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IJN 8th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) established during World War II. History The 8th Fleet was established on 14 July 1942 and was given an operational title of Outer South Seas Force, which reflected its mission of guarding conquests in the South Pacific. In this respect it essentially replaced the 4th Fleet, which was then given an operation title of Outer South Seas Force, and was primarily tasked with defending the Mandates. Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa was appointed as the first commander of the 8th Fleet. Initially, the 8th Fleet included the ''Takao''-class heavy cruiser ''Chōkai'' as its flagship, Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv6) with the entire ''Furutaka'' and ''Aoba'' classes of four older and somewhat smaller heavy cruisers ( ''Aoba'', ''Kinugasa'', ''Kako'' and ''Furutaka''), Cruiser Division 18 (CruDiv18) with three old light cruisers ( ''Tenryū'', ''Tatsuta'' and ''Yūbari''), eight old destroyers, and Submarine Squadron 7 (SubDiv7) with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Cruiser Chōkai
was a heavy cruiser, armed with ten guns, four guns, eight tubes for the Type 93 torpedo, and assorted anti-aircraft guns. ''Chōkai'' was designed with the Imperial Japanese Navy strategy of the great "Decisive Battle" in mind, and built in 1932 by Mitsubishi's shipyard in Nagasaki. She was sunk in the Battle off Samar in October 1944. ''Chōkai'' was named for Mount Chōkai. Operational history At the start of the Pacific War, ''Chōkai'' supported the invasion of Malaya and participated in the pursuit of the Royal Navy's battleship Force Z. During January and February 1942, ''Chōkai'' was involved in operations to seize the oil-rich Dutch East Indies and the island of Borneo. Steaming near Cape St. Jacques, ''Chōkai'' struck a reef, sustaining hull damage on 22 February 1942. On 27 February, she reached Singapore for repairs. After repairs, ''Chōkai'' was once again assigned to a support role in an invasion, this time the landings at Iri, Sumatra, and the inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)
The 4th Fleet was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fourth Fleet designation was used during three separate periods. The initial designation was for a group of ships that were assigned to work together during the Russo-Japanese conflict and the period of its immediate aftermath. The second time the designation was used was during the Sino-Japanese conflict, and the third time was as a South Pacific area of command during the middle of the Pacific War. History Russo-Japanese War First established on June 14, 1905, the 4th Fleet was created after the Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War specifically to support and cover the landings of Japanese forces in Sakhalin. Afterwards, it was sent to the United States with the Japanese delegation negotiating the Treaty of Portsmouth ending the war, and was disbanded on December 20, 1905. The Fourth Fleet incident The Fourth Fleet was temporarily resurrected during a war game exercise executed in 1935, playing the role of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
18th Cruiser Division (Imperial Japanese Navy)
The 18th Cruiser Division (CruDiv 18, 第十八戦隊, Dai-Jūhachi Sentai) was a cruiser unit of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The division was part of the 4th Fleet and consisted of the light cruisers A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ... and ''Tatsuta''. Organization *This article handles all ''Dai-Jūhachi Sentai'' collectively. Commanding officers *This article handles all ''Dai-Jūhachi Sentai'' collectively. Notes Naval units and formations of Imperial Japan Military units and formations established in 1940 Military units and formations disestablished in 1942 Military units and formations established in 1944 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 {{Japan-mil-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Cruiser Furutaka
was the lead ship in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after Mount Furutaka, located on Etajima, Hiroshima immediately behind the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy. She was commissioned in 1926 and was sunk 12 October 1942 by and USS ''Duncan'' at the Battle of Cape Esperance. Design ''Furutaka'' and her sister ship '' Kako'' were the first generation of high speed heavy cruisers in the Japanese navy, intended to counter the American and British scout cruisers. They developed the experimental design pioneered in the cruiser . Although there were attempts to minimize weight and protection was only designed to be proof against 6 inch shells, the displacement was seriously overweight. The two ships were "scout cruisers", designed with aircraft facilities. The lack of catapults, however, necessitated launches from water until a major refit in 1932/3. Service history Inter-war period ''Furutaka'' was initially assigned to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Cruiser Kako
was the second vessel in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after the Kako River in Hyogo prefecture, Japan. Background ''Kako'' and her sister ship ''Furutaka'' were the first generation of high speed heavy cruisers in the Japanese navy, intended to counter the US Navy scout cruisers and Royal Navy heavy cruisers. Service career Early career ''Kako'' was completed at Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation at Kobe on 20 July 1926. Assigned to the Fifth Squadron (''Sentai'') from then until 1933, she served in Japanese and Chinese waters, participating in fleet maneuvers and combat operations off the China coast. ''Kako'' was given a major refit in 1929–30, improving her machinery and slightly changing her appearance. Briefly operating with Cruiser Division 6 in 1933, ''Kako'' was in the naval review off Yokohama in late August. She went into guard ship status in November of that year and into reserve in 1934. In July 1936, ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Cruiser Kinugasa
