Japanese cruiser Kinugasa

nihongo|"IJN Kinugasa"|衣笠 重巡洋艦|Kinugasa jūjunyōkan was the second vessel in the two-vessel "Aoba"-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after Mount Kinugasa, located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.

Background

"Kinugasa" and her sister ship "Aoba" 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. Nevertheless, "Kinugasa" played an important role in the opening stages of World War II.

ervice career

Early career

"Kinugasa" was completed on 30 September 1927 at the Kawasaki shipyards in Kobe. Her early service was as flagship of the Fifth Squadron ("Sentai"), and she operated for virtually her entire career with that unit and the Sixth and Seventh Squadrons. In 1928, she became the first Japanese combat ship to carry an aircraft catapult.

"Kinugasa" served off the China coast from 1928 and 1929 and on several occasions during the 1930s. Placed in reserve in September 1937, she was extensively modernized at the Sasebo Navy Yard and not recommissioned until the end of October 1940.

Early stages of the Pacific War

In 1941, "Kinugasa" was assigned to Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv6), as flagship of Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto as part of the First Fleet under overall command of Vice Admiral Takasu Shiro. CruDiv 6 consisted of "Kinugasa", "Aoba", "Furutaka" and "Kako". At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, CruDiv6 was engaged in the invasion of Guam, following which it participated in the second invasion of Wake Island.

From January through May 1942, "Kinugasa" was based out of Truk, in the Caroline Islands where it provided protection for the landings of Japanese troops in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea at Rabaul, Kavieng, Buka, Shortland, Kieta, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands and Tulagi.

Battle of Coral Sea

At the Battle of the Coral Sea, CruDiv 6 departed Shortland and effected a rendezvous at sea with light carrier "Shōhō". At 1100 on 7 May 1942, north of Taguli Island, "Shoho" was attacked and sunk by 93 SBD Dauntless dive-bombers and TBM Avenger torpedo-bombers from USS "Yorktown" and "Lexington".

The following day, 8 May 1942 46 SBDs, 21 TBDs and 15 Grumman F4F Wildcats from "Yorktown" and "Lexington" damaged "Shōkaku" severely above the waterline and force her retirement. "Furutaka" and "Kinugasa", undamaged in the battle, escorted "Shōkaku" back to Truk."Kinugasa" was withdrawn to Japan in June 1942 for repairs, and returned to Truk by 4 July. Following the major reorganization of 14 July 1942, "Kinugasa" came under the newly created Eighth Fleet under Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa , based at Rabaul.

The Battle of Savo Island

In the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942, CruDiv 6, "Chōkai", light cruisers "Tenryū" and "Yubari" and destroyer "Yunagi" engaged the Allied Forces in a night gun and torpedo action. At about 2300, "Chōkai", "Furutaka" and "Kako" all launched their reconnaissance floatplanes. The circling floatplanes dropped flares illuminating the targets and all the Japanese ships opened fire. US Ships "Astoria", "Quincy", "Vincennes" and HMAS "Canberra" were sunk. USS "Chicago" was damaged as were the "USS Ralph Talbot" and "USS Patterson". On the Japanese side, "Chōkai" was hit three times, "Kinugasa" twice (once in her No. 1 Engine Room by a 5-inch shell from "Patterson" and her port steering gear by a shell from "Vincennes"), "Aoba" once, and "Furutaka" was not damaged.

The heavily-laden American invasion transports off Guadalcanal were unprotected, but Admiral Mikawa, unaware that Admiral Fletcher had withdrawn his aircraft carriers covering the invasion, feared an air attack at daybreak and ordered a retirement. Captain Sawa of "Kinugasa", frustrated, launched a spread of torpedoes from Kinugasa's starboard tubes at the Allied transports 13 miles distant, but all missed. The following day as CruDiv6 approached Kavieng, "Kako" was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine "S 44".

Battle of Cape Esperance

At the Battle of Cape Esperance on 11 October 1942, CruDiv 6's ("Aoba", "Furutaka" and "Kinugasa"), and destroyers "Fubuki" and "Hatsuyuki" departed Shortland to provide cover for a troop reinforcement convoy by shelling Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. The fleet was spotted by two Vought OS2U Kingfisher reconnaissance planes coming down the "Slot" at 30 knots.

So alerted, the radar-equipped American cruisers "USS San Francisco", "Boise", "Salt Lake City", and "Helena" and five destroyers steamed around the end of Guadalcanal to block the entrance to Savo Sound. At 2235, the "Helena's" radar spotted the Japanese fleet, and the Americans successfully cross the Japanese "T". Both fleets open fire, but Admiral Goto, thinking that he was under friendly-fire, ordered a 180-degree turn that exposed each of his ships to the American broadsides.

