Agano class Light cruiser
Agano in October 1942, off of Sasebo, Nagasaki
Class Overview
Type:	Light cruiser
Name:	Agano
Number of ships:	4 ordered, 4 laid down, 4 commissioned
Preceded by:	Nagara-class cruiser
Succeeded by:	Oyodo-class cruiser
General characteristics
Displacement:	6,652 tons (standard); 7,590 tons (loaded)
Length:	162 meters
Beam:	15.2 meters
Draught:	5.6 meters
Propulsion:	4 shaft Gihon geared turbines 6 Kampon boilers 100,000 shp
Speed:	35 knots (67 km/h)
Range:	6,000 nautical miles at 18 knots
Protection:	60 mm (belt) 20 mm (deck)
Complement:	726
Armament:	6 × 6.1-inch (152 mm) Type 41 guns (3x2) 4 × 76 mm guns, 32 x 25 mm Type 96 AA guns 8 × 610 mm torpedo tubes (4x2) 16 depth charges
Aircraft:	2 x floatplanes, 1 catapult

The four Agano class cruisers (阿賀野型軽巡洋艦, Agano-gata keijunyōkan^?) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. They participated in numerous actions during World War II. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 390 pixelsFull resolution (1988 × 970 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... Illuminated by the Albuquerque Bridge, Japanese volunteers place candle lit lanterns into the Sasebo River during the Obon festival. ... The six Nagara class cruisers ) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Oyodo (Japanese:大淀, named after a river in Japan, literally means big stagnant water) was a light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the only ship of her class. ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ... A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of length. ... Torpedo tubes of the French SNLE Redoutable A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes in a horizontal direction. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land on water. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍   or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun), officially Navy of Empire of Greater Japan, also known as the Japanese Navy or Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The Agano-class was followed by the larger Oyodo class, of which only one vessel was completed. Oyodo (Japanese:大淀, named after a river in Japan, literally means big stagnant water) was a light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the only ship of her class. ...

Background

The Imperial Japanese Navy had standardized on 5,500 ton displacement light cruisers as flagships for destroyer and submarine squadrons, and numerous vessels constructed shortly after World War One served in this role. The Agano class was conceived in the 1930s as a replacement for the now aging Tenryu, Kuma and Nagara classes. Larger than these previous light cruisers, the Agano-class vessels were fast, but with little protection, and were under-gunned for their size. HMCS Algonquin, a Canadian Iroquois-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The five Kuma class cruisers ) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The six Nagara class cruisers ) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

Originally they were to have four 6.1-inch twin mounts but X turret was eliminated to allow a heavier torpedo armament and to save on costs. The torpedo, historically called a locomotive torpedo, is a self-propelled explosive projectile weapon, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater toward a target, and designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ...

Design

Initial design specifications for the Agano class called for a nominal 5,000 ton displacement hull with six 6.1 inch guns and eight inch dual purpose guns. Armor was sacrificed to avoid overload, and in the end could only defeat 5 inch shells or smaller. The Agano class was unique among Japanese cruisers in that its main armament could elevate to 55 degrees, but this was still not enough to make them effective as anti-aircraft weapons.

The hull was flush-decked, and a bulbous bow was used for the first time on a Japanese warship.

The engines were a quadruple-shaft geared turbine arrangement with six boilers, developing 100.000 shp for a maximum speed of 25 knots. Like Yubari, the Agano-class had its stacks join into a single funnel. A knot is a unit of speed abbreviated kt or kn. ... The Yubari was a single light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

As completed, the main armament was the same type of 152 mm (6 inch) gun as used on the Kongo class battlecruiser. This gun fired a 100-lb projectile 22,970 yards. Secondary armament consisted of four 80 mm HA, which were actually 3-inch (76.2 mm) guns in two twin mountings. These guns fired a 13.2-lb projectile and were of unique size in the Japanese navy. The design was equipped with thirty-two 25mm AA guns. The torpedo tubes were mounted on the centerline as was more common with destroyers, and had a rapid reload system with eight spare torpedoes. The design included a single catapult forward of the main mast, with stowage for two floatplanes. Depth charge equipment was also fitted. Kongo (金剛) was the Imperial Japanese Navys first superdreadnought class battle cruiser, and the name-ship of its class, which included the Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna. ... HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... The Type 96 25mm Gun was a Japanese automatic cannon used during World War II. It was primarily used as an anti-aircraft weapon in fixed mounts with between one and three guns. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land on water. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ...

In subsequent upgrades, the 25-mm anti-aircraft weaponry increased to 46 sets by 1944, and then to 52 sets and finally 61 sets by July 1944 on the surviving ships.

Ships in class

Four ships were budgeted under the 1939 4th Naval Replenishment Programme, three from the Sasebo Navy Yard and one from Yokosuka Arsenal. Map showing location of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture (as of 2006). ...

