Japanese cruiser Kako
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
 Kako in 1926
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Kako |
| Namesake | Kako River |
| Ordered | 1923 Fiscal Year |
| Builder | Kawasaki Shipyards |
| Laid down | 17 November 1922 |
| Launched | 10 April 1925 |
| Commissioned | 20 July 1926[1] |
| Stricken | 15 September 1942 |
| Fate | Sunk 10 August 1942 by USS S-44 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Furutaka-class heavy cruiser |
| Displacement | 7,100 t (7,000 long tons) (standard) |
| Length | 185.1 m (607 ft 3.4 in) ( o/a ) |
| Beam | 16.55 m (54 ft 3.6 in) |
| Draught | 5.56 m (18 ft 2.9 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 4 shafts; 4 geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 34.5 knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph) |
| Range | 6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 625 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | |
| Aircraft carried | 1–2 × floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 1 catapult |
Kako (加古) was the second vessel in the two-vessel
Background
Kako and her
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.[2]
In July 1936, Kako began an extensive reconstruction at
In late 1941, Kako was in Cruiser Division 6 under
After the failed first invasion of Wake Cruiser Division 6 was assigned to the larger second invasion force, and after the fall of Wake, returned to its forward base in Truk, Caroline Islands.
From 18 January 1942, Cruiser Division 6 was assigned to support Japanese troop landings at
Battle of the Coral Sea
At the Battle of the Coral Sea, Cruiser Division 6 departed Shortland and effected a rendezvous at sea with light aircraft carrier Shōhō. At 1100 on 7 May 1942, north of Tulagi, Shōhō was attacked and sunk by 93 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers and Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bombers from the aircraft carriers USS Yorktown and Lexington.
The following day, 8 May 1942 46 SBD Dautlesses, 21 TBD Devastators and 15 Grumman F4F Wildcats from Yorktown and Lexington damaged the aircraft carrier Shōkaku severely above the waterline and forced her retirement. As Furutaka and Kinugasa, undamaged in the battle, escorted Shōkaku back to Truk, Kako and Aoba continued to cover the withdrawing Port Moresby invasion convoy.
After refueling at Shortland on 9 May, Kako was stranded on a reef entering Queen Carola Harbor, but was soon re-floated.
Kako returned to
In a major reorganization of the Japanese navy on 14 July 1942, Kako was assigned to the newly created
Battle of Savo Island
On 8 August 1942, north of Guadalcanal a three-seat Aichi E13A1 "Jake" reconnaissance floatplane launched from Kako was shot down by an SBD Dauntless of VS-72 from the aircraft carrier USS Wasp. This was the prelude to the Battle of Savo Island the following day.[2]
On 9 August, the four heavy cruisers of Cruiser Division 6 (
On 10 August, Cruiser Division 6's four cruisers were ordered unescorted to Kavieng, while the remainder of the striking force returned to Rabaul. At 0650 the American submarine USS S-44 sighted Cruiser Division 6 on a track less than 900 yards (800 m) away and fired four Mark 10 torpedoes from 700 yards (600 m) at the rear ship in the group, which happened to be Kako. At 0708, three torpedoes hit Kako. The first struck to starboard abreast the No. 1 turret. The other torpedoes hit further aft, in the vicinity of the forward magazines and boiler rooms 1 and 2. Kako had all of her portholes open,[4] and within 5 minutes she rolled over on her starboard side and exploded as sea water reached her boilers. At 0715, Kako disappeared bow first in the sea off Simbari Island at 02°28′S 152°11′E / 2.467°S 152.183°E in about 130 feet (40 m) of water. Aoba, Furutaka and Kinugasa rescued Captain Takahashi and 649 crew, but 68 crewmen were killed.[5]
Kako was removed from the
References
- ^ Lacroix, Japanese Cruisers, p. 794
- ^ a b c d Bob Hackett and Sander Kingsepp (1997). "JUNYOKAN!". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
- ^ "Japanese Navy Ships". history.navy.mil.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
- ^ Lacroix, Japanese Cruisers, pp. 307
- ^ U. S. Navy Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, "U.S.S. SS-242", Web. 24 Feb 2013. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s1/s-44.htm Archived November 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
- Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 978-0-87021-893-4.
- Lacroix, Eric & ISBN 0-87021-311-3.
- ISBN 1-55750-141-6.
External links
- Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett; Sander Kingsepp; Allyn Nevitt. "Imperial Japanese Navy Page CombinedFleet.com: Furutaka class". Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- Tabular record: CombinedFleet.com: Kako history (Retrieved 4 April 2016.)
