Nagara-class Light Cruiser
Country | Japan |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
This article refers to the entire Nagara-class; it is not about an individual vessel.
ww2dbaseThe Nagara-class light cruisers were the first Japanese cruisers to be equipped with the famed 610-millimeter Type 62 "Long Lance" torpedoes that were successful in the Pacific War. These light cruisers were based on the previous Kuma-class design and were similar to British Royal Navy cruisers in terms of layout, but through the 1930s and 1940s they receive numerous upgrades that made them stand out more. Some of the upgrades were fairly extensive, even during war time, such as the post-Midway modernization that removed the entire No. 5 and No. 7 gun turrets on each ship in favor of additional anti-aircraft weapons and air search radars sets. Of the six ships built, none of the Nagara-class light cruisers survived the Pacific War; many of them fell victim to American submarines.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Apr 2009
Nagara-class Light Cruiser Interactive Map
Nagara-class Light Cruiser Operational Timeline
21 Apr 1922 | Nagara was commissioned into service. |
15 Sep 1922 | Natori was commissioned into service. |
10 Nov 1922 | Kinu was commissioned into service. |
1 Mar 1923 | Yura was commissioned into service. |
15 Aug 1923 | Isuzu was commissioned into service. |
4 Mar 1942 | USS S-39 (SS-144; Lieutenant J. W. Coe) fired four Mark 10 torpedoes at Japanese fleet oiler Erimo south of Belitung Island in western Java Sea, scoring three hits. Erimo's commanding officer, Captain Soma, beached Erimo to prevent sinking. The light cruiser Yura rescued survivors, but four crewmen were lost. Erimo was abandoned as a constructive total loss. |
1 Apr 1942 | Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's Malaya Force, Second Expeditionary Fleet, departs Mergui, Burma and steams into the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean Raids to attack merchant shipping. The force includes light carrier Ryujo and cruisers Chokai, Suzuya, Kumano, Mikuma, Mogami, and Yura. |
5 Apr 1942 | Following Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa’s force’s attack on the British naval base at Colombo, Ceylon, the force is split creating a Northern Group commanded by Rear Admiral Takeo Kurita consisting of cruisers Kumano and Suzuya; the Center Group consisting of the carrier Ryujo and cruisers Chokai and Yura under Ozawa; and the Southern Group comprised of cruisers Mogami, and Mikuma under Captain Shakao Sakiyama for the purposes of smaller raids against merchant shipping. |
11 Apr 1942 | Ozawa's Force arrived at Singapore to conclude a successful sortie into the Indian Ocean. |
15 Jun 1942 | Nagara transferred 500 wounded survivors of the Battle of Midway to hospital ship Hikawa Maru. |
12 Oct 1942 | Yugure and Yura escorted Nisshin and Chitose after Battle of Cape Esperance off Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. |
25 Oct 1942 | American SBD aircraft seriously damaged Japanese light cruiser Yura. |
26 Mar 1943 | During the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, Japanese cruisers Nachi, Maya, Tama, and Abukuma with destroyers Wakaba, Hatsushimo, Ikazuchi, Inazuma, and Usugumo plus three transport ships engaged United States Navy cruisers Salt Lake City and Richmond escorted by destroyers Coghlan, Bailey, Dale, and Monaghan in one of the very few pure naval surface battles of World War II involving long-range guns. Nachi was forced to push one of her floatplanes overboard (concussion damage from her own guns), fired several Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at the US forces (none of which hit), and received five hits (killing 14). Salt Lake City sustained moderate damage and was dead in the water for a short time. Bailey, Coghlan, and Monaghan made a bold torpedo attack that became known as the Charge of the Irish Destroyers. |
8 Apr 1943 | Nagara and Yugure departed Truk, Caroline Islands at 1335 hours to make rendezvous with disabled transport ship Kosei Maru (torpedoed by USS Tunny on 7 Apr 1943). |
9 Apr 1943 | Nagara and Yugure was joined by Yuzuki and Yugiri at 0440 hours, and at 0530 hours the group arrived at disabled transport ship Kosei Maru's location; the transport was torpedoed by USS Tunny two days prior. The destroyers began an anti-submarine sweep and at 0558 hours Yuzuki dropped several depth charges against a possible target. At 1308, while in two by Nagara, Kosei Maru foundered and sank; 137 survivors were taken on by Nagara. |
10 Apr 1943 | Nagara and Yugure arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands. |
11 Jun 1943 | Isuzu, Ariake, and Yugure escorted Hiyo, damaged by USS Trigger on the previous day, toward Yokosuka, Japan. |
12 Jun 1943 | Isuzu, Ariake, Yugure, and Hiyo arrived at Yokosuka, Japan at 1030 hours. Torpedo-damaged Hiyo entered drydocks at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal for repairs at 1053 hours; her bottom scraped the bottom of the drydock while moving in. |
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Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943
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