Japanese cruiser Kiso
![]() Japanese cruiser Kiso showing arctic camouflage during the Aleutians Campaign, 1942
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History | |
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Name | Kiso |
Namesake | Kiso River |
Ordered | 1917 Fiscal Year |
Builder | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagasaki |
Cost | 6,915,078 JPY |
Laid down | 10 August 1918 |
Launched | 14 December 1920 |
Commissioned | 4 May 1921 |
Stricken | 20 December 1944 |
Fate | Sunk 13 November 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Kuma-class cruiser |
Displacement | 5,100 long tons (5,182 t) standard |
Length | 152.4 m (500 ft 0 in) o/a |
Beam | 14.2 m (46 ft 7 in) |
Draught | 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 36 knots (41 mph; 67 km/h) |
Range | 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h) |
Complement | 450 |
Armament |
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Armor | |
Aircraft carried | 1 x floatplane, 1 catapult |
Kiso (木曾) was the fifth and last of the five
Background
After the construction of the Tenryū-class cruisers, the demerits of the small cruiser concept became apparent. At the end of 1917, plans for an additional six Tenryū-class vessels, plus three new-design 7,200 ton-class scout cruisers were shelved, in place of an intermediate 5,500 ton-class vessel which could be used as both a long-range, high speed reconnaissance ship, and also as a command vessel for destroyer or submarine flotillas. Kuma was the lead ship of the five vessels in this class which were built from 1918-1921.[1]
Design
The Kuma-class vessels were essentially enlarged versions of the Tenryū-class cruisers, with greater speed, range, and weaponry.[1]
With improvements in geared-turbine engine technology, the Kuma-class vessels were capable of the high speed of 36 knots (67 km/h), and a range of 9,000 nmi (17,000 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) .[1] The number of 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns was increased from three on the Tenryū class to seven on the Kuma class and provision was made for 48 naval mines. However, the two triple torpedo launchers on the Tenryū class were reduced to two double launchers, and the Kuma class remained highly deficient in anti-aircraft protection, with only two 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval guns.[1]
Kiso was unique in her class in that she was initially built with an aircraft hangar in the front of her bridge, which made her bridge higher than that of her sister ships. Kiso was also given anti-rain caps on her two forward stacks, which gave her a unique appearance.[2]
Service career
Early career
Kiso was completed on 4 May 1921 at
Kiso was then assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in
.By February 1929, Kiso along warships of other nations was stationed at Zhifu in order to prevent the outbreak of anti-foreigner pogroms amid the Warlord Rebellion in northeastern Shandong.[4]
On 17 April 1939, Kiso fired a
Operations in northern waters
On 10 November 1941, Kiso was assigned to CruDiv 21 in the
In April, after the
In May 1942, Kiso accompanied the converted
On 28 June 1942, Kiso and Tama participated in the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrolled southwest of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack, returning to Yokosuka Naval District on 16 July 1942. From 16 July - 2 August 1942, after refit at Yokosuka, Kiso returned north to patrol around Kiska, and covered the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska on 20 August 1942, returning to Ōminato Guard District on 18 September 1942. Kiso continued a series of patrol and resupply missions to the Kuriles and Aleutians from October through the end of March 1943.[3]
On 28 March 1943, Vice Admiral
On 11 May 1943, Kiso was sent with the destroyers Hatsushimo and Wakaba to escort Kimikawa Maru transporting eight Mitsubishi F1M2 ("Pete") Type 0 observation floatplanes and two Nakajima A6M2-N ("Rufe") fighter floatplanes of the 452nd Kōkūtai to Attu. However, the Americans invaded and retook Attu the same day, and the mission was scrubbed. Kiso was sent instead on 21 May 1943 to assist in the evacuation of Japanese forces from Kiska. After several attempts due to poor weather, Kiso managed to evacuate 1,189 troops from Kiska on 29 July 1943. The ship continued its patrols in the area until the end of August.[3]
Operations in southern waters
On 15 September 1943, Kiso was reassigned south, and ferried troops from Ponape, Caroline Islands to Truk, arriving 23 September 1943 and returning to Kure Naval District on 4 October 1943.
Likewise, on 12 October 1943, Kiso and Tama embarked troops in
After modifications were completed on 3 March 1944, Kiso returned to northern waters on patrol duties for the following three months. However, on 30 June 1944, Kiso and Tama were sent from Yokosuka with Imperial Japanese Army reinforcements to Ogasawara Islands, returning on 3 July 1944. Kiso was then kept in the Seto Inland Sea from 10 August 1944 for training and guard duties.[3]
With the invasion of
Admiral Kurita's ammunition was unloaded by 8 November 1944, whereupon Kiso, together with Jun'yō, cruisers Tone, Haguro and Ashigara, DesDiv 30's Uzuki and Yūzuki following the battleships Yamato, Kongō and Nagato, light cruiser Yahagi with DesDiv 17's Hamakaze, Isokaze and the Yukikaze returned towards Japan. Kiso, Jun'yō, Tone and DesDiv 30 were detached to Manila instead. Kiso became the flagship of the Fifth Fleet, replacing Abukuma.[6]
On 13 November 1944, on the threat of American carrier strikes on
Kiso was removed from the
References
Notes
- ^ a b c d Gardner, Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921; page 238
- ^ a b Stille, Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45 , page 14-19;
- ^ a b c d e f [1] CombinedFleet.com: Kiso Tabular Record of Movement;
- ^ "Looting under Way by Chinese". Centralia Daily Chronicle. Zhifu, Washington, D.C. 25 February 1929. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
- ^ Cressman, The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II; page 89
- ^ Willmott, The Battle of Leyte Gulf; page 223
Books
- Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- Boyd, David (2002). The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-015-0.
- 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.
- Gardner, Robert (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Conway Marine Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Goodspeed, M Hill (2003). US Navy – A Complete History. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0883636183.
- Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
- Lacroix, Eric & ISBN 0-87021-311-3.
- Morrison, Samuel (2002). New Guinea and the Marianas: March 1944 - August 1944 (History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume 8). University of Illinois. ISBN 0-252-07038-0.
- Stille, Mark (2012). Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84908-562-5.
- Tamura, Toshio (2004). "Correcting the Record: New Insights Concerning Japanese Destroyers and Cruisers of World War II". Warship International. XLI (3): 269–285. ISSN 0043-0374.
- Whitley, M.J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-141-6.
- Willmott, H P (2005). The Battle Of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34528-6.
- Cressman, Robert (2005). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-149-1.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett; Sander Kingsepp; Allyn Nevitt. "Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com)". CombinedFleet.com: Kuma class.
- Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett; Sander Kingsepp; Allyn Nevitt. "Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com)". CombinedFleet.com: Kiso Tabular Record of Movement.
- Nishida, Hiroshi. "Materials of IJN". Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012.