 Atago on sea trials in 1932 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Atago |
| Namesake | Mount Atago |
| Ordered | 1927 fiscal year |
| Builder | Kure Naval Arsenal |
| Laid down | 28 April 1927 |
| Launched | 16 June 1930 |
| Commissioned | 30 March 1932 |
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk, 23 October 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Takao-classcruiser |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 203.76 m (668.5 ft) |
| Beam | 19–20.4 m (62–67 ft) |
| Draft |
|
| Installed power | 133,100 shp (99,300 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 34.2–35.5 kn (63.3–65.7 km/h; 39.4–40.9 mph) |
| Range | 8,500 nmi (15,700 km; 9,800 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 773 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | |
| Aircraft carried | 3 ×floatplanes (1 ×Aichi E13A1 "Jake" and 2 ×Mitsubishi F1M2 "Pete"s) |
| Aviation facilities | 2 ×catapults |
Atago (愛宕) was the second vessel in theTakao-classheavy cruisers, active inWorld War II with theImperial Japanese Navy (IJN). These were among the largest and most modern cruisers in the Japanese fleet, designed with the intention to form the backbone of a multipurpose long-range strike force. Hersister ships wereTakao,Maya, andChōkai.[1]
TheTakao-class ships were approved under the 1927 to 1931 supplementary fiscal year budget, andAtago, like her sister ships, was named after a mountain. In this case, she was named afterMount Atago, located outsideKyoto. Even thoughTakao was the name ship of the class,Atago was actually finished beforeTakao.
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TheTakao-class cruisers were an improved version of the previousMyōkō-classcruiser design, incorporating technical elements learned with the development of the experimental light cruiserYūbari. They had a distinctive profile with a large, raked main smokestack, and a smaller, straight, second smokestack. Intended to address issues with theMyōkō class, theTakao class had thicker armor, dual-purpose main guns which could be used against aircraft, and torpedo launchers moved to the upper deck for greater safety. However, as with its predecessors, theTakao class was also top-heavy.[2]
TheTakao class displaced 16,875 t (16,608 long tons).Atago was 203.8 metres (668 ft 8 in) long, with abeam of 20.4 metres (66 ft 11 in),draft of 6.32 metres (20 ft 9 in) and was capable of 35.25knots (65.28 km/h; 40.56 mph).[2]
Propulsion was by 12Kampon boilers driving four sets of single-impulse geared turbine engines, with four shafts turning three-bladed propellers. The ship was armored with a 127 mm (5.0 in) sidebelt, and 35 mm (1.4 in) armoreddeck, and thebridge was armored with 10 to 16 mm (0.39 to 0.63 in) armored plates.[2]
Atago's main battery was tenType 3 20 cm naval guns, the heaviest armament of any heavy cruiser in the world at the time, mounted in five twinturrets.[2] Her secondary armament included eightType 10 12 cm dual purpose guns in four twin mounts on each side, and 16Type 90 torpedoes in four quadruple launchers. She was very deficient in anti-aircraft capability, with only two 40 mm (1.57 in)anti-aircraft guns.Atago was repeatedly modernized and upgraded throughout her career in order to counter the growing threat of air strikes, and in her final configuration was armed with ten20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns (5x2), eightType 89 12.7 cm (5 in)dual purpose guns, (4x2), and 16Type 93 "Long Lance"torpedoes in four quadruple launchers (plus 8 reloads). Anti-aircraft protection included 24 triple-mount and 12 single-mountType 96 25 mm AT/AA Guns and four 13.2 mm AAmachine guns.Atago was also equipped with an aircraftcatapult and carried up to threefloatplanes for scouting purposes.[2]
Atago waslaid down atKure Naval Arsenal on 28 April 1927,launched on 16 June 1930, andcommissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 30 March 1932.[3] AlthoughTakao was the lead ship in the class,Atago was actually completed two months earlier.
