Imperial Japanese Navy light cruisers (Kei jun’yōkan): Tatsuta, Kuma, Tama, Kiso, Kitakami, Ōi, Nagara, Natori, Kinu, Yura, Isuzu, Abukuma, Sendai, Jintsu, Naka, Yūbari, Katori, Kashima, Kashii, Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Sakawa, Ōyodo, Ioshima, Yasoshima
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Tatsuta
(IJN Photo, 1919)
Tatsuta. Sasebo Navy Yard Tenryū-class light cruiser 3,948, 31 May 1919, 13 March 1944; Sunk by USS Sand Lance east of Hachijojima.
Tatsuta (龍田) was the second ship in the two ship Tenryū class of light cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). She was named after the Tatsuta River in Nara Prefecture, Japan. (Wikipedia)
(IJN Photo)
Tatsuta, 1919.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Tenryū
(IJN Photo, Yokosuka, 1919)
Tenryū. Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Tenryū-class light cruiser 3,948, 20 November 1919, 18 December 1942; Sunk by USS Albacore E of Madang.
Tenryū (天龍; Heavenly Dragon) was the lead ship in the two-ship Tenryū class of light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Tenryū was named after the Tenryū River in Nagano and Shizuoka prefectures. (Wikipedia)
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kuma
(Mikasa Memorial Museum Photo)
Japanese light cruiser Kuma on patrol off of Tsingtao, 1930.
Kuma. Sasebo Navy Yard Kuma-class light cruiser 5,100, 31 August 1920, 10 March 1944; Sunk by HMS Tally-Ho west of Penang.
Kuma (球磨) was a Kuma-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy.[2] The lead vessel of the five ship class, she was named after the Kuma River in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. (Wikipedia)
(IJN Photo)
Japanese light cruiser Kuma on patrol off of Tsingtao, 1935
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Tama
(IJN Photo)
Japanese light cruiser Tama showing arctic camouflage during the Aleutians Campaign, 1942.
Tama. Sasebo Navy Yard Kuma-class light cruiser 5,100, 29 January 1921, 25 October 1944; Sunk by USS Jallao northeast of Luzon.
Tama (多摩) was the second of the five Kuma-class light cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy, which played an active role in the Second World War. Tama was named after the Tama River in Kantō region of Japan. (Wikipedia)
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kiso
Kiso. Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Kuma-class light cruiser 5,100, 29 January 1921, 20 March 1944; Sunk by USN aircraft west of Cavite.
Kiso (木曾) was the fifth and last of the five Kuma-class light cruisers, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Second World War. She was named after the Kiso River in central Honshū, Japan. (Wikipedia)
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kitakami
Kitakami. Sasebo Navy Yard Kuma-class light cruiser 5,100, 15 April 1921, 30 November 1945; scrapped 10 August 1946 – 31 March 1947.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Ōi
Ōi. Kawasaki, Kobe Kuma-class light cruiser 5,100, 10 October 1921, 19 July 1944; Sunk by USS Flasher south of Hong Kong.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Nagara
Nagara. Sasebo Navy Yard Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832, 21 April 1922, 7 August 1944; Sunk by USS Croaker off Amakusa.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Natori
Natori. Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832, 15 September 1922, 18 August 1944; Sunk by USS Hardhead east of Samar.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kinu
Kinu. Kawasaki, Kobe Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832, 10 November 1922, 26 October 1944; Sunk by USN aircraft in Sibuyan Sea.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Yura
Yura. Sasebo Navy Yard Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832, 20 March 1923, 25 October 1942; Scuttled off Savo Island after bombing by USAAF.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Isuzu
Isuzu. Uraga Dock Company Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832, 15 August 1923, 7 April 1945; Sunk by USN submarines off Sumbawa.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Abukuma
(Imperial Japanese Navy Photo)
