Japanese Heavy cruiser Aoba

Japanese Heavy cruiser Aoba

Country: Japan

Type: Heavy cruiser

Service: 1927 - 1945

Ordered: 1923

Laid down: 23 January 1924

Launched: 25 September 1926

Commissioned: 20 September 1927

Struck: 20 November 1945

Fate: Sunk 28 July 1945

The two Aoba class of heavy cruisers of the Japanese Imperial Navy saw service during World War II. Aoba and her sister ship Kinugasa were originally planned as the third and fourth vessels in the Furutaka-class of heavy cruisers. However, design issues with the Furutaka-class resulted in modifications including include double turrets and an aircraft catapult. These modifications created yet more weight to an already top-heavy design, causing stability problems.

The Aoba was the lead ship in the two-vessel Aoba class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Aoba was completed at Mitsubishi shipyards at Nagasaki on 20 September 1927. She was deployed by the IJN. Aoba was extensively modernized at Sasebo Navy Yard from 1938 to 1940. During World War II, Aoba was engaged in the Pacific war until being sunk by air strikes while in port in Japan during July 1945.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Displacement:	8,300 tons (standard); 9,000 (final)
Length:	185.17 meters
Beam:	15.83 meters (initial) 17.56 meters (final)
Draught:	5.71 meters (initial) 5.66 meters (final)
Propulsion:	4-shaft Brown Curtis geared turbines 12 Kampon boilers 102,000 shp
Speed:	36 - 33.43 knots
Range:	7,000 nm @ 14 knots (initial) 8,223 nm @ 14 knots (final)
Complement:	643 (initial) - 657 (final)
Armament:	(initial) 6 x 200 mm/50-cal guns (6x1) 4 x 100 mm/40-cal guns 6 x 610 mm torpedo tubes (final) 6 x 203 mm/50-cal guns (3x2) 4 x 120 mm/40-cal guns 50 x 25 mm AA guns 8 x 610 mm torpedo tubes
Armor:	76 mm (belt) 36 mm (deck)
Aircraft carried:	1 x floatplane (initial) 2 x floatplane, 1 catapult (final)