

During the summer and autumn of 1942, the Kavanishi E7K seaplanes on Aoba were replaced by scouts Aichi E13A1. After repairs in February 1943, the cruiser received one Mitsubishi F1M2 spotter instead of one of the two E13A. He carried these aircraft until April 1943, when he was damaged again. After refurbishment, from November 1943 to December 1944, when it was disarmed in Kure, it carried 1-2 F1M spotters. Since December, the cruiser has not been equipped with aircraft.

Service history

Pre-war period

After commissioning Aoba was assigned to the Yokosuka naval district, but already in 1932 he was transferred to the Kure district, to which they were assigned until they were excluded from the lists of the fleet. Cruiser, together with the same type Kinugasa operated as part of the 5th cruiser division. During 1932, the ship was in reserve. In May 1933, the cruiser was transferred to the 6th cruiser division, becoming its flagship (in 1936, it was temporarily included in the 7th cruiser division). From December 1, 1936 Aoba was again withdrawn to the reserve, in which it was supposed to be until the start of modernization in the summer of 1937. However, the growing conflict with China forced the start of modernization to be postponed and the cruiser was used to transport troops to the area of ​​hostilities. On September 1, 1937, the ship was again put into reserve. Initial modernization of heavy cruiser types Furutaka and Aoba, was not provided, since, according to the new 10-year shipbuilding program for 1937-45. it was envisaged that they be withdrawn from the fleet due to reaching the 20-year age limit and the construction of six new ships instead. However, due to the workload of the shipyards in 1936, it was decided to modernize them. ...

The modernization included, first of all, the standardization and improvement of weapons (main, anti-aircraft, torpedo and aviation), the installation of a more advanced control system. They were replaced by oil boilers with mixed heating, which made it possible to increase the cruising range (8000 km at a speed of 12 knots). During the modernization, the displacement of the ship increased, but thanks to the installation of new larger bullets, the stability of the ship improved.

Upon completion of the modernization on November 15, 1940, the cruiser Aoba joined the 6th division as a flagship. Together with the cruiser Kako they made up the 1st detachment of the division. Until the end of October 1941, the cruiser took part in training in the waters of the metropolis. On November 30, 1941, the 6th division headed for the Bonin Islands. Aoba was the flagship of Rear Admiral Goto Arimoto.

The outbreak of the war in the Pacific

The 6th Division, based in the Bonin Islands, was supposed to cover operations against the American base on the island of Guam. The compound went to sea on December 4, but the weakly fortified Guam was captured on December 10 without the intervention of heavy ships. On December 12, the cruiser arrived at the base at Truk Atoll. However, the capture of another American base in the Pacific, Wake Island, failed on the first attempt. Due to the threat of retaliation from the American command, significant forces of the Japanese fleet were brought in to re-attack the island. The 6th cruiser division went to sea on December 13, 1941, providing cover for the operation and returned to base only on January 10, 1942 after the capture of the island.

After that, the epicenter of hostilities moved to the southwest, where almost all Japanese heavy cruisers were involved. However, the weakest cruisers of the 6th squadron were left in Truk. January 1942 Aoba, together with other cruisers of the division, covered the landing of Japanese troops in Rabaul and Kavieng. On January 21, during the operation, the cruiser picked up from the water the crew of an Australian flying boat, shot down four days earlier by Japanese deck aircraft from an aircraft carrier Shokaku... Then, in March 1942, the 6th division again arrived at Rabaul. Based on it, the Japanese cruisers (6th and 18th divisions) covered the landings on the eastern coast of New Guinea (in Lae and Salamua), the islands of Bougainville, Shortland and Manus.

The next stage of the Japanese offensive in this area was the operation to capture Port Moresby. Cruisers of the 6th division, together with a light aircraft carrier Shoho, were part of the Cover group of the operational Formation "MO". In early May, the compound moved towards the Coral Sea. They were opposed by two Task Force of the American fleet (11th and 17th). The meeting of opponents led to the battle in the Coral Sea. In the morning, the Cover unit was attacked by American aircraft from aircraft carriers. Lexington and Yorktown... The ships of the 6th division with their weak anti-aircraft weapons could not provide serious resistance and prevent the sinking of the aircraft carrier Shoho(only 3 of 93 aircraft were shot down). The cruisers themselves were not damaged just because all aircraft focused on attacks from aircraft carriers. The result of the battle was the refusal to capture Port Moresby. May 16 cruiser Aoba returned to Truk, and then moved to the metropolis to carry out scheduled repairs. Repairs and docking took place from May 22 to June 16.

Campaign off the Solomon Islands

Renovated in Japan Aoba returned to the southwest area, based on Rabaul. The 6th Division became part of the formed 8th Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Mikawa. After receiving reports of the American landing on the island of Guadalcanal, the main forces of the 8th Fleet (5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and a destroyer) went to sea. On the night of August 9, Mikawa's formation attacked the allied fleet located north of Gudalkanal. Cruiser Aoba played a large role in the battle at Savo Island. The cruiser's seaplanes twice (in the morning and in the afternoon of August 8) conducted a successful reconnaissance of the enemy 62 operational formations (6 heavy and 2 light cruisers and 15 destroyers), timely detecting the separation of enemy forces. At night, the Japanese cruisers, lining up in a wake column, sequentially attacked two groups of allied ships. Aoba, being the flagship of the 6th division, moved second after a heavy cruiser Chokai.

The southern group of allied ships was the first to be attacked. Heavy cruisers were heavily damaged in 6 minutes Chicago and Canberra... At this stage of the battle Aoba received no hits. Following this, the northern group was attacked. This time the battle was more fierce, as the American cruisers ( Astoria, Vincennes, Quincy) were able to return fire. A shell of unknown caliber hit the torpedo tube on the left side of the cruiser, causing a fire. But, since 13 of the 16 torpedoes had already been fired, serious damage was avoided. During the battle Aoba fired 182 shells at the enemy, as well as 13 torpedoes. It is impossible to determine exactly which ships were hit by his guns and apparatus, but, judging by the nature of the battle, all enemy ships were hit. The Japanese cruiser suffered no losses, with the exception of the crew of the reconnaissance aircraft, which did not return from the next mission.

