Jump to content

Japanese cruiserNaka

Coordinates:07°15′N151°15′E/ 7.250°N 151.250°E/7.250; 151.250
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nakain 1925, at Yokohama prior to commissioning
History
Empire of Japan
NameNaka
NamesakeNaka River
Ordered1920 Fiscal Year
BuilderMitsubishi
Laid down10 June 1922
Launched24 March 1925
Commissioned30 November 1925[1]
Stricken31 March 1944
Fate
  • sunk 18 February 1944
  • bombed byUSNcarrier aircraft nearTruk
  • 07°15′N151°15′E/ 7.250°N 151.250°E/7.250; 151.250.
General characteristics
Class and typeSendai-classlight cruiser
Displacement5,195long tons(5,278t) (standard)
Length152.4 m (500 ft 0 in)
Beam14.2 m (46 ft 7 in)
Draft4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
Installed power90,000 shp (67,000 kW)
Propulsion
  • 4 × Parsons geared turbines
  • 10 × Kampon boilers
  • 4 × shafts
Speed35.3kn(65.4km/h;40.6mph)
Range5,000nmi(9,000km;6,000mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement452
Armament
Armor
  • Belt:64 mm (2.5 in)
  • Deck:29 mm (1.1 in)
Aircraft carried1 ×floatplane
Aviation facilities1 ×catapult

Naka(Kia kha)was aSendai-classlight cruiserin theImperial Japanese Navy(IJN), named after theNaka Riverin theTochigiandIbaraki prefecturesof easternJapan.Nakawas the third (and final) vessel completed in theSendaiclass of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of adestroyerflotilla.

Service career[edit]

Nakawas completed atMitsubishiYokohamaon 30 November 1925.

On 26 November 1941,Nakabecameflagshipof 4th Destroyer Flotilla underRear AdmiralShōji Nishimura.At the time of theattack on Pearl Harbor,Nakawas engaged in the invasion of the southernPhilippinesas part ofVice AdmiralIbo Takahashi'sThird Fleetescorting transports with components of theIJA 48th Infantry Division.Nakawas slightly damaged by strafing by fiveBoeing B-17 Flying Fortressbombers andSeversky P-35 GuardsmanandCurtiss P-40 Kittyhawkfighters of theUnited States Army Air Forces(USAAF)Far East Air Force.

In January 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla was assigned to the invasion of theNetherlands East Indies,escorting a convoy carrying the Kure No. 2Special Naval Landing Force(SNLF) and Sakaguchi Brigade toTarakanandBalikpapan,Borneo.[2]On 24 January 1942 while landing troops at Balikpapan, theRoyal Netherlands NavysubmarineHNLMSK XVIII,operating on the surface due to poor weather, fired four torpedoes atNaka,but missed. While Admiral Nishimura orderedNakaand her destroyers in an unsuccessful pursuit of the submarine, USN Task Force 5 comprising the destroyersUSSParrott,Pope,John D. FordandPaul Jonesattacked the now unprotected Japanese convoy, sinking several transports.

In late February 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorted transports with the 48th Infantry Division toMakassar,Celebesand easternJava.Ahead of the convoy were 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (flagshiplight cruiserJintsū) and the cruisersNachiandHaguro.[3]Nakawas thus in a central position for theBattle of the Java Seaon 27 February 1942.

At 1547, the Japanese cruisersHaguro,NachiandJintsūwith destroyersInazuma,Yukikaze,Tokitsukaze,AmatsukazeandHatsukaze,Ushio,Sazanami,YamakazeandKawakazeengaged Dutch Rear AdmiralKarel W. F. M. Doorman's Strike Force consisting of twoheavy cruisers(HMSExeterandUSSHouston), threelight cruisers(HNLMSDe Ruyter(Doorman's flagship),HNLMSJava,HMASPerth), and nine destroyers (HMSElectra,HMSEncounter,HMSJupiter,HNLMSKortenaer,HNLMSWitte de With,USSAlden,USSJohn D. Edwards,USSJohn D. Ford,and USSPaul Jones).[4]

At 1603,Nakaand its destroyer squadron withAsagumo,Minegumo,Murasame,Harukaze,SamidareandYūdachilaunched 43Type 93 Long Lance torpedoesat theAlliedforce from about 16,250 yards (14,860 m); sinkingKortenaer.The destroyers launched 56 torpedoes in addition to 8 torpedoes fromNaka,but amazingly failed to hit anything.Asagumoclosed with theElectra,sinking it in a gun battle.Jupiterhit a Dutchmineand sank. Towards midnight,De RuyterandJavawere hit by torpedoes and exploded. This engagement was followed by theBattle of Sunda Strait,the next day on 28 February 1942, at whichNakawas not present.

