Today's story is about such wonderful ships that it is simply difficult, perhaps, to find the cruisers that made the most noise. Even the Deutschlands cannot be compared to the effect that these ships have produced.
The story began on April 22, 1930, when, in the process of signing the London Treaty, Japan was prohibited from building additional cruisers with 203-mm guns. This condition put the signing of the document on the verge of collapse, since the Japanese rested in earnest. And in the end, as either an agreement, or compensation for a bummer with heavy cruisers of class "A" according to the Japanese classification, the Japanese were allowed to build a number of ships by the end of 1936.
These were supposed to be cruisers with main caliber artillery no higher than 155 mm and a displacement of no more than 10,000 tons. They were allowed to be built instead of old ships, which were to be withdrawn from the fleet in 1937-39. The total tonnage of such ships was 50,000 tons.
And then the titanic work of the Japanese naval general staff began to ensure that "we had everything and we had nothing for it." Whether it worked or not, we will see below.
Since the displacement was limited by the same Washington 10,000 tons, the Japanese decided that it would be profitable to build four cruisers of 8,500 tons each, and then two of 8,450 tons.
As a result, it is clear that, on the one hand, they do not seem to go beyond the limits, but on the other, it becomes clear that defamation will still be something.
The project "improved" Takao "was taken as a model, which was developed specifically to replace the old class" A "cruisers, but then, after the signing of the Washington Treaty, they were abandoned.
What the project was like:
- speed 37 knots, cruising range 8,000 miles at a speed of 14 knots;
- main caliber - 15 x 155-mm guns in three-gun turrets with an elevation angle of 75 degrees;
- 12 torpedo tubes 610 mm in three-tube installations;
- protection of cellars from hits of 200-mm shells, mechanisms - from 155-mm shells.
But the main highlight of the new ships was to be the ability to quickly replace the turrets of the main caliber with turrets with 203 mm guns. In which case, especially if this case suddenly denounces all signed agreements.
I translate: if it turns out to spit with impunity on all restrictions (like unleashing a war), Japan quickly turns 6 light cruisers into heavy ones. Serious approach.
Of course, it was simply unrealistic to meet the allotted 8,500 tons of standard displacement, and even the Marine General Staff (MGSh) constantly made adjustments, requiring the installation of a variety of equipment.
In general, of course, all the signatory countries of Washington wondered with the displacement, but only the Japanese achieved fantastic success in hiding the true data. But the fact is that they succeeded in the first time, which caused quite a stir.
A cruiser of 8,500 tons with such weapons - it had the effect of an exploding bomb, and all the naval powers rushed to develop something similar.
Six new ships with 15 155 mm guns each - this was considered a very serious matter. And if not a threat, then a reason to get excited about construction.
The Americans laid the foundation for a series of Brooklyn-class cruisers with fifteen 152-mm guns in five turrets.
The British began to build, instead of cruisers with 6-8 guns in twin turrets, cruisers of the Town series with twelve 152 mm guns in four triple turrets. On the last cruisers of the "Belfast" class, it was even planned to install four four-gun turrets, but did not grow together.
In general, "improved" Takao "made a rustle serious.
What were these new ships like?
In general, it looks like "Takao", the same huge superstructure in which all communication centers, fire control, navigation are concentrated. The same stern superstructure: an identical catapult arrangement, the location of the seaplanes and the hangar just behind the tripod mainmast, the equipment for controlling the auxiliary caliber fire, and a radio room on the hangar roof.
Torpedo tubes (three-tube instead of two-tube) were placed in the middle of the hull at the level of the upper deck.
As with the Takao, the number of anti-aircraft guns was very small, since it was assumed that the cruisers would be able to use the main battery to repel attacks from the air. So four 127 mm guns - that's all the air defense.
We thought for a long time what class the ships should be. Since May 30, 1934, they began to use the caliber of guns as a criterion: the first class (class "A" cruisers) carried guns over 155 mm, the second class (class "B") - 155 mm or less.
Therefore, after the completion of the cruiser, it was nevertheless assigned to class "B", that is, to light cruisers. The fact that there once they can be converted into heavy ones - well, this is not a reason, is it?