Despite the success in the naval battle, the Americans successfully entrenched themselves on Guadalcanal and the struggle for it took a protracted nature. Cruisers of the 6th division (without the previously sunk cruiser Kako) were part of the South Seas Formation Cover Group. At the end of August 1942, they took part in the battle near the Eastern Solomon Islands, but did not enter into combat contact with the enemy. Only seaplanes from cruisers (including Aoba) carried out a raid on Henderson airfield.

Throughout September, the cruiser was in the area of ​​Shortland Island, covering the supply operations for the Guadalcanal garrison. Most of the reinforcements were delivered by destroyers (the so-called Tokyo Express), which did not allow the transfer of heavy weapons to the island. In early October, the Japanese command planned an operation to deliver heavy weapons by transport ships. The neutralization of the American aviation was going to be carried out by daytime aviation attacks and night shelling by cruisers of the 6th division. The operation carried out on the night of October 11 led to a battle at Cape Esperance, during which a strike group of Japanese cruisers was unexpectedly attacked by 64 operational formations of the American fleet (2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 5 destroyers).

Japanese compound led by Aoba under the general command of Rear Admiral Goto, unaware of the presence of American ships, it immediately found itself under concentrated enemy fire. In addition, after the first volleys, the admiral, mistakenly believing that he was under fire from his own ships, ordered to turn on the opposite course, moving along the enemy formation. Cruiser Aoba received numerous hits from 155-mm and 203-mm shells. One of the first shells exploded on the bridge of the flagship and mortally wounded Rear Admiral Goto (he died the next day). The command was assumed by the Chief of Staff Captain 1st Rank Kikunori Kijima. In total, in 25 minutes of the battle, the cruiser received, according to various sources, up to 40 hits. 8 officers and 71 sailors were killed. The main caliber towers No. 2 and No. 3 were disabled, and the third tower was completely burned out. Almost all artillery fire control systems, several anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, and a catapult were destroyed. Other superstructures of the ship were damaged. Nevertheless, on the morning of October 12, the cruiser, accompanied by Kinugasa managed to get to the island of Shortland and in the evening of the next day left for Truk. On October 15, the commander of the Japanese fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto, arrived on the ship to inspect the damage. 18 october Aoba left in Kure, where he arrived for repair and modification on October 22. Repair of the ship continued until February 15, 1943. On the cruiser, the 3rd turret of the main caliber was temporarily dismantled, the anti-aircraft armament was strengthened, and a new mast was installed. The ship received new seaplanes.

1943 campaign

On February 15, the cruiser that completed the repairs was assigned to the Eighth Fleet and went to Truk, then to Rabaul. 4 march Aoba arrived in Kavieng. A month later, on April 3, at about 2.30 pm, the cruiser in the mooring area was attacked by B-25 aircraft from the 43rd bomber group of the 5th Air Force. During the attack, the pilots used a new method of top-mast bombing, achieving several close explosions and one 227-kg bomb hit on the starboard side behind the mainmast Aoba... Torpedo tube # 1 exploded two Type 93 torpedo warheads, causing a fire in engine room # 2. A 3-meter hole was formed in the aft section. They managed to cope with the fire by 15.20 with the help of a destroyer Hatsuzuki... The order was given to tow the cruiser to Truk, but despite the pumping of water, the flooding of the stern continued so quickly that Aoba at 19.35 I had to urgently run aground with a roll of 6 degrees. The next day, the repair base Yamabiko Maru started pumping water and sealing the hole. 20 April Aoba surfaced, the next day was taken in tow of the cruiser Sendai and on April 25 brought to Truk. There with the help of a repair ship Akashi it underwent a temporary repair, which ended on July 25, after which the cruiser left for Kura on her own for a major overhaul.

There were several options for the further fate of the damaged cruiser. The first one involved reworking Aoba into the "aircraft carrier" with the preservation of towers No. 1 and No. 2 and with the placement of 6 seaplanes in place of the stern. There was a plan to convert it into a squadron tanker, replacing half of the boiler rooms and engine rooms with fuel tanks and reducing the speed to 25 knots. But in the end, the simpler and faster option turned out to be the usual repair of the ship while maintaining its original purpose. The cruiser arrived in Kure on August 1 and until November 24, 1943 on it were carried out renovation work... During this time, the main battle tower, destroyed during the battle at Cape Esperance, was repaired and returned to its place. In addition to repairs, the ship received a Type 21 radar installation and more powerful searchlights. Since the repair was incomplete, the cruiser speed dropped to 28 knots.

1944 campaign

At the end of the repair Aoba On November 25, he was attached to the First South Expeditionary Fleet (aka the Fleet of the South-Western Region). On December 24, he arrived in Singapore, where he stayed in Singapore until February 27, 1944, occasionally conducting exercises at the Linga Roads raid. From January 3 to 9, he made a voyage to transport troops to Penang, and from January 23 to 27, he made a voyage to the Andaman Islands. 25 February Aoba entered the 16th division of cruisers, instead of a heavy cruiser Ashigara.

In March 1944, the cruiser took part in the next raid of the Japanese fleet in the Indian Ocean. Formation under the command of Rear Admiral N. Sakonju (heavy cruisers Tone, Tikuma and Aoba... A British steamer was sunk on 9 March south of the Cocos Islands Behar... But since he managed to give a warning signal, the operation was canceled. On March 25, the compound returned to Singapore. In April-May 1944, the cruiser mainly carried out transport operations... April 23 took part in the rescue of the destroyer crew Amagiri who died on a magnetic mine on 23 April. At the end of April, he moved to the Philippines.

In June 1944, the cruiser took part twice in an unsuccessful attempt to deliver reinforcements to the island of Biak, which was attacked by the American fleet. Rear Admiral N. Sakonju's unit ( Aoba, light cruiser Keenu, 2 minelayers and 3 destroyers) were supposed to deliver 2,500 reinforcements from the Philippines. The operation was covered by a formation consisting of a battleship Fuso and 2 heavy cruisers. However, due to too early detection, the operation was canceled by the command of the Fleet and the ships returned to base. The second attempt was carried out only by destroyers, and Aoba carried out long-range cover of the operation, which also ended in failure. During the operation, the cruiser was attacked on June 6 by 11 American B-24 bombers. The battle lasted almost an hour, during which main caliber artillery was used to repel the attacks. The ship was not damaged, but it also failed to shoot down at least one enemy aircraft. The Japanese command did not abandon the idea of ​​assisting Biak, intending to use even battleships Yamato and Musashi, but in mid-June attacks began on the Mariana Islands and the fleet began to prepare for a general engagement.

