Tone class
| Tone class | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| Type: | Heavy cruiser |
| Units: | 2 |
| Predecessor class: | Mogami class |
| Successor class: | - |
| Technical data (original planning) |
|
| Displacement: | 11,231 tn.l. (Standard displacement) |
| Length: | over everything: 201.60 m |
| Width: | 19.4 m |
| Draft: | Draft: 6.23 m |
| Speed: | Top: 35 kn |
| Crew: | 874 permanent crew |
| Range: | 8000 nautical miles at 18 knots |
| Drive: | 4 screws over 4 shafts |
The Tone class ( Japanese 利 根 重 巡洋艦 ) was a class of two heavy cruisers of the Japanese Empire . It was used in World War II .
history
Design and construction
The Japanese Navy originally developed the Tone class under identical specifications as the ships of the Mogami class . In 1936, the specifications for the Tone class were changed, although both cruisers were already under construction: The Tone class was converted into reconnaissance cruisers that were supposed to drive in front of the main force and detect and report possible threats early with the help of their on-board aircraft.
One of the new requirements for the Tone class was the ability to fire all main guns while flight operations were in progress. For this reason, the entire main ship artillery was moved forward. In parallel to these visible changes, the new concept resulted in a significantly higher displacement. Instead of the original 8,450 t, the Tone class then reached 12,500 t.
The ships were planned with reinforced hulls and a torpedo bulge, which solved the problems with the lack of stability of the hulls in heavy weather and improved the underwater protection against torpedo hits. The main armament consisted of four turrets, each with two 20.3 cm L / 50 guns, which were all set up on the forecastle. Tower "B" was positioned too high, while the other towers sat directly on the weather deck. The guns could be raised up to 55 ° and used for air defense with appropriate ammunition. The torpedo armament consisted of four triple torpedo sets, two each on port and starboard. For air defense, 12.7 cm Type-89 cannons were installed, four of which were twin guns placed amidships. Six 25-mm automatic cannon type 96 in twin carriages air defense should ensure at close range.
The original plan to equip the cruisers with 15.5 cm guns was dropped during construction. Japan had terminated the fleet contracts at the end of 1936 and was able to arm the ships with heavy artillery regardless of possible breaches of contract.
By placing the artillery on the foredeck, up to eight aircraft could be accommodated on the stern without running the risk of damaging them from the gas pressure when the heavy artillery was fired. Two gunpowder-powered catapults were scheduled for launching the aircraft. They were positioned amidships, one each on port and starboard. The aircraft could be rolled from their open parking position by sailors over a rail system to the catapults. The aircraft that were carried on board were of the types Kawanishi E7K and Nakajima E8N . In the later course of the war they were replaced by the more modern types Aichi E13A and Mitsubishi F1M . The sources indicate that, however, never more than five aircraft were carried.
Conversions and upgrades
The Tone class was one of the ships in the Japanese Navy that maintained their pre-war configuration in the early years of the war. Only after the retrofitting of 25 mm automatic cannons were the first modifications to the ships of the Tone class in February / March 1943. When it became clear that the reconnaissance aircraft had become largely useless as a result of the war situation, automatic cannons were also installed on the flight deck so that in the end there were 25 mm L / 60 automatic cannons on the Tone 57 and 45 of these guns on the Chikuma. In 1943 a type 21 radar was retrofitted for navigation and for searching for air and sea targets, later a type 13 system for improved air search and two type 22 systems for searching for surface targets and for fire control.
Tone class ships
Both Tone-class cruisers formed the 8th Cruiser Division and were usually used together with aircraft carriers of the Japanese Navy. In early 1944, both ships were assigned to the 7th Cruiser Division.
Clays
The clay was laid down in Nagasaki in December 1934 and launched in November 1937. She took part in almost all major operations in the Pacific War, so in 1942 in the Battle of the Java Sea , the attack in the Indian Ocean , the Battle of Midway , in 1943 in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and in 1944 in the Battle of the Philippine Sea . She often used her reconnaissance planes to search for enemy ships. On October 25, 1944, she was badly damaged in the Battle of Samar and relocated back to Japan, where she was sunk in shallow water on July 24, 1945 by American carrier aircraft.
Chikuma
The Chikuma was laid down in Nagasaki in October 1935 and launched in March 1938. She was mostly used together with her sister ship and took part with him in operations during the Battle of the Java Sea , the attack in the Indian Ocean , the Battle of Midway , in 1943 in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and in 1944 in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. During the Battle of Samar on October 25, 1944, she was involved in the sinking of the escort carrier USS Gambier Bay , but was herself badly damaged by torpedoes from enemy aircraft and finally sank that same day.
literature
- Eric LaCroix, Linton Wells: Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. US Naval Institute Press, 1997, ISBN 0-87021-311-3 .
- Tone class. Gakken Pacific War Series, number 47, Gakken, Tokyo 2004, ISBN 4-05-603653-5 .
- David C. Evans: Kaigun. Strategy, Tactics and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press, 2003, ISBN 0-87021-192-7
- Mark Stille: Imperial Japanese Navy Heavy Cruisers 1941–45. Osprey Publishing, ISBN 978-1-84908-148-1 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Eric LaCroix, Linton Wells: Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. P. 823.