Because the cruisers are of the second class, the new ships were named after the rivers.
On August 1, 1931, cruiser # 1 was named Mogami (a river in Yamagata prefecture, northwest of Honshu), and cruiser # 2 was named Mikuma (a river in Oita prefecture, northeast of Kyushu).
On August 1, 1933, cruiser # 3 was named "Suzuya" (the Suzuya or Susuya River in the southern part of Karafuto Island - former Sakhalin).
On March 10, 1934, cruiser # 4 was named "Kumano" (a river in Mie Prefecture, southern part of Honshu Island).
Well, when, before replacing the turrets with the cruiser's guns, they were transferred to class "A", of course, no one changed the name.
The armor of cruisers differed from the protection of class "A" cruisers and was designed to withstand both artillery fire (protection from 203-mm shells in the area of ammunition storage and from 155-mm shells in the areas of engine-boiler rooms) and against torpedoes and diving shells …
Three-gun turrets of 155-mm guns were protected from all sides by plates of 25-mm NT steel and steel lining from the inside with a gap of 10 cm for thermal insulation. The turret fighting compartments had the same 25, 4-mm protection.
The thickness of the armor belt of the cruisers was 100 mm, thinner than the 127 mm of the armor belt of the Takao-class cruisers. The thickness of the armored deck is 35 mm. The bridge was protected by 100 mm armor.
Main power plant of cruisers
To achieve a full speed of 37 knots, the cruisers required an installation with an output of over 150,000 hp. The designers even got 152,000 hp. Despite the high power, the main power plant turned out to be lighter, the power density reached 61.5 hp / t compared to 48.8 hp / t on the Takao-class cruisers.
On tests in 1935, "Mogami" reached a maximum speed of 35, 96 knots (with a displacement of 12 669 tons and the power of the main power plant 154 266 hp), "Mikuma" - 36, 47 knots (with a displacement of 12 370 tons, and the power of the main power plant 154 056 hp). In the course of these tests, it turned out that the hulls of the ships are too weak and even with a weak excitement they are "led".
Not news, the weakness of the hulls of Japanese cruisers was a long-standing problem, which was fought back on the Furutaki.
According to the project, the maximum fuel reserve was assumed to be 2,280 tons, while the cruising range was expected to be 8,000 miles at a speed of 14 knots. After completing in 1935, the fuel reserve was equal to 2,389 tons, and the cruising range at a speed of 14 knots was 7,673 miles. We can say almost succeeded.
During the second modernization, the fuel reserve on the Mogami and Mikuma was reduced to 2,215 tons, and on the Suzuya and Kumano to 2,302 tons, respectively, the cruising range was reduced to 7,000-7,500 miles. However, the decrease in the cruising range was caused by quite objective reasons, from practical tests to rethinking the network of bases in the Pacific Ocean.
Reducing the fuel supply made it possible to increase other elements of the ship's equipment. For example, weapons.
At the time of completion of all ships by 1938, the armament of the Mogami-class cruisers consisted of:
- 15 155 mm guns in three-gun turrets;
- 8 anti-aircraft guns 127 mm in two-gun mountings;
- 8 anti-aircraft guns 25 mm in paired installations;
- 4 anti-aircraft machine guns 13 mm;
- 12 torpedo tubes 610 mm.
In 1939-1940, 155-mm artillery mounts of the main caliber were replaced by five two-gun turrets with 203-mm guns.
Of the five towers, as on other A-class cruisers, three were located in the bow and two in the stern. But the placement of the bow towers was different. Instead of the "pyramid" scheme, a scheme was used in which the first two towers were on the same level, and the third - on the deck higher (on the shelterdeck), having larger firing angles than with the "pyramid" scheme.
Each tower weighed about 175 tons, but towers # 3 and # 4 were somewhat heavier and taller, since they also carried Type 13 8-meter rangefinders.
At first, 155-mm guns were intended to be used for firing at air targets, so the terms of reference indicated an elevation angle of 75 °, an initial projectile speed of 980 m / s and a firing range of 18,000 m. shells aboard are clearly insufficient for firing with the required rate of fire at rapidly moving air targets. Moreover, the large elevation angle required the use of precise and very sensitive vertical aiming mechanisms and more sophisticated recoil mechanisms. Therefore, the idea of obtaining a powerful universal weapon had to be abandoned.