Aoba was not involved in this operation and did not take part in the battle of the Mariana Islands. Instead, she was sent to Singapore, where the cruiser was docked and upgraded in July. Once again, the anti-aircraft armament was strengthened, a new type 22 radar was installed. After that, the ship went to Linga Roads, where it stood in readiness and exercises until October 21. October 11 Aoba received light damage (side armor plates bent) in a collision with a cruiser Keenu

By this time, the American invasion of the Philippines began and all combat-ready ships were thrown into battle during the grandiose naval battle for the Philippines. 16 divisions of cruisers led by Aoba a secondary role was assigned to transporting troops to Manila as a transport connection. On October 21, a connection left Ling for Manila. October 23 at 04.30 Aoba was torpedoed by a submarine SS-243 Brim... Of the six torpedoes fired, one hit the cruiser. The hit fell on the starboard side opposite the "long-suffering" forward engine room No. 2, which was flooded. The cruiser got a list of 13 degrees, was taken in tow Keenu and the Manila Bay is given. During emergency repairs, on October 24 and 29, it was attacked by carrier-based aircraft of the 38th task force. After pumping out water from the flooded compartments and repairing one turbine unit, the cruiser was able to give a 5-knot speed and on November 5 left Manila as part of a convoy. The ship represented a good target for submarines, but the escort of the convoy thwarted all attempts to attack the ship from the side of the American boat. SS-310 Batfish... The next day Aoba again escaped hits, although three American boats fired a total of 23 torpedoes at the convoy. December 12, 1944 cruiser Aoba arrived in Kure.

Ship wreck

Opportunities to carry out a quick repair of a large ship at the Japanese shipyards were no longer there. Aoba On February 28, 1945, she was reclassified as a reserve ship. Its light anti-aircraft weapons were once again reinforced after air raids on the Kura on 19 March. June 20 Aoba reclassified again to special patrol ship, but moored at the shipyard of the fleet in Kure, it was used as an anti-aircraft floating battery. During the air raids of the 38th Task Force on 24 July, the cruiser received one direct hit and several close explosions. A bomb weighing 227 kg hit the bow from the port side and, exploding, destroyed the middle deck and skin, after which the water flooded four compartments. A heavy bomb exploded near engine room No. 3, destroying the hull plating over a length of about 10 meters. At about 22 o'clock the ship landed on the ground near the coast near the military shipyard at a depth of about 7 meters, due to the bottom relief, it got a 9 degrees to starboard side.

On the morning of the 28th, when attacking 10 aircraft of the same compound, sitting on the ground Aoba received another direct hit with a 227-kg bomb, which pierced the upper and middle decks at the base of the bow superstructure from the starboard side. As a result, the boiler room No. 1 and the computing post under the armored deck were flooded. During the day, about the same number of aircraft made three direct hits to the right of the mainmast.

At 16.00 when attacking high-altitude bombers B-24 of the 7th Air Force Aoba bombs hit again. At least three 227-kg hit the stern, behind the main turret # 3, across the hull, splitting it so that the stern separated. The commander of the ship ordered to leave the cruiser. In the following days, they began to dismantle easily accessible weapons and equipment that were not flooded with water.

Report of the captain of the ship to the American Commission. Damage caused to the cruiser "Aoba" as a result of hitting bombs
1. Hits.
July 24: 1 direct hit, 1 close gap
July 28: 8 direct hits, many close breaks
2. The current state of the ship.
Due to heavy damage caused to the ship's hull by numerous direct hits and close explosions of bombs, the ship took in a lot of water and sat down on the ground. The aft part of the ship's hull broke off.
3. Dimensions of rescue operations.
All readily available weapons and equipment that were not flooded with water were removed from the ship and the ship was abandoned.
4. Details of the raids.
a) Raid on July 24
From 06:15 to 16:00, carrier aircraft continuously raided the cruiser Aoba. About 30 Grumman aircraft were raiding during the day. They achieved one direct hit on the bow of the ship, in addition, one bomb fell very close to the stern of the left side in the area of ​​the second pipe. A bomb that fell close to the ship caused the following destruction: all engine and boiler compartments Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7 were completely flooded. At 10:00 am the ship lost its buoyancy and landed on the ground.
b) Raid on July 28
About 10 Grumman aircraft raided the cruiser in the morning and then again in the afternoon. The ship received four direct hits and burst into flames. At 1600 hours, the B-24 aircraft made another raid and achieved four or even more direct hits to the stern, as a result of which it broke off. The ship was abandoned due to all this damage.

August 15 Aoba was last reclassified as a reserve ship, and on November 20 was excluded from the lists of the fleet. The hull of the former cruiser sank even further during the typhoon on September 18, 1945. Skeleton Aoba was raised and dismantled for metal at the neighboring shipyard of the company Harima Shipbuilding (the former shipyard of the fleet in Kure) in 1946-47.

Ship commanders

Otani Shiro 04/01/1927 - 11/15/1927
Inoue Choji 11/15/1927 - 12/10/1928
Higurashi Toshiu 10.12.1928-30.11.1929
Katagiri Eikichi 3011.1929-01.12.1930
Koga Mineichi 01.12.1930-01.12.1931
Hoshino Kurayoshi 12/01/1931 - 11/15/1932
Koike Shiro 15.11.1932-15.11.1932
Sugiyama Rokuzo 15.11.1932-20.02.1934
Mikawa Gunichi 02/20/1934 - 11/15/1934
Goga Keijiro 15.11.1934-15.11.1935
Hiraoka Kumeichi 11/15/1935 - 11/15/1937
Hirose Sueto 11/15/1937 - 11/15/1939
Akiyama Katsuzo 11/15/1939 - 11/01/1940
Mori Tomoichi 01.11.1940-25.07.1941
Hisamune Sojiro 07.25.1941-10.11.1942
Araki Tsutau 10.11.1942-31.12.1942
Tawara Yoshioki 31.12.1942-24.02.1943
Yamamori Kamenosuke 02/21/1943 06/01/1944
Yamazumi Chusaburo 04/01/1944-01.01.1945
Murayama Seiroku 01.01.1945-20.11.1945

