Warships: Japanese Myoko-class heavy cruisers

Myōk-class heavy cruiser

For other ships with the same name, see Japanese ship Myōk.

Myoko

(妙高) was the lead ship of the four members
the Myoko
class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) that were active in World War II. [2] She was named after Mount Myoko in Niigata Prefecture. Other ships of this class were Nachi, Ashigara and Haguro.

CONTENT

• 1 Prerequisites
• 2 Design
• 3 Operation history 3.1 Early maintenance
• 3.2 War of the Pacific 3.2.1 Invasion of the Philippines
• 3.2.2 Battle of the Java Sea
• 3.2.3 Battle of the Coral Sea
• 3.2.4 Battle of Midway
• 3.2.5 Solomon Islands Campaign
• 3.2.6 Later campaigns
• 3.2.7 Battle of the Philippine Sea
• 3.2.8 Battle of Leyte Gulf
• 3.2.9 Fate

Background [edit]

Myōk

was approved under the 1922-1929 Fleet Modernization Program as the first heavy cruiser built by Japan within the design restrictions imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty, and was the first of the 10,000-ton cruisers built by any nation. [3] Naval architect Vice Admiral Yuzuru Hiraga was able to keep the design from becoming too heavy in its early years by continually rejecting demands from the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff for additional equipment for the upper decks. However, during modifications and rebuilds in the 1930s, the final displacement increased to 15,933 tons, well in excess of the treaty limits. [4]

Myoko-class heavy cruisers

“Myoko” class heavy cruisers – 4 units

“Myoko” 25.10.1924 / 16.4.1927 / 7.1929 – Sunk 8.6.1946 “Nachi” 26.11.1924 / 15.6.1927 / 11.1928 – Died 5.11.1944 “Haguro” 16.3.1925 / 24.3.1928 / 4.1929 – Died 15.5. 1945 “Ashigara” 11.4.1925 / 22.4.1928 / 8.1929 – Died 8.6.1945

From 13,000 (“Ashigara”) to 13,160 (“Muoko”)/from 15,590 (“Nachi”) to 15,682 (“Ashigara”) t; 192.4/201.7 (vl)/203.7x20.7x6.3 m; 4 TZA, 12 PCs, 130,000 h.p., 33.8 kts, 2,214 tons of oil, 7,500 (14) miles. Armor: side 100 mm, traverses 75 - 100 mm, deck 32 - 35 mm (above the power plant up to 70 - 90 mm), turrets 25 mm, barbettes 75 mm. Ek. 891 people 5×2 – 203 mm/50, 4×2 – 127 mm/40, 4×2 – 25 mm, 2×2 – 13.2 mm, 4×4 – 610 mm TA, 2 catapults, 3 seaplanes.

The first real Japanese “Washington” cruisers. According to the fleet construction program 1922 - 1929. In addition to the 7,100-ton “scouts” (Aoba class), the construction of four 10,000-ton cruisers was envisaged. In accordance with the technical specifications prepared by the General Staff, an armament of eight 200-mm guns in four turrets was envisaged (three at the bow, pyramidal, as on the Furutaka type, one at the stern) and eight fixed TA. At the insistence of the head of the maritime technical department, a number of serious changes were made to the assignment. Thus, due to the abandonment of the TA, the number of main battery turrets was increased to five, and protection against underwater explosions was strengthened by the introduction of an anti-torpedo bulkhead. At the beginning of 1924, work on the project was completed (standard displacement - 10,000 tons, speed - 35.5 knots, armament - 5 × 2 200 mm/50 and 4 x 1 120 mm/45 guns, 1 catapult and 2 seaplanes, the main hull contours and a reservation scheme similar to the 7100 cruisers), however, even before the laying of the already ordered ships, at the insistence of the General Staff, the armament was supplemented with four built fixed 610-mm TA, and the number of 120-mm anti-aircraft guns was increased to six. According to calculations, this increased the load by about 500 tons, but the actual standard displacement after the ships were commissioned reached 10,980 tons.

Although the armor scheme was not fundamentally different from that used on ships of the Furutaka type, its individual elements were noticeably strengthened - the thickness of the belt increased to 100 mm, the length - to 123.6 m, the angle of inclination of the belt (outward along the upper edge) was 12°. The thickness of the armor deck was preserved (32 - 35 mm), but above the power plant it reached 70 - 89 mm. The thickness of the upper deck has increased to 25 mm. The total weight of the armor was 2052 tons. An important innovation, compared to previous cruisers, was the 58-mm anti-torpedo bulkhead, 93 m long. It had a curved shape and formed the inner surface of the boules, descending from the lower edge to the double bottom. The depth of the PTZ was 2.5 m and, according to calculations, was supposed to protect the hull from the explosion of torpedoes with a charge of 200 kg.

Due to the increased displacement and size to maintain a speed of 35 knots. it was necessary to increase the power of the power plant to 130,000 hp. All PCs were planned for oil heating from the very beginning. In 1931 – 1934 On cruisers of this type, the 200-mm/50 main battery guns of type 3 No. 1 were replaced by more powerful 203-mm/50 guns of type 3 No. 2. In 1934 - 1936 all four ships underwent extensive modernization aimed at strengthening anti-aircraft and torpedo armament, as well as increasing the longitudinal strength of the hull. Six single 120-mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced with four 127-mm twin guns, and fixed TA guns were replaced with 2 x 4 610-mm rotary guns on the upper deck. Another eight spare torpedoes were stored in canisters protected by 25 mm armor. Instead of the old catapult, two more powerful ones were installed, and the number of seaplanes increased to three. In addition, 2x4 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine guns were added. To maintain stability at an acceptable level and avoid an excessive increase in draft due to the increased weight of weapons, the ships received new side buoys (on top of the existing ones). This led to an increase in the width of the hull at the waterline from 18 to 19 m (the maximum width has not changed). Around the same time, the longitudinal strength of the hull was increased on ships of this type. As a result of modernization, the displacement increased by 680 tons (total - from 15,313 to 15,391 tons), and the speed decreased to 34 knots.

In 1939 – 1941 Myoko-class cruisers underwent another modernization, during which the torpedo armament was doubled (4x4 610-mm torpedoes and eight more spare torpedoes), light anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened - instead of the removed 2x4 13.2-mm machine guns, 4x2 were installed 25 mm machine gun and 2x2 13.2 mm machine guns. The propulsion unit underwent major overhaul and modernization, which made it possible to reduce the fuel supply from 2472 to 2214 tons. To improve stability and torpedo protection, the side bulges installed during the previous modernization were replaced with new ones, the hull width increased to 20.7 m. According to calculations, the depth is greater The new PTZ provided protection against the explosion of a torpedo with a 250-kg charge. The increase in displacement led to a decrease in speed to 33.3 knots. In April - July 1942, the 13.2 mm machine guns on all four cruisers were removed, and the number of 25 mm machine guns was increased to 16 barrels (8x2). In November 1943 - March 1944, an additional 8 x 1 25 mm machine guns were installed. At the end of June 1944, on “Haguro” and “Myoko” the number of 25-mm machine guns was increased to 52 barrels (4 x 3, 8 x 2 and 24 x 1), and on “Ashigara” and “Nachi” - to 48 ( 10 x 2 and 28 x 1). At the same time, 2x4 TAs were removed from all cruisers of this type to compensate for the weight of the increased anti-aircraft weapons.

“Ashigara” 22.4.1945 damaged Dutch. Submarine O-19. 8/6/1945 sunk by torpedoes (5 hits) Submarine “Trenchant” in the Bangka Strait (Javan Sea).

“Haguro” 10/25/1944 in battle near the island. Samar damaged by Amer. carrier-based aircraft, 11/16/1944 American was again damaged. aviation. 5/15/1945 sunk in the Strait of Malacca by torpedoes (3 hits) EM.

“Nachi” 11/5/1944 sunk in Manila Bay by Amer. carrier-based aircraft (received hits from 10 air torpedoes, 21 bombs and 16 rocket launchers).

