Aoba-class heavy cruisers Aoba-class heavy cruisers Aoba-class heavy cruiser

Flak 1928 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
2 × 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns;
1932 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
2 × 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns;
2 × 4 13.2 mm Type 93 machine guns
1940 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
4 × 2 25 mm guns
2 × 2 13.2 mm machine guns
1943 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
1 x 3, 6 x 2 25 mm guns
1944 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
3 x 3, 6 x 2, 15 x 1 25 mm guns
1945 4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10,
3 x 3, 10 x 2, 15 x 1 25 mm guns

Armament

Artillery weapons

The main caliber consisted of six 200 mm guns with a barrel length of 50 caliber Type 3 guns, mounted in three two-gun turrets of the "C" model. The gun mounts, adopted for service in 1926, had an elevation angle of 40°, which provided a firing range of 26 kilometers. The installation of massive two-gun turrets instead of the single-gun “half-turrets” of the “A” model made it possible to increase the firing range, increase the rate of fire, reduce the fatigue of servants, especially those working on the supply of ammunition, and make the supply more reliable and protected. However, this resulted in a significant increase in weight of almost 126 tons. In addition, the two-gun turrets turned out to be too large for these cruisers - after test firing, the hull and deck around the aft turret had to be strengthened.

Replacing main caliber artillery was one of the main tasks of modernization in 1938-40. On Aoba new 203.2 mm Type 2 No. 1 guns were installed with a maximum elevation angle of 40 degrees and a firing range of almost 29 kilometers. Now the cruiser could use heavier and more effective Type 91 “diving” shells. In October 1942, one of the towers was completely destroyed in the battle off Cape Esperance, and since there was nothing to replace it with, it was temporarily dismantled and the hole in the deck was closed 25 -mm steel plate. As a result, by February 1943, the number of main caliber guns was reduced to four. The turret was repaired and returned to its place during the next repair of the cruiser in the fall of 1943.<

Anti-aircraft weapons

The medium caliber, the main task of which was the ship’s air defense, consisted of four 120-mm “Type 10” artillery guns with a barrel length of 45 calibers, which appeared in the fleet only in 1926. They were installed in Model B single-gun mounts without shields with manual operation. In 1930, the Model "B" installations were replaced by installations with a shield and an electro-hydraulic drive Model "B", for which small sponsons had to be made. During the modernization of 1938-40. It was not possible to install more advanced twin 127 mm installations due to their excessive weight and dimensions. Therefore on Aoba The 120 mm guns were left and the artillery fire control system was replaced.

For close-in defense against aircraft, the bridge carried two 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns, which were imported from England and entered service in 1925. These machine guns turned out to be too heavy and unreliable. In general, the ship's anti-aircraft armament was clearly insufficient, which was generally typical for all warships built in the 1920s. In 1932, sponsons were installed on the sides of the bow superstructure for two quad mounts of 13.2 mm Hotchkiss machine guns on manually operated pedestals, which in Japan were called 13 mm Type 93 machine guns.

Built installation of 25-mm anti-aircraft guns type 96

During the modernization of 1938-40. Four twin 25 mm Type 96 automatic guns were installed around the second chimney, and twin 13 mm machine guns were left instead of quad mounts. During the repair of the ship at the end of 1942-beginning of 1943. Two built-in 25-mm guns were installed (one instead of the main gun turret No. 3, the second instead of 13-mm machine guns. As a result, the total number of 25-mm guns reached 14 units.

When Aoba was damaged once again, during repairs in Kura the main battery turret was returned to its place and the built installation of 25 mm guns had to be dismantled. To compensate for the weakening of anti-aircraft artillery, two twin installations of the same caliber were installed in the area of the main mast. But the most radical enhancement of anti-aircraft weapons was carried out in June 1944, when, during repairs in Singapore, the ship received two built 25-mm installations: in the bow superstructure and in the stern. By this time, the Japanese command was actively filling all ships with these machine guns, so another 15 single installations were placed throughout the ship. They did not receive any fire control systems, so their combat value was low, but nominally in mid-1944 the number of these guns reached 36 units. While in Kura at the end of the war, the ship was actually used as a floating air defense battery, so four more twin 25-mm guns were additionally installed on it.

Torpedo weapons

Although the installation of dangerous torpedo weapons on A-type cruisers was not initially envisaged, they were nevertheless installed. The Naval General Staff planned that night battles with the massive use of torpedo weapons would become one of the main types of combat. Therefore, arming cruisers with torpedoes became prerequisite. On Aoba Six two-tube fixed torpedo tubes of type 12 were installed at once. The total number of torpedoes reached 24 units of type 8 year No. 2 with a caliber of 610 mm.

During the modernization of 1938-40. Type 12 torpedo tubes were replaced by two four-tube rotary tubes with shields on the upper deck on either side of the catapult. Since 1940, these cruisers each carried 16 Type 93 torpedoes: 8 were in the TA, and the remaining 4 from each side were in closed racks in front of the devices on rollers, which made it possible to quickly reload.

Aviation weapons

Seaplane Kawanishi E7K

Seaplane Nakadjima E8N

Since the A-type cruisers were intended primarily for reconnaissance purposes, the requirement of the Naval General Staff to install an aircraft catapult was quite logical. Initially, the ship entered service without a catapult, but already in 1929 it received a Kure type catapult No. 1, powered by compressed air. In 1929, both cruisers were equipped with the Yokosuka K1Y seaplane, which they carried until the end of 1931. A year later, the cruisers received Nakajima E2N seaplanes. During the modernization, a new powder catapult of the Kure No. 2 model 5 type was installed. The cruiser's aviation was represented by two reconnaissance seaplanes Kawanishi E7K and Nakajima E8N: one on a catapult, the other on a platform behind a tripod mainmast, equipped with a more powerful crane. From November 1940 to September of the following year, the ships temporarily carried one fuel and lubricant of these types.

Seaplane Aichi E13A

Seaplane Mitsubishi F1M

During the summer and autumn of 1942, Kawanishi E7K seaplanes Aoba were replaced by Aichi E13A1 reconnaissance aircraft. After repairs in February 1943, the cruiser received one Mitsubishi F1M2 spotter instead of one of the two E13As. It carried these aircraft until April 1943, when it was damaged again. After repairs, from November 1943 to December 1944, when it was disarmed in Kura, it carried 1-2 F1M spotters. Since December, the cruiser has not been equipped with aircraft.

Service history

Pre-war period

Cruiser Aoba for testing during the modernization period. December 1938

After commissioning Aoba was assigned to the Yokosuka naval district, but already in 1932 he was transferred to the Kure district, to which they were assigned until their exclusion from the lists of the fleet. Cruiser, together with the same type Kinugasa acted as part of the 5th cruiser division. During 1932 the ship was in reserve. In May 1933, the cruiser was transferred to the 6th Cruiser Division, becoming its flagship ship (in 1936 it was temporarily assigned to the 7th Cruiser Division). Since December 1, 1936 Aoba was again put into reserve, where it was supposed to remain until the start of modernization in the summer of 1937. However, the growing conflict with China forced the start of modernization to be postponed and the cruiser was used to transport troops to the combat area. On September 1, 1937, the ship was again put into reserve. Initial modernization of heavy cruiser types Furutaka And Aoba, was not provided for, since, according to the new 10-year shipbuilding program for 1937-45. it was planned to remove them from the fleet due to reaching the age limit of 20 years and build six new ships in their place. However, due to the workload of the shipyards in 1936, it was nevertheless decided to modernize them. .

Modernization included, first of all, the standardization and improvement of weapons (main, anti-aircraft, torpedo and aviation), and the installation of a more advanced control system. They were replaced with oil boilers with mixed heating, which made it possible to increase the cruising range (8000 km at a speed of 12 knots). During modernization, the ship's displacement increased, but thanks to the installation of new larger bulges, the ship's stability improved.

Upon completion of the modernization on November 15, 1940, the cruiser Aoba became part of the 6th Division as the flagship. Together with the cruiser Kako they made up the 1st detachment of the division. Until the end of October 1941, the cruiser took part in training in the waters of the metropolis. On 30 November 1941, the 6th Division headed for the Bonin Islands. Aoba was the flagship ship of Rear Admiral Goto Arimoto.

Beginning of the War in the Pacific

The 6th Division, based in the Bonin Islands, was supposed to cover operations against the American base on the island of Guam. The formation went to sea on December 4, but weakly fortified Guam was captured on December 10 without the intervention of heavy ships. On December 12, the cruiser arrived at the base on Truk Atoll. However, the capture of another American base in the Pacific Ocean, Wake Island, failed on the first attempt. Due to the threat of retaliatory measures from the American command, significant forces of the Japanese fleet were brought in for a second attack on the island. The 6th Cruiser Division went to sea on December 13, 1941, covering the operation and returned to base only on January 10, 1942 after capturing the island.