The Furutaka-class cruisers were equipped with a 76.2 mm, 3 "main armor belt at the waterline (the Pensacola armor belt was 2.5" thick). The thickness of the frontal armor of the turrets of the main caliber is 25.4 mm (1 inch), the thickness of the armor deck is 35.5 mm (1.4 inches). Initially, the tower-like superstructure had no armor at all, but during the modernization, the superstructure was equipped with a bit of armor. The main caliber of the Furutaka-class cruisers during the Second World War was adequately represented by six 203 mm guns installed in three two-gun turrets, two bow and one aft. Medium caliber artillery consisted of four 120-mm type 10 HA universal guns in single-gun turrets. Other artillery - 15 automatic 25-mm cannons type 96 in triple and twin mounts. The cruisers were also armed with 16 610 mm torpedo tubes. Each cruiser had the ability to carry one reconnaissance seaplane.

Cruiser "Kinugasa" at anchor, October 1927. The main differences between cruisers of the "Aoba" type and cruisers of the "Furutaka" type were in a flatter rear chimney and twin-gun turrets of the main caliber of the "C" type. The C-type turrets were more rounded compared to the E-type turrets installed on the Furutaka-class cruisers before the war.

"Kinugasa" before going to sea, 1927

The lead ship of the series, the Furutaka cruiser, was laid down on December 5, 1922 at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki; its construction was completed on March 31, 1926. Celebrations on the occasion of the laying of the second cruiser of the Kako series took place on November 17, 1922 at the Kawasaski shipyard in Kobe, and on July 20, 1926, interested persons drank hot seke on the occasion of the completion of the construction of the Kaki. Upon the entry into service of the Imperial Japanese Navy, both cruisers received a residence permit (registration at their base) in Yokosuka, but already on February 1, 1932, they were transferred to Kure, where they remained until they were excluded from the lists of the fleet. The Furutaka and Kaka (as well as the Mikuma) were the first Japanese cruisers to be sunk during World War II.

After entering service, "Furutaka" became the flagship of the 5th squadron, which included the light cruisers "Natori", "Jura" and "Sendai". On August 1, the cruiser "Yura" was replaced by the newly commissioned "Kaku" - "Yura" was exchanged for "Kaku"! At that time, the 5th squadron was the most powerful in the Japanese fleet and consisted of the cruisers Furutaka, Kako, Nako and Yuntsu. In the 20s - 30s, the squadron took part in exercises and long-distance campaigns many times. On December 1, 1927, the newest cruisers Kinugasa and Aoba entered the squadron, and Kinugasa became the flagship.

In 1936-1939. "Kako" and "Furutaka" underwent repair and modernization, significantly changed both externally and internally. The cruisers became almost indistinguishable from the Aoba-class cruisers. Single-gun turrets were replaced by two-gun turrets, while the number of main caliber turrets was reduced from six to three. The anti-aircraft armament of the ships was strengthened, the stationary torpedo tubes were replaced by rotary ones. The bridges of both cruisers were completely rebuilt, at the same time installing perfect artillery fire control systems. The 12 mixed-heating boilers originally installed on the ships were replaced by ten oil boilers. A new catapult was installed, capable of launching seaplanes with a larger take-off mass. The test displacement of the cruiser after repair and modernization was 10,507 tons. this topic do not subside.

Cruiser "Kinugasa", photo 1928. Among Japanese heavy cruisers, only ships of the "Aoba" and "Furutaka" types had three main-caliber towers.

"Kinugasa" on the roadstead of the naval bash Kure, June 1929. In the foreground is the submarine I-54 model 3A.

The cruiser "Aoba" and its sister ship "Kinugasa" were a development of the "Furutaka" project with the same hull length and slightly increased width along the midship frame. While Hiraga was outside Japan, these cruisers, the Aoba, were designed by Fujimoto. Fuhimoto worked closely with representatives of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the design process, which is why Fuhimoto's cruisers turned out to be much less stable compared to the projects belonging to the pencil of the great Hiraga. On the other hand, the installation of three twin-gun turrets of the main caliber instead of six single-gun turrets made it possible to free up space on cruisers for the installation of a large catapult capable of launching seaplanes of greater flight weight, and for the installation of rotary torpedo tubes. Hiraga strongly disagreed with Fuhimoto's ideas, but despite the protests of the recognized authority in the field of shipbuilding, his own cruisers Furutaka and Kako were upgraded to the level of cruisers of the Aoba class.

"Aoba" and "Kinugasa" became the second medium (later reclassified as heavy) cruisers built by the Japanese in the spirit of the Washington Treaty. The cruisers' bookmark was approved in 1923 as compensation for the construction of new battleships and battle cruisers, which Japan was forbidden to build in the 1920s under the terms of the Washington Treaty. "Aoba" and "Kinug Asa" became the first Japanese cruisers, the project of which initially provided for the presence of a catapult for seaplanes on board. During the renovation in 1938-1940. both ships were brought up to the standards of a heavy cruiser, an A-class cruiser. The boules attached to the hulls during the repair made the ships more stable, the width along the midship frame after the installation of the boules increased to 17.6 m, but the full speed dropped to 33.4 knots. Bouly unexpectedly for the designers reduced the draft of the ships.

In wartime, the length of the Aoba-class cruisers was 185.2 m, the width along the mid-frame - 17.6 m, the draft - 5.6 m. "Aoba" was equal to 10,850 tons. At the end of the war, the total displacement of "Aoba" was at the level of 11,660 tons. On cruisers of the "Aoba" type there were 12 Kanpon boilers and four turbo-gear units with a total capacity of 108,456 hp. Full speed of the cruiser - 33.4 knots. When the cruiser Aoba was used as the flagship of the formation, its crew consisted of 680 sailors. The crew of the cruiser "Kinugasa" consisted of 657 men of Japanese nationality.