All of theTakao class were assigned to theYokosuka Naval District, formingSentai-4 of theIJN 2nd Fleet, and trained as a unit during the 1930s. On 14 May 1932, the day before he was assassinated,Prime MinisterInukai Tsuyoshi made a tour of inspection of the new cruiser. From 26 to 28 May,Atago hostedEmperor Hirohito on a cruise fromKobe toEtajima and back on theInland Sea, and the emperor presided over anaval review at Kobe on his return.[4]Atago was commanded by CaptainIbō Takahashi from December 1932 to November 1933, and by CaptainSeiichi Itō from April 1936 until he was relieved from 1 December 1936 to 12 July 1937 by CaptainAritomo Gotō.
During this time, issues with their stability and seaworthiness due to the top-heavy design became evident.Takao andAtago were rebuilt, resulting in an improved design: the size of the bridge was reduced, the main mast was relocated aft, and hull bulges were added to improve stability. After rebuilding was completed,Takao andAtago patrolled off the coast of China in 1940 and early 1941.[2] She was commanded by CaptainTomiji Koyanagi from October 1940 to July 1941.
From 11 August 1941,Atago was commanded by CaptainMatsuji Ijuin, and on 29 November was madeflagship ofVice AdmiralNobutake Kondō'sSentai-4, along withsister shipsMaya,Chōkai, andTakao.
At the time of theattack on Pearl Harbor,Atago had sortied fromMako Guard District in thePescadores Islands to provide support for Japanese landings in theinvasion of Malaya and in theinvasion of the Philippines.[4]
From January to March 1942,Atago was based out ofPalau, and was involved in operations to seize the oil-richNetherlands East Indies, participating in numerous combat operations, including theBattle of the Java Sea.[5] On 2 March, south ofBali,Atago andTakao sank the olddestroyerUSS Pillsbury. On 4 March,Atago,Takao andMaya, together with the destroyersArashi andNowaki, attacked a convoy which had departedTjilatjap forFremantle, Australia, and sank theRoyal Australian NavysloopHMAS Yarra after a 90-minute battle, along with the British tankerFrancol, depot shipAnking, and British minesweeper 51. In the same battle,Atago captured the 1030 ton Dutch freighterDuymaer van Twist and 7089 ton freighterTjisaroea, both of which were later placed into Japanese service. After taking Vice Admiral Kondō on an inspection tour of Japan’s new possessions in the former Netherlands East Indies,Atago returned toYokosuka Naval District on 17 April 1942, where she was assigned to the unsuccessful pursuit of AdmiralWilliam F. Halsey's Task Group 16.2 (TG 16.2) after theDoolittle Raid onTokyo.[4]
Atago underwent a second modernization program at Yokosuka from 22 April to 21 May 1942 in which her single12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval guns were replaced with new dualType 89 12.7 cm (5 in)dual purpose guns,Atago departed for theBattle of Midway, where she was used to escort the transports ferrying the invasion force. She returned from the battle unscathed.
On 11 August 1942,Atago departedHashirajima together withSentai-4 with theIJN 2nd Fleet forTruk, from which she was tasked with "Operation Ka", thereinforcement of Guadalcanal from 20 August. During theBattle of the Eastern Solomons (24–25 August), aircraft from theAmericanaircraft carrierUSS Wasp shot down two ofAichi E13A1 "Jake"floatplanes fromAtago that were engaged in reconnaissance missions, killing all four aircrew members in the two aircraft.[6]Atago also played a very minor role inBattle of Santa Cruz Islands (26–27 October)[5]
In the SecondNaval Battle of Guadalcanal (15 November), during a night gun duel with the AmericanbattleshipsUSS South Dakota andWashington,Atago andTakao hitSouth Dakota with seventeen 20 cm (8 in) rounds and one 12.7 cm (5.0 in). The battleshipKirishima also hitSouth Dakota with a single 14 in (360 mm) round that exploded on her aft No. 3 turret'sbarbette.South Dakota was damaged, but not sunk. Early in the battle,Atago andTakao each launched eight Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes atWashington but they all missed.Atago was damaged slightly as a result of the action, and returned to Kure for repairs on 17 December.[4]
On 25 January 1943,Atago returned to Truk to continue Japanese efforts to hold theSolomon Islands, and eventually to support theevacuation of Guadalcanal. The force consisted of the carriersZuikaku,Zuihō andJun'yō, the battleshipsKongō andHaruna, heavy cruisersAtago,Takao,Myōkō andHaguro, the light cruisersNagara andAgano, and 11 destroyers. The Japanese transports were successful in evacuating 11,700 troops from the island.