In March,Nakawas assigned patrol duties between Java and the Celebes. However, on 14 March 1942,Nakareceived orders to become flagship for theChristmas Islandinvasion force. The force consisted ofNaka,16th Cruiser Division'sNagaraandNatori,9th Destroyer Division'sMinegumoandNatsugumo,22nd Destroyer Division'sSatsuki,Minazuki,FumizukiandNagatsuki,16th Destroyer Division'sAmatsukazeandHatsukaze,oilerAkebono Maruand transportsKimishima MaruandKumagawa Maru.[5]Landing operations progressed without opposition on 31 March 1942, however, the submarineUSSSeawolffired four torpedoes atNaka,but all missed.Seawolftried again with two more torpedoes the following day, 1 April 1942, and this time one hit to starboard near her No. 1 boiler.Natoritowed the badly damagedNakato Bantam Bay, Java for temporary repairs, andNakathen proceeded toSingaporeunder her own power. The damage was sufficient to justify a return to Japan for further repairs in June.Nakaremained in Japan in reserve until April 1943.

On 1 April 1943,Nakawas assigned to the new 14th Cruiser Division under Rear AdmiralKenzo ItowithIsuzu,arriving atTrukon 30 April 1943. For the next several months,Nakawas assigned to maketroop transport runsaround theMarshall IslandsandNauru.On 21 October 1943,NakaandIsuzuembarked Army troops atShanghai.The convoy was intercepted by the submarineUSSShadin theEast China Seaon 23 October 1943, which fired 10 torpedoes, failing to damage either cruiser. On 3 November 1943, convoy was attacked 60 nautical miles (111 km) north ofKaviengby13th Air ForceConsolidated B-24 Liberatorbombers.Nakasuffered a near-miss, and arrived atRabaulon 5 November 1943, the same day as theCarrier Raid on Rabaul.Nakawas slightly damaged by near-misses from dive bombers from theaircraft carriersUSSSaratogaandPrinceton.On 23 November 1943,NakadepartedPonapewith troop reinforcements forTarawa,but the island fell to the Americans before the reinforcements could be landed.

From 17–18 February 1944,Nakaassisted light cruiserAgano,which had been torpedoed the day before by the submarineUSSSkate.Immediately afterNakadeparted, Truk was attacked by US NavyTask Force 58inOperation Hailstone.The Americans sank 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroyed nearly 200 aircraft and damaged severely about 100 more, eliminating Truk as a major base for the IJN.Nakawas attacked 35 nautical miles (65 km) west of Truk by three waves ofCurtiss SB2C HelldiversandGrumman TBF Avengersfrom the aircraft carrierUSSBunker Hilland TBFs of VT-25 of the carrierCowpens.The first two strikes failed to score a hit, butNakawas hit by a torpedo and a bomb in the third strike and broke in two, sinking at07°15′N151°15′E/ 7.250°N 151.250°E/7.250; 151.250.Some 240 crewmen perished, but patrol boats rescued 210 men including Captain Sutezawa.

Nakawas removed from thenavy liston 31 March 1944.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Lacroix,Japanese Cruisers,p. 794
  2. ^L, Klemen (1999–2000)."The capture of Tarakan Island, January 1942".Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2011.
  3. ^Klemen, L (1999–2000)."The conquest of Java Island, March 1942".Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.Archivedfrom the original on 26 July 2011.
  4. ^Walling,Bloodstained Sands: U.S. Amphibious Operations in World War II,p. 38
  5. ^Klemen, L (1999–2000)."The Mystery of Christmas Island, March 1942".Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Brown, David (1990).Warship Losses of World War Two.Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-914-X.
  • D'Albas, Andrieu (1965).Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II.Devin-Adair Pub.ISBN0-8159-5302-X.
  • Dull, Paul S. (1978).A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945.Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-097-1.
  • Evans, David (1979).Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941.Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-192-7.
  • Hara, Tameichi (1961).Japanese Destroyer Captain.New York & Toronto: Ballantine Books.ISBN0-345-27894-1.- First-hand account of the torpedoing ofNakaat Christmas Island by the captain of the Japanese destroyerAmatsukaze
  • Howarth, Stephen (1983).The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945.Atheneum.ISBN0-689-11402-8.
  • Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976).Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945.Naval Institute Press.ISBN0-87021-893-X.
  • Whitley, M.J. (1995).Cruisers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia.Naval Institute Press.ISBN1-55750-141-6.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_cruiser_Naka&oldid=1093169928"