"Kinugasa", 1927

"Aoba", 1945

Two-gun 203-mm tower model "C", such towers were on the cruisers of the "Aoba" and "Kinugasa" type

Lifting the Aichi E13A1 type 0 seaplane aboard the heavy cruiser Aoba, photo 1943. In the foreground are the barrels of two 120-mm Type 10 anti-aircraft guns.

The armored belt, 79.9 m long, had a thickness of 76.2 mm, a height of 4.12 m, and was installed with an inclination of 9 degrees to the vertical. During the repair, a small amount of armor protection was installed on the superstructure.

The main caliber of the Aoba-class cruiser during the war consisted of six 203-mm Tin 3 guns in three two-gun turrets, two bow and one stern. Only the Furutaka-class (after modernization) and Aoba-class cruisers received such placement of the main battery in the Japanese fleet. The maximum firing range of Japanese 203 mm guns was 29 km. A shell weighing 126 kg flew out of the barrel at a speed of 835 m / s. Medium caliber artillery consisted of four universal 120 mm guns (barrel length 45 calibers) type 10. Other artillery - 15 automatic 25 mm type 96 cannons in triple and twin mounts. The cruisers had 16 6120-mm torpedo tubes each. During the repair, rails were mounted on the cruiser "Aoba" for dropping depth charges - why this was done, they knew only at the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The flight of the military's thought is often enigmatic to civilian minds unable to imagine a heavy cruiser chasing a submarine! This statement applies not only to Japanese admirals. Once in one country, designers began designing an aircraft carrier, and taking into account an enlightened military opinion, they created a heavy aircraft cruiser, whose aircraft, at best, could frighten a potential enemy with the roar of their engines. However, back to Japan. The Aoba-class cruisers were capable of carrying two three-seater reconnaissance aircraft of the E7K2 or E13AI type.

The sea is raging!
Far to the island of Savo

The Milky Way is spreading.

... On the night of August 9, 1942, a group of samurai bypassed the island of Savo counterclockwise, killing everyone who met them on the way. The cruisers Astoria, Canberra, Vincennes, and Quincy became victims of the insane night battle, the Chicago and two more destroyers received heavy damage. The irrecoverable losses of the Americans and their allies amounted to 1,077 people, the Japanese had three cruisers moderately damaged and 58 sailors killed. Having destroyed the entire American compound, the samurai disappeared into the darkness of the night.

The pogrom near the Savo Island entered the American one as the "second Pearl Harbor" - so great was the severity of the losses and the great disappointment with the actions of the sailors. It remained unclear how the Yankees did not notice at a distance of 20 miles the roar and flashes of sea battle, the beams of searchlights rushing across the sky and clusters of lighting bombs. No! The watchmen on the cruisers of the Northern Formation dozed serenely to the thunderous rumble of 203 mm guns - until the Japanese, having finally destroyed the Southern Formation, moved to the North and attacked the second group of American ships.

The impressive Japanese victory at Savo Island was due to the heavy cruisers Chokai, Aoba, Kako, Kunugasa and Furutaka. The cruising forces of the Imperial Navy became one of the main arguments in that war - many high-profile victories were recorded on the account of ships of this class: a night battle near Savo Island, the defeat of an allied squadron in the Java Sea, a battle in the Sunda Strait, raids into the Indian Ocean ... - these are the events that made the Japanese navy famous.

Even when radars appeared on American ships, and the sea and air were buzzing with US Navy equipment, Japanese cruisers continued to fight, often achieving episodic victories. High protection allowed them to operate relatively successfully in conditions of numerical superiority of the enemy and withstand numerous hits from bombs, artillery and torpedo.

As practice has shown, the combat stability of these ships was extremely high. The only thing that could kill the armored monsters was extensive damage to the underwater part of the hull. Only after that, tormented by American explosives, they lay down exhausted on the seabed.

There were 18 of them in total. Eighteen samurai, each with its own unique version of birth, history of service and tragic death. Nobody survived until the end of the war.

Constructors' Cup

Japanese heavy cruisers built in the interwar period were perhaps the most successful ships in their class - the most powerful offensive weapons, solid armor (the Japanese did everything that was possible under international restrictions), successful anti-torpedo protection and effective counter-flooding schemes, high speed and autonomy sufficient to operate anywhere in the Pacific.

"Long Lance" became the calling card of the Japanese - oxygen super-torpedoes of 610 mm caliber, the most powerful samples of underwater weapons in the world (for comparison, their main opponent - the cruisers of the US Navy were completely devoid of torpedo weapons). The flip side was the great vulnerability of Japanese cruisers - a stray shell hitting a torpedo tube on the upper deck could be fatal for the ship. The detonation of several Long Lances completely disabled the ship.

Like all "Washington-era" cruisers, the samurai suffered severe overload. No bluff and forgery with the declared displacement could correct the situation - the engineers had to dodge in the most amazing way so that, as the Americans, who also suffered from the terms of the International Treaty on the Limitation of Naval Arms, “pour a quart of liquid into a pint container”.

I had to save on something: the main blow was dealt to the habitability of the ship and the conditions for the accommodation of personnel (within 1.5 square meters per person). However, the little Japanese quickly got used to the cramped space - the main thing is that the ventilation works well.

The desire to forcibly squeeze the cruiser into the cherished "10 thousand tons" gave unusual results. Uncontrollable fantasy of engineers, "masquerade" with the main caliber - according to secret calculations, on some cruisers it was possible to quickly replace 6-inch guns with powerful 8-inch barrels, as well as some traditional solutions of the Japanese school of shipbuilding (for example, the shape of the bow ) - all this led to the creation of amazing samples of naval weapons, which brought many victories to the Land of the Rising Sun.

The Japanese cruisers were good at everything, except for one thing - there were too few of them: 18 desperate samurai could cope with the American pre-war cruisers, but for each lost ship the Americans immediately "got out of their sleeve" five new ones. Total US industry in the period from 1941 to 1945 built about 40 cruisers. Japan - 5 light cruisers, 0 heavy cruisers.

The effectiveness of the use of cruising forces was greatly influenced by the scientific and technical lag of Japan. Due to the presence of torpedoes and high-quality preparation for conducting night artillery duels, Japanese cruisers had priority at the initial stage of the war, but with the advent of radars, their advantage came to naught.
In general, the whole story about Japanese heavy cruisers is a cruel experiment on the topic of how long an armored monster can hold out under continuous attacks from the sea surface, from the air and from under the water. In conditions of many times superior forces of the enemy and the absence of at least a ghostly chance of salvation.

