Japanese cruiser Takao (1930)
Takao on trials in 1939
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name | Takao |
Namesake | Mount Takao |
Ordered | early 1927 |
Builder | Yokosuka Naval Arsenal |
Laid down | 28 April 1927 |
Launched | 12 May 1930 |
Commissioned | 31 May 1932 |
Stricken | 3 May 1947 |
Fate | Surrendered to British forces on 21 September 1945, then sunk as a target ship on 29 October 1946 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Takao-class cruiser |
Displacement | 9,850 t (9,690 long tons) (designed 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) |
Draught | 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 knots (65.7 km/h) - 34.2 knots (63.3 km/h) |
Range | 8,500 nautical miles (15,740 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h) |
Complement | 773 |
Armament |
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Armour |
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Aircraft carried | 3 floatplanes (1 Aichi E13A1 "Jake" & 2 F1M2 "Pete") |
Aviation facilities | 2 aircraft catapults |
Takao (高雄) was the
Background
The Takao-class ships were approved under the 1927 to 1931 supplementary fiscal year budget, and like her sister ships, was named after a mountain. Mount Takao (高雄山) is located outside Kyoto and is not to be confused with the similarly named Mount Takao (高尾山) located outside Tokyo, or the city of Takao (高雄), in Taiwan.
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 funnel, and a smaller, straight, second funnel. 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). Takao 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 were capable of 35.25 knots.[2]
Propulsion was by 12
Takao’s main battery was ten
Operational history
Early operations
Takao was
All of the Takao class were assigned to the
Pacific War
At the time of the
In April, she participated in the unsuccessful pursuit of the
On 2 May, Takao assisted in rescue efforts for the
In June 1942, Takao and Maya supported the
In August 1942, Takao was assigned to "Operation Ka", the Japanese reinforcement during the
This was followed by a determined attempt to shell the US base at Henderson Field leading to the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Early in the morning of 15 November 1942, the battleship Kirishima, supported by Takao and Atago, engaged the American battleships Washington and South Dakota. All three Japanese ships hit South Dakota multiple times with shells, knocking out her radar and fire controls. Takao and Atago fired Long Lance torpedoes at Washington but missed. However, Kirishima was quickly disabled by Washington and sank a few hours later. Atago was damaged. Takao escaped unharmed, but was forced to retreat to Truk, and from there went back to Kure Naval Arsenal for repairs at the end of November, returning to Truk by the end of December.[4]
In early 1943, Takao supported the evacuation of Guadalcanal. The force consisted of the carriers Zuikaku, Zuihō and Jun'yō, the battleships Kongō and Haruna, heavy cruisers Atago, Takao, Myōkō and Haguro, the light cruisers Nagara and Agano, and 11 destroyers. The Japanese transports were successful in evacuating 11,700 troops from the island.
Under the command of Inoguchi Toshihira, Takao operated in the central Pacific from her base at Truk. She returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 26 July for the installation of additional anti-aircraft guns. After returning to Truk on 23 August, she continued on to Rabaul on 27 August, disembarking army troops and supplies.
In response to American carrier aircraft raiding in the Gilbert Islands, Takao sortied with Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa's fleet to engage the American carriers. The fleet consisted of the aircraft carriers Shōkaku, Zuikaku and Zuihō, the battleships Yamato and Nagato, heavy cruisers Myōkō, Haguro, Tone, Chikuma, Mogami, Atago, Takao, Chōkai and Maya, the light cruiser Agano and fifteen destroyers. Despite extensive searches, this force failed to make contact with the American striking force and returned to Truk.[4]
Takao was refueling at Rabaul when the base was
Takao was assigned to Vice Admiral Ozawa’s First Mobile Fleet based at Palau from 1 March 1944, and was stationed at
Takao returned to Singapore in mid-July and conducted operations in the vicinity of Singapore and Brunei until mid-October. On 22 October, Takao sortied from Brunei as part of Admiral Kurita's Center Force for the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In the predawn hours of 23 October, the Japanese force was intercepted by two American submarines in the Palawan Passage. Takao was hit by two torpedoes from USS Darter, which shattered two shafts, broke her fantail and flooded three boiler rooms. Atago and Maya were both sunk in the same engagement. Chōkai was lost a few days later at the Battle off Samar, leaving Takao as the sole survivor of her class.
Takao limped back to Brunei, escorted by the destroyers Naganami and Asashimo, the torpedo boat Hiyodori and the transport Mitsu Maru, and on to Singapore by 12 November.[4] Takao was assessed as being unrepairable at Singapore and impossible to tow to Japan. She was therefore moored as a floating anti-aircraft battery defending Seletar Naval Base along with Myōkō, the latter crippled at the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea and then further damaged by a submarine-launched torpedo.[4]
Concerned that both cruisers could interfere with Allied forces approaching Singapore, the
It was discovered after the end of the war that Takao was manned by a skeleton crew and had no ammunition aboard for her 8-inch main armament.
In popular culture
Takao has an important role in the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One, where the United States authorises the ship to be returned to Japan so it can be used to protect the country against Godzilla. Takao engages the kaiju in battle with moderate success, only to be destroyed by the monster's atomic breath.
The ship also makes an appearance in the anime Arpeggio of Blue Steel where she defects from the Fog to help the protagonists.
The ship is also a playable character in the smartphone gacha games Azur Lane, Kantai Collection and other similar themed titles.
References
Notes
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.
- Gores, Joseph (1972). Marine Salvage. David & Charles. ISBN 071535454X.
- 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 (2019). "IJN TAKAO: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 7 August 2019.