Japanese cruiser Maya
Maya underway in the 1930s
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name | Maya |
Namesake | Mount Maya |
Ordered | FY 1927 |
Builder | Kawasaki Shipyards, Kobe |
Laid down | 4 December 1928 |
Launched | 8 November 1930 |
Commissioned | 20 June 1932 |
Stricken | 20 December 1944 |
Fate | Torpedoed and sunk by USS Dace, 23 October 1944 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Takao-class cruiser |
Displacement | 9,850 t (9,690 long tons) (standard), 15,490 t (15,250 long tons) (full load) |
Length |
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Beam | 19 m (62 ft) – 20.4 m (67 ft) |
Draft | 6.11 m (20.0 ft) – 6.32 m (20.7 ft) |
Propulsion | 4-shaft geared turbine, 12 Kampon boilers, 132,000 shp (98,000 kW) |
Speed | 35.5 kn (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph) |
Range | 8,500 nautical miles (15,740 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h) |
Complement | 921–996 |
Armament |
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Armour |
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Aircraft carried | 3x floatplanes (1x Aichi E13A1 "Jake" & 2x F1M2 "Pete") |
Aviation facilities | 2 aircraft catapults |
Maya (摩耶) was one of four Takao-class heavy cruisers, active in World War II with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). These were the largest and most modern cruisers in the Japanese fleet, and were intended to form the backbone of a multipurpose long-range strike force. These ships were fast, powerful and heavily armed, with enough firepower to hold their own against any cruiser in any other navy in the world. Her sister ships were Takao, Atago and Chōkai.[1]
Background
The Takao-class ships were approved under the 1927 to 1931 supplementary fiscal year budget, and were each named after a mountain. Mount Maya is located outside Kobe.
Design
The Takao-class cruisers were an improved version of the previous Myōkō-class design, incorporating technical elements learned with the development of the experimental light cruiser Yūbari. They had a distinctive profile with a large, raked main smokestack, and a smaller, straight, second smokestack. Intended to address issues with the Myōkō class, the Takao class had thicker armor, dual-purpose main guns which could be used against aircraft, and torpedo launchers moved to the upper deck for greater safety. However, as with its predecessors, the Takao class was also top-heavy.[2]
The Takao class displaced 16,875 t (16,608 long tons). Maya was 203.8 metres (669 ft) long, with a beam of 20.4 metres (67 ft), draft of 6.32 metres (20.7 ft) and was capable of 35.25 knots.[2]
Propulsion was by 12
Maya's main battery was ten
Service history
Early operations
Maya was
All of the Takao class were assigned to the
Pacific War
At the start of the
On 4 March, Atago, Takao and Maya, together attacked a convoy which had departed Tjilatjap for Fremantle, Australia, and sank the Royal Australian Navy sloop HMAS Yarra after a 90 minute battle, along with the British tanker Francol, depot ship Anking, and British minesweeper 51. Maya returned to Staring-baai on 7 March, and back to Yokosuka on 18 March. While dry-docked at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal an additional two Type 96 twin-mount AA guns were installed abreast the forward funnel.[2]
In April 1942, Maya was part of the fleet assigned to the unsuccessful pursuit of Admiral
In August 1942, Maya was assigned to "Operation Ka", the Japanese reinforcement during the
Maya returned to Yokosuka for repairs and refit in January 1943, and was then reassigned to operations in northern waters, supporting supply missions to the
After repairs again at Yokosuka, Maya returned to the Kuriles in late April, and became flagship of the IJN Fifth Fleet, assisting in the evacuation of Kiska after the loss of Attu to the Americans in August 1943.
After refit in Yokosuka during which two additional twin-mount Type-96 AA guns (bringing its total to 16 barrels), Maya accompanied Chōkai back to Truk, arriving in late September, and started shuttling troops and supplies between Truk and Rabaul. ON 5 November, Maya was attacked by SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier USS Saratoga during the Carrier Raid on Rabaul. A bomb hit the aircraft deck portside above the No. 3 engine room and started a major fire. Seventy crewmen were killed. Emergency repairs were made at Rabaul, and Maya returned to Yokosuka at the end of 1943. During this repair, a major change was made in Maya's armaments, transforming her into an anti-aircraft cruiser, with her No.3 turret and aircraft hangar removed, and replaced by thirteen triple mount and nine single mount Type 96 AA guns, and six twin-mount 127-mm guns, as well as 36 Type 93 machine guns. Her twin torpedo launchers were upgraded to quadruple launchers, and a Type 22 surface-search radar was installed.[2] The overhaul was completed on 9 April.
At Kure, Maya embarked two Aichi E13A1 "Jake" long-range scout planes, troops and materials. A monkey, donated to Maya by the Kure Zoo, was also embarked. During the voyage, the aircrew taught the monkey to salute the officers, much to their annoyance.[4]
From April to June 1944, Maya supported other units in the defense of the Philippines, culminating in the
On 20 June, Maya retired with the remnants of the fleet via
On 22 October, in the
Wreck
On 19 April 2019, researchers aboard RV Petrel announced they had located the wreck of Maya in around 1,850 m (6,070 ft) of water. She sits upright with the tip of the bow broken off and lying upside down off the port quarter of the remainder of the wreck. She is in astonishingly good condition, with all main gun turrets still in place, and the massive bridge structure intact. Although her sister ship Atago was also sunk nearby, the bridge structure and main gun layout confirm that the wreck is indeed Maya.
Maya in popular culture
In the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies, the father of Setsuko and Seita serves onboard Maya. He is assumed to have been killed in the end of the film.
References
Notes
- ISBN 0-87021-893-X. page 84
- ^ a b c d e f g h Patton, Japanese Heavy Cruisers of World War Two, pp. 36–48
- ^ Nishida, Takao class heavy cruisers
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hackett, Bob; Sander Kingsepp (2017). "IJN MAYA: Tabular Record of Movement". Junyokan!. combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
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 0-689-11402-8.
- 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.
- Patton, Wayne (2006). Japanese Heavy Cruisers in World War II. Squadron Signal Publications. ISBN 0-89747-498-8.
- Skulski, Janusz (2004). The Heavy Cruiser Takao. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-974-3.
- Watts, Anthony J. (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company. ISBN 978-0-3850-9189-3.
- Whitley, M.J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-141-6.
External links
- Nishida, Hiroshi (2002). "Takao class heavy cruisers". Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander. "IJN MAYA: Tabular Record of Movement (Revision 13)". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 7 August 2019.