“Myoko” 10/25/1944 damaged by American. air torpedo; temporary repairs in November 1944. 12/13/1944 damaged again by an Amer torpedo. Submarine "Bergall". She underwent temporary repairs and was used as a floating air defense battery in Singapore, where she surrendered to the British in August 1945. Sunk in the Strait of Malacca on 8/6/1946.

Design[edit]

Launch of Myōk

, April 16, 1927.

class had

displacement 13,500 t (13,300 long tons), with a hull design based on a larger version of the Aoba-class cruiser.
Myoko
was 203.8 m (669 ft) long, with a beam of 19.5 m (64 ft), a draft of 6.36 meters (20.9 ft) and were capable of 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph). [4] Power was provided by 12 Kampon boilers driving four sets of geared, single-pulse gas turbine engines with four shafts driving three-blade propellers. The ship was armored with a 102 mm (4 in) wide side belt and a 35 mm (1 in) thick armored deck; however, the bridge was not armored.[4]

Myōk Main Battery

consisted of ten 20cm/50 Year 3 naval guns, the heaviest armament of any heavy cruiser in the world at the time, mounted in five twin turrets.
[4] Her secondary armament included eight 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval guns in four twin mounts on each side and 12 Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes in four triple launchers located below the aircraft deck. The Myōk
was also equipped with an aircraft catapult and carried up to three seaplanes for reconnaissance purposes. [4]

Myoko

was laid down at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on October 25, 1924, launched and named on April 16, 1927, at a ceremony attended by Emperor Hirohito, and was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on July 31, 1929 [5] Although the first ship of her class was to be laid down , she was the third one to be completed.

Myoko

upgraded and upgraded numerous times throughout its career to counter the growing threat of air strikes. She eventually installed 52 25 mm Type 96 anti-tank/anti-aircraft guns and two 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft guns after the final upgrade. [3]

Warships: Japanese Myoko-class heavy cruisers

Cruiser "Ashigara", Kiel, May 1937.
It probably looks a little strange, but I decided to start with the Japanese cruisers. Why? Well, first of all, they were interesting ships. Secondly, they, unlike many of their colleagues (Soviet, French, Italian, German), actually fought through the entire war. Some even lived to an inglorious end, which does not at all detract from their military merits.

If you look at it biasedly, during the Second World War only the cruisers of the British Commonwealth, the United States and Japan were engaged in business. The rest are like this... The French quickly ran out altogether, the Italians and ours saved the materiel from the gifted admirals, who, in general, were not capable of anything, the Germans... With the Germans in general there will be a separate conversation about what they called cruisers and what they are worked during the war.

So let's talk about Japanese ships.

The cruiser "Myoko" after the end of the war. Singapore, 25 September 1945

The impetus for the construction of these ships was the same Washington Naval Agreement of 1922, which strictly regulated the arms race at sea. And the Myoko-class heavy cruisers became the first ships built in accordance with the Washington Treaty. Limited to a displacement of 10,000 tons and with 203 mm guns.

In Japan there were two shipwrights: Yuzuru Hiraga and Kikuo Fujimoto. These two designers designed so many ships that it evokes both surprise and respect. “Yubari”, “Aoba” - and now the next step is “Myoko”.

"Myoko" during sea trials after the second modernization. Ugurujima Island area, March 31, 1941

What Hiraga conceived was eventually embodied in a project that became a classic in the Japanese fleet for some time. Ten main caliber guns in five two-gun turrets, three in the bow and two in the stern. Yes, in Europe and the USA they preferred three-gun turrets on cruisers, but there was a certain logic in Hiragi’s work. One “extra” 203 mm barrel, which was hardly superfluous in reality.

And this scheme persisted for quite a long time until the design of the cruiser Tone was developed, in which all four main caliber turrets were installed in the bow.

Hiraga generally wanted to go further, removing torpedo tubes from the armament altogether, and in return installing another artillery tower. Thus, the output would have been a ship with a very impressive broadside, but the naval command decided otherwise, and not only were the torpedo tubes abandoned, but the caliber of the torpedoes also increased to 610 mm.

Japanese admirals liked the idea of ​​destroying the enemy fleet after an artillery duel with a surprise attack from a great distance, even at night, with the help of these “long lances.”

And as a result, in 1923-1924, four ships were laid down, which during 1924-1929 were built by two state (Myoko and Nachi) and two private (Haguro and Ashigara) shipyards.

The cruiser Haguro under construction in the dry dock of the Mitsubishi shipyard. Nagasaki, October 20, 1928.

Due to a coincidence of circumstances, Nati was the first to be completed. But still, the series was called “Myoko”, since this particular cruiser was the first to be laid down. Despite the fact that Myoko was the second to last to enter service. Happens.

Cruiser Ashigara, Kiel, May 1937

By the beginning of the war, the cruisers had undergone a number of upgrades, and as a result, the data on the Myoko type looked like this: the Myoko type cruiser had a length of 203.8 m with a width along the midship frame of 19.5 m.

Draft - 6.36 m. Total displacement - 15,933 tons. Initially, the cruisers developed a full speed of 35.5 knots, but after installing the boules, the maximum speed dropped to 33.3 knots.

The power of the ship's power plant is 130,250 hp. The practical cruising range at 14 knots was 7,500 nautical miles.

The number of crews of the cruisers "Haguro" and "Nachi" when used as division flagships was 920 people, the crew of "Myoko" and "Asagari" in the version of flagship ships of the fleets was 970 people.

The cruiser's side armor belt had a length of 123.15 m with a height at the edges of 3.5 and 2 m. The thickness of the armor belt was 102 mm, the slope of the belt wall to the vertical was 12 degrees, the thickness of the armored deck was 35 mm, the bridge was not armored at all.

When compared with colleagues, cruisers from other countries, “Myoko” looked very, very worthy. Only the Italian cruiser was faster than it, and in terms of armor and armament (after replacing the 200 mm guns with 203 mm) it was generally one of the best.

Armament. No less important component than the armor or performance of the ship.

The Myoko's main caliber consisted of ten 203 mm guns in five two-gun turrets, model "O". Three towers, according to the “pagoda” principle, were located in the bow of the ship, two in the stern. All 10 guns could fire on board, and four guns could fire forward or backward.

Bow section of the Myoko, 1931. Two bow gun turrets and 6-meter rangefinders on their roofs are visible

The medium-caliber artillery consisted of eight universal 127-mm Type 89NA guns. The guns were installed in two-gun turrets, two per side.

Anti-aircraft artillery, initially consisting of 13.2 mm machine guns, was subsequently supplemented by Type 96 anti-aircraft guns of 25 mm caliber. The assault rifles were installed in a single-barrel (manual) version and a two- and three-barrel version with electric drives.

The number of machine guns increased as the war progressed, and in 1944 it ranged from 45 to 52 per ship. True, the guns were not the best in their class, a light projectile could not provide an acceptable range, so compensating for a frankly weak machine gun with quantity was still an option.

, 1941. A 127-mm type A1 mount and a twin 25-mm type 96 machine gun are visible, between them is a 4.5-mm rangefinder SUAZO type 91.

However, looking ahead, I note that only one of the four Myoko cruisers died from aviation. So we can say that the tactics paid off.

Torpedo weapons. Each cruiser carried four three-tube torpedo tubes with a caliber of 610 mm. The ammunition load of Type 96 torpedoes was 24 pieces.

Standardly, three seaplanes were provided on board, but usually cruisers took two on board.

Launching a seaplane from the left Ashigara catapult. Also visible are the 127 mm mount No. 4, two twin 25 mm machine guns, the SUAZO type 91 rangefinder and the type 95 sighting column. Java Sea, May 1943.

A total of four Myoko-class cruisers were built. The lead ship "Myoko" and "Nachi" were built at state shipyards in Yokosuka and Kure, and the other two ships were built at private shipyards. Ashigara built in Kobe, and Haguro in Nagasaki.

The four cruisers entered service between November 28, 1928 and August 20, 1929. The ships formed the 4th cruiser division, which became part of the 2nd Fleet. The cruisers mostly sailed together and took part in numerous exercises and reviews in the 1930s.

"Nachi", "Myoko", "Haguro", "Ashigara" (from far to near) at a parking lot in Beppu, 1930.

