Japanese cruiser Ashigara

Japanese cruiser Ashigara

"Ashigara" (足柄) was a Myōkō class heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The other ships of her class were "Myōkō" (妙高), "Nachi" (那智), and "Haguro" (羽黒). "Ashigara" was named after a mountain on the border of Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures, also known as Mount Kintoki.

The ships of this class displaced 13,300 tons, were 204 metres long, and were capable of 36 knots. They carried one aircraft and their main armament were ten 8 inch guns. "Ashigara" was laid down at the Kawasaki shipyard in Kobe on April 11 1924, launched on April 22 1928, and was commissioned into the Imperial Navy on August 20 1929.

ervice

In World War II she took part in the invasion of the Philippines in December 1941. In the Battle of the Java Sea on March 1 1942 she shared in the sinking of the cruiser HMS|Exeter|68|6 and the destroyer HMS|Encounter|H10|6.

From 1942 to 1944 she was assigned to guard duties and troop transportation and saw no action.

In the Battle of Leyte Gulf on October 24 1944, "Ashigara", with Captain Hayao Miura in command, was assigned to Vice Admiral Kiyohide Shima's force along with "Nachi" and eight destroyers. This force entered Surigao Strait on October 25 after Admiral Shoji Nishimura's First Raiding Force had been destroyed. "Ashigara" and "Nachi" fired their torpedoes and retreated ("Nachi" with damage from a collision with "Mogami").

In December 1944 "Ashigara" took part in an attempted attack on the American landings on Mindoro in the Philippines. On December 26 she came under air attack and was damaged by a 227 kg (500 lb) bomb, but was able to shell the American beachhead on December 27.

On June 8 1945, "Ashigara" left Batavia for Singapore with 1,600 troops on board, escorted by the destroyer "Kamikaze". In the Bangka Strait the two ships came under attack from three Allied submarines, USS|Blueback|SS-326|2, HMS|Trenchant|P331|2 and HMS|Stygian|P249|2. "Kamikaze" attacked "Trenchant" with gunfire, forcing her to submerge, and then with depth charges, but Commander Arthur Hezlet spotted "Ashigara" and fired eight torpedoes at her at about 12:15. "Ashigara" was hit five times at a range of 4,000 yards [ [http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.2558 Submarine History: Submarine Service: Operations and Support: Royal Navy] ] and capsized at 12:37. "Kamikaze" rescued 400 troops and 853 crew, including Miura.

Commanding Officers

* Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Yaichi Ono - 1 October 1928 - 8 February 1929
* Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Choji Inoue - 8 February 1929 - 20 August 1929
* Capt. Choji Inoue - 20 August 1929 - 30 November 1929
* Capt. Rokuro Hani - 30 November 1929 - 1 December 1930
* Capt. Tomisaburo Otagaki - 1 December 1930 - 1 December 1931
* Capt. Taichi Miki - 1 December 1931 - 15 November 1933
* Capt. Sugao Yokoyama - 15 November 1933 - 15 November 1935
* Capt. Takeo Sakura - 15 November 1935 - 1 December 1936
* Capt. Moriji Takeda - 1 December 1936 - 15 December 1937
* Capt. Kuninori Marumo - 15 December 1937 - 3 June 1938
* Capt. Daigo Tadashige - 3 June 1938 - 1 December 1938
* Capt. Michiaki Kamata - 1 December 1938 - 15 October 1940
* Capt. Tasuku Nakazawa - 15 October 1940 - 5 July 1941
* Capt. Yoshiyuki Ichimiya - 5 July 1941 - 25 September 1942
* Capt. Masami Ban - 25 September 1942 - 30 January 1944
* Capt. / Rear Admiral Hayao Miura - 30 January 1944 - 8 June 1945 (Promoted to Rear Admiral on 1 May 1945.)

References

*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 = 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 web
last = Parshall
first = Jon
coauthors = Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt
year =
url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/kaigun.htm
title = Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com)
work =
accessdate = 2006-06-14
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ashigara_t.htm Tabular record of movement] from [http://www.combinedfleet.com/ combinedfleet.com]


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