After this, the epicenter of the fighting moved to the southwest, where almost all Japanese heavy cruisers were involved. However, the weakest cruisers of the 6th squadron were left in Truk. In January 1942 Aoba, together with other cruisers of the division, covered the landing of Japanese troops in Rabaul and Kavieng. On January 21, during the operation, the cruiser picked up from the water the crew of an Australian flying boat, which had been shot down four days earlier by Japanese carrier-based aircraft from an aircraft carrier Shokaku. Then, in March 1942, the 6th Division returned to Rabaul. Based on it, Japanese cruisers (6th and 18th divisions) covered landings on the east coast of New Guinea (in Lae and Salamua), the islands of Bougainville, Shortland and Manus.

The next stage of the Japanese offensive in the area was the operation to capture Port Moresby. Cruisers of the 6th Division, along with a light aircraft carrier Shoho, were part of the Cover group of the Operational Unit "MO". At the beginning of May, the formation moved towards the Coral Sea. They were opposed by two task forces (Task Force) of the American fleet (11th and 17th). The meeting of the opponents led to the Battle of the Coral Sea. In the morning, the Cover formation was attacked by American aircraft from aircraft carriers Lexington And Yorktown. The ships of the 6th Division with their weak anti-aircraft weapons were unable to provide serious resistance and prevent the sinking of the aircraft carrier Shoho(only 3 out of 93 aircraft were shot down). The cruisers themselves did not receive damage only because all the aircraft were focused on attacking the aircraft carriers. The result of the battle was the refusal to capture Port Moresby. May 16 cruiser Aoba returned to Truk, and then moved to the metropolis for scheduled repairs. Repairs and docking took place from May 22 to June 16.

Solomon Islands Campaign

After renovation in Japan Aoba the southwestern region returned, based on Rabaul. The 6th Division became part of the formed 8th Fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Mikawa. After receiving reports of the American landing on the island of Guadalcanal, the main forces of the 8th Fleet (5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and a destroyer) went to sea. On the night of August 9, Mikawa's force attacked the allied fleet located north of Gudalcanal. Cruiser Aoba played a large role in the battle of Savo Island. The cruiser's seaplanes twice (in the morning and afternoon of August 8) conducted successful reconnaissance of the enemy 62nd operational formation (6 heavy and 2 light cruisers and 15 destroyers), timely discovering the division of enemy forces. At night, Japanese cruisers, lined up in a wake column, successively attacked two groups of allied ships. Aoba, being the flagship of the 6th division, it moved second after the heavy cruiser Chokai.

Battle of Savo Island. Cruiser Quincy under fire from Japanese ships

The southern group of allied ships was the first to be attacked. Heavy cruisers were heavily damaged in 6 minutes Chicago And Canberra. At this stage of the battle Aoba got no hits. Following this, the northern group was attacked. This time the battle was more fierce, as American cruisers (Astoria, Vincennes, Quincy) were able to return fire. A shell of an unknown caliber hit the torpedo tube on the left side of the cruiser, causing a fire. But, since 13 of the 16 torpedoes had already been fired, serious damage was avoided. During the battle Aoba fired 182 shells at the enemy, as well as 13 torpedoes. It is impossible to determine exactly which ships were hit by his guns and apparatus, but judging by the nature of the battle, all enemy ships were hit. The Japanese cruiser did not suffer any losses, with the exception of the crew of the reconnaissance aircraft, who did not return from their next mission.

Despite the success in the naval battle, the Americans successfully gained a foothold on Guadalcanal and the struggle for it became protracted. Cruisers of the 6th Division (without the previously sunk cruiser Kako) were part of the South Seas Connection Cover Group. At the end of August 1942, they took part in the battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands, but did not come into combat contact with the enemy. Only seaplanes from cruisers (including Aoba) raided Henderson airfield.

Throughout September, the cruiser was in the area of Shortland Island, covering supply operations for the Guadalcanal garrison. Most of the reinforcements were delivered by destroyers (the so-called Tokyo Express), which did not allow the transfer of heavy weapons to the island. In early October, the Japanese command planned an operation to deliver heavy weapons by transport ships. The neutralization of American aviation was going to be carried out by daytime air attacks and night shelling by cruisers of the 6th division. The operation carried out on the night of October 11 led to a battle off Cape Esperance, during which a strike group of Japanese cruisers was unexpectedly attacked by the 64th task force of the American fleet (2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruiser and 5 destroyers).

Rear Admiral A. Goto

The Japanese force led by Aoba under the overall command of Rear Admiral Goto, unaware of the presence of American ships, it immediately found itself under concentrated enemy fire. In addition, after the first salvos, the admiral, mistakenly believing that he was under fire from his own ships, ordered to turn on the opposite course, moving along the enemy formation. Cruiser Aoba received many hits from 155 mm and 203 mm shells. One of the first shells exploded on the flagship's bridge and mortally wounded Rear Admiral Goto (he died the next day). Command was assumed by Chief of Staff Captain 1st Rank Kikunori Kijima. In just 25 minutes of battle, the cruiser received, according to various sources, up to 40 hits. 8 officers and 71 sailors were killed. Main caliber turrets No. 2 and No. 3 were disabled, and the third turret burned out completely. Almost all artillery fire control systems, several anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, and a catapult were destroyed. Other superstructures of the ship were damaged. However, on the morning of October 12, the cruiser, accompanied Kinugasa managed to reach Shortland Island and left for Truk in the evening of the next day. On October 15, the commander of the Japanese fleet, Isoroku Yamamoto, arrived on the ship to inspect the damage. October 18 Aoba left for Kure, where it arrived for repairs and modifications on October 22. Repairs of the ship continued until February 15, 1943. The 3rd main caliber turret was temporarily dismantled on the cruiser, anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened, and a new mast was installed. The ship received new seaplanes.

1943 campaign

On February 15, the cruiser, which completed repairs, was assigned to the Eighth Fleet and sailed to Truk, then to Rabaul. March 4 Aoba arrived in Kavieng. A month later, on April 3, the cruiser, which was moored at about 14.30, was attacked by B-25 aircraft from the 43rd Bomber Group of the 5th Air Force. During the attack, the pilots used a new method of top-mast bombing, achieving several close explosions and one hit with a 227-kg bomb on the starboard side behind the mainmast Aoba. In torpedo tube No. 1, two warheads of Type 93 torpedoes exploded, which caused a fire in engine room No. 2. A 3-meter hole was formed in the aft part. The fire was brought under control by 15.20 with the help of a destroyer Hatsuzuki. The order was given to tow the cruiser to Truk, but despite pumping out the water, the flooding of the stern continued so quickly that Aoba at 19.35 it was necessary to urgently run aground with a list of 6 degrees. The next day repair base Yamabiko Maru began pumping out water and filling the hole. 20 April Aoba surfaced, the next day was towed by a cruiser Sendai and on April 25 brought to Truk. There with the help of a repair ship Akashi It underwent temporary repairs, which ended on July 25, after which the cruiser went under its own power to Kure for a thorough overhaul.

There were several options for the further fate of the damaged cruiser. The first of them involved reworking Aoba into an “aircraft carrier cruiser”, retaining towers No. 1 and No. 2 and placing 6 seaplanes in place of the stern. There was a plan to convert it into a squadron tanker, replacing half of the boiler rooms and engine rooms with fuel tanks and reducing the speed to 25 knots. But in the end it turned out to be a simpler and faster option normal repairs ship while maintaining its original purpose. The cruiser arrived in Kure on August 1 and until November 24, 1943, repair work was carried out on it. During this time, the main battery tower, destroyed during the battle at Cape Esperance, was repaired and returned to its place. In addition to repairs, the ship received a Type 21 radar installation and more powerful searchlights. Since the repairs were incomplete, the cruiser's speed dropped to 28 knots.

1944 campaign

Upon completion of the repair Aoba On November 25, it was attached to the First Southern Expeditionary Fleet (aka the Southwestern Region Fleet). On December 24, he arrived in Singapore, where he remained in Singapore until February 27, 1944, occasionally conducting exercises at the Linga Roads roadstead. From 3 to 9 January she made a troop transport voyage to Penang, and from 23 to 27 January she made a voyage to the Andaman Islands. 25 February Aoba introduced into the 16th cruiser division, instead of a heavy cruiser Ashigara.

In March 1944, the cruiser took part in another raid of the Japanese fleet into the Indian Ocean. Formation under the command of Rear Admiral N. Sakonju (heavy cruisers Tone, Tikuma And Aoba. On March 9, a British steamer was sunk south of the Cocos Islands. Behar. But since he managed to give a warning signal, the operation was canceled. On March 25, the connection returned to Singapore. In April-May 1944, the cruiser mainly carried out transport operations. On April 23, he took part in the rescue of the destroyer crew Amagiri, who died on a magnetic mine on April 23. At the end of April he relocated to the Philippines.