It is estimated that when firing at surface targets, a ship with fifteen 155-mm guns would be very slightly inferior to a ship with ten 203-mm guns, since the lower projectile weight was compensated for by a larger number of guns and their better rate of fire.
With a projectile weight of 55, 87 kg and a theoretical rate of fire of 7 rounds per minute in a full salvo, 105 rounds with a total weight of 5,775 tons were obtained. minute he fired ten full volleys (50 shells) with a total weight of 6,250 kg. In practice, the comparison turned out even in favor of the "B" class cruiser, since the real rate of fire was 5 and 3 rounds / min, respectively, which gave a one-minute volley of seventy-five 155-mm shells weighing 4,200 kg against thirty 203-mm shells with a total weight of 3 780 kg.
The ammunition of the 155-mm guns consisted of two types of shells: "diving" and training. The total stock is 2 250 pieces, or 150 per gun.
The turret crew consisted of 24 people in the fighting compartment (of which one horizontal gunner and three vertical, three loading shells, three charging charges, six lift operators, three operators for loading guns, closing the shutter and blowing off), seven people in a shell cellar and ten in charger.
An interesting point: the barrels of the 203-mm guns were longer than the 155-mm ones. 10, 15 m versus 9, 3 m. Therefore, in the photographs during the campaigns it is clear that the trunks of tower No. 2 are slightly raised. There was not enough space between towers 1 and 2, so the trunks had to be raised to 12 degrees.
The anti-aircraft armament on the ships did not differ much from the Takao type and consisted of eight 127-mm type 89 anti-aircraft guns in paired installations with model A shields. Normal ammunition was 200 rounds per gun, maximum - 210.
In general, as mentioned above, initially, according to the project, it was believed that four 127-mm anti-aircraft guns would be enough, if anything, the main caliber would help. But when it turned out that the GK was not so hot as an assistant, then, according to the invention of paired installations, 127-mm single-barreled anti-aircraft guns were gradually replaced by twin guns. And from the main battery they decided to shoot only at surface targets.
Cellars for 127-mm projectiles were located under the storage deck, between the bulkhead of the boiler room and the charging cellars of the main caliber tower No. 3. Unitary shells were fed by lifts through the storage deck, lower and middle decks. On the middle deck, the shells were transferred to the middle of the ship and loaded into four other hoists, which fed the shells to the upper deck - to the ammunition preparation rooms located near the installations. The shells were taken out manually and also manually fed to the guns. In the ammunition preparation rooms there were several shells ready to fire. In general, the system is so-so in terms of speed.
In addition to 127-mm universal guns, four twin mounts of 25-mm Type 96 assault rifles and two twin mounts of 13-mm Type 93 machine guns were installed on the cruisers. Normal ammunition consisted of 2,000 rounds per barrel for anti-aircraft guns and 2,500 rounds of rounds for machine guns.
The project also included 40-mm Vickers assault rifles, 2 pieces per ship. But they did not have time to put them on ships, immediately replacing them with 13-mm machine guns.
The storage of ammunition was also controversial. The cellar of 25-mm shells was located under the armor of the lower deck, between the turrets of the main battalion No. 1 and No. 2. The clips of 15 shells were fed by a lift to the middle deck on the starboard side, from where they were manually transported to the middle of the ship (the same for the 13-mm installations on the superstructure). There, they were again loaded into hoists, which fed the clips to the platforms of 25 mm machine guns, where they could be stored in the numerous fenders of the first shots around the installations.
In general, the ammunition supply system for air defense installations was very unstable, and the uninterrupted supply of shells and cartridges depended on many factors.
Naturally, in the course of the war, the air defense was modernized, machine guns were installed on any free piece of space. As a result (plus or minus 2-4 barrels), each cruiser received 24 barrels in twin mounts of 25 mm, four coaxial machine gun mounts of 13 mm and 25 simple machine guns of 13 mm.