I invite dear readers to get acquainted with some of these leviathans. What were their strengths and weak sides? Have the Japanese cruisers been able to live up to the expectations of their creators? How did the brave ships die?

Furutaka-class heavy cruisers

Number of units in a series - 2
Years of construction - 1922 - 1926
Full displacement - 11 300 tons
Crew - 630 people.
Armor belt thickness - 76 mm
Main caliber - 6 x 203 mm

The first Japanese interwar cruisers were designed before the Washington restrictions came into effect. In general, they turned out to be very close to the standards of the "Washington cruiser", tk. originally planned as scout cruisers in a hull with the lowest possible displacement.

An interesting layout of the main battery guns in six single-gun turrets (later replaced by three two-gun turrets). Typical for the Japanese, the wavy silhouette of the hull with the "upturned" bow end and the lowest possible board in the stern area. The low height of the chimneys, later recognized as an extremely unfortunate decision. Armor belt integrated into the body structure. Poor accommodation conditions - "Furutaka", in this sense, was the worst of the Japanese cruisers.

Due to the low board height, it was forbidden to use portholes during sea crossings, which, coupled with insufficient ventilation, made service in the tropics an extremely exhausting event.

Death story:

"Furutaka" - 10/11/1942 during the battle at Cape Esperance, the cruiser received severe damage from 152 and 203 mm shells of American cruisers. The subsequent detonation of the torpedo ammunition, aggravated by the loss of progress, predetermined the fate of the cruiser: after 2 hours the flaming Furutaka sank.

"Kako" - the day after the pogrom off the island of Savo, the cruiser was torpedoed by the submarine S-44. Having received three torpedoes, "Kako" capsized and sank. The US Navy received its "consolation prize".

Aoba-class heavy cruisers

Number of units in a series - 2
Years of construction - 1924 - 1927
Full displacement - 11,700 tons
Crew - 650 people.
Armor belt thickness - 76 mm
Main caliber - 6 x 203 mm

They are a modification of the earlier Furutaka-class cruisers. Unlike its predecessors, "Aoba" initially received two-gun turrets. The superstructure and fire control systems have undergone changes. As a result of all the changes, the Aoba turned out to be 900 tons heavier than the original project: the main disadvantage of the cruisers was their critically low stability.

"Aoba", lying at the bottom of the harbor of Kure, 1945

"Aoba" - covered with wounds, the cruiser was able to survive until the summer of 1945. It was finally finished off by the US Navy aviation during the regular bombing of the Kure naval base in July 1945.

"Kunugasa" - sunk by torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier "Enterprise" during the Battle of Guandalcanal, 11/14/1942

Heavy cruisers of the "Myoko" class (sometimes "Myoko")

Number of units in a series - 4
Years of construction - 1924 - 1929
Full displacement - 16,000 tons
Crew - 900 people.
Armor belt thickness - 102 mm
Main caliber - 10 x 203 mm

The first "Washington cruisers" of the Land of the Rising Sun, with all their advantages, disadvantages and original design solutions.

Five main-caliber turrets, three of which are located in the bow of the ship according to the "pyramid" scheme - ten 203-mm guns. The booking scheme is generally similar to that adopted on the Furutaka cruiser, with the reinforcement of individual elements: the belt thickness was increased to 102 mm, the thickness of the armored deck above the engine rooms reached 70 ... 89 mm, and the total armor weight increased to 2,052 tons. The thickness of the anti-torpedo protection was 2.5 meters.

A sharp increase in displacement (standard - 11 thousand tons, the total could exceed 15 thousand tons) required a significant increase in the power of the power plant. The boilers of the cruisers "Myoko" were originally designed for oil heating, the power on the propeller shafts was 130,000 hp.

Death story:

"Mioko" - during a fierce battle near the island of Samar was damaged by a torpedo from a carrier-based torpedo bomber. Despite the damage, he was able to limp to Singapore. During an emergency repair, a B-29 came under attack. A month later, on December 13, 1944, it was again torpedoed by the submarine USS Bergall - this time it was not possible to restore the combat capability of the Mioko. The cruiser was sunk in shallow water in the harbor of Singapore and was later used as a stationary artillery battery. All that remained of the Mioko was captured by the British in August 1945.

"Nati" - in November 1944 in Manila Bay was subjected to massive attacks by US Navy carrier-based aircraft, was hit by 10 torpedoes and 21 bombs, broke into three parts and sank.

Ashigara - sunk by the British submarine HMS Trenchant in the Bangka Strait (Java Sea), June 16, 1945.

Takao-class heavy cruisers

Number of units in a series - 4
Years of construction - 1927 - 1932
Full displacement - 15200 - 15900 tons
Crew - 900-920 people.
Armor belt thickness - 102 mm
Main caliber - 10 x 203 mm

They are a natural evolution of the Myoko-class cruisers. Recognized as the most successful and balanced project among all Japanese heavy cruisers.

Outwardly, they were distinguished by a massive, armored superstructure, which made the cruisers look like battleships. The elevation angle of the main battery guns was increased to 70 °, which made it possible to fire the main battery at air targets. The stationary torpedo tubes were replaced by rotary ones - a salvo of 8 Long Lances on each side was capable of finishing off any enemy. The booking of the ammunition storage has been increased. The composition of aviation weapons was expanded to two catapults and three seaplanes. In the construction of the case, high-strength steel of the Ducol brand and electric welding are widely used.

Death story:

"Takao" - hit by the American submarine "Darter" on the way to Leyte Bay. With difficulty, he reached Singapore, where he was turned into a powerful floating battery. On July 31, 1945, the cruiser was finally destroyed by the British dwarf submarine XE-3.

"Chokai" - mortally wounded in a battle near the island of Samar, as a result of a shell hitting a torpedo tube. A few minutes later, the cruiser's flaming box was bombed by carrier-based aircraft. Due to the complete loss of progress and combat effectiveness, the crew was removed, the cruiser was finished off by the escort destroyer.