Naturally, the first voyages also revealed the first “childhood” diseases. The main unpleasant discovery was that smoke from the chimneys was blowing onto the bridge, creating unbearable conditions for the command staff.

In order for Japanese sailors to be on the bridge without gas masks, a very original decision was made: the front chimney was extended by 2 meters. The measures helped, but the ship’s appearance became more than original. Although he was quite extraordinary as it is.

The main modification of the cruisers was the replacement of the old 200-mm guns with the newest 203-mm guns in 1933–1935, after which the artillery of the Myoko cruisers became the same as that of the Takao-class heavy cruisers.

In general, by the beginning of World War II, the cruisers came, so to speak, fully armed. These were indeed very good ships with modern weapons, designed for a wide variety of applications.

After the start of the war, the four were divided, and Ashigara became the flagship of the 16th Division of the 2nd Fleet of Admiral Nobutaka. The fleet ensured the capture of the Philippines and further solved problems of countering possible attempts to return the territories.

"Haguro", "Myoko" and "Nachi" became part of the 5th Division, commanded by Admiral Takagi. The 5th Division also took part in the occupation of the Philippines. Here “Myoko” was the first to meet American bombers, “catch” a bomb from a B-17, and was forced to go for repairs.

Then the four cruisers united, and it so happened that they took part quite well in the first battle. It was in the Java Sea, where a battle took place between a Japanese squadron of 4 heavy cruisers (the familiar Haguro, Nachi, Myoko and Ashigara), 2 light cruisers (Yuntsu and Naka) ) and 15 destroyers and squadrons of the Allies (USA, UK, Netherlands) consisting of 2 heavy cruisers (American Houston and British Exeter), 3 light cruisers (Dutch De Ruyter and Java, Australian "Perth") and 8 destroyers.

The allied squadron was commanded by the Dutch Admiral Doorman, who held his flag on the cruiser De Ruyter.

The battle is notable for the fact that it was here that the Allies felt the hard way that there were Japanese “long lances”. Before this, torpedoes were absolutely unknown to the United States and its allies, so Doorman made a rather big mistake by getting close to the Japanese squadron.

The Japanese were delighted with the suddenly opened prospect...

First, three torpedoes fired from the Haguro hit the Exeter. The Exeter caught fire and sank the next day, finished off by torpedoes. Then the Haguro torpedoists hit the Dutch destroyer Kortenauer with a torpedo. One torpedo was enough for the destroyer, especially since it hit the cellar area, the destroyer exploded and also sank to the bottom.

Then, for the sake of variety, the gunners of the Japanese cruisers sank the British destroyer with artillery fire.

Then the torpedomen from the Nati took over the baton, sending a salvo into the side of the cruiser Java. "Java" broke and sank.

And the final point in the battle was set by the Haguro torpedomen who went into a frenzy. Their torpedoes caught up with the flagship De Ruyter and tore it apart. Of the entire team, three dozen people were saved.

A heavy cruiser, two light cruisers and two destroyers. If this is not a rout, then I don’t even know what to call a rout...

But the next morning the beating continued. The Ashigara sank the American destroyer Pillsmbary and the American gunboat Asheville with artillery fire.

And the final point in the battle was set by the cruisers Mikuma, Mogami and Natori with escort destroyers, which intercepted the fleeing allied cruisers Houston and Perth. Torpedoes and shells sent both cruisers to the bottom.

Surprisingly, during the entire battle, which lasted 2 days, not a single shell hit the Japanese ships!

Further, the cruisers took part in many operations of the Japanese fleet, landing troops on the islands of Kiska and Attu, evacuating the Guadalcanal garrison, and participating in the Battle of Tarawa.

Here such a useful option as speed was fully demonstrated. The cruisers were attacked many times by American submarines, but it turned out that it was not so easy to hit a cruiser traveling at a speed of more than 30 knots with torpedoes.

The cruisers took part in the Battle of the Philippines on June 19, 1944, as a result of which Japanese carrier-based aircraft suffered heavy losses in pilots and aircraft. Next, the cruisers went to repairs, where they received such a useful thing as the Type 22 radar.

Then they faced the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which can be called the “disgrace in Leyte Gulf.”

At the beginning of the battle, on October 23, 1944, the US submarines Darter and Days put on a bloody show in the Palawan Strait, sinking two heavy cruisers, Atago and Maya, with torpedoes, and damaging the heavy cruiser Takao. Then there was a massacre carried out by American pilots, as a result of which the super-battleship Musashi and three cruisers sank, and a bunch of ships were damaged.

"Myoko" received a torpedo on board, "Haguro" caught a bomb in the turret, which was out of order.

They decided to put the damaged Myoko in for repairs, and the ship went to Singapore, where it was repaired. On December 13, 1944, the cruiser left Singapore for Japan, and that’s where the Americans got hold of it. The submarine Bergall treated the Myoko with two torpedoes, as a result of which the cruiser completely lost its speed.

In tow, the cruiser returned to Singapore, where it was used as an anti-aircraft battery, sank in shallow water next to its fellow sufferer, the Takao. After the liberation of Singapore, the British towed the damaged cruiser Myoko to the Strait of Malacca, where it was sunk.

The damaged Haguro also moved to Singapore, where it was dry-docked at Selstar Naval Base for repairs. After repairs, Haguro regularly delivered people and cargo to the islands of the Dutch Indies and the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Speed ​​allowed.

The cruiser Haguro is under attack from American bombers. Rabaul, November 2, 1943.

On the night of May 16, 1945, Haguro, traveling with a cargo of provisions to the Andaman Islands, was attacked by the British destroyers Sumares, Verulam, Vigilant, Venus and Virago.

The Haguro gunners immediately hit the Sumares with a shell, then the British decided not to wait for torpedoes and fired a salvo first. "Haguro", having received three torpedoes on board, sank within 40 minutes.

"Nati" fought in the north, fought near the Commander Islands, and the American cruiser "Salt Lake City" was a draw, sending each other for repairs. On September 6, 1943, the cruiser was hit by two torpedoes fired by the American submarine Helibat, but, oddly enough, the torpedo explosions did not cause serious damage to the cruiser.

In the Leyte Gulf massacre, the Nati, along with the Ashigara, took part in a night battle in Surigao Strait, where the Japanese were defeated, and the Nati collided with the Mogami and broke its nose. For repairs, the cruiser went to the Philippines, where the Nati was finally finished off by American aircraft in the harbor of the Kawiti naval base.

The death of the cruiser "Nati"

Nine torpedoes and at least 20 bombs turned the once cruiser into a pile of scrap metal, and it sank in Manila Bay.

The cruiser Ashigara became the flagship of the Southern Expeditionary Fleet on April 10, 1942 and spent most of the war accompanying convoys and delivering cargo to the islands of the Dutch Indies.

Not far from Sumatra on June 8, 1945, the British submarine Trenchant fired five torpedoes at the Ashigara. This was the end of Asigara's career.

Actually, a worthy end for the ships that fought the entire war. And they definitely fought well. Of course, using a heavy cruiser as a transport is not the smartest idea, but that’s okay, our cruisers also carried everything.

What should we say about the project?

Extremely successful. Especially in terms of weapons. 10 203 mm guns in five two-gun turrets is not a European standard 4x2 or an American 3x3. Yes, despite the fact that directional firing could not be carried out from a large number of barrels, only the cruiser Pensacola could compare with the Myoko in terms of broadside salvo.

The armor, like all “Washington” cruisers, was, in general, non-existent, that is, it was capable of protecting against small bombs and shells up to 152 mm.

But in general, within the “Washington” framework, creating a normal ship was simply unrealistic. The terms of the agreement clearly sacrificed speed, armor, weapons, or all at once.

But for the mid-20s of the last century these were really very advanced ships.

Yes, the Myoko entered the war very different from what entered service, since many of the weapons were replaced, air defense was installed from scratch, radars appeared, but nevertheless, for the technological base that Japan had in those years , it was such a real masterpiece. The successful combat service of cruisers up to a certain point only confirms this.

/Roman Skomorokhov, topwar.ru/

Source

History of operations[edit]

Early service[edit]

Myoko

at anchor, 1931.