Each cruiser was able to carry three seaplanes on board, but during the war only two seaplanes were usually based. However, we will return to seaplanes, at least with regard to the Mogami.
In general, for their displacement, the cruisers turned out to be high-speed and with very good weapons. However, the armor protection was still weaker than that of its predecessors.
Of course, the implementation of such projects would have been impossible to fit into Washington's 10,000 tons, and we don't even stutter about the 8,500 tons allocated. It is clear that they did not even smell here.
The Mogami-class cruisers had a hull length of 200.5 m, a width of 19.2 m along the mid-frame. The draft of the cruisers was 6.1 m, the displacement of the Mogami with 2/3 reserves was 14 112, and the total displacement was 15 057 t. So it turned out and not "Washingtonians", and even more so not "improved" Takao "in terms of displacement. The result is completely different ships.
According to the initial project, the crew of the cruisers consisted of 830 people, but after its changes it increased to 930: 70 officers and 860 petty officers and sailors. This number of teams was on the "Mogami" and "Mikum" after entry into service. In 1937, after the strengthening of anti-aircraft artillery, it amounted to 951 people: 58 officers and 893 sailors.
Work was underway to improve the living conditions of the crew. Multiple cabins for midshipmen and foremen appeared, sailors' quarters began to be equipped with metal three-tier bunks (instead of the usual suspended ones) and lockers for things.
The ships had pantries for rice in the bow and pickled products, a plant for the production of lemonade in the stern and a freezer, the volume of which increased to 96 cubic meters (the "Meko" and "Takao" had a volume of 67 cubic meters). On the middle deck in the stern there was a ship's infirmary, and in the central part of the hull there were separate (for officers and sailors) galleys (on the upper deck) and baths (on the middle).
The living quarters of the Mogami-class cruisers have been significantly improved compared to their predecessors. They were also better adapted to sailing in the southern seas. In particular, the ships were equipped with a developed system of forced air circulation, and tanks with cold drinking water were installed in the corridors near the crew quarters.
Combat use
All four Mogami-class cruisers were laid down between October 27, 1931 and April 5, 1934, launched from March 14, 1934 to October 15, 1936. The ships entered service on October 20, 1939. All four cruisers were assigned to the Kure Naval Base prior to their removal from the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The cruisers became part of the 7th Division of the 2nd Fleet. Before the outbreak of hostilities, the ships took part in routine reviews, parades, campaigns and exercises.
The battleships of the division began in December 1941. The 7th Division covered the landing of Japanese troops in Malaya, Burma, Java and the Andaman Islands.
On February 28, 1942, the cruisers Mogami and Mikuma took part in the battle in the Sunda Strait, when the American cruiser Houston and the Australian cruiser Perth were sunk by torpedoes and shells from cruisers. The Japanese ships did not receive even minimal damage.
But the results of the battle were very spoiled. The Mogami sent a full volley of torpedoes into the Houston. The torpedoes did not hit the American cruiser, but on the other side of the strait they drowned a Japanese minesweeper from the escort of the convoy and three ships of the convoy that delivered the landing.
Torpedoes "Type 93", as practice has shown, turned out to be a very serious weapon.
Further, the cruisers "worked" in the Indian Ocean, disrupting the supply of British and French troops in Burma and Indochina. On account of the cruisers in April 1942, there were 8 destroyed allied transports. The game, however, was not worth the candle, since the consumption of shells was simply monstrous: armor-piercing shells simply pierced transport ships through and through, without exploding.
Trouble began in June 1942, when the cruisers sailed to the Midway Island area in order to bombard the island's infrastructure. The shelling was canceled, but what began next, we will consider in detail.
On the way back to the main forces of the fleet, an enemy submarine was discovered from the cruisers. Performing an evasion maneuver, Mikuma rammed the Mogami. Both cruisers were seriously damaged.
"Suzuya" and "Kumano" left the scene at full speed. "Mogami" could only give 14 knots. But the main trouble was that oil was leaking from the damaged tanks of the cruiser "Mikuma", leaving a noticeable trace on the surface of the ocean. On this trail, the cruiser was found by dive bombers SBD.
Both cruisers damaged in collisions with each other were hit by two waves of American dive bombers, which achieved several direct hits with bombs on the ships.
