Nagara class
| Nagara class | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| Type: | Light cruiser |
| Units: | 6th |
| Predecessor class: | Kuma class |
| Successor class: | Sendai class |
| Technical data (original planning) |
|
| Displacement: | Draft: 5,500 tons. l. (Standard displacement) |
| Length: | over everything: 162.15 m |
| Width: | 14.17 m |
| Draft: | Draft: 4.80 m |
| Speed: | Peak: 36 kn |
| Crew: | 440 permanent crew |
| Range: | 5,000 nautical miles at 14 knots |
| Drive: | 4 screws over 4 shafts |
The Nagara class ( Japanese 長 良 型 軽 巡洋艦 ) was a class of six light cruisers of the Japanese Empire that were used in World War II .
history
Design and construction
The Nagara class was only a slightly modified variant of the previous Kuma class . While maintaining the dimensions and the water displacement, attempts were made to integrate the later use of an on-board aircraft into the concept from the very beginning. The solution to the problem was believed to have been found in ships of the Royal Navy : a permanently installed catapult at the bow, so that the entire ship could turn against the wind before the start of a reconnaissance aircraft, like an aircraft carrier, in order to ensure an optimal take-off process .
Later on, this initially plausible idea gave rise to numerous problems: A catapult with an airplane on it, directly in front of the bridge, provided a good target for the wind and, especially in heavy seas, for water that came over, so that the airplane was destroyed in bad weather would have been. Furthermore, an aircraft filled with flammable fuel and standing directly above the main guns on the forecastle, which was open to the rear, was a high safety risk in a battle. For these reasons, an aircraft could only be lifted onto the catapult immediately before take-off. The space on the foredeck, which was limited by weapons and bridge superstructures, made this action difficult and time-consuming - so it was decided to use a small aircraft hangar within the bridge structure, in which an on-board aircraft could be stored with folded wings. If necessary, it was brought from the hangar onto the catapult. The standard type of aircraft was the Yokosuka Ro-go Ko-gata .
In the course of the Pacific War , the reconnaissance aircraft of the ships, which were largely superfluous due to the radar, were finally abandoned or relocated to catapults on the quarterdeck.
The armament of the Kuma class with seven 14 cm L / 50 guns, two 8 cm L / 40 guns and two anti - aircraft machine guns was retained. The positioning of the weapons also remained the same. The torpedo armament of the previous class was also provided. Each ship carried eight 24-inch torpedo tubes in four twin sets for Model Year 8 torpedoes .
The armor protection was limited to a belt armor of 6 cm steel and a deck armor of 3 cm steel.
The Nagara class retained the silhouette of the previous class, with the exception of the aircraft catapult. The ships had twelve steam boilers , ten of which were fueled with heavy oil and two with coal . Other sources give the ratio as eight to four. Four steam turbines allowed a maximum speed of 36 knots.
Modernizations
In the run-up to and in the course of the Pacific War , the ships were continuously modernized. In order to use them for the broadest possible range of tasks were radars , sonars , depth charges and increased anti-aircraft armament installed.
Nagara-class ships
Nagara
The Nagara was laid down in Sasebo in September 1920 and launched in April 1922. It was used in the Pacific War. In the Second Sino-Japanese War it drove its first missions and was later used in the Pacific War. In the initial phase from 1941 onwards, it was part of the cover group for numerous Japanese landing operations in the Pacific, was deployed in June 1942 with the Japanese aircraft carriers in the Battle of Midway and, after the carriers were destroyed, became Vice Admiral Nagumo's flagship . She was later the lead ship of the 10th destroyer flotilla and was sunk on August 7, 1944 by the submarine USS Croaker near the Amakusa Islands by a torpedo hit.
Isuzu
The Isuzu was laid down in Uraga in August 1920 and launched in October 1921. During the Pacific War, she was part of the invasion force's fleet that captured the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong on December 8, 1941. She took part in numerous other operations during the war and survived the battles for Guadalcanal and the Battle of Leyte in October 1944 . In November 1944 she was hit by a torpedo and badly damaged at the stern. After the repairs were completed, American B-24 and B-25 bombers were targeted several times in April 1945 and damaged by bomb hits. At the same time, she was attacked by submarines. She was initially missed several times by torpedoes, but on April 7, between Sumbawa and Komodo , so badly hit by three torpedoes that her forecastle broke off and she sank.
Yura
The Yura was laid down in Sasebo in May 1921 and launched in February 1922. In the Second Sino-Japanese War, she performed security tasks in Japanese landing operations. During the Pacific War she was initially involved in the landing of Japanese troops in French Indochina. In April 1942 she took part in the attack in the Indian Ocean . She was later assigned to work on the Solomon Islands . She was involved in operations of the Tokyo Express to Guadalcanal and was thereby the target of air strikes. On October 24, 1942, she was attacked several times by dive bombers, fighters and B-17 bombers and so badly damaged that she had to be abandoned. Japanese destroyers sank the wreck.
Natori
The Natori was laid down in Nagasaki in December 1920 and launched in February 1922. At the beginning of the Pacific War, she was used as an escort for Japanese landing forces who were to conquer the Philippines. On December 10, 1941, two days after the start of the war, it was attacked by B-17 bombers and slightly damaged. In February 1942 she took part in the Battle of Sunda Strait . In January 1943 she was hit by a torpedo, the explosion of which tore off her stern. After extensive repairs and renovations, it was used for convoid services. On August 18, 1944, she was hit near Samar by the submarine USS Hardhead with two torpedoes from two compartments with a total of nine torpedoes. She went down with most of her crew.
Kinu
The Kinu was laid down in Kobe in January 1921 and launched in May 1922. Together with her sister ships, she was initially used in the Second Sino-Japanese War. During the Pacific War she took part in numerous landing operations, such as landings on the Malay Peninsula , landing operations in the Dutch East Indies and, at the end of 1942, in New Guinea . In October 1944, during the Battle of Leyte , she was caught in the Visayas Sea by American carrier aircraft and attacked several times. After three bomb hits, the ship was in flames and could no longer be saved. The crew disembarked and the wreck sank on the evening of October 25th.
Abukuma
The Abukuma was laid down in Uraga in December 1921 and launched in March 1923. She accompanied the Japanese carrier combat group in the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 as part of the escort. Later, in 1942, she took part in the Battle of the Aleutians . In July 1943 she was slightly damaged by a collision and a bomber attack and was then docked for modernization measures. After convoy and patrol services, it was used in October 1944 in the course of the Battle of Leyte. As part of the southern combat group around the battleships Yamashiro and Fuso , she was ambushed in Surigao Strait and was badly damaged by torpedoes from American speedboats. On the march back, she finally fell victim to American B-24 bombers on October 26, 1944, which hit her three times. The spreading fires triggered the explosion of one of their torpedo packs, so that the cruiser eventually went down.
literature
- Eric LaCroix, Linton Wells: Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War : US Naval Institute Press, 1997, ISBN 0-87021-311-3
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eric LaCroix, Linton Wells: Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. P. 809.
- ^ Anthony John Watts, Brian G. Gordon: The Imperial Japanese Navy . Doubleday, 1971, ISBN 0-385-01268-3 , page 134