All in Myoko

-class cruisers were assigned to the Sasebo Naval District, forming
Sentai
-4 of the IJN 3 Fleet, and trained as a unit during the 1930s. During a naval survey off Kobe on 26 October 1930, smoke gases caused problems on the bridge, causing the forward smokestack to be extended by two meters. [4]

During the First Shanghai Incident in February 1932, the cruisers were escorted by transports ferrying Imperial Japanese Army units to the continent. In December 1932, the Myōk

was placed in reserve as the new Takao class cruisers were brought into service, becoming the new
Sentai
-4, while the Myk class ships
were
relegated to
the Sentai
-5.
[4] Between 1933 and 1935, all Myōkō
were modernized with their fixed triple torpedo launchers replaced by two quadruple rotary launchers, and their secondary guns were modernized from 12 cm/45 10th Year Type to 12.7 cm/ 40 Type 89. [3]

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Myōko

participated in Operation Amoy from 10 to 12 May 1938 as the flagship of
Sentai-
9 of the IJN 5th Fleet [6] along with the Hainan Island operation in February 1939.

A second reconstruction and modernization was completed in April 1941, doubling the number of torpedoes to 16, adding eight more 25 mm anti-aircraft guns and hull bulges to improve stability. [3]

Pacific War[edit]

Invasion of the Philippines[edit]

During the attack on Pearl Harbor, Myoko

and
Nachi
formed
Sentai-
5 of the IJN 3rd Fleet.
Sentai-
5 was under the command of Rear Admiral Takeo Takagi and was used from Palau to cover the landing of Japanese troops as part of Operation M, the invasion of the southern Philippine Islands.
After covering the Japanese landings at Legazpi on December 11, 1941, Myoko
and
Nachi
returned to Palau and were then transferred to Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka, whose strike force covered the landings on Palau-Davao on December 19 and Jolo on December 24. [6]

January 4, 1942 Myoko

and other ships of Admiral Tanaka's invasion force were attacked by United States Air Force (USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress bombers while anchored in Davao.
Myōko
was hit by one 500 lb (227 kg) bomb, causing only superficial damage, but she was drydocked at Sasebo Naval Arsenal for repairs.

Battle of the Java Sea[edit]

At the Battle of the Java Sea on March 1, 1942, Myoko

,
Nachi
and
Haguro
participated in the destruction of the last remaining units of the Allied fleet in the Dutch East Indies.
At 11:50, Myoko
, Ashigara and the destroyers Akebono and Inazuma opened fire on the damaged British heavy cruiser Exeter and her escorting two destroyers.
Myk's
8-inch guns helped sink
Exeter
and cripple the destroyer HMS Encounter, which had to be sunk. [6]

Later in March Myōk

received refitting at Sasebo Naval Arsenal. In April, she participated in the unsuccessful pursuit of the Doolittle Raid task force.

Battle of the Coral Sea[edit]

In May Myoko

was part of
the Carrier
Strike Force during Operation Moe, which led to the invasion by Tulagi forces and later the Battle of the Coral Sea.
She served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Takeo Takagi, who commanded the carrier strike force. This force consisted of the aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, which were under the tactical command of Rear Admiral Chuichi Hara, the heavy cruisers Myōk
and
Haguro
, and five destroyers.
Shokaku
was damaged by American aircraft and
Zuikaku
lost most of his aircraft in the Battle of the Coral Sea, forcing the flotilla to withdraw without invading Port Moresby. [6]

Battle of Midway[edit]

In June Myoko

included Vice Admiral Kondo, Nobutake's support force at the Battle of Midway, which included the warships Kongō and Hiei, the heavy cruisers
Haguro
, Atago, and Chōkai, the light cruiser Yura, the light carrier Zuihi, and seven destroyers.
The support force returned to Sendai in northern Japan on 23 June without engaging the enemy, and Myoko
was sent on 28 June to escort a reinforcement convoy for the Aleutian Islands campaign. This force included the carrier
Zuikaka
, light carriers Zuiho, Jun'yō and Ryūjō, heavy cruisers Maya, Takao,
Myoko
,
Haguro
and
Nate
, light cruisers Abakum, Kisa and Tam.
Myoko
returned to Hashirajima on July 12, 1942. [6]

Solomon Islands Campaign[edit]

October 11, 1942 Myōk

sailed from Truk as part of the IJN 2nd Fleet.
This force also included the battleships Kongo
and Haruna, the heavy cruisers
Atago
,
Chōkai
and
Nachi
, the light cruiser Isuzu and twelve destroyers.
They were followed by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's carrier strike force. The mission was to reinforce and resupply Japanese forces on the island of Guadalcanal, which had been invaded by American forces in August. Myoko
was attacked by ten USAAF B-17 bombers on September 14, sustaining light damage.

participated in a shore bombardment operation against American-held Henderson Field with Maya

From January 31 to February 9, 1943 Myk

after repairs at Sasebo, she took part in the evacuation from Guadalcanal.
The force consisted of the carriers Zuikaka
,
Zuihi
, and
Jun'yō
, the battleships
Kongō
and
Harun
, the heavy cruisers
Atago
,
Takao
,
Myoko
and
Haguro
, the light cruisers Nagara and Agana, and 11 destroyers. Japanese transports successfully evacuated 11,700 soldiers from the island.

Later campaigns[edit]

In May 1943, Myoko

and
Haguro
sailed north to assist in the evacuation of Kiska.
In June they returned to Sasebo for another renovation. The Myōk
was equipped with four twin 25 mm Type 96 gun mounts and an anti-aircraft gun mount, and a Type 21 air search radar was installed.

In response to the American aircraft carrier raiding the Gilbert Islands, Myoko

sortied with Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's fleet to attract American carriers.
The fleet consisted of the aircraft carriers Shōkaka
,
Zuika
and
Zuihi
, the battleships Yamato and Nagato, the heavy cruisers
Myoko
,
Haguro
, Tone, Chikuma, Mogi,
Atago
,
Takao
,
Chōkai
and Maya, the light cruiser
Agano
and fifteen destroyers. Despite an extensive search, these forces were unable to contact the American strike force and returned to Truk.

November 1 Myōkō

and
Haguro
sailed south of Truk with two destroyers, escorting a supply convoy to Rabaul.
From Rabaul, Myoko
sailed with the light cruisers
Agano
and Sendai and six destroyers to escort reinforcements to Bougainville Island. The four fast destroyers carried 1,000 Japanese army personnel. The warships outpaced the transports and engaged American forces at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay at 12:50 p.m. on November 3.

An American force of four light cruisers and eight destroyers sank Sendai

with 6-inch (152 mm) fire.
While avoiding American fire, Myōko
collided with the destroyer Hatsukaze.
Hatsukaze
fell behind the task force as it retreated and was finished off by American artillery fire.
Haguro
received minor damage in the battle, and the American destroyer USS Foote was hit by a Long Lance torpedo.

November 17 Myoko

arrived in Sasebo for another repair.
Eight single-man 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were added, bringing the total number of guns to 24. In January, Myōk
(with
Tone
and two destroyers) made the transport passage from Truk to Kavieng and back without incident.
On February 10, while sailing from Truk to Palau with Atago
and
Chōkai
and eight destroyers,
Myoko
was attacked by the submarine USS Permit. The submarine fired four torpedoes, but all missed.

In March Myōk

and the destroyer Shiratsuyu escorted a convoy of empty tankers from Palau to Borneo.
On April 6, Myōk
was attacked by the submarine USS Dace.
She fired all six bow torpedo tubes, but missed. The submarine USS Darter also sighted Myoko,
but was unable to move into position to attack.

Battle of the Philippine Sea[edit]

In June 1944, Mykō

participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. The Japanese fleet sailed from its anchorage at Tawi-Tawi in response to the American invasion of the Mariana Islands. Japanese commanders knew that American heavy bombers based in the Marianas could reach factories and shipyards on the Japanese islands. American sailors later called this battle the "Grand Marianas Army" because more than 300 Japanese aircraft carriers were shot down in one day on June 19.