In June 1944, the cruiser twice took part in an unsuccessful attempt to deliver reinforcements to the island of Biak, which was attacked by the American fleet. Formation of Rear Admiral N. Sakonju ( Aoba, light cruiser Kinu, 2 minelayers and 3 destroyers) were supposed to deliver 2,500 reinforcements from the Philippines. The operation was covered by a formation consisting of a battleship Fuso and 2 heavy cruisers. However, due to too early detection, the operation was canceled by the Fleet command and the ships returned to base. The second attempt was carried out only by destroyers, and Aoba provided long-range cover for the operation, which also ended in failure. During the operation, the cruiser was attacked on June 6 by 11 American B-24 bombers. The battle lasted almost an hour, during which main caliber artillery was used to repel attacks. The ship was not damaged, but it also failed to shoot down at least one enemy aircraft. The Japanese command did not abandon the idea of assisting Biak, intending to use even battleships Yamato And Musashi, but in mid-June attacks began on the Mariana Islands and the fleet began to prepare for a general battle.

Aoba was not involved in this operation and did not take part in the Battle of the Mariana Islands. Instead, it was sent to Singapore, where the cruiser underwent docking and modernization in July. Once again, anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened, and a new Type 22 radar was installed. After this, the ship went to Linga Roads, where it remained in readiness and training until October 21. October 11 Aoba received slight damage (side armor plates were bent) in a collision with a cruiser Kinu

By this time, the American invasion of the Philippines had begun and all combat-ready ships were thrown into battle during the grand naval battle for the Philippines. 16 cruiser divisions led by Aoba a secondary role was assigned to transporting troops to Manila as a transport connection. On October 21, the connection left Linga for Manila. October 23 at 04.30 Aoba was torpedoed by a submarine SS-243 Brim. Of the six torpedoes fired, one hit the cruiser. The hit was on the starboard side opposite the “long-suffering” bow engine room No. 2, which was flooded. The cruiser received a list of 13 degrees and was taken into tow Kinu and brought to Manila Bay. During emergency repairs, on October 24 and 29, it was attacked by carrier-based aircraft of the 38th operational formation. After pumping out water from the flooded compartments and repairing one turbine unit, the cruiser was able to make 5 knots and on November 5 left Manila as part of a convoy. The ship was a good target for submarines, but the guards of the convoy thwarted all attempts to attack the ship from the American boat SS-310 Batfish

Possibility of quick repairs big ship there were no longer any in Japanese shipyards. Aoba On February 28, 1945, she was reclassified as a reserve ship. Its light anti-aircraft weapons were once again strengthened after the air raids on Kura on 19 March. June 20 Aoba again reclassified as a special patrol ship, but moored at the fleet shipyard in Kura, it was used as an anti-aircraft floating battery. During raids by aircraft of the 38th operational formation on July 24, the cruiser received one direct hit and several close explosions. A bomb weighing 227 kg hit the bow from the port side and, upon exploding, destroyed the middle deck and plating, after which water flooded four compartments. A heavy bomb exploded near engine room No. 3, destroying the hull plating along a length of about 10 meters. At about 10 p.m., the ship landed on the ground near the shore near a military shipyard at a depth of about 7 meters, receiving a list to starboard of 9 degrees due to the bottom topography.

On the morning of the 28th, during an attack by 10 aircraft of the same formation, a man sitting on the ground Aoba received another direct hit with a 227 kg bomb, which pierced the upper and middle decks at the base of the bow superstructure on the starboard side. As a result, boiler room No. 1 and the computer station under the armored deck were flooded. During the day, approximately the same number of aircraft scored three direct hits to the right of the mainmast.

At 16.00, during an attack by B-24 high-altitude bombers of the 7th Air Force Aoba bombs struck again. At least three 227 kg hit the stern, behind the main battery turret No. 3, across the hull, splitting it so that the stern separated. The ship's commander ordered to abandon the cruiser. In the following days, they began dismantling weapons and equipment that were easily accessible and not flooded.

Report of the ship's captain to the American commission. Damage caused to the cruiser "Aoba" as a result of bombs
1. Hits.
July 24: 1 direct hit, 1 close call
July 28: 8 direct hits, many close calls
2. Current condition of the ship.
Due to severe damage caused to the ship's hull by numerous direct hits and close bomb explosions, the ship took on a lot of water and sat on the ground. The stern part of the ship's hull broke off.
3. Dimensions of rescue work.
All easily accessible and not flooded weapons and equipment were removed from the ship and the ship was abandoned.
4. Details of the raids.
a) Raid on July 24
From 0615 to 1600, aircraft carrier aircraft continuously carried out raids on the cruiser Aoba. During the day, about 30 Grumman aircraft carried out raids. They scored one direct hit on the bow of the ship, in addition, one bomb fell very close to the aft part of the port side in the area of the second pipe. A bomb that fell close to the ship caused the following destruction: all engine and boiler compartments No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 were completely flooded. At 10:00 am the ship lost its buoyancy and sat on the ground.
b) Raid on July 28
About 10 Grumman aircraft raided the cruiser in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. The ship received four direct hits and caught fire. At 1600 hours, B-24 aircraft carried out another raid and scored four or even more direct hits on the stern, as a result of which it broke off. The ship was abandoned due to all these damages.

August 15 Aoba for the last time she was reclassified as a reserve ship, and on November 20 she was removed from the fleet lists. The hull of the former cruiser sank even further during the typhoon on September 18, 1945. skeleton Aoba was raised and dismantled for metal at the nearby Harima Shipbuilding company shipyard (former naval shipyard in Kure) in 1946-47.

Ship commanders

Otani Shiro 04/01/1927-11/15/1927
Inoue Choji 11/15/1927-12/10/1928
Higurashi Toshiu 12/10/1928-11/30/1929
Katagiri Eikichi 3011.1929-01.12.1930
Koga Mineichi 01.12.1930-01.12.1931
Hoshino Kurayoshi 01.12.1931-15.11.1932
Koike Shiro 11/15/1932-11/15/1932
Sugiyama Rokuzo 11/15/1932-02/20/1934
Mikawa Gunichi 02/20/1934-11/15/1934
Goga Keijiro 11/15/1934-11/15/1935
Hiraoka Kumeichi 11/15/1935-11/15/1937
Hirose Sueto 11/15/1937-11/15/1939
Akiyama Katsuzo 11/15/1939-11/01/1940
Mori Tomoichi 11/01/1940-07/25/1941
Hisamune Sojiro 07/25/1941-11/10/1942
Araki Tsutau 11/10/1942-12/31/1942
Tawara Yoshioki 12/31/1942-02/24/1943
Yamamori Kamenosuke 02/21/1943-06/01/1944
Yamazumi Chusaburo 04/01/1944-01/01/1945
Murayama Seiroku 01.01.1945-20.11.1945

At the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese Imperial Navy was the third largest navy world, second only to the US Navy and the British Navy. As of December 1941, the Japanese fleet included 18 heavy cruisers. In general, the structure and combat composition of the fleet were more offensive than defensive in nature. Japanese heavy cruisers were large ships with exceptionally powerful gunfire and torpedoes, high speed navigation and significant draft. Cruisers were excellent for conducting combat operations at night. Their significant size, combined with powerful power plants, will make it possible to modernize the cruisers with little cost, strengthening their torpedo and anti-aircraft artillery weapons. Distinctive features appearance The cruisers were equipped with pagoda-shaped superstructure towers, by which Japanese cruisers can be easily distinguished from the cruisers of the fleet of any other country in the world. In addition to the unusual-looking superstructures, the designers also installed extremely unusual curved chimneys on the cruisers. These caressing glances naval aesthetes' ships went through the entire crucible of the war in the Pacific Ocean.

Aoba-class cruisers

The cruiser "Aoba" and its sister ship "Kinugasa" were a development of the "Furutaka" project with the same hull length and a slightly increased width along the mid-frame. While Hiraga was abroad, these cruisers, the Aoba, were designed by Fuhimoto. During the design process, Fuhimoto worked closely with representatives of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which is why Fujimoto’s cruisers turned out to be much less stable compared to the projects belonging to the pencil of the great Hiraga. On the other hand, the installation of three two-gun main-caliber turrets instead of six single-gun turrets made it possible to free up space on cruisers for the installation of a large catapult, capable of launching seaplanes of greater flight weight, and for the installation of rotary torpedo tubes. Hiraga categorically disagreed with Fuhimoto's ideas, but, despite the protests of the recognized authority in the field of shipbuilding, his own cruisers Furutaka and Kako were upgraded to the level of Aoba-class cruisers.

Aoba and Kinugasa became the second medium (later reclassified as heavy) cruisers built by the Japanese in the spirit of the Washington Treaty. The laying of cruisers was approved in 1923 as compensation for the construction of new battleships and battlecruisers, which Japan was prohibited from building in the 1920s under the terms of the Washington Treaty. "Aoba" and "Kinug Asa" became the first Japanese cruisers, the design of which initially included a catapult for seaplanes on board. During the renovation of 1938–1940. Both ships were brought to the standards of a heavy cruiser, an A-class cruiser. The boules attached to the hulls during the repair made the ships more stable; the width along the midship frame after installation of the boules increased to 17.6 m, but the full speed dropped to 33.4 knots. Unexpectedly for the designers, the bulges reduced the draft of ships.