IJN Abukuma in 1941, shortly before sailing on the Pearl Harbor raid. This photo clearly shows the seaplane catapult with E7K (“Alf”) floatplane mounted and ready to launch
Abukuma. Uraga Dock Company Nagara-class light cruiser 5,832 26 May 192526 October 1944; Sunk by USAAF aircraft off Negros Island. Abukuma (阿武隈) was the sixth and last of the Nagara class of light cruisers completed for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer flotilla. She was named after the Abukuma River in the Tōhoku region of Japan. She saw action during the Second World War in the Attack on Pearl Harbor and in the Pacific, before being disabled in the Battle of Surigao Strait in October 1944, then bombed and sunk by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) off the coast of the Philippines. (Wikipedia)
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Sendai
Sendai. Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Sendai-class light cruiser 5,195, 29 April 1924, 3 November 1943; Sunk by USN cruisers at Empress Augusta Bay.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Jintsu
Jintsu. Kawasaki, Kobe Sendai-class light cruiser 5,195, 31 July 1925, 13 July 1943; Sunk by USN cruisers off Kolombangara.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Naka
Naka. Sasebo Navy Yard Sendai-class light cruiser 5,195, 30 November 1925, 18 February 1944; Sunk by USN aircraft off Truk.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Yūbari
Yūbari. Sasebo Navy Yard Yūbari-class light cruiser 2,840, 23 July 1923, 28 April 1944; Sunk by USS Bluegill off Palau.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Katori
Katori. Mitsubishi, Yokohama Katori-class training cruiser 5,890, 20 April 1940. 18 February 1944; Sunk by USS Iowa off Truk.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kashima
Kashima. Mitsubishi, Yokohama Katori-class training cruiser 5,890, 31 May1940 5 October 1945; Scrapped.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Kashii
Kashii. Mitsubishi, Yokohama Katori-class training cruiser 5,890 15 July 1941, 20 March 1945; Sunk by USN aircraft, South China Sea.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Agano
Agano. Sasebo Navy Yard Agano-class light cruiser 6,650, 31 October 1942, 15 February 1944; Sunk by USS Skate north of Truk.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Noshiro
(IJN Photo)
Noshiro. Mitsubishi, Nagasaki Agano-class light cruiser 6,652, 30 June 1943, 26 October 1944; Sunk by USN aircraft south of Mindoro.
The Japanese light cruiser Noshiro in Tokyo Bay in July 1943. Commissioned on June 30th 1943. She was sunk October 26th 1944 south of Mindoro Sulu Sea. Although attacked by Grumman TBF Avengers from the aircraft carriers USS Wasp and Cowpens and badly damaged, she finished off by Avengers and 3 Helldiver dive bombers from the USS Hornet.
Noshiro participated in the sinking of the carrier USS Gambier Bay which was one of two cases of an aircraft carrier being sunk solely by naval gunfire the other being HMS Glorious by the Kriegsmarine battleship Scharnhorst. Saying that the Japanese light aircraft carrier Chiyoda was finished off by gunfire from four cruisers, USS Santa Fe, USS Mobile, USS Wichita and USS New Orleans, along with nine destroyers.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Yahagi
Yahagi. Sasebo Navy Yard Agano-class light cruiser 6,650, 29 December1943, 7 April 1945; Sunk by USN aircraft south of Kagoshima.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Sakawa
Sakawa. Sasebo Navy Yard Agano-class light cruiser 6,652, 30 November 1944, 10 October 1945; war prize to USA, expended at atomic bomb test at BikiniAtoll on 2 July 1946.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Ōyodo
Ōyodo. Kure Naval Arsenal Ōyodo-class light cruiser 8,164, 28 February 1943, 25 July 1945; Sunk by USN aircraft at Kure.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Ioshima
Ioshima. Harima Shipyards Ioshima-class light cruiser 2,526, 28 June 1944, 19 September 1944; Sunk by USS Shad south of Cape Omaezaki.
Imperial Japanese Navy light cruiser Yasoshima
Yasoshima. Kiangnan Dockyard, China Ioshima-class light cruiser 2,448, 25 September 1944, 25 November 1944; Sunk by USN aircraft west of Luzon.