Battle of Leyte Gulf[edit]

Myoko

participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf as part of Vice Admiral Kurita's First Mobile Strike Group (Center Force), consisting of four battleships and ten cruisers.
As the Central Forces attempted to break through the Shibuya Sea, they were spotted and attacked by US Task Force 38. Although most of the airstrikes focused on the battleship Musashi, Myōko
was hit by a torpedo on her starboard stern, which damaged her starboard propellers. She broke off and headed for Singapore at a reduced speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph), arriving on 2 November 1944. After temporary repairs, she sailed to Japan with a stop at Cam Ranh Bay.

On the way to Cam Ranh Myoko

was hit by one of six torpedoes fired by the submarine USS Bergall at 5:35 pm on December 13, 1944, at her port stern side, tearing off her stern and leaving her unable to steer.
She died in the water. Despite extensive damage to the stern, one port propeller remained operational and she could reach speeds of up to 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph). Unable to steer, she was towed by the destroyer Ushio (which helped damage Bergall
, which survived and returned to Fremantle) and several other ships to Singapore Harbor for repairs;
however, Singapore lacked the materials to complete repairs to Myoko
and
Takao.
, the latter being seriously damaged by two submarine-launched torpedoes before the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea.

Fate[edit]

Aerial view

at
Myoko
in Singapore, 1 February 1945. Note the absence of the ship's stern.

Two British naval officers examine what remains of Myoko

» stern s.

In February 1945, the harbor commander reported that Myoko

could not be fixed in Singapore without additional materials, and could not be towed to Japan.
He recommended that Myōk
in Singapore as a floating anti-aircraft battery, a proposal which was approved.
Both Myoko
and
Takao
were attacked by British midget submarines on 26 July but survived the war.

Myoko

formally surrendered to Royal Navy units on 21 September 1945, and was then towed into the Strait of Malacca and scuttled off the port of Swettenham, Malaya (near modern Port Klang, Malaysia) at 3°5'N 100°40'E / 3.083°N. W. 100.667°E / 3.083; 100.667 Coordinates: 3°5′N 100°40′E / 3.083°N W. 100.667°E / 3.083; 100,667 8 July 1946, near submarines I-501 and I-502.

Myoko-class cruisers

Myoko-class cruisers

The cruiser "Mioko" and three ships of the same type, "Nami", "Haguro" and "Ashigara" were built according to the shipbuilding program of 1924–1929. They became the first Japanese cruisers built in accordance with the displacement limit for such ships established by the Washington Treaty - 10,000 tons, that is, the first Japanese Washington cruisers. The hulls of the Milko-class cruisers became similar to the hulls of the Aoba-class cruisers - longer and wider. The line of development begun by Hiraga with the cruiser Yubari continued. Ten main caliber guns were placed in five two-gun turrets, three in the bow and two in the stern. This configuration of the main caliber artillery became standard on the cruisers of the Japanese fleet until the advent of the Tone ships, on which all four main caliber turrets were installed in the bow. The Myoko-class cruiser project was developed jointly by Hiraga and Fuhimoto. Hiraga tried to make the ship more stable, but could not resist the barrage of military demands, the fulfillment of which was associated with the placement of additional masses above the upper lalube.

Hiraga also proposed not to install torpedo tubes on the cruiser, but to strengthen the main caliber artillery with another two-gun turret. The proposals of the outstanding designer did not pass. The military believed that it was possible to neutralize the larger fleet of Washington cruisers of the US Navy (the Washington Treaty established the proportion of heavy cruisers for the USA and Japan as 10 to 6) only with the powerful, latest 610-mm torpedoes placed on cruisers and destroyers. The idea of ​​defeating the American fleet by the Japanese was to attack the enemy's linear squadron with long-range torpedoes at night after a daytime artillery battle. At first, the concept led the Japanese to success, but then radars appeared on American ships, with the help of which the Yankees fired aimed cannon fire in conditions of complete darkness. When the first cruisers were built, the torpedo tubes were installed motionless, so that torpedoes from them could only be launched forward. During modernization in the late 30s, fixed torpedo tubes were replaced by movable ones installed under armored shields at the level of the upper deck. A number of improvements introduced on the cruisers at the insistence of the General Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy while Master Hiraga was on a business trip in Great Britain led to an increase in the “test” displacement of the ships from 11,850 to 12,350 tons, which already exceeded the limit established by the Washington Treaty. Improvements led to a decrease in the stability of cruisers to a dangerous level, which was corrected only at the end of the 30s by attaching boules to the hulls.

Due to a conflict of priorities, Iachi was the first of the new series of cruisers to be completed. The cruiser was shown publicly on December 4, 1928 during the visit of Emperor Hirohito to Yokohama. Abroad, the new cruisers were immediately dubbed ships of the Nachi class; the truth only triumphed after the war - they were cruisers of the Myoko class. "Mioko" was laid down and launched first, but it entered service only as the third.

In its wartime configuration, the Myoko-class cruiser was 203.8 m long with a midship frame width of 19.5 m. For comparison, the length of the American Washington cruiser Chicago was a measly 182.9 m, although the American was fatter than the Japanese - 20.1 m. The draft of the Mioko-class cruiser is 6.36 m, test displacement is 14,950 tons. The total displacement in wartime is 15,933 tons (for the Chicago it is 11,420 g). Twelve Kanpon boilers drove four turbo-gear units connected to four three-blade propellers. Initially, the Myoko-class cruisers developed a full speed of 35.5 knots, but after installing the boules, the maximum speed dropped to 33.3 knots. The power of the ship's power plant is 130,250 hp. Cruiser "Chicago" with a vehicle power of 107,000 hp. developed a full speed of 32.5 knots. The estimated cruising range of the Japanese cruiser at a speed of 14 knots was 8,500 nautical miles, but in practice the cruising range at 14 knots did not exceed 7,500 nautical miles. The crew size of the cruisers Haguro and Nachi, when used as division flagships, was 920 people; the crew of Mioko and Asagiri, when used as fleet flagships, was 970 people. The crew of the cruiser Chicago consisted of 730 natives of the United States, dressed in naval uniforms.

The side armor belt of the Myoko-class cruiser stretched a good 123.15 m with a height at the edges of 3.5 and 2 m. The thickness of the armor belt was 102 mm (4 inches), the slope of the belt wall to the vertical was 12 degrees (thickness of the Chicago armor belt - 76.2 mm, 3 inches). The thickness of the armored deck of the Myoko-class cruiser is 35 mm (1.4 inches); The bridge is not armored.

The picture was taken from the searchlight platform of the cruiser "Haguro" in 1941. The twin installation of 25-mm automatic guns, a boat covered with a tarpaulin, and medium-caliber artillery are clearly visible. Pay attention to the tight rolls of tarpaulin attached next to the guns - they are designed to protect the crews from shell fragments and bombs.

The cruiser Nichi was photographed from the cruiser Haguro near Formosa in March 1941. In the rear weeping is the silhouette of the aircraft carrier Hiryu. In the foreground are the barrels of a coaxial 13-mm machine gun type 93. Such machine guns were first installed on the cruiser in August 1939; later the anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened by installing built-in 25-mm automatic guns on the ship.

The main battery of the cruiser "Mioko" consisted of ten 203-mm guns in five two-gun turrets, model "O"; three towers were located in the bow of the ship. two - in the stern. The medium-caliber artillery battery consisted of eight universal 127-mm type 89NA guns, mounted in two-gun turrets, two on each side. The rest of the artillery is represented by standard 25-mm automatic cannons in triple and twin installations (up to 45 barrels). 24 Type 96 torpedoes were carried in four Model 1 four-tube torpedo tubes, ultimately concentrated below the aircraft deck. Standardly, three seaplanes were provided on board, but usually the cruisers took on board two airplanes.

The massive pagoda-shaped superstructure of the cruiser Takao, photographed on May 23, 1932. The superstructure of the cruiser is more typical of a battleship. The heavy cruiser Takao entered service shortly after May 31, 1932. During the modernization of the cruisers Takao and Atago, the dimensions of the superstructure were reduced. The cruisers "Maya" and "Chokai" have retained their superstructures in their original form. The Takao-class cruisers differed from the Myoko-class cruisers in the installation location of the torpedo tubes; on the Takao-class cruisers the torpedo tubes were located in the area of ​​the chimneys.