In wartime, the length of the Aoba-class cruisers was 185.2 m, the width along the mid-frame was 17.6 m, and the draft was 5.6 m. The displacement of the Aoba turned out to be slightly larger than that of the Furutaka, the test displacement of the cruiser “Aoba” was equal to 10,850 tons. At the end of the war, the total displacement of “Aoba” was at the level of 11,660 tons. Cruisers of the “Aoba” type had 12 Kanpon boilers and four turbo-gear units with a total power of 108,456 hp. The cruiser's full speed is 33.4 knots. When using the cruiser Aoba as the flagship of the formation, its crew consisted of 680 sailors. The crew of the cruiser Kinugasa consisted of 657 men of Japanese nationality.

The armored belt, 79.9 m long, had a thickness of 76.2 mm, a height of 4.12 m and was installed with an inclination of 9 degrees to the vertical. During the repair, a small amount of armor protection was installed on the superstructure.

The main caliber of the Aoba-class cruiser during the war consisted of six 203-mm Tin 3 guns in three two-gun turrets, two bow and one stern. Only cruisers of the Furutaka type (after modernization) and the Aoba type received such placement of the main caliber in the Japanese fleet. The maximum firing range of Japanese 203 mm guns was 29 km. A projectile weighing 126 kg flew out of the barrel at a speed of 835 m/s. Medium-caliber artillery consisted of four universal 120 mm caliber guns (barrel length 45 calibers) Type 10. Other artillery - 15 automatic 25 mm Type 96 cannons in triple and twin mounts. The cruisers each carried 16 6120 mm torpedo tubes. During repairs, rails were installed on the Aoba cruiser for dropping deep bombs - why this was done was known only at the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The flight of thought of the military is often mysterious to civilian minds, who are unable to imagine a heavy cruiser chasing a submarine! This statement applies not only to Japanese admirals. Once upon a time in one country, designers began designing an aircraft carrier, and taking into account enlightened military opinion, they created a heavy aircraft cruiser, the aircraft of which, at best, could frighten a potential enemy with the roar of their engines. However, let's return to Japan. Aoba-class cruisers were capable of carrying two three-seat reconnaissance seaplanes of the E7K2 or E13AI type.

The cruiser "Aoba" was laid down on February 4, 1924, launched at the Fima Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki on September 25, 1926. The sister ship "Kinugasa" was laid down at the Kawasaki plant in Kobe on January 23, 1924 and launched on October 24 1926 Upon entry into service, both cruisers were assigned to the Sasebo naval base, but in 1932 they were transferred to Kure, where they remained registered until the end of World War II.

At the outbreak of World War II, the cruisers Furutaka and Kako were part of the 6th Squadron, commanded by Admiral Goto Aritomo. The squadron operated in the waters of Guam, and on December 23, 1941, it operated against Wake Island. Then the squadron was based on Truk, from where it took part in the battles near the islands of the Dutch Indies. The 6th Squadron left Truk to take part in the attack on Rabaul. New Britain, and Kawisng. New Ireland. January 23, 1942

While the cruisers were in Rabaul, Truk was attacked by American carrier-based aircraft from the aircraft carriers Task Force 11. The cruisers searched for the aircraft carrier Lexington, which was unsuccessful. After resupplying at Truk, the cruisers moved south to Rabaul, where they operated with the 18th Division, supporting the landing of Japanese troops on the islands of Lae and Salamaua. Then the ships of the 6th Division, together with the light cruiser Shoho, covered the landing on Tulagi with fire. The heavy cruiser was not damaged at the time, but Shoho was sunk during the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7, 1942. Then, on May 8, 1942, Furutaka and Kinugasa escorted the aircraft carrier Shokaku while " Aoba and Kako covered the retreat of the convoy carrying the invasion force to Port Moresby. After this cruise, the cruisers of the 6th Division went for factory repairs in Kure, after repairs they returned to Truk, and then went on maneuvers to Rekata Bay.

After the American landings on Guadalcanal, all four cruisers of the 6th Division left Mauvais Strait, joining the heavy cruiser Chokay at Rabaul. The cruisers under the command of Admiral Mikawa in the waters of Savo Island on the night of August 8-9, 1942, entered into battle with American ships. On that fateful night for the US Navy, four American cruisers sank. Five Japanese cruisers spent 1020 203 mm caliber shells and 45 Type 93 torpedoes during the battle. The battle distance unexpectedly turned out to be very short - less than 5000 m, but the Japanese fleet had long and hard trained in conducting battles at night, and at much greater distances. The Japanese officers saw shell explosions perfectly well through excellent Nikon and Canon binoculars, effortlessly adjusting the artillery fire of their ships. The American ships were also well equipped with searchlights and flares; in addition, planes from Japanese cruisers illuminated the Yankee cruisers with flare bombs and missiles. Approximately 10% of the shells fired by the Japanese cruisers and five or six torpedoes hit the target. The Australian cruiser Canberra received at least twenty direct hits from 203- and 120-mm shells, and two hits from torpedoes. The US Navy heavy cruiser Chicago received several hits from large-caliber shells, and a Type 93 torpedo tore off the bow of the ship. "Chicago" remained afloat, it was repaired, but you cannot escape fate: on December 30, 1943, "Chicago" was torpedoed in the waters of the Solomon Islands by a Japanese torpedo bomber. The heavy cruiser Vincennes sank after being hit by two or three torpedoes fired by Japanese cruisers. The heavy cruisers Astoria and Quincy were sent to the bottom by the artillery of Japanese ships. although American sources talk about torpedoes hitting these cruisers. American cruisers did not have torpedo tubes, but Japanese ones carried them. Thus, the command of the Japanese fleet was convinced of the correctness of its decision, taken in defiance of the opinion of the designer Hirag, regarding the preservation of torpedo armament on heavy cruisers. At least for a time, the military was right.

The cruiser Chokay was damaged by return fire from the American cruisers Quincy and Astoria, after which it had to be taken to Rabaul for repairs. "Aoba" was hit by a shell on the left side in the area of the torpedo tube, after which a fire broke out on the cruiser. The torpedo had already been fired from the torpedo tube, so the fire did not cause the fish to detonate, and the fire itself was extinguished. The cruiser was quickly repaired in Kavieng. The cruiser "Kinugasa" was hit by a 203-mm shell fired from the cannon of the US Navy cruiser "Vinceness", but the shell did not explode. and a normally fired 5-inch shell from the destroyer Patterson (Auchan type) did not cause serious damage to the Japanese cruiser. If Chokay went to Rabaul, then the cruisers of the 6th Division returned to the Mauvais Strait. On the way to the strait, on August 10, 1942, the cruiser Kako was hit by three torpedoes fired by the American submarine S-44. Kako capsized and sank in just five minutes, becoming the second Japanese cruiser to be lost during World War II (the first was the cruiser Mikuma). The cruiser Kako was officially removed from the lists of the Imperial Japanese Navy on September 15, 1942. Three surviving cruisers The 6th Division made the necessary repairs, replenished supplies, and then left for the anchorage at Shortlands.

The cruiser Chokay and the ships of the 6th Division (already without the Caco) left the Shortlands to escort convoys to Guadalcanal; the cruiser returned to the anchorage on August 26, without receiving any damage. The next exit took place on October 10, 1942.

Then the higher command assigned the cruisers the task of bombarding the naval air base at Henderson Field with artillery fire in order to ensure the passage of the next convoy with reinforcements for the Guadalcanal garrison. The main caliber of cruisers opened fire on the airfield with incendiary shells placed in the aircraft parking lots. It's terrible what happened there! The Japanese were not averse to repeating their August victory in the waters of Savo Island. But no - radars have appeared on cruisers and destroyers of the US Navy. The appearance of the American squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Norman Scott came as a surprise to the Japanese 6th Cruiser Division. "Furutaka" for short term received several direct hits from 8- and 5-inch shells. from which the Type 93 torpedoes filled with oxygen caught fire. The cruiser burst into flames, turning into an excellent target for the gunners of American cruisers and destroyers. The fire disabled the ship's engine room. The cruiser sank forever into the waters of Savo Island - the third Japanese cruiser lost in World War II. The cruiser Aoba was hit by 24 8- and 5-inch shells, and Admiral Goto Aritomo, who had commanded the 6th Cruiser Division since September 15, 1941, was killed. Two main-caliber turrets of the cruiser were out of action. "Aoba" and "Kinugasa" left the battle to reload their guns with armor-piercing shells. The intact Kinugasa opened direct fire from a distance of 7,000 km at the American light cruiser Boys, which unexpectedly fell into the spotlight. Eight 203-mm shells pierced the American cruiser, the magazine of 155-mm shells on the Boyz caught fire, but strangely enough, the Boyz survived - water poured through a hole in the side into the ammunition magazine, extinguishing the fire. Two Kinugasa cannon shells hit the heavy cruiser Salt Lake City, however, without causing any serious damage to the latter.

