Kitakami (ship, 1921)
 The Kitakami 1935
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The Kitakami ( Japanese 北上 ) was a light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy . She belonged to the five-ship Kuma class . The cruiser was named after the Kitakami River on Honshū .
The ship was built by the naval shipyard in Sasebo and put into service in 1921. It took part in the Pacific War, was extensively rebuilt twice for exceptional purposes and finally scrapped in 1946.
Modifications and conversions
The Kitakami was retrofitted from 1936 to 1937 on boilers with oil firing. In 1938, the air defense was reinforced by two machine guns 7.7 mm L / 80 Type 92 , the 8.0 cm L / 40 Type 3 cannon was removed and two twin machine guns 25 mm L / 60 Type 96 were replaced.
Torpedo carrier
Around 1934, the Navy developed a new strategy based on a new type of torpedo with a long range. It was finally decided to convert the Kitakami into a torpedo carrier, which, as part of the overall strategy of the Navy, should attack an enemy battle fleet from the cover of darkness with a large number of superior torpedoes. The enemy thus decimated should then be defeated by the Japanese battle fleet.
For this purpose, ten quad starters for torpedoes type 93 (61 cm) were installed on the sides of the ship and the bulk of the main artillery was removed. Only two 14.0 cm L / 50 year 3 cannons remained on the forecastle. Two more anti-aircraft machine guns were installed and the fire control devices were changed to focus on torpedo use. The speed of the ship after the modifications was 31.67 knots.
Troop transport
Based on the changed strategic situation after the Battle of Midway , it was decided in the summer of 1942 to dismiss the four aft quadruple torpedo sets and to convert the Kitakami into a troop transport. The anti-aircraft defense was reinforced by two 25 mm L / 60 Type 96 triplets. Two 14-meter landing craft were taken on board and drop rails for depth charges were attached.
Kait carrier
After the ship was badly damaged in January 1944 and had to go to the shipyard anyway, it was decided from summer 1944 to spring 1945 to convert the ship into a carrier for submarines for self-sacrifice, so-called kaiten . The submarine type was based on the torpedo type 93 and, like the torpedo, was powered by oxygen , so that the generators could continue to be used for oxygen refueling even after the conversion. The two rear turbine sets and the associated inner propeller pair were removed to make room. The speed dropped to 23.8 knots. The remaining torpedo sets and the two 14-cm guns were dismantled and two twin anti-aircraft guns Type-89 12.7-cm were installed. There were also 67 25 mm automatic cannons. Up to eight Kaiten could be stored on deck, which could be lowered into the water on rails via the deck sloping towards the stern.
By the end of the war, the anti-aircraft defenses were increased by a further 21 25 mm automatic cannons.
Career
Pre-war history
The Kitakami was slightly damaged in a collision in October 1930. The cruiser Abukuma rammed them amidships during the dark. The Abukuma was badly damaged and lost her bow to the front main gun.
Second World War
The Kitakami led to the outbreak of war, as part of the 9th Sentai, escorting tasks. In August 1941, the Kitakami was docked to be converted into a torpedo carrier. The work was largely completed in December 1941.
In the spring of 1942 she was part of the 9th Cruiser Division under Vice Admiral Shirō Takasu . After the Battle of Midway, it was converted into a transporter between August and September 1942.
From October she carried out, together with her sister ship Ōi , several transport missions for troops in connection with the Battle of Guadalcanal .
In 1943 she was part of Operation Hei-go , during which she, together with other transporters, transferred the entire 20th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army from China to Wewak in Papua New Guinea in several trips .
In January 1944 she was deployed to transport troops to the Andamans . She landed the soldiers on January 25, 1944. The submarine Templar discovered the cruiser two days later and attacked him. The Kitakami was badly damaged by two hits and had to be towed by the Kinu .
After several emergency repairs, it reached Japan in July 1944, where it was converted into a ship carrier. The work was completed in January 1945.
Due to a lack of fuel and an unfavorable strategic location for a ship of this type, she was never used in this role, but spent her time training and long lay times.
End of war
From March 1945, the United States Navy began the final offensive against the remnants of the Japanese fleet. Fighter planes taking off from land bases and aircraft carriers attacked the remaining Japanese ships at their berths in Japan. In July, the Kitakami became the target. Close hits from aerial bombs put the machinery out of order due to the severe vibrations. Of the crew, 32 died from machine gun fire or as a result of the bombing.
After the surrender of Japan, the cruiser was used to repatriate Japanese troops by the numerous overseas garrisons and was finally broken up in August 1946.
literature
- Eric LaCroix, Linton Wells: Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. US Naval Institute Press, 1997, ISBN 0-87021-311-3 .