And here is the result of not the most successful air defense and limited maneuver: one bomb hit the middle of the Mogami cruiser, in the area of the aircraft deck. The explosion caused further fire in the area of the torpedo tubes, but the Japanese crew was lucky that the torpedoes damaged in the collision did not explode.
In total, the Mogami was hit by five bombs, which inflicted very heavy damage on the cruiser, in addition to those already available from the collision. Surprisingly, the cruiser not only stayed afloat, but also continued on its way to the base on its own and under its own power!
True, the destruction was so significant that they did not restore the ship, but converted the Mogami into an aircraft-carrying cruiser.
Mikuma was much less fortunate. American crews planted two bombs on the cruiser, which hit the engine room. The bombs caused a huge fire, which also reached the torpedo tubes. But torpedoes exploded on Mikum …
This is how the Mikuma became the first Japanese heavy cruiser to die in World War II. And here we still have to think hard to whom he owes this more: American bombs or Japanese torpedoes.
So in the 7th cruiser division there were only two ships left: "Suzuya" and "Kumano". The cruisers supported the operations of the fleet near Burma, and then, together with the aircraft carriers, came to Guadalcanal. There, the cruisers took part in the battle in the Solomon Sea. In general, without any special results.
It is worth noting that after the battles in the Solomon Islands, Suzuya and Kumano received radars. The ships' anti-aircraft artillery was reinforced. There were plans to rebuild both cruisers into air defense ships by partially or completely replacing towers with 203-mm guns with towers with universal 127-mm guns. These plans were not implemented.
But "Mogami" got it great. In fact, the cruiser was rebuilt from a conventional artillery cruiser into a carrier of reconnaissance seaplanes.
Both damaged aft towers of the main battery were dismantled, and in their place a deck with rails for four three-seater reconnaissance seaplanes and three two-seater smaller seaplanes was mounted.
I must say, not the best solution, and here's why. The three bow towers of the main battery remained in place, due to which the balance of masses in the longitudinal plane of the ship was disturbed - the cruiser was now burrowing into the water with its nose.
In this form, the Mogami entered service on April 30, 1943. The cruiser returned to the 7th division, where by that time only Suzuya remained.
Kumano caught a 900-kg bomb from an American bomber and spent a long time doing repairs at the dock. "Mogami" followed after him, as while staying in Rabaul he also got a bomb between towers 1 and 2.
The ships were reunited only in 1944, exactly before the Battle of the Mariana Islands, which the Americans called the "Great Marian Massacre." True, the cruisers did not receive any damage, but the re-equipment of the ships' air defense was immediately started. The number of anti-aircraft guns was increased: up to 60 25-mm anti-aircraft guns for the Mogami, 56 for the Kumano and 50 for the Suzuya. The Mogami now housed eight of the newest high-speed Aichi E16A seaplanes.
Further, the cruisers were engaged in boring transport operations between Singapore and the Philippines. And they were engaged in them for a long time, until the command sent them to Leyte Gulf …
Mogami was in Admiral Nishimura's group along with the old battleships Yamagiro and Fuso, while Suzuya and Kumano operated as part of Admiral Kurita's compound.
The Mogami were out of luck.
A detachment of ships ran into an American detachment comparable in strength. But the stars were clearly on the side of the Americans. Old Japanese battleships were sunk by old American battleships, but the Mogami were killed long and painfully.
First, during an artillery firefight, "Mogami" received two 203-mm shells, which disabled tower # 2.
The Japanese fired four torpedoes towards the enemy, turned around and began to leave with all possible speed.
Literally right there, several 203-mm shells from the cruiser Portland hit the bridge. The cruiser commander and several officers on the bridge were killed. The senior artilleryman took command, and the cruiser continued to try to break away from the enemy.
It seems to have started to work out, but the stars … In general, "Mogami" again collides with another cruiser. This time with "Nachi".
Not only was there a fire on the Mogami, the collision added. And the fire went … right! To the torpedo tubes!
Having learned from bitter experience, the crew began to throw torpedoes overboard. But they didn't have time, five torpedoes detonated. The torpedo explosions damaged the shaft of one propeller and caused destruction in the engine room.