Mogami-class heavy cruisers

Number of units in a series - 4
Years of construction - 1931 - 1937
Full displacement - about 15,000 tons
Crew - 900 people.
Armor belt thickness - 100 ... 140 mm
Main caliber - 10 x 203 mm

Having familiarized himself with the information obtained by intelligence about the new Japanese cruiser "Mogami", the Chief Designer of Her Majesty's fleet only whistled: "Are they building a ship out of cardboard?"

Fifteen 155 mm guns in five main turrets, universal artillery of 127 mm caliber, Long Lances, 2 catapults, 3 seaplanes, armor belt thickness up to 140 mm, massive armored superstructure, 152 thousand hp power plant. ... and it all fits into a hull with a standard displacement of 8,500 tons? The Japanese are lying!

"Mogami" with a torn off nose - the result of a collision with the cruiser "Mikuma"

At the same time, the Mogami-class cruisers were monstrously overloaded, had poor seaworthiness and critically low stability, which, in turn, affected their stability and accuracy of artillery fire. In view of these shortcomings, the lead cruiser of the project - "Mogami" in the period from 1942 to 1943. underwent modernization and was turned into an aircraft-carrying cruiser - instead of a stern group of artillery, the ship received a hangar for 11 seaplanes.

Aircraft carrier "Mogami"

Death story:

"Mogami" - damaged by artillery fire in the Surigao Strait on the night of October 25, 1944, the next day was attacked by carrier-based aircraft, collided with the cruiser "Nati" and sank.

The Mikuma was the first Japanese cruiser to be lost in World War II. Was attacked by carrier-based aircraft in the battle of Midway Atoll on June 7, 1942. The detonation of the torpedo ammunition left no chance of salvation: the cruiser skeleton left by the crew drifted for 24 hours until it disappeared under water.

"Mikuma" after the detonation of its own torpedoes. On the roof of the fourth tower, the wreckage of a downed American plane is visible (similar to the feat of Gastello)

"Kumano" - lost its bow in a skirmish with American destroyers in Leyte Gulf, the next day it was damaged by carrier-based aircraft. A week later, during the transition to Japan for repairs, he was torpedoed by the submarine "Ray", but still managed to get to Luzon. On November 26, 1944, she was finally finished off by carrier-based aircraft in the harbor of Santa Cruz: 5 torpedoes hit the cruiser, which completely destroyed the Kumano's hull. Oh, and it was a tenacious beast!

Tone-class heavy cruisers

Number of units in a series - 2
Years of construction - 1934 - 1939
Full displacement - 15 200 tons
Crew - 870 people.
Armor belt thickness - 76 mm
Main caliber - 8 x 203 mm
A feature of the "Tone" was its advanced aircraft armament - up to 8 seaplanes (in reality, no more than 4).

"Tone" on the way to Midway

The bizarre appearance of the "Tone" was dictated by a serious calculation - such an arrangement of the main battery towers made it possible to reduce the length of the armored citadel, saving several hundred tons of displacement. By unloading the aft end and shifting the weights to the midsection, the strength of the hull was increased and seaworthiness was improved, the spread of main battery salvos decreased, and the ship's behavior as an artillery platform improved. The freed aft part of the cruiser became the base for the deployment of aviation - now the seaplanes were not exposed to the risk of exposure to powder gases, in addition, this made it possible to increase the air group and simplify the operation of aircraft.

However, for all the seeming genius of this solution, the placement of all main battery towers in the bow had an important drawback: a dead zone appeared at the aft corners - the problem was partially solved by deploying a pair of main battery towers with their trunks back. In addition, one single hit threatened to disable the entire main caliber of the cruiser.

In general, despite a number of significant and insignificant shortcomings, the ships turned out to be worthy and ruffled a lot of nerves for their opponents.

Death story:

"Tone" - the damaged cruiser was able to escape from the Leyte Gulf and reach its native shores. Was restored, but never again participated in hostilities at sea. On July 24, 1945, he was sunk by American aircraft during a raid on the Kure naval base. On July 28, the cruiser wreck was re-bombed by US Navy aircraft.

Chikuma (also found Chikuma) - sunk by carrier-based aircraft in Leyte Bay, October 25, 1944.

Heavy cruiser "Tikuma"

Thanks to all readers for reading this entire list of quirky Japanese names to the end!

Based on materials:
http://www.warfleet.ru/
http://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.wunderwaffe.narod.ru/
http://hisofweapons.ucoz.ru/

Heavy cruisers of the "Aoba" class (Japanese 青葉 型 巡洋艦 Aobagata jujunkan) - a series of two Japanese cruisers of the 1920s.

An improved version of the Furutaka-class cruisers, devoid of some of their shortcomings. In 1924-1927, two units were built at the shipyards of Nagasaki and Kobe: "Aoba" and "Kinugasa". They were built in parallel with more advanced ships of the "Myoko" type.

Both cruisers served the entire interwar period; in the second half of the 1930s, they underwent a radical modernization. They took an active part in the hostilities in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Both were killed by American air raids: Kinugasa during the Guadalcanal campaign in November 1942, Aoba during the bombing of Japan in July 1945.

History of creation

Design

Armor protection

Identical to that of the Furutaka type. The main armor belt of uncemented chromium steel with a length of 79.88 m, a width of 4.12 m and a thickness of 76 mm protected the boiler rooms and engine rooms. As on the Yubari, it was attached directly to the frames with an inclination of 9 ° and was part of the hull's power set, while being, however, external, not internal. With a design standard displacement, the belt protruded from the water by 3.28 m, with a load of 2/3 of the full-at 2.21 m.According to the project, it had to withstand the hits of 152-mm shells fired from a distance of 12,000-15,000 m, there was no question of protection against the 203-mm main caliber of the Washington cruisers.

To the upper edge of the belt, the middle deck was docked, made up of plates of uncemented chromium steel 35 mm thick (closer to the middle part - 32 mm) and playing the role of horizontal protection power plant... She had a carapace shape, bending from the sides to the center by 15 cm, and was also included in the power set of the hull, attached directly to the beams.

The chimney channels were covered with 38 mm uncemented chromium armor 1.27 m from the middle deck level. Additionally, at the level of the upper deck, they were protected by high-voltage steel plates with a total thickness of 48 (28.6 + 19) mm.