The two Japanese cruisers that survived the battle returned the next day to anchorage off the Shortlands Islands. The flagship of the 6th division was the cruiser Kinugasa. Aoba went to Truk, where it was inspected by Admiral Yamomoto, who dismissed the need to put the ship into factory repairs. The cruiser went to Kure, where upon arrival it was immediately put into dry dock.

On the night of October 14-15, 1942, the cruisers Chokay and Kinugasa shelled Henderson Field, after which they returned safely to the Shortlands. After another operation to cover the convoys, the 6th Cruiser Division was disbanded. The cruiser Kinugasa was assigned to the 8th Fleet to replace the forces of Admiral Mikawa, which went to Japan for repairs. Then, during the cruise to Guadalcanal, the cruiser Kinugasa was sunk. The cruisers Chokay, Kinugasa, Maya and Suzuya once again fired at Henderson Field. The shelling was successful, but on the way back to the Shortlands on the morning of November 14, the Japanese ships were attacked south of the New Georgia Islands by aircraft from the aircraft carrier Enterprise. The Kinugasa was hit by a 223 kg bomb dropped dive bomber Douglas SBD-3. The bomb pierced the bow superstructure and exploded on the armored deck below the waterline, causing significant casualties in personnel. The explosion of the bomb set the tank with aviation gasoline on fire and damaged the steering control. Two hours after the bomb exploded, the cruiser sank. The cruiser Kinugasa was excluded from the operational strength of the Imperial Japanese Navy on December 15, 1942. Of the first four Japanese heavy cruisers, only the Aoba, which was undergoing repairs at the Course, remained alive. The Aoba's repairs were completed on February 15, 1943 - compared to the Americans, the Japanese took much longer to repair large ships. During the repairs, anti-aircraft weapons were strengthened on the Aoba cruiser and guides were installed for dropping depth charges.

Upon completion of the repairs, the cruiser Aoba left Kure and went to Truk, where the worthy samurai Yamamori Kamenosuke took command of the ship. From Truk the ship was recalled to Rabaul, and then sent to an anchorage (as it was then called) in the Mauvais Strait, where the Aoba arrived on March 4, 1943. Almost a year has passed since the Aoba peacefully swayed in the strait on anchored along with other cruisers of the 6th Division. Over the course of a year, silence left these blessed places. At the anchorage, the cruiser was attacked by B-17 bombers.

The “fortresses” lay just above the water so that the bombs, after being dropped, would bounce off the water surface and onto the side of the cruiser - top-mast bombing. One 225-kg hit the area of the aircraft catapult, causing an explosion of two Type 93 torpedoes in the torpedo tubes. The hull and engine room were severely damaged. Hiraga was right about the excess of torpedoes on heavy cruisers. The light cruiser Sendai tried to tow the cruiser Aoba to Truk, but ultimately, due to the danger of sinking the ship, it was forced to ground the Aoba. A few days later, the rescue ship Yamabiko Maaru approached the cruiser, which pumped water out of the hull compartments, after which patches were applied to the holes and Sendai was able to resume towing the Aoba to Truk. On Truk, high-ranking officials inspected the cruisers, deciding to send the ship again for repairs in Kure. The cruiser Loba was placed in dry dock on August 1, 1943.

On February 25, 1944, the cruiser Aoba left the dry dock at the Kure base. In Singapore, the cruiser was modernized for use as the flagship of the 16th Division, commanded by Admiral Sakonyu Naomasa. "Aoba" carried out several transport flights between Singapore and the islands of the Dutch Indies and the southern part of the Philippines - by this time Japan had lost most of its transports, and the vehicles that survived could no longer break the blockade imposed by the American fleet. A raiding expedition to the Indian Ocean together with the cruisers Tone and Chikuma was planned, but it was cancelled. The Aoba continued to deliver men and supplies to isolated Japanese garrisons until July 4, 1944, when it was assigned to Maintenance in Lingga Road, Singapore. After repairs, during a joint voyage to Manila with the light cruiser Kino, the cruiser Aoba was hit by one of the six torpedoes fired by the Brim submarine. A torpedo exploded in the engine room of a Japanese ship. The cruiser Kino towed the Aoba to the Cavite naval base, near Manila. Here the cruiser was repeatedly subjected to American air raids - bombs fell nearby, but not a single one hit the ship. “Aoba” was once again repaired, but not completely. The cruiser went to Kure, where on September 12, 1944 it was put into dry dock. The Americans did not leave the Aoba in Course either: wave after wave of carrier-based aircraft rolled from American aircraft carriers onto the damaged Japanese cruiser, which was also in dry dock. The cruiser's anti-aircraft artillery was included in the air defense of the Kure base, for which the ship was taken out of the dock and sunk in shallow water next to the naval shipyard. On July 28, the cruiser, which became an anti-aircraft battery, was subjected to a powerful attack by aircraft from the aircraft carrier formation Task Force 38. Aoba received a fatal hit with a 225-kg bomb, which exploded in the interdeck space. On the same day, the cruiser was hit by at least three more 225 kg bombs dropped from the Liberator. The ship's hull simply collapsed. The cruiser Aoba was removed from the lists of the Imperial Japanese Navy on November 20, 1945.

Heavy cruisers Aoba type
青葉型巡洋艦


Project
A country	Japan 22x20px Japan
Manufacturers	Shipyards "Mitsubishi" (Nagasaki) and "Kawasaki" (Kobe)
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy
Previous type	"Furutaka"
Subsequent type	"Myoko"
Years of construction	-1927
Years in service	-1945
Built	2
Losses	2
Main characteristics
Displacement	Initial: 8300 (standard), 10,583 (full) After modernization: 8738 t (standard), 11 660 (full)
Length	183.48 m (waterline); 185.17 m (largest)
Width	16.5 m (initial), 17.56 m (after modernization)
Draft	5.66 m (after modernization)
Booking	Initially: Armor belt - 76 mm; deck - 32-35 mm; towers - 25-19 mm; After modernization: added 35 mm bridge armor and 57 mm barbettes
Engines	4 TZA Mitsubishi-Parsons (“Aoba”) or Brown-Curtiss (“Kinugasa”), 12 “Kampon Ro Go” boilers (10 after modernization)
Power	102,000 (original); 110,000 (after modernization) l. With. in 1939.
Mover	4 propellers.
Travel speed	34.5 knots (according to design); 34.0 knots (after upgrade)
Cruising range	7000 (design)/8000 (after modernization) nautical miles at 14 knots
Crew	622 people for the project; 632-647 actually in 1927-1938; 657 after modernization
Weapons (Original)
Artillery	3 × 2 - 200 mm/50 Type 3
Flak	4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10, 2 × 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns;
Mine and torpedo weapons	12 (6 × 2) - 610 mm Type 12 TA (12 Type 8 torpedoes);
Aviation group	1 catapult (from 1928-1929), 1 Type 14 seaplane;
Armament (After modernization)
Artillery	3 × 2 - 203 mm/50 Type 3 No. 2
Flak	4 × 1 120 mm/45 Type 10, 4 × 2 - 25 mm/60 Type 96, 2 × 2 13.2 mm Type 93 machine guns
Mine and torpedo weapons	8 (2 × 4) - 610 mm Type 92 TA (16 Type 90 torpedoes, from 1940 Type 93)
Aviation group	1 catapult, up to 2 Type 90 or Type 94 seaplanes
15px []

Aoba-class heavy cruisers (Japanese: 青葉型巡洋艦 Aobagata jujunkan) - a series of two Japanese cruisers from the 1920s.

An improved version of the Furutaka-class cruisers, devoid of some of their shortcomings. In 1924-1927, two units were built at the Nagasaki and Kobe shipyards: Aoba and Kinugasa. They were built in parallel with more advanced ships of the Myoko type.

Both cruisers served throughout the interwar period and underwent radical modernization in the second half of the 1930s. They took an active part in the fighting in the Pacific theater of World War II. Both were killed by American air raids: "Kinugasa" during the Guadalcanal campaign in November 1942, "Aoba" during the bombing of Japan in July 1945.

History of creation

Design

Armor protection

Identical to that of the Furutaka type. The main armor belt made of uncemented chromium steel with a length of 79.88 m, a width of 4.12 m and a thickness of 76 mm protected the boiler rooms and engine rooms. As on the Yubari, it was attached directly to the frames with an inclination of 9° and was part of the strength set of the hull, being, however, external and not internal. With a standard design displacement, the belt protruded from the water by 3.28 m, with a load of 2/3 of the full load by 2.21 m. According to the project, it was supposed to withstand hits from 152-mm shells fired from a distance of 12,000-15,000 m, there was no talk of protection from the 203-mm main caliber of Washington cruisers.

Attached to the upper edge of the belt was the middle deck, which in this area was made of slabs of uncemented chromium steel 35 mm thick (closer to the middle part - 32 mm) and played the role of horizontal protection power plant. It had a carapace shape, arching 15 cm from the sides to the center, and was also part of the power set of the hull, attached directly to the beams.