The cruiser slowed down and then the American cruisers Louisville, Portland and Denver caught up with him. These three have achieved more than 20 hits on the Mogami with 203-mm and 152-mm shells. Mostly 152 mm, which played into the hands of the Japanese.
"Mogami" as he could snapped at the remaining two towers and tried to break away from the Americans. Happened. And "Mogami" and "Nachi" began to leave for Colon. But, alas, it was not the day of "Mogami" for sure, because the car finally stopped and the cruiser lost speed.
Naturally, in continuation of the troubles, TVM-1 bombers appeared. Two 225-kg bombs hit the bridge and the fire started again, which began to approach the artillery cellars.
The team tried to fight. To avoid detonation, a command was given to flood the bow ammunition cellars, but the damaged pumps barely pumped water. As a result, the senior artillery officer who took over command decided to leave the ship by the crew.
The rest of the team was taken on board by the destroyer "Akebono", and then finished off the "Mogami" with torpedoes.
Suzuya briefly outlived a colleague. The same TVM-1 bombers, which caught the cruiser at a bad time for it, became an evil genius. The Suzuya crew fought back as best they could, but one bomb exploded at the side of the cruiser, bending the shaft of one of the propellers. After that, the ship could no longer keep the speed above 20 knots.
Problems with speed and maneuver immediately affected very fatally. During the raids that followed on October 25, 1944, the cruiser received several hits by bombs at once, which … rightly, caused a fire with the subsequent detonation of torpedoes. Torpedoes (as was usually the case on Japanese ships) smashed everything around and caused an even stronger fire. When torpedoes on the other side began to explode and ammunition for 127-mm guns, the commander ordered the crew to leave the ship.
Suzuya sank on the same day, October 25, 1944.
The cruiser Kumano outlived it by exactly one month. In the battle of Leyte, at the exit from the Strait of San Bernardino, the ship was hit by a torpedo in the bow of the hull.
The torpedo was fired by the American destroyer Johnston from a distance of 7500 m. The ship received a dangerous list, it was necessary to flood the compartments for straightening, after which the cruiser's speed dropped to 12 knots. The Kumano went back to the San Bernardino Strait.
In the strait, the damaged cruiser was attacked by American bombers and hit by bombs in the engine room. The speed dropped further. The next day, October 26, the cruiser was attacked by carrier-based aircraft from the aircraft carrier Hancock. Three 225-kg bombs hitting the ship knocked out all the cruiser's boilers, except for one.
"Kumano" on the perseverance of the crew, at a speed of 8 knots, but crawled to Manila, where he was hastily repaired so that he could give a speed of 15 knots.
An order was given, which obviously did not promise the cruiser a long life, namely, together with the cruiser Aoba, to accompany the convoy of transports to the shores of Japan.
During the crossing, the convoy in the area of the island of Luzon intercepted the American submarines Guittara, Brim, Raton and Ray.
We agree that it was difficult to come up with a goal better than a slowly creeping cruiser. It is clear that a good repair of the Kumano could only be provided in Japan, but … The submarines fired a salvo at the convoy and two torpedoes, presumably fired by the Rei submarine, of course, caught up with the Kumano.
Explosions of torpedoes at the cruiser tore off the bow, but the ship itself remained afloat again! The course was completely lost, and the Kumano was again towed to Manila, where it was again repaired to a speed of 15 knots.
The final point in the history of "Kumano" was put by American aircraft. On November 25, 1944, the Kumano was attacked by aircraft from the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga. The cruiser was hit by four bombs and at least five torpedoes …
The cruiser capsized and sank.
What can be said as a result? It was good work - Mogami-class heavy cruisers. Good armament, speed, maneuverability and especially survivability. It was still bad with armor and air defense, especially at the end of the war, it was not enough.
And the main drawback was still torpedoes. On the one hand, torpedoes are very powerful, fast, and far-reaching. On the other hand, the Japanese fleet lost more than one or two ships in a row because of these torpedoes.
But in general, "Mogami" were very thoughtful and successful ships. It's just that American aviation was predictably stronger.
