Japanese cruiser Chōkai

"Chōkai" (Japanese: ちょうかい Kanji: 鳥海) was a "Takao"-class heavy cruiser, armed with ten 8" guns, four 4.7" guns, eight torpedo tubes and assorted anti-aircraft guns. "Chōkai" was designed with the Imperial Japanese Navy strategy of the Decisive Battle in mind, and built in 1932 by Mitsubishi's shipyard in Nagasaki.

Operational history

At the start of the Pacific War, "Chōkai" supported the invasion of Malaya and participated in the pursuit of the Royal Navy's Force Z. During January and February 1942, the "Chōkai" was involved in operations to seize the oil-rich Dutch East Indies and the island of Borneo. Steaming near Cape St. Jacques, the "Chōkai" struck a reef, sustaining hull damage on February 22 1943. On the 27th, she reached Singapore for repairs.

After repairs, "Chōkai" was once again tasked with a supporting role in an invasion, this time the landings at Iri, Sumatra and the invasion of the Andaman Islands and the seizure of Port Blair a few days later. Afterwards, "Chōkai" pulled into Mergui, Burma.

On April 1 1942, "Chōkai" left Mergui to participate in Operation C, a raid on merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean. "Chōkai" torpedoed and sank the American freighter "Bienville" and later the British steamship "Ganges" on April 6. Her role in the operation successfully concluded, "Chōkai" returned to Yokosuka on April 22.

Guadalcanal campaign

By mid-July, "Chōkai" was the new flagship of Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi and his Eighth Fleet. It proceeded towards Rabaul. On August 7, Guadalcanal having been invaded by the Americans, "Chōkai" headed for Guadalcanal, Vice Admiral Mikawa aboard. In the battle of Savo Island Mikawa's squadron inflicted a devastating defeat on an Allied squadron, sinking four cruisers and damaging other ships. However, "Chōkai" sustained several hits from "Quincy" and "Astoria", blowing off one of her turrets and killing 34 men. "Chōkai" returned to Rabaul for temporary repairs. For the rest of the Guadalcanal campaign, "Chōkai" would pull an assortment of duties, sustaining varied, but minor, damage.

Relieved as Eighth Fleet flagship shortly after the final evacuation of Guadalcanal, "Chōkai" headed back to Yokosuka on February 20 1943. Tasked with various minor duties for the remainder of 1943 and first half of 1944, "Chōkai" was made flagship of Cruiser Division Four ("CruDiv 4") on August 3 1944. She survived a harrowing submarine attack on October 23, becoming the only undamaged ship of CruDiv 4.

unk in the Battle off Samar

"Chōkai" was then transferred to Cruiser Division Five, where she survived another attack on October 24, this time by aircraft. On the morning of October 25, "Chōkai", supporting many other cruisers and battleships, engaged an American force of escort carriers, destroyers and destroyer escorts in the Battle off Samar. Taken under 5-inch (127 mm) gunfire by the destroyers and destroyer escorts, the "Chōkai" was hit amidships, starboard side, most likely by the carrier USS "Kalinin Bay". A secondary explosion caused by the armed torpedoes on her decks knocked out the engines and rudder. "Chōkai" dropped out of formation.

Within minutes, an American aircraft dropped a 500-lb (227 kg) bomb on her forward machinery room. Fires began to rage around the "Chōkai" and she went dead in the water. Later that day she was scuttled by torpedoes from the destroyer "Fujinami".

Commanding Officers

Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Taichi Miki - 5 April 1931 - 1 December 1931

Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Boshiro Hosogaya - 1 December 1931 - 30 June 1932

Capt. Boshiro Hosogaya - 30 June 1932 - 1 December 1932

Capt. Umataro Tanimoto - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1933

Capt. Shiro Koike - 15 November 1933 - 15 November 1934

Capt. Gunichi Mikawa - 15 November 1934 - 15 November 1935

Capt. Atsushi Kasuga - 15 November 1935 - 1 December 1936

Capt. Takeo Okumoto - 1 December 1936 - 12 July 1937

Capt. Aritomo Goto - 12 July 1937 - 15 November 1938

Capt. Zenshiro Hoshina - 15 November 1938 - 1 November 1939

Capt. Takero Koda - 1 November 1939 - 19 October 1940

Capt. Seishichi Watanabe - 19 October 1940 - 25 April 1942

Capt. Mikio Hayakawa - 25 April 1942 - 1 March 1943

Capt. Kosaku Aruga - 1 March 1943 - 6 June 1944

Capt. / RADM* Jo Tanaka - 6 June 1944 - 25 October 1944 (KIA; survived sinking of ship, but KIA when rescue DD "Fujinami" sunk by air attack.)

References

Books

*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 081595302X
*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 0870213113

External links

*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

See also

*JDS Chōkai (DDG-176) (commissioned 1998)

Notes