Japanese Battle Fleet of World War II.

    Japanese Battleships.   -   ten prewar Battleships

    NameTonsCommGuns Sunk ByWhere
    Kongo 32,250 1913 4x2-14"21Nov44 SS-315off Formosa
    Hiei 32,250 1914 4x2-14"13Nov42 TG 67.4;AirGuadalcanal
    Kirishima32,250 1915 4x2-14"15Nov42 BB-56 Guadalcanal
    Haruna 32,250 1915 4x2-14"28July45 CV TF-38 Kure
    Fuso 35,900 1915 6x2-14"25Oct44 BB TF-77 Surigao Sea, Leyte, P.I.
    Yamashiro35,900 1917 6x2-14"25Oct44 DD, PT Surigao Sea, Leyte, P.I.
    Ise (BBV)36,500 1917/43 (6)4x2-14'28July45CV TF-38 Kure
    Hyuga(BBV)36,5001918/43(6)4x2-14"24July45CV TF-38 Kure
    Nagato 38,500 1920 4x2-16"18July45CV TF-37,TF-38Yokosuka
    Mutsu 38,500 1921 4x2-16"08June43 magazine explosionHiroshima
    Yamato 64,000 Dec 19413x3-18"07Apr45 CV TF-58 Suicide mission to Okinawa
    Musashi 64,000 Aug 19423x3-18"24Oct44 CV TF-38 Sibuyan Sea, Leyte, P.I.
    Hiei=Hiyei?     short descriptions

    Japanese Heavy Cruisers

    NameTonsCommSunk ByWhere
    Mikuma 12,5001936 06June42 CV TF-16 Midway
    Kako  8,8001926 10Aug42 S-44 after Savo Island
    Furutaka 8,8001926 11Oct42 CA,CL Cape Esperance
    Kinugasa 9,0001927 14Nov42 USMC SBD's Guadalcanal
    Atago 13,4001932 23Oct44 SS-227 Sibuyan Sea, Leyte
    Takao
    		13,4001932
    		23Oct44
    31Jul45    		 SS-227
    Br. minisub     		Sibuyan Sea, Leyte; to Singapore
    Maya 13,4001933 23Oct44 SS-247 Sibuyan Sea, Leyte
    Choka 13,4001932 25Oct44 CV,scuttledSamar, Leyte, P.I.
    Suzuya 12,500193725Oct44 CV,scuttledSamar, Leyte, P.I.
    Chikuma1 11,2001939 25Oct44 CV,scuttledSamar, Leyte, P.I.
    Myoko 13,000192925Oct44 CV,SS-320 Samar, Leyte, P.I.; to Singapore
    Mogami212,500193525Oct44 BB TF-77 Surigao Sea, Leyte
    Nachi 13,0001938 05Nov44 CV TF-38 Philippines
    Kumano 12,5001937 25Nov44 SS;CV-14 Philippines
    Haguro 13,0001929 16May45 British FleetMalacca Strait, Malaya
    Ashigara 13,0001929 08June45 SS-HMS Trenchant Bangka Straits, Malaya
    Tone111,200193825July45 CV TF-38 Kure
    Aoba  9,000192725July45 CV TF-38 Kure
    -----
    1 Tone and Chikuma were seaplane cruisers. They had a full complement of 8- 8" guns crowded forward and catapults for seaplanes aft; the two ships always operated together as scouts for the fleet.
    2 Mogami, seriously damaged at Midway, escaped to return as a seaplane cruiser with 6- 8" forward and catapults aft with room for more seaplanes than the Tones.
    Furutaka = Hurutaka ; Tikuma = Chikuma ; Ahigara = Asigara ; Nachi = Nati ; Choka = Takao

    Japanese Light Cruisers

    NameTons CommSunk ByWhere
    Tenryu 3,300191918Dec42 SS-218 Off Madang harbor, New Guinea
    Tatsuta 3,300191913Mar44 SS-381 E of Honshu
    Oi 5,700192019July44 SS-249 South China Sea
    Kuma 5,700192011Jan44 SS-HMS TallyhoPenang, Malaya
    Tama 5,700192125Oct44 CV,SS-368 Leyte
    Kiso 5,700192113Nov44 CV TF-38 Manila
    Kitakami 5.760192124July45 CV TF-38 Kure
    Nagara 5,760192207Aug44 SS-246 S of Nagasaki, Japan
    Natori 5,760192218Aug44 SS-365 E of Samar, P.I
    Kinu 5,760192226Oct44 CV TF-38 Leyte
    Isuzu 5,760192307Apr45 SS-252,SS-328SE Celebes, N.E.I
    Yura 5,760192325Oct42 Multiple AirSanta Isabel, Solomons
    Yubari 3,500192327Apr44 SS-242 E of Mindanao
    Sendai 5,850192402Nov43 TF-39 Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville
    Abukuma 5,760192526Oct44 B-24's Leyte
    Jintsu 5,850192513July43 TG-36.2 Kolombangara, Solomons
    Naka 5,850192517Feb44 TF-58 W of Truk
    Ioshima 2,500193219Sep44 SS-235 E of Honshu
    Yasojima 2,500193625Nov44 CV TF-38 W of Luzon
    Katori16,000194017Feb44 TF-58 NE of Truk
    Kashima 6,000 1940survived
    Kashii 6,000194112Jan45 CV TF-38 SE IndoChina
    Agano 6,650194216Feb44 SS-305 N of Truk
    Yahagi 6,650194307Apr45 CV TF-58 EastChinaSea
    Nohiro 6,650194326Oct44 CV TF-38 Leyte
    Oyodo28,200194328July45CV TF-38 Kure
    Sakawa 6,650 1944survived
    1 Katori, Kashima, and Kashii were build as training or flag ships, used as AS escorts.
    2 Oyodo was a seaplane light cruiser with 6- 6" guns forward and catapults aft.
    Tatuta = Tatsuta ; Zintu = Jintsu ; Nohiro= Noshiro ; Yasojima = Yasoshima = ex-Ping Hat ; Ioshima = ex-Ning Hai
    Japanese cruisers usually carried torpedos, depth charges and did not carry aircraft. The designs stress firepower rather than habitat.
    Blue indicates damage that caused the ship to be out of action at the end.
    CV means USN carrier aircraft.
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    About this page: Japanese Battle Fleet - Pacific War. The grid is being filled in as the ships are found in various books. One that is interesting is "The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy" by Masanori Ito.  It is from the Japanese perspective, in which, "Four enemy cruisers were sunk" means that American ships were lost.
    Last updated on October 14, 2001
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