Light cruisers of the Nagara class became a direct continuation of the Kuma project.
Unlike its predecessor, the Nagara-class cruisers were planned to strengthen the hull, since operations in northern waters were envisaged, to create a more massive bow superstructure and remove the stern. Instead of a stern superstructure, it was planned to install a catapult to launch seaplanes.
The displacement remained in the region of 5,500 tons, the dimensions practically remained the same, with the exception of the width, which was increased by 0.5 m.
The appearance of the cruisers remained almost unchanged, with the exception of a higher bridge, which made it possible to place a take-off platform for the aircraft above gun # 2. This platform was later replaced by a catapult. But from almost all cruisers of this type, the catapult was removed from this position and placed between guns No. 5 and 6.
Another significant difference is the replacement of 533-mm torpedo tubes with 610-mm ones.
A total of six ships were built. All cruisers were killed during the Second World War.
Reservation
The booking was similar to the Kuma. By the standards of the Second World War - insufficient. When the ships were being developed, the main weapon of the main opponents of the cruisers, the American destroyers, was the 102-mm cannon. But by the beginning of World War II, the main caliber of American destroyers was 127 mm, which somewhat complicated the problem of protecting cruisers.
The armored belt had a length from the bow boiler room to the aft engine room, height 4, 88 m, thickness 63, 4 mm.
The compartments with the main mechanisms were covered from above by an armored deck 28.6 mm thick. Above the artillery cellars, the deck was 44.6 mm thick.
The conning tower in the bow superstructure had 51 mm armor.
The ammunition supply elevators were protected by 16 mm armor, and the cellars had 32 mm protection. The main caliber guns were defended in the frontal projection by armor of 32 mm, on the sides and on top of 20 mm.
On the whole, when compared with the Kuma, the armor of the main caliber guns has been somewhat increased, otherwise everything has remained the same. It was impossible to say that the armor of the Nagara-class cruisers was sufficient.
Power plant
Four TZA Mitsubishi-Parsons-Gihon with a capacity of 22,500 hp. in total they produced up to 90,000 hp. by four screws. Steam for the TZA was generated by 12 Kampon RO GO boilers. Six large and four small boilers were powered by oil, two small ones could run on mixed fuel.
The maximum speed of the cruisers was 36 knots.
The cruising range was 1,000 miles at 23 knots, 5,000 miles at 14 knots, and 8,500 miles at 10 knots. Fuel reserves: 1284 tons of oil, 361 tons of coal.
Crew
The crew, like its predecessor, consisted of about 450 people, including 37 officers. The lighting and ventilation of the living quarters remained natural, that is, through the windows. Compared to the Kuma, the Nagar crews had better living conditions. It was on the Nagara cruisers that refrigerators first appeared in the Japanese fleet. Non-commissioned officers were housed in stationary bunks, not suspended ones.
Armament
The main caliber of the Nagara-class cruisers consisted of seven 140-mm guns in single-gun turrets.
Five guns were located in the center plane of the ship: two at the bow and three at the stern, two more guns were installed on the sides of the bow superstructure.
Flak was originally presented with two 80-mm guns and two 6, 5-mm machine guns.
In the process of modernization, 25-mm assault rifles were installed on the ships, the number of barrels of which reached 36.
Mine torpedo armament
Four twin-tube torpedo tubes caliber 610 mm.
These are not Long Lances yet, but their predecessors. The devices were installed in pairs on the sides, before and after the chimneys. Each cruiser could fire 4 torpedoes on board. Ammunition consisted of 16 torpedoes.
Each cruiser carried an additional 48 naval barrage and 36 depth charges.
Aircraft armament
Initially, the platform for launching aircraft was placed above tower number 2.
Then it was replaced by a catapult, but in this position it did not take root. The catapult was removed from the tower and placed between guns # 5 and # 6.
The Nagara-class cruiser was armed with one Mitsubishi 1MF fighter.