The bow and stern ammunition magazines were covered with plates of uncemented chromium steel 51 mm thick from the sides and 35 mm from the top. The steering compartment was covered on all sides with 12.7 mm and 25 mm armor, while the tower-like superstructure initially had no protection at all.

Protection of the underwater part of the hull was limited to a double bottom and tanks for liquid fuel, playing the role of boules. It was decided not to install the armored anti-torpedo bulkhead due to weight restrictions, as well as the lack of effectiveness of this kind of protection shown during shelling of the unfinished battleship Tosa's hull.

The total weight of the cruiser's booking was less than 1200 tons, or 12% of the displacement of 2/3 of the total, nevertheless significantly surpassing its predecessors in this: for 5500-ton cruisers this share was 3-4%, for Yubari -8.6% ...

Power point

In both cases, the units included a low pressure turbine (13,000 hp at 2000 rpm) and a high pressure (12,500 hp at 3000 rpm). Using two small gears and one large gear reduction gear, they rotated the propeller shaft at a maximum speed of just 360 rpm.

Separate reverse turbines were provided for moving aft forward. They were powered by steam from a low-pressure turbine and had a capacity of 7000 liters. with. each (28,000 hp in total), rotating the screws in the opposite direction.

A combination of matching turbines and turbine cruising stages was used for economical propulsion. high pressure connected by a gear train. With a total power of 4879 hp they provided a 14-knot speed. With a nominal maximum fuel supply (400 tons of coal and 1400 tons of fuel oil), this gave a cruising range of 7000 nautical miles. With the actual in the first years of service (570 tons of coal and 1010 tons of fuel oil), it decreased to 6,000 miles.

Steam turbine-toothed units fed twelve Kampon Ro Go boilers located in seven boiler rooms. In the first there were two medium oil boilers, from the second to the fifth - two large oil boilers, in the sixth and seventh - one small mixed. Steam working pressure - 18.3 kgf / cm² at a temperature 156 ° C... For the removal of combustion products, two chimneys were used: the front double (1-5 boiler rooms) and the rear single (6-7 compartments).

To power the ship's electrical network (voltage-225 V), four diesel generators (two 90 kW and two 135 kW) with a total capacity of 450 kW were used, located in the engine room. The steering gear of the cruiser had an electrohydraulic drive, in contrast to the Furutaka type, where it was steam driven.

Armament

Two towers were placed in a linearly elevated pattern in the bow and one in the stern. The type C installation used, contrary to its designation, was based on the earlier type D (intended for Moko-class cruisers). With a mass of 126 tons and a shoulder strap diameter of 5.03 m, it had a circular armor made of high-stress steel with a thickness of 25 mm. Horizontal guidance was carried out by an electro-hydraulic drive with a capacity of 50 liters. with. , vertically, a seventy-five-horsepower electric motor. The maximum firing range of a 110-kg Type 5 armor-piercing projectile at an elevation angle of 40 ° reached 26.7 km.

The supply of ammunition (110-kg shells and 32.6-kg charges in caps) was carried out by two chain bucket lifts in the central channel of the turret compartment of each turret.

Their fire control system included two Type 14 directors - at the top of the bow superstructure (main) and above the seaplane hangar (reserve), two 6-meter and 3.5-meter rangefinders, a Type 13 target heading and speed computer and a Type 90 searchlight.

To combat aircraft, 4 120 mm / 45 Type 10 guns in single mounts were installed in the central part of the hull. They were an anti-aircraft version of the earlier Type 3 gun, developed under the leadership of Chiyokichi Hata in Kure in 1921-1926. With a maximum elevation angle of 75 °, their reach in height reached 8450 meters. In addition to these guns, 2 Lewis-designed 7.7mm machine guns were also placed on the bridge.

Torpedo armament consisted of six paired 610 mm Type 12 torpedo tubes located on the middle deck. The Type 8 No. 2 steam-gas torpedoes launched from them, with a launch weight of 2,362 tons, carried 346 kg of trinitrophenol and could pass 20,000 m at 27 knots, 15,000 at 32 and 10,000 at 38. To control their firing, two Type 14 torpedo directors were installed on the roof of the third tier of the superstructure. Initially, when developing the 7500-ton project, Hiraga intended not to install TA, considering them too vulnerable to a large ship. However, MGSH had already relied on night battles by that time, and as a result, all heavy cruisers built in Japan were equipped with powerful torpedo armament.

According to the project, the ships were supposed to carry a Type No. 1 catapult between the stern superstructure and the third main turret, but in fact they did not have it when they entered service. In fact, it was installed on the Kinugasu in March 1928, while the Aoba received the more advanced Type No. 2 in 1929. From it, the Type 15 two-seater reconnaissance seaplanes were launched. The hangar for them was located in the aft superstructure.

Crew and living conditions

According to the project, the crew of the cruisers included 622 people: 45 officers and 577 lower ranks.

The command staff's cabins were located in the forecastle, the private's quarters were located on the middle and lower decks in the bow and in the middle at the stern. One person had 1.5-1.6 square meters of living space, which corresponded to the level of 5500-ton cruisers and was considered clearly insufficient for a ship of this size. For the tightness of the ships of the "Aoba" type and the previous type "Furutaka" received the nickname "Suizokukan" among sailors.

As on the Yubari and Furutaka, the cockpit windows on the lower deck were too low from the waterline, and they had to be battened down on the way to avoid being flooded with seawater. In addition, when swimming in the tropics, the possibilities of natural and artificial ventilation turned out to be insufficient.

Construction

Project evaluation

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Notes (edit)

Used literature and sources

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Literature

• Eric Lacroix, Linton Wells II. Japanese cruisers of the Pacific war. - Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997 .-- 882 p. - ISBN 1-86176-058-2.

• S. V. Suliga. Japanese heavy cruisers (in two volumes). - M :: Galeya Print, 1997 .-- 96 + 120 p. - ISBN 5-7559-0020-5.
• Yu. I. Alexandrov. Heavy cruisers of Japan. Part I. - St. Petersburg: Eastflot, 2007 .-- 84 p. - ISBN 978-5-98830-021-2.