was the second vessel in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after Mount Kinugasa, located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. Background IJNS ''Kinugasa'' and her sister ship were originally planned as the third and fourth vessels in the of heavy cruisers. However, design issues with the ''Furutaka''s resulted in modifications including twin turrets and an aircraft catapult. These modifications created yet more weight to an already top-heavy design, causing stability problems. Nevertheless, ''Kinugasa'' played an important role in the opening stages of World War II. Service career Pre-World War II ''Kinugasa'' was completed on 30 September 1927 at the Kawasaki shipyards in Kobe. Her early service was as flagship of the Fifth Squadron (''Sentai''), and she operated for virtually her entire career with that unit and the Sixth and Seventh Squadrons. In 1928, she became the first Japanese combat ship to carry an aircraft catapult. D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese Cruiser Aoba
was the lead ship in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Launched in 1926 and heavily modernized in 1938-40, ''Aoba'' initially served as a patrol craft, largely along the China coast, and saw extensive service during World War II. Repeatedly heavily damaged and repaired, she was finally crippled by bombing and settled on the bottom of shallow Kure harbor in April 1945; two raids in late July reduced her to an unsalvageable hulk. During the attack on 24 July 1945, future Vice admiral Dick H. Guinn dropped the bomb which contributed to the sinking of that vessel. Named after Mount Aoba, a volcano located behind Maizuru, Kyoto, she was formally removed from the Navy List on 20 November 1945, and her wreck scrapped in 1946–47. Background and design ''Aoba'' and her sister ship were originally planned as the third and fourth vessels in the of heavy cruisers. However, design issues with the ''Furutaka'' class resulted in modifications to includ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aoba-class Cruiser
The were a class of two heavy cruisers constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) which saw service during World War II. Design The of heavy cruisers (also called "A class" cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy) was originally planned to include and her sister ship . The two ships were laid down in early 1924 with that intent. In 1924 the IJN Naval General Staff pressured the acting head of the Basic Design Section, Kikuo Fujimoto, to use the newly designed twin "type C" gun turrets on the ''Furutaka''-class ships. Fujimoto agreed to modify ''Aoba'' and ''Kinugasa'', but it was already too late to retrofit and , which had been laid down in late 1922. The two ships were subsequently renamed as a separate class, but ''Furutaka'' and ''Kako'' were eventually upgraded with twin turrets in 1937 when all four ships received 203mm main guns. The modifications were significant. The six semi-turrets, 1 through 6, were replaced by three twin turrets, two fore and one aft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Furutaka-class Cruiser
The were a class of two heavy cruisers which saw service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Both vessels of this class were sunk in 1942 during the Guadalcanal campaign. Design The ''Furutaka''-class cruisers were the first heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), also referred to as "A class" cruisers by the IJN. Like the cruiser , their design was the work of Constructor Captain Yuzuru Hiraga, assisted by Lt. Cmdr. Kikuo Fujimoto. Designed to beat the U.S. and the British s, they were as fast as the ''Omaha''s (and nearly 4 knots faster than the ''Hawkins'' class), while firing a heavier broadside, and carrying a larger torpedo battery than either one. Their flush deck resulted in both weight savings and increased strength by allowing the hull's longitudinal members to be continuous. As with ''Yūbari'', the design featured side and deck armour integrated into the ship's structure, saving additional weight. Despite the weight-saving effo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the first, largest, fastest, most heavily armed, or best known. Over the years, the term "flagship" has become a metaphor used in industries such as broadcasting, automobiles, education, technology, airlines, and retail to refer to their highest profile or most expensive products and locations. Naval use In common naval use, the term ''flagship'' is fundamentally a temporary designation; the flagship is wherever the admiral's flag is being flown. However, admirals have always needed additional facilities, including a meeting room large enough to hold all the captains of the fleet and a place for the admiral's staff to make plans and draw up orders. Historically, only larger ships could accommodate such requirements. The term was also used by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heavy Cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930. The heavy cruiser is part of a lineage of ship design from 1915 through the early 1950s, although the term "heavy cruiser" only came into formal use in 1930. The heavy cruiser's immediate precursors were the light cruiser designs of the 1900s and 1910s, rather than the armored cruisers of the years before 1905. When the armored cruiser was supplanted by the battlecruiser, an intermediate ship type between this and the light cruiser was found to be needed—one larger and more powerful than the light cruisers of a potential enemy but not as large and expensive as the battlecruiser so as to be built in sufficient numbers to protect merchant ships and serve in a number of combat theaters. Wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takao-class Cruiser
The ''Takao''-class cruisers (高雄型) were a ship class, class of four heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) launched between May 1930 and April 1931. They all served during World War II. Description The ''Takao'' class were an evolution from the preceding , with heavier torpedo armament and a large, almost battleship-like bridge (ship), bridge structure. Like the ''Myōkō'' class, the ships were ostensibly intended to remain within the strictures of the Washington Naval Treaty, initially designed to weigh . However, like the ''Myōkōs'', the ''Takaos'' ended up overweight, at . This markedly reduced their freeboard and stability. The large tower bridge added to the instability, but the cause of much of the excess weight remains unclear, as many components were heavier than expected. Their main battery was ten guns in five twin mounts, for the first time the Mark 2 version of the gun was used during construction, all previous heavy cruisers received it duri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
