Takao class cruiser

The "Takao" class (高雄型) was a class of four heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy launched between May 1930 and April 1931. They were a modified design from the "Myoko" class, which they replaced, and had an almost battleship-like, large bridge structure.

Their main gun armament was ten convert|8|in|mm|0|sing=on guns and they were also armed with sixteen 24 inch torpedoes (carrying more than the "Myokos" or "Mogamis"); the "Takaos" were considered the most heavily armed and best cruisers of the IJN. The only flaw was that they were considered top-heavy and thus prone to capsizing.

Four ships of the class were launched. All served in World War II and all of them were sunk or disabled as a result of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944.

* "Takao" was severely damaged on 23 October by the submarine USS "Darter" and towed to Singapore to serve as a floating anti-aircraft battery. She was sunk in August 1945 as a result of Operation "Struggle" carried out by British midget submarines "XE-1" and "X-3".
* "Atago" was sunk on 23 October by the submarine USS "Darter".
* "Maya" was sunk on 23 October by the submarine USS "Dace".
* "Chōkai" was disabled on 25 October by combined US destroyer and air attacks, and scuttled by "Fujinami".

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 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

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

Notes