In general, Nagara became a very good continuation of Kuma. A slight increase in the width of the hull by 0.5 m had a positive effect on the stability of the ship, the living conditions of the crew were improved. But in principle, these ships can be safely called the second series of "Kuma".
The cruisers were named Nagara, Isuzu, Natori, Yura, Abukuma and Kinu.
Modernization
Before taking part in the Second World War, the cruisers underwent a number of upgrades. Instead of a launch platform, the ships received a catapult and a new fighter: "Nakajima 90 Model 2".
During the war, four out of five cruisers (Yura was sunk in 1942) received the following weapon configuration:
- 5 guns 140 mm;
- 2 universal guns 127 mm on a twin gun carriage;
- 22 anti-aircraft guns 25 mm;
- 2 anti-aircraft machine guns 13, 2 mm.
In addition, the two-tube torpedo tubes were replaced with four-tube ones. The number of 610 mm torpedo tubes was increased to 16.
Two 140 mm guns were dismantled. Instead of gun # 6, a turret with 127 mm guns was installed, gun # 7 was simply removed to save weight.
The fifth cruiser, Isuzu, was converted into an air defense cruiser in 1944. The configuration of his weapons looked like this:
- 6 127-mm guns in three installations at the bow, amidships and at the stern;
- 38 25-mm assault rifles (11 three-barreled and 5 single-barreled).
To install this set of weapons, all 140-mm guns and two torpedo tubes were removed.
Combat use
Nagara
The first operation for the ship was the landing on the island of Luzon on December 12, 1941. The operation ended successfully, then there were landings on Manila and other islands of the Philippine archipelago.
Then there was a whole series of landing operations: the islands of Menado and Kema, the island of Celebes, Bali.
In June 1942, the Nagara took part in the Battle of Midway. The battle was lost, the cruiser took part in the rescue of the crews of the destroyed aircraft carriers.
Since August 1942, "Nagara", as the leader of a fleet of destroyers, took part in the battles of the Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands, Guadalcanal
The finest hour of the cruiser Nagara fell on the third battle off the Solomon Islands on November 14, 1942. "Nagara" and 4 destroyers collided with a detachment of American ships. A volley of torpedoes was fired at the enemy. As a result, the destroyer Walk was damaged by a torpedo and finished off by shells, the destroyer Benham was torn off the bow and sank, the destroyer Preston was disfigured by shells, caught fire and eventually sank too. The destroyer Guin was heavily damaged, but was able to break away from the Japanese in the dark.
On July 15, 1943, while entering the harbor of Kavieng (New Ireland Island), the Nagara was blown up by a mine delivered by an Australian seaplane, but the damage was quickly repaired.
At the end of 1943, the cruiser supported the Japanese garrisons in the Marshall Islands and at Kwajelin Atoll. Was damaged as a result of an air raid and left for repairs.
On August 7, 1944, the Nagara was located 35 kilometers south of Nagasaki, sailing from Kagoshima to Sasebo, when it was discovered by the American submarine Crocker. The cruiser went in an anti-submarine zigzag, so the commander of the Crocker Lee simply fired a four-torpedo salvo in the hope that at least one torpedo would hit. The torpedoes passed by, but the captain of the Nagara once again changed the course of the ship and one torpedo hit the stern. The Nagara sank.
Isuzu
The cruiser began the war near Hong Kong, patrolling the waters along with the 15th destroyer squadron.
In 1942, transferred to the south and carried out transport operations, carried out patrols in the waters
Surabaya, Balkapanana and Makassar.
He took part in the shelling of the airfield on Guadalcanal in October 1942. In the third raid to Guadalcanal on November 14, 1942, he was hit by two aerial bombs, which caused heavy damage. Six months was under repair.
He returned to the Central Pacific Ocean and was engaged in the delivery of resupply and cargo to various islands in this part of the ocean. On December 5, 1943, near the Kwajalein Atoll, he was again hit by a bomb and went for repairs, first to Truk, and then to Japan. In the metropolis "Isuzu" was converted into an air defense cruiser.