The photograph of the cruiser Takao is dated August 21, 1939... Seaplanes Kawanishi E7K2 (left) and Nakayama E8N2 (right) are clearly visible. Compressed gas cylinders are stored in the space between the upper and aircraft decks.

A total of four Myoko-class cruisers were built. The lead "Myoko" was built at the Yokosuka naval shipyard. "Nachi" - at the naval shipyard in Kure, "Ashigara" - by Kawasaki in Kobe and "Haguro" - by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki. All ships were laid down and launched between October 25, 1924 and April 22, 1928. The cost of one cruiser was 21.9 million yen. All four ships are named after the highest peaks of the Japanese islands.

All four Myoko-class cruisers entered service between November 28, 1928 and August 20, 1929. From the moment they entered service until they were removed from the list of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the ships were registered in the city of Sasebo. The ships made up the 4th cruiser division, which became part of the 2nd fleet. The cruisers mostly sailed together and took part in numerous exercises and reviews in the 1930s. The operation of the ships revealed the following design defect - smoke from the chimney was thrown onto the bridge. To eliminate the defect, the front chimneys on all four cruisers had to be lengthened by about 2 m, after which the profile of the ship, already unusual thanks to Hirogi’s talent, became completely original. In February 1932, the cruisers were transported to Shanghai by units of the 24th Army. On December 1, 1932, all four cruisers were put into reserve while the new 4th Division was formed from the newest Takao-class ships. Later, the cruiser "Myoko" was included in the 5th Division, after the cruisers "Furutaka" and "Loba" were transferred to the 6th Division. Four Myoko-class cruisers continued to take part in maneuvers and reviews. In 1933–1935 The ships underwent reconstruction, during which the old 203-mm guns were replaced with the latest 8-inch guns No. 2, after which the main caliber artillery was brought into line with the main caliber artillery of Takao-class cruisers.

The starboard side of the cruiser "Chokai", July 18, 1938. Numerous binocular-type optical observation devices are installed on the wing of the bridge.

After the second modernization, completed in April 1941, the cruisers Haguro, Myoko and Nachi became part of the 5th Division, commanded by a prominent Japanese naval commander of the samurai persuasion, a certain Takagi. Their sister ship, Ashigara, however, became the flagship of the 16th Division, which was part of Admiral Nobutaka's "Philippine Confiscation Force" of the 2nd Fleet. For most of the Second World War, the cruiser Ashigara operated in isolation from its classmates. On December 2, 1941, the 5th Division, which was in Palau, received the order “Niitakayama nobure” - “climbing Mount Niitaka.” The code phrase meant the beginning of the operation to occupy the Philippines. The cruisers covered the landing in Legazpi, returned to Palau and again provided landing, this time in Davao. When the cruisers were anchored in Davao Gulf on January 4, they were attacked by B-17 bombers taking off from Java. The cruiser "Myoko" received a direct hit from a bomb, after which it went for repairs in Sasebo, while "Nachi" and "Haguru" took part in landing operations in Menado, Kemah, Kendari, and later in Ambon and Makassar, in Timor. The repair of the Mioko was completed on February 20, 1942. The Mioko, together with the Ashigara, joined two other cruisers of the same type. The critical moment of the battle in the Java Sea occurred on February 27–28, when the Japanese cruisers Haguro, Nachi, Mioko, Ashigara, light cruisers Yuntsu and Naka, along with 15 destroyers, clashed with the United fleet Nations consisting of the heavy cruisers of the American Houston, the British Exeter, the light cruisers of the Dutch De Ruyter, the Australian Perth, the Dutch Java and eight destroyers representing the British, US and Dutch navies. The allied squadron was commanded by the Dutchman Admiral Doorman, who held his flag on the cruiser De Ruyter. Then the US allies did not suspect what a terrible weapon Japanese long-range torpedoes were, so Doorman set off on a course parallel to the course of the Japanese squadron, approaching the enemy at a dangerously short distance. The narrow-eyed gunners of torpedo tubes of Japanese cruisers and destroyers happily rubbed their hands - at such a distance they couldn’t even squint had to in order to aim the torpedoes at the right targets. Torpedoes fired by the cruiser Hagura hit the famous British cruiser Exeter. that his model under the modest name “Cruiser” was produced by the Minsk toy factory. On the evening of February 27, “Exeter” was on fire, the fire was caused by explosions of Japanese torpedoes. Next after the Exeter, the Dutch destroyer Kortenaer hit the sights of the Haguro torpedo guns - one torpedo was enough for it, the destroyer exploded and sank. The Japanese cruisers sank another enemy destroyer with artillery fire. De Ruyter, Doorman's flagship. was sent to the bottom by torpedoes - the torpedoists of the cruiser Haguro distinguished themselves again; Few of the De Ruyter crew managed to escape. Soon after the sinking of De Ruyter, torpedoes from the cruiser Nachi hit the cruiser Java, and Java was gone.

The cruiser Ashchago anchored at Yokosuka Naval Base, April 1932. Sailors from the ship's crew scrape the side before painting.

The cruisers Maya and Chokai visited Amoy, China, on October 21, 1938. The angle of the photo leaves no doubt as to why the superstructures of these cruisers are called pagoda-shaped. When maneuvering, the cruisers clearly lacked a margin of stability. The catapult is equipped with a Kawanishi E7K2 seaplane.

The next morning, the cruiser Ashigara sank the American destroyer Pillsmbari and the American gunboat Asheville with artillery fire. The Mioko and Ashigara fired at the cruiser Exeter, which was still afloat, after which the Japanese destroyers finished off the British ship with torpedoes. At the end of the battle, the American cruiser Houston and the Australian Perth were sunk by torpedoes and artillery from the cruisers Mikuma, Mogami, Natori and destroyers. Surprisingly, during the two-day battle, not a single shell hit the Japanese cruisers. The effect of the Japanese use of torpedoes caused shock in the Allied camp. American and British cruisers did not carry torpedo weapons at all, and their crews received little training for night battles. Two long years passed before the advent of radar fire control systems for main caliber artillery changed the balance of forces in night confrontations in favor of the United Nations.

Mioko, Haguro and Nachi returned to Sasebo for dry docking for routine repairs. After repairs, Nachi went to northern waters, where she became the flagship of the commander of the 5th Fleet, Vice Admiral Hosogaya. Hosogaya was then preparing his fleet for action in the Kuril Islands. During the famous flight of Doolittle's bombers to Japan on April 18, 1942... the cruisers Myoko and Haguro were in the waters of the Metropolis. Two cruisers made an unsuccessful attempt to find the aircraft carrier Chorist. from which Dolittle's pariahs started. After the invasion of Tulagi, the cruisers of the 5th Division supported the landing of Japanese troops on the islands of Kiska and Attu, which are very close to Alaska. Next, the 5th Cruiser Division, along with the 6th Cruiser Division and battleships, proceeded to Truk Atoll for a show of force in the northern Solomon Islands. Further along the course of history, “Mioko” and “Haguro” went to Sasebo for another repair, during which the mast of the cruiser “Haguro” was rebuilt in the image and likeness of the mast of the cruiser “Myoko”. After returning to Truk, the cruiser also ensured the evacuation of the Guadalcanal garrison of 11,000 people. Next, the cruisers helped evacuate the garrison of Kiska Island. Then - another repair in Sasebo, during which type 21-2 radars were installed on the cruisers. The ships returned to Truk, where they took part in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat the American fleet at the Battle of Tarawa. On November 1, 1943, the ships took part in the Battle of Princess Augusta Bay. In that battle, the Japanese light cruiser Sendai was sunk, and the Myoko collided with the destroyer Hapukaze. "Hagura" received five or six direct hits from 127-mm shells fired by American destroyers. A decisive turning point has come in the campaign in the Pacific. Too much was demanded of the Imperial Japanese Navy, while the fleet's already insufficient resources were constantly dwindling. From Truk, the ships of the 5th Cruiser Division went to Rabaul, where they were attacked by American bombers. There is a remarkable photograph showing columns of water from exploding bombs around the cruiser Haguro; the ship was not damaged at that time. The photo was taken from a B-25 bomber. After another repair at Sasebo, the cruisers of the 5th Division completed many cruises to deliver people and cargo to various points in the Pacific Ocean. Many times, cruisers tried to attack American submarines, but the submarines could not take up good positions from which they could fire torpedoes at the high-speed Japanese ships.