Atago remained based out of Truk through July 1943, when she returned to Yokosuka Naval Arsenal for her third modernization and refit, which added two triple-mount Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in)anti-aircraft guns.[4]
On 23 August 1943,Atago returned to Truk with Army reinforcements forRabaul, and continued making sorties supporting Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands through November. In response to American carrier aircraft raiding in theGilbert Islands,Atago sortied with Vice AdmiralJisaburō Ozawa's fleet to engage the American carriers. The fleet consisted of the aircraft carriersShōkaku,Zuikaku andZuihō, the battleshipsYamato andNagato, heavy cruisersMyōkō,Haguro,Tone,Chikuma,Mogami,Atago,Takao,Chōkai andMaya, the light cruiserAgano and fifteen destroyers. Despite extensive searches, this force failed to make contact with the American striking force and returned to Truk.[4]
In response to theAllied landings onBougainville on 1 November 1943,Atago and several other Japanese cruisers were sent to Rabaul to prepare to attack the Allied landing forces. On 5 November, while refueling at Rabaul, the task force wasattacked by 97 planes from the carriersUSS Saratoga andPrinceton.Atago sustained three near-misses by 500 lb (230 kg) bombs that killed 22 crewmen, including her skipper Captain Nakaoka who was hit by a bomb splinter while on the bridge. On 15 November,Atago returned to Yokosuka for repairs, during which time a Type 22 surface-searchradar set, along with additional Type 96 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were installed.[4]
In January 1944,Atago returned to Truk. On 10 February, the cruiser force was attacked by the AmericansubmarineUSS Permit in a night surface attack, but she missed with four torpedoes.Atago was then reassigned toSentai-4 based inPalau under Vice AdmiralJisaburō Ozawa's First Mobile Fleet at Palau from 1 March, and was stationed atDavao in the southern Philippines from 1 April. The cruiser force was unsuccessfully attacked by the submarineUSS Dace on 6 April.[4]
On 13 June, during theBattle of the Philippine Sea,Atago was part of Vice AdmiralTakeo Kurita's Mobile Force Vanguard, deployed fromTawi Tawi in an attempt to force the American5th Fleet into a "decisive battle" off ofSaipan. In what came to be called the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", Japanese aircraft attacking USTask Force 58 off of Saipan suffered overwhelming losses.Atago was undamaged from this battle and arrived at Hashirajima on 24 June for a final refit, at which time a Type 13 air-search radar set was installed, along with further four triple- and 32 single-mount Type 96 AA guns (which brought her total to 60) .[4]
From July to October 1944,Atago was flagship of Vice AdmiralTakeo Kurita's First Mobile Striking Force, which comprised the major remaining surface force of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The force consisted of five battleships, ten heavy cruisers, twolight cruisers, and 19 destroyers, and was based atLingga Roads nearSingapore. The force sortied on 22 October in what would be the last major naval engagement of the war, theBattle of Leyte Gulf.Atago served as flagship for what the Allies termed the "Center Force", and was a part ofSentai-4, along withChōkai,Takao andMaya. The next day two submarines that had been shadowing the forceattacked in thePalawan Passage, near an area known asDangerous Ground.Atago was one of the ships hit. Four torpedoes fired from the submarineUSS Darter, struckAtago, setting her ablaze. She capsized at 05:53, in just 18 minutes, in about 1,800 m (5,900 ft) of water at09°28′N117°17′E / 9.467°N 117.283°E /9.467; 117.283.[4]
OfAtago's crewmen, there were 529 survivors, including Vice Admiral Kurita, but 360 were killed. 347 crewmen were rescued by the destroyerKishinami; 171 others were rescued by the destroyerAsashimo.[4] She was removed from thenavy list on 20 December.[3]