All 140-mm guns were dismantled, and instead three paired 127-mm universal mounts and 38 25-mm anti-aircraft guns in three-barreled and single-barreled versions were supplied. The cruiser received a radar for detecting air targets and a new sonar station.
He took part in the operation at Cape Engano, where he was damaged by the fire of American cruisers, when he took people off the sinking aircraft carriers Chitose and Chiyoda. The crews of the cruiser shot down two planes.
Participated in supply convoys to Brunei. In one of the campaigns he received a torpedo in the bow from the American submarine "Hake". Renovated in Singapore.
On the night of April 7, 1945, the cruiser Isuzu was sailing with an escort to Kupang. At night, the convoy discovered the Gabian submarine and fired five torpedoes at the convoy, one of which hit Isuzu. The nose was badly damaged, the speed dropped to 10 knots. The crew coped with the damage and the roll, but continued on their way.
Two hours later, the submarine Charr fired a volley of six torpedoes, two of which hit Isuzu in the engine room area. The ship broke and sank within 5 minutes.
The cruiser Isuzu was the last Japanese light cruiser to be sunk in World War II.
Natori
In the early days of the war, "Natori" operated in the Malay Islands. Participated in the operation to capture Appari and the transfer of military units to Lingaen Bay.
In early 1942, he accompanied convoys to Cam Ranh, Mako and Hong Kong. In February, he was included in the forces of the invasion of Java. During the invasion, she took part in combat with the heavy cruiser Houston and the Australian light cruiser Perth.
Participated in the occupation of Fr. Tanimbar. He covered convoys between Makassar, New Guinea and the islands in the Timor Sea.
January 10, 18 miles from about. Amboin American submarine "Tautog" ("Blackfish") fired six torpedoes at the cruiser, one of which hit the stern. In general, for cruisers of these types of food was some kind of unhappy place.
The stern broke 20 meters from its extremity, rudders were disabled, shafts and propellers were damaged. The crew was barely able to give a speed of 12 knots and the crippled ship crawled towards Amboin. The Tautog fired three more torpedoes that passed by. In the port on Amboina, the crew cut off the extremity on their own and sealed the hull.
During the work, American bombers flew in and tried to finish off the cruiser. The explosion of a 500-kg bomb near the side killed 20 people and damaged boiler room No. 2.
However, the stubborn crew overcame this problem, and as a result, on June 1, the ship was dragged to Maizuru, where it underwent a major overhaul, which was completed only in March 1944. At the same time, the ship was modernized.
In July 1944, he was involved in the evacuation of the garrison of the island of Palau. I got hit by a torpedo again, but the damage was insignificant, the torpedo was going at an acute angle.
On August 18, 1944, the cruiser was sailing towards Palau. To the east of the island of Samar, it was attacked by the American submarine "Hardhead". First, the boat fired 5 torpedoes that passed by. After reloading the devices, the Americans fired a four-torpedo salvo, and two torpedoes hit the Natori side.
The cruiser sank after 10 minutes. The next day, a British submarine rescued one officer and three sailors.
Yura
The cruiser received her baptism of fire in January 1932 during the occupation of Shanghai. On March 20, when the Chinese coastal batteries were suppressed, it was damaged and stood up for repairs for six months.
With the outbreak of World War II, he provided convoy transfers to the Malay Archipelago. Patrolled various areas near the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
Participated in the occupation of Palembang and the southern coast of Sumatra. On February 13, 1942, a British ship sinks with artillery fire, on February 14 - the British gunboat "Scorpion" (together with the destroyers "Fubuki" and "Asagiri"), on February 15 - a Dutch transport (together with the EM "Amagiri").
From April 1 to April 4, while on patrol in the Bay of Bengal, he sinks three ships.
Participates in the battle for Midway Atoll, in the raid on Guadalcanal. Near the island of Shortland, received two 225-kg bombs from American aircraft, and lost a bow artillery tower.