The chimney channels were covered with 38 mm uncemented chromium armor 1.27 m from the middle deck level. Additionally, at the level of the upper deck they were protected by high-tension steel plates with a total thickness of 48 (28.6+19) mm.

The bow and stern ammunition magazines were covered with slabs of uncemented chromium steel 51 mm thick on the sides and 35 mm thick on the top. The steering compartment was covered on all sides with 12.7 mm and 25 mm armor, but the tower-like superstructure initially had no protection at all.

Protection of the underwater part of the hull was limited to a double bottom and tanks for liquid fuel, playing the role of boules. It was decided not to install an armored anti-torpedo bulkhead due to weight restrictions, as well as the insufficient effectiveness of this type of protection shown during shelling of the hull of the unfinished battleship Tosa.

The total weight of the cruiser's armor was less than 1200 tons or 12% of the displacement of 2/3 of the total, nevertheless significantly surpassing its predecessors in this: for 5500-ton cruisers this share was 3-4%, for Yubari - 8.6% .

Power point

In both cases, the units included a low-pressure turbine (13,000 hp at 2000 rpm) and a high-pressure turbine (12,500 hp at 3000 rpm). Using two small and one large gear gears, they rotated the propeller shaft, with a maximum speed of only 360 rpm.

To move stern forward, separate reverse turbines were provided. They were powered by steam from a low-pressure turbine and had a power of 7000 hp. With. each (28,000 hp in total), rotating the propellers in the opposite direction.

For economical propulsion, a combination of appropriate turbines and cruising turbine stages was used high pressure connected by a gear train. With a total power of 4879 hp. they provided a 14-knot speed. With the standard maximum fuel supply (400 tons of coal and 1,400 tons of fuel oil), this gave a cruising range of 7,000 nautical miles. With the actual ones in the first years of service (570 tons of coal and 1010 tons of fuel oil), it decreased to 6000 miles.

Steam turbo-gear units fed twelve boilers of the Campon Ro Go type, located in seven boiler rooms. In the first there were two medium oil boilers, from the second to the fifth there were two large oil boilers, in the sixth and seventh there was one small mixed one. Working steam pressure - 18.3 kgf/cm² at a temperature 156 °C. To remove combustion products, two chimneys were used: a double front one (1-5 boiler compartments) and a single rear one (6-7 compartments).

To power the ship's electrical network (voltage 225 V), four diesel generators (two 90 kW each and two 135 kW each) with a total power of 450 kW, located in the engine room, were used. The cruiser's steering gear had an electro-hydraulic drive, unlike the Furutaka type, where it was steam-powered.

Armament

Two towers were placed in a linear-elevated pattern in the bow and one in the stern. The type C installation used, contrary to its designation, was based on the earlier type D (intended for Myoko-class cruisers). With a mass of 126 tons and a shoulder diameter of 5.03 m, it had circular armor made of high-tension steel 25 mm thick. Horizontal guidance was carried out by an electro-hydraulic drive with a power of 50 hp. With. , vertically with a seventy-five-horsepower electric motor. The maximum firing range of a 110-kg Type 5 armor-piercing projectile at an elevation angle of 40° reached 26.7 km.

The supply of ammunition (110 kg of shells and 32.6 kg of charges in caps) was carried out by two chain bucket lifts in the central channel of the turret compartment of each turret.

Their fire control system included two Type 14 directors - on top of the bow superstructure (main) and above the seaplane hangar (reserve), two 6-meter and 3.5-meter rangefinders, a Type 13 target heading and speed calculator and a Type 90 search light.

To combat aircraft, 4 120 mm/45 Type 10 guns were installed in single mounts in the central part of the hull. They were an anti-aircraft variant of the earlier Type 3 gun, developed under the direction of Chiyokichi Hata in Kure in 1921-1926. With a maximum elevation angle of 75°, their altitude reach reached 8450 meters. In addition to these guns, two 7.7 mm Lewis design machine guns were also placed on the bridge.

The torpedo armament consisted of six twin 610 mm Type 12 torpedo tubes located on the middeck. The Type 8 No. 2 steam-gas torpedoes launched from them, with a launch weight of 2,362 tons, carried 346 kg of trinitrophenol and could travel 20,000 m at 27 knots, 15,000 at 32 and 10,000 at 38. To control their firing, two Type 14 torpedo directors were installed on the roof of the third tier of the superstructure. Initially, when developing the 7500-ton project, Hiraga intended not to install TAs, considering them too vulnerable for large ship. However, by that time the MGSh had already relied on night battles, and as a result, all heavy cruisers built in Japan were equipped with powerful torpedo weapons.

According to the design, the ships were supposed to carry a Type No. 1 catapult between the aft superstructure and the third main battery turret, but in fact they did not have one when they entered service. In reality, it was installed on Kinugasu in March 1928, while Aoba received more perfect type No. 2. Type 15 two-seat reconnaissance seaplanes were launched from it. The hangar for them was located in the aft superstructure.

Crew and living conditions

According to the project, the crew of the cruisers included 622 people: 45 officers and 577 lower ranks.

The command cabins were located in the forecastle, the privates' quarters were on the middle and lower decks in the bow and on the middle deck in the stern. There were 1.5-1.6 square meters of living space per person, which corresponded to the level of 5500-ton cruisers and was considered clearly insufficient for a ship of this size. Due to their cramped conditions, ships of the Aoba type and the previous Furutaka type received the nickname “suizokukan” among sailors.

As on the Yubari and Furutaka, the cockpit windows on the lower deck were located too low from the waterline, and had to be battened down while underway to avoid flooding with seawater. In addition, when sailing in the tropics, the possibilities of natural and artificial ventilation turned out to be insufficient.

Construction

Name	Place of construction	Ordered	Pawned	Launched	Commissioned	Fate
Aoba(Japanese: 青葉)	Mitsubishi Shipyard, Nagasaki	June	February 4	September 25	September 20	Sunk by American aircraft on July 28, 1945 at Kure
Kinugasa(Japanese: 衣笠)	Kawasaki Shipyard, Kobe	June	January 23	October 24	September 30th	Sunk by American aircraft during the naval battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942

Project evaluation

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Notes

Comments

Used literature and sources

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Literature

in English

Eric Lacroix, Linton Wells II. Japanese cruisers of the Pacific war. - Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997. - 882 p. - ISBN 1-86176-058-2.

in Russian

S. V. Suliga. Japanese heavy cruisers (in two volumes). - M:: Galeya Print, 1997. - 96+120 p. - ISBN 5-7559-0020-5.
Yu. I. Alexandrov. Heavy cruisers of Japan. Part I. - St. Petersburg: Eastflot, 2007. - 84 p. - ISBN 978-5-98830-021-2.

