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 Tone-class heavy cruiser | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tone class |
| Builders | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,Nagasaki |
| Operators |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Preceded by | Mogami class |
| Succeeded by | Ibuki class |
| Planned | 2 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Lost | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Heavy cruiser |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 189.1 m (620 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 19.4 m (63 ft 8 in) |
| Draught | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range | 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Armament |
|
| Armour | |
| Aircraft carried | 6 xfloatplanes |
| Aviation facilities | 2catapults |
The twoTone-class cruisers (利根型巡洋艦,Tone-gata jun'yōkan) were the lastheavy cruisers completed for theImperial Japanese Navy. TheTone-class cruisers were originally envisaged as the 5th and 6th vessels in theMogami class. However, by the time construction began, serious weaknesses in theMogami-class hull design had become clear following theFourth Fleet incident in 1935. As Japan was no longer obligated to abide by the limitations of theLondon Naval Treaty, a new design was created and new means of construction were utilized. Although the external dimensions were close to theMogami class, the design was quite different, with all the main battery of guns placed forward of the bridge, reserving the entire stern area as a large seaplane operations deck. Unlike the U.S. Navy, the Japanese did not have a dual role attack/scout aircraft, nor did they assign any of their carrier aircraft to a reconnaissance role. Little emphasis was placed on this aspect of carrier warfare. Instead the Japanese reserved all of their carrier aircraft for attack roles. Reconnaissance then was relegated to the float planes carried by cruisers.[2] TheTone and theChikuma were intended to provide the long range reconnaissance needed for Japan'scarrier Air Fleets.
TheTone-class cruisers had a very distinctive silhouette, with all main armament concentrated forward and the aft section entirely devoted to aircraft operations. This allowed for strong and compact protection of the magazines while also increasing and improving the living quarters aft.
As originally planned, theTone-class vessels were to have five triple 155 mm (6 in)turrets, three forward and two aft. However, the capsizing of thetorpedo boatTomozuru called into question the stability of all Japanese warship designs. As a result of the redesign, and to improve accuracy of gunfire, all five turrets in the new design were concentrated on the forecastle. When Japan abrogated theWashington Naval Treaty on 31 December 1936, the main armament was revised to eight 203 mm (8 in) guns in four twin turrets with maximum 55-degree elevation, as was installed on theMogami-class vessels. No. 1 was forward firing, No. 3 and No. 4 turrets trained through after arcs, while No. 2 was on asuperfiring pedestal mounting overlooking No.1 and No.3.
Heavy anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of four twin 127 mm (5 in) gun turrets in shielded mountings amidships. For close-range, six twinType 96 25 mm AT/AA Guns were carried. Four triple banks of 610 mm (24 in)torpedo tubes were also incorporated.
The previousMogami class experimented with welded hulls, with limited success. Thus the lead vessel in theTone class,Tone, also had some welding, the subsequentChikuma was an all riveted design. The undulating hull of earlier cruisers was dispensed with and the superstructure was less built-up. The modifications to the design raised the nominaldisplacement to about 12,500 tons. The mainbelt armor was 150 mm (5.9 in) thick next to machinery spaces (225 mm (8.9 in) next tomagazines), and it extended to a depth of about 9 feet (2.7 m), beyond which it had a much reduced thickness as an anti-torpedo bulkhead down to the inner double bottom.
The main engines of theTone class were similar to that ofSuzuya andKumano.
TheTone class had no aircraft hangar, but there was a comprehensive arrangement of transport rails and turntables on theaircraft catapult and quarterdecks. Two gunpowder-propelled catapults were located on the beam abaft the mainmast. A maximum of fourKawanishi E7K2 "Alf" three-seatfloatplanes and fourNakajima E8N1 "Dave" floatplanes could be carried, the normal complement being six, of which four were to be E8N1s. In practice, no more than five were ever embarked. As the war progressed, these types were superseded by theAichi E13A1 "Jake" andMitsubishi F1M2 "Pete".
In 1943, the number of 25 mm guns was increased to twenty, and in June 1944, when the opportunity to use their aircraft had passed, further mountings were added on the flight deck, bringing the light anti-aircraft total to 54 barrels. Two more twin 25 mm guns were also added later.Radar was fitted, but otherwise no major modifications were carried out.
Two ships were funded under the 1932 2nd Supplementary Budget, both of which were built byMitsubishi at theNagasaki shipyards.
Tone (利根) was part of the covering force for theattack on Pearl Harbor, and later that same month assisted in the secondBattle of Wake Island. Subsequently,Tone was involved in operations in theNetherlands East Indies. In February 1942, she was part of the covering force for thecarrier raid on Darwin, and in March accompanied thebattleshipsHiei andKirishima in the sinking of thedestroyerUSS Edsall. During MarchTone participated in the strike by Admiral Nagumo'saircraft carrier force into theIndian Ocean and the attack onCeylon.Tone returned to the Pacific for theBattle of Midway in May, and from the summer of 1942 was part of theGuadalcanal campaign. In 1943,Tone patrolled inSolomon Islands theatre where she was damaged by an air raid on the base inRabaul on 5 November. In the beginning of 1944,Tone participated in astrike into the Indian Ocean against Allied shipping on theAustralia-Aden route. Later,Tone was in theBattle of the Philippine Sea, and as part ofAdmiral Kurita'sCenter Force at theBattle of Leyte Gulf attacked US escort aircraft carriers.Tone was damaged by US aircraft in March 1945, after her return to home waters and was finally sunk by aircraft, nearKure, on 24 July 1945. She was raised postwar and broken up at Kure in 1948.
The career ofChikuma (筑摩) parallels that ofTone in almost every detail, since the two ships formed the 8th Cruiser Squadron on completion and operated together for almost all of their careers. In October 1942, during theBattle of the Santa Cruz Islands,Chikuma was hit by five bombs dropped by aircraft from the carrierUSS Hornet.Chikuma was lost in theBattle off Samar on 25 October 1944.
Media related toTone class cruiser at Wikimedia Commons
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