On October 18, 1942, during a regular voyage with army units to Guadalcanal, he was attacked by the American submarine "Grampus". One torpedo hit the stern, but the damage was minor. There is evidence that the fuse was triggered prematurely.
On October 25, 1942, with a part of the 2nd artillery battalion on board, the cruiser was heading for Guadalcanal to shell the Henderson Field airfield and land the landing. The cruiser was accompanied by the destroyers of the 2nd Shock Fleet of Rear Admiral Takama's destroyers. In the Indispensable Strait, the formation drowns the American tug Seminole and the patrol ship YP-284 with artillery fire.
Next came bombers from the Henderson airfield on Guadalcanal. Two bombs hit the Jura and damage the engine rooms. The move drops to 14 knots, but the cruiser continues to follow. Three hours later, B-17 bombers arrive from the airfield on the island of Espiritu Santo.
Three bombs hit the Jura at once: the bow, the superstructure and the engine room. The cruiser is severely damaged. The crew coped with the leak, but the commander of the formation, fearing new attacks from the air, ordered the destroyers to take over the cruiser crew and finish off the damaged ship with torpedoes.
The Jura became the first Japanese light cruiser to die in World War II. But not the last.
Kinu
The first hostilities were to support amphibious operations in Central China and Hong Kong in 1937.
At the beginning of World War II, he provides an invasion of Malaya and the island of Borneo. On December 8, it was the Kinu reconnaissance aircraft that discovered the British formation Z from the battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Ripals with four destroyers, after which the British ships were sunk by Japanese aircraft.
The whole 1942 "Kinu" spent in operations to seize territories. Takes part in the capture of the islands of Borneo, Java, Sabang, Mergui, Penang.
In 1943 and 1944, the cruiser was engaged in patrolling various waters and carrying cargo for the garrisons of various islands.
With the start of the Philippine campaign in October 1944, she took part in it together with the heavy cruiser Aoba as transports. Tugs Aoba to Manila after a heavy cruiser was damaged by an American submarine.
On October 26, 1944, while returning to Manila after a regular flight, an American carrier-based aircraft came under attack. For two hours the cruiser successfully fought off the aircraft, did not receive direct hits, but a large number of explosions near the sides caused the seams to diverge, resulting in multiple leaks in the hull. A roll of 12 degrees was formed, the water gradually flooded the engine and boiler rooms. The ship lost its speed, electricity and eventually sank.
Abukuma
The first military campaign - participation in the campaign of Vice Admiral Nagumo's compound to Pearl Harbor.
Further, the cruiser was based on the island of Truk, took part in landing operations to capture Rabaul and Kavieng. Participant in raids on the Aleutian Islands. Together with the cruiser Kiso, he evacuated the garrison of Kiska Island in July 1943.
Participated in the Philippine campaign, December 25, 1944, during the operation to support the garrison of the island of Panaon was torpedoed by the American torpedo boat RT-137. The torpedo hit the port side, causing the boiler room and engine room No. 2 to flood. The stroke dropped to 20 knots.
However, "Abukuma" withdrew from the battle and reached the Dapitan Bay. There, the crew finally coped with the hole and pumped out the water. The cruiser headed for Brunei.
On the morning of December 26, 10 miles south of Negross Island, the ship was attacked by American bombers based on Biak Island. B-24 almost immediately achieved four direct hits on the cruiser. One bomb destroyed the bow cannon, two hit the stern and caused a fire in the engine room, and a fourth pierced the deck and detonated torpedoes in the ammunition depot. After this explosion, the ship was doomed and sank with almost half of the crew.
Light cruisers of the "Nagara" type can and should be considered very successful ships for their displacement. Fast speed, decent range, good weapons, especially in terms of air defense in the second half of the war.
The only thing that was insufficient was the survivability of the ship and its booking. If you look closely at what killed the cruisers of the Tenryu, Kuma and Nagara types - this is a torpedo hit in the stern of the ship.
Otherwise, the design of the ships should be recognized as very successful. These cruisers have coped with the tasks for which they were conceived, despite the fact that they all died during the war.
