warship navy ijn heavy cruiser takao history gunzo pacific ocean war book

Hiraga was able to keep its design from becoming dangerously top-heavy, by continually rejecting demands from the IJN General Staff, for additional equipments, but still, surviving ships reach 15,933 tons fully loaded in 1945. With successive modernizations this standard tonnage in 1941 reached 11,000 tons. Protection however was greatly improved overall, with a much thicker inner armoured citadel, triple hull and reinforced cross-sections and bulkheads. The amazing width/length ratio indeed was almost unchanged from the Aoba, the same 12/1. The design feat of cramming all that on a 200 meters long, slender and light hull announced officially as 10,000 tons standard were also capable of reaching 35.5 knots without excessive power either. IJN Myoko post-reconstruction in sea trials, 1941 Design of the Nachi class This is the story of the Mean and Mighty Myoko, Nachi, Haguro and Ashigara. Their wartime records are impressive, they were soldiered in virtually all battles of the Pacific war, managing to survive into 1944-45. This class was approved under the 1922–1929 Fleet Modernization Program and really were the first 'true' heavy cruisers built within the design constraints of the Washington Naval Treaty, and even first '10,000-ton' cruisers built by any nation at that time. * or Myoko class for many authors as the latter was launched earlier, but completed later They were also among the most extensively rebuilt and modernized cruisers in the world. All in all, it went rather well with Japan's decision to retire from the league of nations. This also came with a generous armament of twelve fast reloadable torpedo tubes, with in addition the new 'Long Lance' model.

Both for the Japanese, it became a new standard, applied to both classes of heavy cruisers in succession: The Nachi and Chokai classes, so eight ships in all, which formed the fulcrum of the Imperial Japanese cruiser force during the war. This turret arrangement was found for light guns with triple turrets on post-London treaty ships of the 1930s. Superstar designer Yuzuru Hiraga achieved another accomplishment with these, cramming five twin turrets in that hull, instead of the usual eight or nine (for US ships) seen in other navies.

This represented a brave leap forward in terms of capabilities of the Imperial Japanese Navy, as they reached the very limits of the Washington treaty contrary to the previous Aoba and Furutaka classes.

The Nachi: First true IJN heavy cruisers The heavy cruisers of the Nachi class* were laid down between 19, completed in 1928-29. Nachi class Cruisers (1927) Heavy Cruisers Nachi, Haguro, Myoko, Ashigara.

Warship navy ijn heavy cruiser takao history gunzo pacific ocean war book