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- Girl, are you okay? – I heard someone’s alarmed voice. Someone was bothering me, trying to “return” me to a normal state, since apparently I had again “entered” too deeply into that other world, distant to everyone else, and scared some kind person with his “frozen-abnormal” calm. The evening was just as wonderful and warm, and everything around remained exactly the same as it was just an hour ago... only I didn’t want to walk anymore. Someone's fragile good lives Having just broken off so easily, they flew off into another world like a white cloud, and I suddenly felt very sad, as if a drop of my lonely soul had flown away with them... I really wanted to believe that the sweet girl Katya would find at least some happiness while waiting for her returning “home”... 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And then I realized that the father apparently loved this little girl very much and, having no other opportunity to pour out his pain somewhere, blamed her mother for everything that happened. – Do you want this too? – I asked the woman softly. She just nodded sadly and again closed herself tightly in her sorrowful world, not letting anyone in, including her little daughter, who was already worried about her. – Dad is good, he just doesn’t know that we are still alive. – The girl said quietly. - Please tell him... There is probably nothing worse in the world than feeling the guilt that she felt... Her name was Christina. During her life she was cheerful and very happy woman, who, at the time of her death, was only twenty-six years old. Her husband adored her... Her little daughter’s name was Vesta, and she was the first child in this happy family, whom everyone adored, and her father simply doted on her... The head of the family himself was named Arthur, and he was the same cheerful, cheerful person as his wife was before her death. And now no one and nothing could help him find at least some peace in his pain-torn soul. And he grew in himself hatred for his loved one, his wife, trying to protect his heart from complete collapse. - Please, if you go to dad, don’t be scared of him... He can be strange sometimes, but that’s when he’s “not real.” – The girl whispered. And it was felt that she was unpleasant to talk about it. I didn’t want to ask and upset her even more, so I decided that I would figure it out myself. I asked Vesta which of them wants to show me where they lived before their death, and whether her father still lives there? The place they named upset me a little, since it was quite far from my home, and it took a lot of time to get there. That’s why I couldn’t think of anything right away and asked my new acquaintances if they could appear again at least in a few days? And having received an affirmative answer, I “iron” promised them that I would definitely meet with their husband and father during this time. Vesta looked at me slyly and said: – If dad doesn’t want to listen to you right away, you tell him that his “little fox” misses him very much. That's what dad called me only when we were alone, and no one else knows this except him... Her sly little face suddenly became very sad, apparently remembering something very dear to her, and she really became somewhat like a little fox... - Well, if he doesn’t believe me, I’ll tell him so. - I promised. The figures, flickering softly, disappeared. And I kept sitting in my chair, tensely trying to figure out how I could win at least two or three free hours from my family so that I could keep my word and visit my father, who was disappointed with his life... At that time, “two or three hours” outside the house was a rather long period of time for me, for which I would absolutely have to report to my grandmother or mother. And, since I have never been able to lie, I urgently had to come up with some real reason for leaving home for such a long time. There was no way I could let my new guests down... The next day was Friday, and my grandmother, as usual, was going to the market, which she did almost every week, although, to be honest, there was no great need for this, since many fruits and vegetables grew in our garden, and the rest of the products Usually all the nearby grocery stores were packed. Therefore, such a weekly “trip” to the market was probably simply symbolic - grandmother sometimes liked to just “get some air” by meeting with her friends and acquaintances, and also bring us all something “especially tasty” from the market for the weekend. I circled around her for a long time, unable to come up with anything, when my grandmother suddenly calmly asked: - Well, why aren’t you sitting, or are you impatient for something?.. - I need to leave! – I blurted out, delighted at the unexpected help. - For a long time. – For others or for yourself? – the grandmother asked, narrowing her eyes. – For others, and I really need it, I gave my word! Grandma, as always, looked at me searchingly (few people liked that look of hers - it seemed like she was looking straight into your soul) and finally said: - To be home by lunchtime, no later. It's enough? I just nodded, almost jumping for joy. I didn't think that everything would be so easy. Grandma often truly surprised me - she always seemed to know when things were serious and when it was just a whim, and usually, whenever possible, she always helped me. I was very grateful to her for her faith in me and my strange actions. Sometimes I was even almost sure that she knew exactly what I was doing and where I was going... Although, maybe she really knew, but I never asked her about it?.. We left the house together, as if I, too, was going to go to the market with her, and at the very first turn we parted amicably, and each had already gone her own way and about her own business... The house in which little Vesta’s father still lived was in the first “new district” we were building (as the first high-rise buildings were called) and was located about a forty-minute quick walk from us. I always loved walking, and it did not cause me any inconvenience. Only I really didn’t like this new area itself, because the houses in it were built like matchboxes - all the same and faceless. And since this place was just beginning to be built up, there was not a single tree or any kind of “greenery” in it, and it looked like a stone and asphalt model of some ugly, fake town. Everything was cold and soulless, and I always felt very bad there - it seemed as if I simply had nothing to breathe there... And yet, it was almost impossible to find house numbers there, even with the greatest desire. Like, for example, at that moment I was standing between houses No. 2 and No. 26, and I couldn’t understand how this could happen?! And I wondered where my “missing” house No. 12 was?.. There was no logic in this, and I could not understand how people could live in such chaos? Finally, with the help of others, I somehow managed to find the right house, and I was already standing at the closed door, wondering how this complete stranger would greet me?.. I have met many strangers, people unknown to me, in the same way, and this always required a lot of nervous tension at first. I never felt comfortable intruding into someone’s private life, so each such “trip” always seemed a little crazy to me. And I also understood perfectly well how crazy it must have sounded for those who had literally just lost someone close to them, and some little girl suddenly invaded their lives and declared that she could help them talk to their dead wife, sister, son, mother, father... Agree - this must have sounded absolutely and completely abnormal to them! And, to be honest, I still can’t understand why these people listened to me at all?! So now I stood at an unfamiliar door, not daring to call and not imagining what was waiting for me behind it. But immediately remembering Christina and Vesta and mentally cursing myself for my cowardice, I forced myself to raise my slightly trembling hand and press the bell button... No one answered the door for a very long time. I was about to leave, when the door suddenly burst open, and a young man, apparently once handsome, appeared on the threshold. Now, unfortunately, the impression from him was rather unpleasant, because he was simply very drunk... I felt scared, and my first thought was to get out of there quickly. But next to me, I felt the raging emotions of two very excited creatures who were ready to sacrifice God knows what, if only this drunk and unhappy, but so dear and the only person to them, would finally hear them at least for a minute...

Construction

The construction of ships of this type was associated with the implementation of the “New shipbuilding program to replace ships under the terms of the Washington Treaty of 1923.” In 1922, it was decided to build six new heavy cruisers. Four of them were classic examples of "Washington type" cruisers with a displacement of 10,000 tons and 10 200 mm guns (future type Myoko). Two were supposed to have characteristics close to the two cruisers of the type already being built at the shipyards Furutaka, in order to eventually form a formation with them of four similar ships. The cruisers received the code name “medium-type cruisers.” Future Aoba was considered the second-longest planting in the series, therefore in the documents it was listed as "medium cruiser No. 2" or "A-class cruiser No. 4". The construction order was issued in June 1923, and the ship itself was laid down at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki on September 18, 1923. The ship was traditionally named after Mount Aobasan in Miyagi Prefecture. This was the first time the name had been used in the Japanese Navy. The estimated cost of the cruiser was 15 million yen

Initially, the cruiser was supposed to become another ship of the type Furutaka, however, at the design stage, on the initiative of the Naval General Staff, significant changes were made to it, which led to the fact that a new pair of heavy cruisers was allocated as a separate type. The most serious changes were in armament: instead of single-gun main caliber turrets, two-gun turrets were installed, and more powerful anti-aircraft guns were installed. The dimensions of the pipes and superstructures were changed, and the installation of a catapult was provided. As a result, the new ships significantly exceeded all normal overload limits, with a total displacement exceeding 9,800 tons. The draft increased and, accordingly, the freeboard height decreased, the speed and cruising range decreased. The stability of the ship also deteriorated significantly.

Armament

Artillery weapons

Anti-aircraft weapons

Torpedo weapons

Although the installation of dangerous torpedo weapons on A-type cruisers was not initially envisaged, they were nevertheless installed. The Naval General Staff planned that night battles with the massive use of torpedo weapons would become one of the main types of combat. Therefore, arming cruisers with torpedoes became a prerequisite. On Aoba Six two-tube fixed torpedo tubes of type 12 were installed at once. The total number of torpedoes reached 24 units of type 8 year No. 2 with a caliber of 610 mm.

Aviation weapons

Service history

Pre-war period

Beginning of the War in the Pacific

Solomon Islands Campaign

The southern group of allied ships was the first to be attacked. Heavy cruisers were heavily damaged in 6 minutes Chicago And Canberra. At this stage of the battle Aoba got no hits. Following this, the northern group was attacked. This time the battle was more fierce, as the American cruisers ( Astoria, Vincennes, Quincy) were able to return fire. A shell of an unknown caliber hit the torpedo tube on the left side of the cruiser, causing a fire. But, since 13 of the 16 torpedoes had already been fired, serious damage was avoided. During the battle Aoba fired 182 shells at the enemy, as well as 13 torpedoes. It is impossible to determine exactly which ships were hit by his guns and apparatus, but judging by the nature of the battle, all enemy ships were hit. The Japanese cruiser did not suffer any losses, with the exception of the crew of the reconnaissance aircraft, who did not return from their next mission.

Throughout September, the cruiser was in the area of Shortland Island, covering supply operations for the Guadalcanal garrison. Most of the reinforcements were delivered by destroyers (the so-called Tokyo Express), which did not allow the transfer of heavy weapons to the island. In early October, the Japanese command planned an operation to deliver heavy weapons by transport ships. The neutralization of American aviation was going to be carried out by daytime air attacks and night shelling by cruisers of the 6th division. The operation carried out on the night of October 11 led to a battle at Cape Esperance, during which a strike group of Japanese cruisers was unexpectedly attacked by the 64th task force of the American fleet (2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 5 destroyers).

1943 campaign

There were several options for the further fate of the damaged cruiser. The first of them involved reworking Aoba into an “aircraft carrier cruiser”, retaining towers No. 1 and No. 2 and placing 6 seaplanes in place of the stern. There was a plan to convert it into a squadron tanker, replacing half of the boiler rooms and engine rooms with fuel tanks and reducing the speed to 25 knots. But in the end, the simpler and faster option turned out to be the usual repair of the ship while preserving its original purpose. The cruiser arrived in Kure on August 1 and until November 24, 1943, repair work was carried out on it. During this time, the main battery tower, destroyed during the battle at Cape Esperance, was repaired and returned to its place. In addition to repairs, the ship received a Type 21 radar installation and more powerful searchlights. Since the repairs were incomplete, the cruiser's speed dropped to 28 knots.