The cruisers took part in the Battle of the Philippines on June 19, 1944... as a result of which Japanese carrier-based aviation suffered heavy losses in pilots and aircraft. Then the cruisers were again undergoing repairs, but this time in Kura, where Type 22 radars were installed on the ships. As part of Vice Admiral Kurita's formation, the cruisers Haguro and Myoko took part in Operation Sho-i-Go, more known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

At the beginning of the battle, on October 23, 1944, the Japanese fleet entered the Palawan Strait. The US Navy submarines Darter and Days sank Kurita's flagship heavy cruiser Atago and the heavy cruiser Maya with torpedoes and damaged the Takao.

The cruiser Nachi maneuvers towards Manila Bay under attacks from American carrier-based aircraft, November 5, 1944. Then the cruiser was hit by at least nine torpedoes and up to 20 bombs before the ship broke in half. Most of the cruiser's crew died.

Two-gun main caliber turret of type “E” of the cruiser “Takao”, photographed on March 20, 1933. In the foreground is a tripod that will be installed on the main caliber turret No. 2.

Two-gun 203-mm turret model “E”, such turrets were installed on Takao-class cruisers

"Haguro" miraculously missed the torpedoes fired at it. Admiral Kurita survived the sinking of the cruiser Atago. The admiral, caught from the water, installed his flag on the battleship Yamato. The next phase of the battle is known as the Battle of the Shibuyan Sea, which took place on October 24, 1944. The Japanese fleet was attacked by more than 250 American aircraft from the aircraft carriers Task Force 38. Aviation sank the battleship Musashi, the battleships Yamato and Nagato received direct hits from bombs , but remained afloat. The Myoko was hit by a torpedo dropped by an American torpedo bomber, and the Tone was hit by a bomb. At this moment, Vice Admiral Hashimoto transferred his flag to the cruiser Haguro. Continuing the task, the Japanese fleet in the waters of the island of Samar opened fire on the ships of the American formation Tesk Group 77, which consisted of destroyers and escort aircraft carriers. The Japanese sank one escort aircraft carrier and three destroyers, but American carrier-based aircraft appeared in the air again, sending the cruisers Chikuma, Chokai and Suzuya to the bottom, damaging the cruisers Tone and Haguro. Turret No. 2 of the latter’s main caliber was hit by a 45-kg bomb, causing serious damage—thirty people were killed, and the turret jammed. The aircraft of Admiral Halsey's carrier force were saved from destruction by the FG-77 escort aircraft carriers. On the other hand, no one could stop the Japanese from “dealing” with the American invasion fleet in the Philippines, which did not have “serious” ships capable of resisting Japanese cruisers and battleships. However, Admiral Kurita, impressed by the losses suffered from carrier-based aircraft and submarines, decided to leave. Kurita's fleet returned to Brunei to replenish fuel and ammunition.

The damaged Mioko left Brunei for Singapore, where it arrived on November 3. During repairs, the cruiser was attacked by B-29 bombers, but did not receive significant damage from the impact of American bombers. On December 13, 1944, the cruiser left Singapore for Japan. During the passage, the Myoko was attacked by the American submarine Bergell, and as a result of the explosion of torpedoes, the cruiser lost speed. Escorted by the destroyer Yushio, the cruiser in tow returned to Singapore. The commission, having examined the Myoko, decided not to restore the cruiser - too much time and effort would have been required to tow the ship to Japan. The Myoko was sunk next to the damaged cruiser Takao in Seletar Harbour. later used as an anti-aircraft battery. By this time, the cruiser had received a camouflage pattern of dark gray spots applied over the standard plain medium gray paint job. After liberating Singapore from the Japanese, the British towed the damaged cruiser Myoko to the Strait of Malacca, where it was sunk. The cruiser Mioko was removed from the lists of the Imperial Japanese Navy on August 10, 1945.

The damaged cruiser Haguro also moved from Brunei to Singapore, where she was dry-docked at the Selstar Naval Base for repairs to the main gun turret No. 2. After repairs, Haguro regularly delivered people and cargo to the islands of the Dutch Indies and the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The British specifically hunted for the cruiser, and at one point the hunt was crowned with success: British destroyers sank the Haguro with torpedoes and artillery fire. In its last battle, the Haguro hit the destroyer Somarets with a 203-mm shell. The cruiser Haguro sank on May 16, 1945, and was removed from the lists of the Imperial Japanese Navy on June 20, 1945.

The cruiser "Maya" was put in for repairs on January 9, 1943. The frame shows the stern torpedo tube and both smokestacks.

On March 17, 1942, the cruiser Nachi was transferred from the 5th Division to operate in northern waters. Where she became the flagship of Admiral Hosogaya's 5th Fleet. By this time, at the stern of the ship, as well as on some other Japanese heavy cruisers. Guides for releasing depth charges were installed. The cruiser took part in escorting convoys during the landing operation on Attu Island and operated in the waters of Dutch Harbor and Unalaska Island. On March 26, 1943, the heavy cruisers Nachi and Maya, together with the light cruisers Tamma and Abukama. Five destroyers fought with the American light cruiser Richmond and the American heavy cruiser Salt Lake City, which were supported by four destroyers. The battle became known as the Battle of the Commander Islands. The artillery duel lasted four hours, during which the American ships received serious damage. At the same time, the cruiser Nachi was hit by five 8-inch shells fired by the Salt Lake City guns. An attempt to deliver Japanese reinforcements failed. The consequence of that memorable battle was the removal of Admiral Hosogaya from the post of fleet commander, and Admiral Kawase himself took his place. Repaired in Yokosuka, Nachi took part in the evacuation of the Kiska Island garrison. On September 6, 1943, the cruiser was hit by two torpedoes fired by the American submarine Helibat, but strangely enough, the torpedo explosions did not cause serious damage to the cruiser. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf on November 24, 1944, the cruisers Nachi, Ashigara and Mogami, along with the battleships Yamashiro and Fuso, took part in a night battle in the Surigao Strait with American battleships and cruisers. The old and slow Japanese battleships had no chance in battle against American ships, which is why they were sunk. The Nachi collided with the Mogami, and the cruiser went to Coron in the Philippines to repair the bow end. In the harbor of the Kawiti naval base, the cruiser was repeatedly attacked by American aircraft, receiving a total of at least three torpedo hits. The cruiser Nachi was removed from the lists of the Japanese fleet on January 20, 1945.

The cruiser Ashigara became the flagship of the Southern Expeditionary Fleet on April 10, 1942. For most of the war, he accompanied convoys and himself delivered cargo to the islands of the Dutch Indies. During a joint operation with the light cruiser Oyoda on September 26, 1944, the heavy cruiser Ashigara was attacked by B-25 bombers; the 225-kg bomb that hit the cruiser did not cause serious damage to the ship. The next day, Ashigara bombarded the American bridgehead on San Jose, Mindoro with main-caliber artillery. The damage from the bomb that exploded in the belly of the cruiser was repaired in a dry dock in Singapore. Off Sumatra on June 8, 1945, the British submarine Trenchant fired five torpedoes at the Ashigara. The cruiser sank and was removed from the lists of the Imperial Japanese Navy on August 20, 1945.

The bridge of the cruiser "Maya", May 1944. An air surveillance radar antenna is installed on the roof of the superstructure.