"Aoba" was damaged heavily, and Admiral Goto mortally wounded. "Furutaka" was hit by a torpedo that flooded her forward engine room and was sunk by "Salt Lake City" and "Duncan".

Kinugasa straddled "Boise" and "Salt Lake City" with 8-inch salvos knocking out "Boise's" No. 1 and 2 turrets. Kinugasa sustained four hits in the engagement. The following morning, Kinugasa was attacked by five American planes but not damaged, and returned to Shortland.

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

On 14 October 1942, "Kinugasa" was designated flagship of Crudiv 6. The following day, "Kinugasa" and "Chōkai" bombarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal with a total of 752 8-inch shell.

From 24-26 October and 1-5 November, "Kinugasa" and "Chōkai" provided cover for replacement convoys of troops and equipment to bolster Japanese defenses at Guadalcanal. On 14 November 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, "Kinugasa" was attacked by TBM Avenger torpedo-bombers from the "USS Enterprise" and USMC Avengers from Guadalcanal. At 0936 a 500-pound bomb hit "Kinugasa's" 13.2-mm machine gun mount in front of the bridge, starting a fire in the forward gasoline storage area. Captain Sawa and his Executive Officer were killed by the bomb, and "Kinugasa" gradually began to list to port. Near-misses caused additional fires and flooding and a second attack by 17 more Dauntless bombers knocked out "Kinugasa's" engines and rudder and opened more compartments to the sea. At 1122, "Kinugasa" capsized and sank southwest of Rendova Island at coord|08|45|S|157|00|E, taking 511 crewmen with her.

"Kinugasa" was removed from the Navy list on 15 December 1942.

Commanding Officers

*Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Shigehiko Tamura - 24 October 1926 - 30 September 1927
*Capt. Shigehiko Tamura - 30 September 1927 - 10 March 1928
*Capt. Kanekoto Iwamura - 10 March 1928 - 10 December 1928
*Capt. Kiyoshi Kitagawa - 10 December 1928 - 1 November 1929
*Capt. Tomisaburo Otagaki - 1 November 1929 - 1 December 1930
*Capt. Keizo Somekawa - 1 December 1930 - 1 March 1931
*Capt. Shoji Shibuya - 1 March 1931 - 14 November 1931
*Capt. Yoshio Osaki - 14 November 1931 - 1 December 1932
*Capt. Kunji Tange - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1933
*Capt. Ikuta Sakamoto - 15 November 1933 - 15 November 1934
*Capt. Moriji Takeda - 15 November 1934 - 15 November 1935
*Capt. Koichiro Hatakeyama - 15 November 1935 - 1 April 1937
*Capt. Jiro Matsunaga - 1 April 1937 - 1 December 1937
*Capt. Mitsuharu Matsuyama - 1 December 1937 - 3 June 1938
*Capt. Sueto Hirose - 3 June 1938 - 15 June 1938
*Capt. Tsutomu Sato - 15 June 1938 - 15 November 1939
*Capt. Sukeyuki Nanba - 15 November 1939 - 25 September 1940
*Capt. Takahiko Kiyota - 25 September 1940 - 20 August 1941
*Capt. / RADM* Masao Sawa - 20 August 1941 - 14 November 1942 (KIA)

References

Books

*cite book
last = Brown
first = David
authorlink =
year = 1990
title = Warship Losses of World War Two
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 1-55750-914-X
*cite book
last = D'Albas
first = Andrieu
authorlink =
year = 1965
title = Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II
publisher = Devin-Adair Pub
location =
id = ISBN 0-8159-5302-X
*cite book
last = Dull
first = Paul S.
authorlink =
year = 1978
chapter =
title = A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-097-1
*cite book
last = Howarth
first = Stephen
authorlink =
year = 1983
title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945
publisher = Atheneum
location =
id = ISBN 0-68911-402-8
*cite book
last = Jentsura
first = Hansgeorg
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1976
chapter =
title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-893-X
*cite book
last = Lacroix
first = Eric
authorlink =
coauthors = Linton Wells
year = 1997
chapter =
title = Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-87021-311-3
*cite book
last = Whitley
first = M.J.
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1995
chapter =
title = Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 1-55750-141-6

External links

*cite web
last = Parshall
first = Jon
coauthors = Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt
year =
url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/aoba_c.htm CombinedFleet.com: "Aoba" class
title = Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com)
work =
accessdate = 2006-06-14
*Tabular record: [http://www.combinedfleet.com/kinugasa_t.htm CombinedFleet.com: "Kinugasa" history] (Retrieved 26 January 2007.)
*Gallery: [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-k/kinugasa.htm US Navy Historical Center]

Notes

ee also

*List of World War II ships