Agano

Completed on 31 October 1942, Agano participated in the battles for Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands during 1943. Agano was badly damaged in Rabaul harbor by aircraft from USS Saratoga and USS Princeton, and in a subsequent attack by aircraft from TF38 on 11 November she received a torpedo hit. Ordered to home waters for repair, she was torpedoed and sunk north of Truk by the US submarine USS Skate, on 16 February 1943 . The Agano was the lead ship of its class of four light cruisers which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns (100 pound shell; 600 pound broadside; 23,000 yard range; rate... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Isoroku Yamamoto Strength 1 carrier, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers 2 battleships, 8 cruisers, 16 destroyers Casualties 2 light cruisers, 7 destroyers sunk, 26 aircraft destroyed, 1,732 killed[1] 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, 11... A view from Rabaul Volcano Observatory across the relatively undamaged western half of Rabaul and towards Tavurur Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was the headquarters of German New Guinea and then the Australian mandatory territory of New Guinea from 1910 until 1937, the base of Japanese activities in the South Pacific... The fifth USS Saratoga (CV-3) was the second aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. ... The fourth USS Princeton (CVL-23) was a United States Navy light aircraft carrier lost at the battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944. ... A view of Chuuk Chuuk is an island group that comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. ... USS Skate (SS-305), a Balao-class submarine was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the skate, a type of ray. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Noshiro

Commissioned on 30 June 1943, Noshiro participated in operations in the Solomon Islands and was damaged during the US carrier aircraft raids on Rabaul on 5 November 1943. She served in the Marianas in the summer of 1944, and was part of Admiral Kurita's force during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. At the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. She was west of Panay while withdrawing from the Battle off Samar on the morning of 26 October by aircraft from USS Wasp (CV-18) and USS Cowpens (CVL-25). The Noshiro was an Agano class light cruiser which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Description Displacement: 6650 tons Speed: 35 knots Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns (100 pound shell; 600 pound broadside; 23,000 yard range... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A view from Rabaul Volcano Observatory across the relatively undamaged western half of Rabaul and towards Tavurur Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, was the headquarters of German New Guinea and then the Australian mandatory territory of New Guinea from 1910 until 1937, the base of Japanese activities in the South Pacific... is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mariana Islands (also the Marianas; up to the early 20th century sometimes called Ladrones Islands, from Spanish Islas de los Ladrones meaning Islands of Thieves) are an archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels... Combatants United States Navy Imperial Japanese Navy Commanders Ray Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr (3rd Fleet) Thomas C. Kinkaid (7th Fleet) Takeo Kurita (Centre Force) Shoji Nishimura† (Southern Force) Kiyohide Shima (Southern Force) Jisaburo Ozawa (Northern Force) Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts... Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the Visayas. ... Combatants United States Australia Empire of Japan Commanders Thomas Sprague Takeo Kurita Strength 6 escort aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 12 destroyer escorts, 400 aircraft 4 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 11 destroyers Casualties 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort sunk over 1,000 casualties 3 heavy... The ninth USS Wasp (CV-18) of the United States Navy was an Essex-class aircraft carrier. ... USS Cowpens (CV-25) was an 11,000-ton Independence-class aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 - 1947. ...

Yahagi

Commissioned on 29 December 1943 Yahagi saw action in the Marianas in May/June 1944, during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. After the US invasion of Okinawa on 1 April 1945, she was ordered to accompany the Yamato on its suicide mission against the American fleet at Okinawa. Yahagi was hit by some seven torpedoes as well as a dozen bombs, and sank on the afternoon of 7 April 1945. The Yahagi under attack by US planes The Yahagi sinking The Yahagi (矢矧) was an Agano class light cruiser which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Displacement: 6650 tons Speed: 35 knots Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner†, Joseph W. Stilwell, Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima† Isamu Cho† Strength 548,000 regulars, 1300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars and militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33,096... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Marc A. Mitscher Seiichi Ito† Strength 11 aircraft carriers 386 aircraft 1 battleship 1 light cruiser 8 destroyers Casualties 10 aircraft destroyed 12 dead 1 battleship sunk 1 light cruiser sunk 4 destroyers sunk 3,700 dead Operation Ten-Go (天号作戦 ten-gō sakusen), also referred... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Sakawa

Sakawa was not completed until the end of 1944, by which time there was little fuel available, and she survived the war unscratched. After the war she was expended in the atom bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946. The Sakawa was an Agano class light cruiser that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Because it never entered combat, the Sagawa is most often remembered as a target ship during Operation Crossroads, the American nuclear weapon tests of 1946. ... A 21 kiloton underwater nuclear weapons effects test, known as Operation Crossroads (Event Baker), conducted at Bikini Atoll (1946). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

Books

• D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 0-8159-5302-X. 
• Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1. 
• Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-68911-402-8. 
• Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X. 
• Lacroix, Eric; Linton Wells (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3. 
• Whitley, M.J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-141-6. 

External links

• Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt. CombinedFleet.com: Agano class Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com).

See also

• List of World War II ships

Imperial Japanese Navy

Admirals | Battles | List of ships | List of aircraft | List of weapons