"Takao", 1944

Commander [edit]

Chief Equipment Specialist[edit]

Captain[edit]

Ships in class

The ships in the class were:

Notes[edit]

1. Lacroix, Japanese Cruisers
   , pp. 808-809.
2. Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
   . Naval Institute Publishing House. ISBN 0-87021-893-X. page 81
3. ^ abcd Chennault, Warships of Every Country in the World
   , p. 118.
4. ^ abcdefg Patton, Japanese Heavy Cruisers of World War II
   , pp. 20-36.
5. ^ B s d e g h i J k l m p o r a QR sec t u V “Myoko: Tabular Recording of Movement”. combinedfleet.com
   . Retrieved February 21, 2022.
6. ^ abcde Parshall, Tabular Record of Movement

Upper level

Inside were rest cabins for the captain (left) and his mate (right), behind them was the central telephone exchange No. 3 and a first aid station. In the stern there was a central combat post. Outside, on both sides of the superstructure, there were four rangefinders: two with an optical base of 3.5 m “14 shiki”, intended for anti-aircraft artillery (they were absent on the “Mioko”) and two with a base of 1.5 m “14 shiki”, intended for navigation purposes.

Compass platform

In front there was an assault cabin, distinguished by a large glass area. Behind it was the central telephone exchange No. 4 and a room with maps. Outside there was a 91 Siki torpedo range finder and a 92 Siki torpedo launch post, a 60 cm Aldis signal light and observation posts equipped with 12 and 18 cm binocular spotting scopes.

Sokuteki tier

In front there was a course calculation post, and immediately behind it in the glassed control room there was an artillery calculator (92 shiki sokutekiban), which determined the course and speed of the target. Next was the data transmission room for the main battery towers and the signal flag store. Outside there were control and guidance posts for searchlights, as well as air defense observation posts.

Main artillery fire control post

There was an artillery fire control device “94 Shiki Hioban Shozun Sochi” and a 6-meter range finder “14 Shiki”. On the Mioko, the rangefinder was located in a separate enclosed room located behind the control device. In the stern there were two antennas for the 90 Siki radiotelephone.

A new three-legged foremast was installed behind the bow superstructure. At approximately half its height there was a goniometer room with a directional antenna. There were fans under the mast that supplied air to the boiler room. Between the mast and the bow pipe there was a platform with two searchlights of the “92 siki” type with a diameter of 110 cm, and under them there were 127 mm anti-aircraft guns. Next to the guns were boxes of ammunition intended for direct use. Between the pipes there was a platform with two other 92 Siki searchlights, and just below there were 25-mm anti-aircraft guns. Behind the cannons in closed turrets were 4.5 mm 89 Siki anti-aircraft rangefinders. Next was the stern tube, at which control posts for anti-aircraft guns were installed. Behind the pipe on the platform were two 25-mm anti-aircraft guns. A new rotary mast with a cargo boom designed for lifting seaplanes was installed behind the stern pipe. The mainmast had a three-legged design, one leg passing through the stern superstructure. On the roof of the superstructure there was a reserve artillery fire control device “94 Siki” and an observation post. Between the catapults and the seaplane feed rails were the engine room fans. Below, in the area of ​​the catapults, on each side there were two torpedo tubes on the sponsons.

Additional TA and anti-aircraft guns required increasing the crew size to 891 people. During the modernization, the cruisers Haguro and Nachi were adapted to serve as the flagship ships of the division (the crew in peacetime reached 920 people), and the other two cruisers were adapted to the role of flagship ships of the fleet (the crew in peacetime was about 970 people).

The radio stations were modernized again, the number of which increased. The flagships of the fleet “Mioko” and “Ashigara” received foremasts 32 m high, which increased the range of the new means of communication. The radio antennas located on towers Nos. 2 and 4 on all ships have been modernized.

"Mioko" in 1942. There is a strip of anti-magnetic installation along the side.

Propulsion system

To achieve the required speed of 35.5 knots, a 130,000 hp propulsion system was required. With the consent of the 5th Department of the Naval Technical Department, it was decided to install on the cruisers an improved propulsion system of the same type that was planned to be installed on the battle cruiser Amagi in 1919. The author of the propulsion system project was Captain 1st Rank Hiraga.

The propulsion system consisted of four Kanpon steam turbines. The single-flow turbine developed a power of 32,500 hp. at 320 rpm. These were active single-flow turbines, which showed themselves to be much better than the low-pressure jet turbines used on early ships. The turbines stood in four turbine compartments, separated by longitudinal and transverse waterproof partitions. Each turbine consisted of two high-pressure and two low-pressure units connected through a gearbox to the propeller shaft. The bow engine room operated on an internal pair of propellers, and the stern engine room operated on an external pair.

The low-pressure units were located in the aft part of the turbine compartments, their power was 4500 hp. at 180 rpm The steam pressure when operating at full power reached 17.25 kg/sq.m. cm, and at the exit from the turbines dropped to 0.155 kg/sq. cm.

The previously used device that determined cruising speed was absent on the Myoko class ships. Instead, two cruising turbines were installed (three-stage, weighing 3 tons, operating steam pressure 17.25 kg/sq. cm), developing a power of 3750 hp. at 140 rpm. Each of the cruise turbines was connected to the high pressure section of the turbines in the bow turbine compartment and rotated the outer propellers. To reduce the resistance of the inner pair of propellers, the turbine simultaneously drove an electric current generator, which energized an electric motor, which in turn turned the inner pair of propellers, making them hydrodynamically neutral. This design of the propulsion system had only one serious drawback - it took a lot of time to switch from cruising to running under four propellers.

The exhaust steam entered eight “Unflux” type condensers with a surface area of ​​762 square meters. m. Each condenser was equipped with its own pump, pumping condensate back into the boiler water tank. Boiler water tanks were placed in the following way. Four were located under, and four next to, the low-pressure units of the turbines. Each engine room contained two main and two auxiliary Sirocco fans, as well as a cooling system pump, an oil cooler and three oil pumps. The total length of the engine room is 32.06 m.

Steam for the turbines was produced in twelve Kanpon Ro-Go boilers, adapted to operate on liquid fuel. Working pressure in boilers is 20 kg/sq.m. cm at a steam temperature of 100? C. The heating surface of one boiler is 970 sq. m. The steam boiler drum had a diameter of 1.27 m and a length of 4.67 m. Two water drums had a diameter of 0.74 m and a length of 4.63 m. The boilers were located in nine boiler rooms. The smoke was discharged through two chimneys. In boiler rooms Nos. I -3, the boilers stood in pairs, in the remaining departments there was one boiler each. All boiler rooms were delimited by watertight bulkheads. Each compartment had one main water pump, and there was one auxiliary pump for every two boilers. The length of the boiler rooms was 49.4 m.

On the first two cruisers, the engines were manufactured at the shipyards of the Japanese Navy, where the cruisers themselves were built. Engines were made for Ashigara, and for Haguro - Yokosuka Kaigun Kosho.

Electric generators with a total power of 735 kW and an operating voltage of 225 V. Three generators took power from a 200 kW turbine and were located in front of the turbine compartments at the store deck level. Each ship also carried a 135 kW emergency generator powered by a diesel engine.

The planned range of the ships of 8,000 miles with an economical 14-knot speed was achieved with a fuel supply of 2,470 tons. In practice, the range was only 7,000 miles, which was explained by the overload of the ship, its increased draft and displacement. For example, “Nachi” with a displacement of 12,000 tons, moving at a speed of 13.9 knots, consumed 4.25 tons of fuel per hour, and “Haguro” with the same displacement and speed of 14.29 knots consumed 3.53 tons of fuel oil per hour.

Links[edit]

• D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of the Fleet: Japanese Naval Action in World War II
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• Boring, Paul S. (1978). Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Publishing House. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). Warships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945
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• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
  . Naval Institute Publishing House. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
• Lacroix, Eric; Linton Wells (1997). Japanese cruisers of the Pacific War
  . Naval Institute Publishing House. ISBN 0-87021-311-3.
• Patton, Wayne (2006). Japanese heavy cruisers in World War II
  . Squadron Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-498-8.
• Tamura, Toshio (2004). "Re: Japanese cruiser torpedoes." Warship International
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• Watts, Anthony J. (1967). Japanese warships of World War II
  . Doubleday & Company.
• Whitley, M. J. (1995). Cruisers of World War II: An International Encyclopedia
  . Naval Institute Publishing House. ISBN 1-55750-141-6.