1944 campaign

The death of the ship

There were no longer opportunities to quickly repair a large ship at Japanese shipyards. Aoba On February 28, 1945, she was reclassified as a reserve ship. Its light anti-aircraft weapons were once again strengthened after the air raids on Kura on 19 March. June 20 Aoba again reclassified as a special patrol ship, but moored at the fleet shipyard in Kura, it was used as an anti-aircraft floating battery. During raids by aircraft of the 38th operational formation on July 24, the cruiser received one direct hit and several close explosions. A bomb weighing 227 kg hit the bow from the port side and, upon exploding, destroyed the middle deck and plating, after which water flooded four compartments. A heavy bomb exploded near engine room No. 3, destroying the hull plating along a length of about 10 meters. At about 10 p.m., the ship landed on the ground near the shore near a military shipyard at a depth of about 7 meters, receiving a list to starboard of 9 degrees due to the bottom topography.

Report of the ship's captain to the American commission. Damage caused to the cruiser "Aoba" as a result of bombs
1. Hits.
July 24: 1 direct hit, 1 close call
July 28: 8 direct hits, many close calls
2. Current condition of the ship.
Due to severe damage caused to the ship's hull by numerous direct hits and close bomb explosions, the ship took on a lot of water and sat on the ground. The stern part of the ship's hull broke off.
3. Dimensions of rescue work.
All easily accessible and not flooded weapons and equipment were removed from the ship and the ship was abandoned.
4. Details of the raids.
a) Raid on July 24
From 0615 to 1600, aircraft carrier aircraft continuously carried out raids on the cruiser Aoba. During the day, about 30 Grumman aircraft carried out raids. They scored one direct hit on the bow of the ship, in addition, one bomb fell very close to the aft part of the port side in the area of the second pipe. A bomb that fell close to the ship caused the following destruction: all engine and boiler compartments No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 were completely flooded. At 10:00 am the ship lost its buoyancy and sat on the ground.
b) Raid on July 28
About 10 Grumman aircraft raided the cruiser in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. The ship received four direct hits and caught fire. At 1600 hours, B-24 aircraft carried out another raid and scored four or even more direct hits on the stern, as a result of which it broke off. The ship was abandoned due to all these damages.

Ship commanders

Heavy cruiser type Aoba

Construction and service

Total information

Booking

Armament

Built ships

History of creation

Prerequisites for creation

On July 3, 1922, by order of the Minister of Navy Tomosaburo Kato, the beginning of a program to build additional ships for the Japanese fleet was announced. In total, it was planned to order 59 ships of different classes, including two 7100 t cruisers of standard displacement. The new cruisers were supposed to complement the new heavy cruisers of the type being built at that time Furutaka, to form a homogeneous squadron of four ships. They were supposed to be heavy cruisers like Aoba.

Since the cruisers belonged to the 1st class, they were named after the names of the mountains. Cruiser No. 3 is named after Mount Kinugasan located in Kyoto Prefecture, and cruiser No. 4 is named after Mount Aobasan in Miyagi Prefecture. Both names were used for the first time in the Japanese fleet.

Construction and testing

4. Catapult. Although upon commissioning the cruisers were equipped without installed catapults, the possibility of installing one was provided for in 1925 when the design was changed. It is a ship of the type Aoba, became the first Japanese Navy warship to have a catapult installed.

5. Shooting control. The location of modules and fire control systems has been changed.

6. Power plant. Due to the increased displacement it fell maximum speed progress despite the increased power of the power plant. In addition, more powerful auxiliary units have been installed.

7. Steering gear. Instead of steam drives on the type Furutaka on type Aoba electrohydraulic ones were used. Oil supply under pressure was provided by electric driven pumps of the W. Jenny type on IJN Aoba and like Hele-Sho on IJN Kinugasa. The transmission of rotation from the helm installed on the bridge was carried out using a telemotor.

8. Crew. The number of personnel has been increased.

Description of design

Hull and Armor

Since cruisers of this type are inherently “Improved type Furutaka", then the hull design and armor remained identical. The main armor belt consisted of uncemented chromium steel with a length of 79.88 m, a width of 4.12 m and a thickness of 76 mm, which protected the boiler rooms. It was attached directly to the frames at an angle of 9° and was part of the strength set of the hull. The belt protruded 3.28 m from the water. According to the project, it was supposed to protect against 152 mm shells fired from a distance of 12-15 km; there was no talk of any protection from 203 mm shells.

Type weight characteristics Aoba

Power plant and driving performance

For heavy cruisers Aoba turbo-gear units of various types were installed. On IJN Aoba installed Mitsubishi-Parsons type TPA (as on IJN Furutaka), and on IJN Kinugasa- TZA type Kawasaki-Curtis (as on IJN Kako). During sea trials, the ships were able to reach a speed of 34.5 knots with a maximum power plant of 106,000 hp. and displacement, slightly less than 9000.

The capacity of coal and oil was 400 tons of coal and 1400 tons of oil. According to the project, this was enough to cover 7,000 miles at 14 knots.

Compared to the previous project, more powerful auxiliary mechanisms were installed on the new cruisers, in which the power of electric generators was increased to 450 kW.

Crew and habitability

According to the project, the crew was to consist of 45 officers and 577 non-commissioned officers and privates, for a total of 622 people. In reality, until 1938, the average crew size was 643 people, varying depending on conditions (flagship or not).

Armament

Main caliber

The main caliber guns were 200 mm/50 klb Type 3 guns mounted in two-gun turrets of the "C" model. New gun turrets made it possible to achieve an elevation angle of 40°, which provided a firing range of 26,700 m. Installation of new 157-ton twin-gun turrets, instead of the “half-turrets” of the “A” model (as on the type Furutaka), made it possible to increase the rate of fire to 5 rounds/min. This was achieved by reducing the fatigue of servants working on the supply of ammunition, by installing new mechanisms, making the supply more reliable and secure. However, such alterations led to an increase in weight by almost 126 tons, which necessitated the need to strengthen the structure.

Characteristics of Type 3 200 mm/50 caliber main caliber guns

Auxiliary/anti-aircraft artillery

As auxiliary artillery, 120-mm/45-klb Type 10 anti-aircraft guns, which appeared in the fleet in 1926, were used. The guns were installed in single “B” model mounts without shields. The horizontal firing range was 15600 m, and the vertical range was 10065 m. The rate of fire was 10-11 rounds/min. The horizontal guidance speed was 10 degrees/s, vertical guidance - 6.5 degrees/s. New Type 3 shells, which also entered service in 1926, were used as the main projectile.

Mine and torpedo weapons

Torpedo armament consisted of six twin 610 mm Type 12 torpedo tubes located on the middeck. The Type 8 No. 2 steam-gas torpedoes launched from them with a launch weight of 2,362 tons carried 346 kg of trinitrophenol and could travel 20,000 m at 27 knots, 15,000 at 32 and 10,000 at 38. To control their firing, a two Type 14 torpedo directors.

Initially, when developing the 7500-ton project, Hiraga intended not to install TAs, considering them too vulnerable for a large ship. However, by that time the MGSh had already relied on night battles, and as a result, all heavy cruisers built in Japan were equipped with powerful torpedo weapons.

Aviation weapons

Initially, in September 1927, the cruisers were equipped without catapults, but the possibility of installing one was provided for when the design was changed in 1925.

In May 1928, tests of the Kure type catapult, from which the Type 15 seaplane was launched, were successfully completed. At the end of the month, the Kure type catapult No. 1 was installed on IJN Kinugasa. She became the first ship of the Japanese fleet with a catapult. Exactly a year later in Yokosuka, the same type of catapult was received IJN Aoba. In 1929, the seaplane was replaced with Type 15 E2 No. 1, which were in service on ships until the end of 1931. A year later, the cruisers received Type 90 E4 No. 2 seaplanes.

Communications, detection, auxiliary equipment

Fire control system for cruisers Aoba consisted of an auxiliary firing control post for the main caliber and aft 3.5-meter Type 14 rangefinders located behind the mainmast; two 90-cm "SU" type searchlights installed in different places, to reduce the influence on each other, one was located between the pipes, the other in front of the mainmast itself. In towers No. 2 and No. 3, due to the increased firing range, 6-meter Type 14 rangefinders with a range of 35,000 m were installed: at a distance of 25,000 m the error was 235 m, at 20,000 m - 191 m, and at 10,000 m - 48 m.

Modernization and refurbishment

Throughout their service life, the cruisers have undergone modernization several times:

In 1930, the pneumatic catapult was replaced with a powder one - Type Kure Mod.1. The 120-mm anti-aircraft guns were replaced with a new one with a shield and an electro-hydraulic drive, model “B”;
In 1932, sponsons were installed on the sides of the bow superstructure for two quad mounts of 13.2 mm machine guns;
In 1936, push-type charging lifts were replaced with bucket ones. The new type of lift was much more fireproof, although slower than the pushing one;
In 1938-1940, the width of the hull was increased due to side buoys to increase stability. Part of the volume of the boules was used for the counter-flooding system, part for fuel tanks and part filled with waterproof steel pipes. In addition to changes to the hull, they affected power plants and weapons. All mixed heating boilers were dismantled and replaced with oil ones. Replaced 200 mm guns

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