Japanese cruiser Jintsu

Career

Ordered:	FY1920
Laid down:	4 August 1922
Launched:	8 December 1923
Commissioned:	31 July 1925
Fate:	Sunk by Allied Cruisers, Battle of Kolombangara 13 July 1943
General Characteristics
Displacement:	7100 tons (fully loaded)
Length:	534.9 ft (160 meters)
Beam:	48.5 ft (14.5 meters)
Draught:	16.1 ft
Propulsion:	12 x Kampon Boilers 4 x Curtis Steam Turbines S.H.P. 90,000 = 35 kts 4 shafts
Speed:	35 knots (63 km/h)
Complement:	~500
Armament:	7 x 5.5 inch (14 cm) (7x1) 2 x 5-inch (12.7 cm) (1x2) 18 x 25 mm (6x3) 8 x 24 inch (61 cm) torpedo tubes (4x2)
Aircraft:	One; one catapult launched

Jintsu was a Japanese light Cruiser of the Sendai class. She was laid down and completed at the Kobe Shipyard, Japan. Of the Sendai class of Jintsu participated in numerous actions in World War II, and was mainly used as a destroyer squadron flagship until her sinking at the Battle of Kolombangara on 13 July 1943.

Jintsu means "Wonderful Godly Works" in the Japanese language. The ship itself is named after a river in Japan.

[edit] History

July 1925: Completed at the Kobe Shipyards by the Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
24 August 1927: Inadvertently rammed and sank the destroyer Warabi during night training exercises.
1929 - 1941: Makes numerous cruises along the Chinese coast-line, aiding Japanese forces there when they invade in 1937.
December 1941: Partcipates in the invasion of the southern Philippine islands, acting as a Destroyer Division Flagship.
January-February 1942: Battle of Java Sea, occupation of Dutch East Indies. Engages Allied Destroyers. Sinks the destroyer HMS Electra.
June 1942: Escorts invasion shipping during Battle of Midway.
25 August 1942: While escorting transports, hit by 500 lb bomb which starts fire and kills 24 crew. Injures Rear Admiral Tanaka, escort commander.
August 1942 - July 1943: Repaired and travels to Truk naval base. Spends time training and refitting/repairing in 1942 and is held in a state of high readiness as of January 1943.
13 July 1943: Battle of Kolombangara. Escorting Destroyers to Vila Island, ambushed by Allied cruisers and destroyers. Gunfire from 3 cruisers USS Honolulu and St. Louis and HMNZS Leander' and a torpedo from a destroyer break the Jintsu in two, sending 482 men to their graves. Both Captain Sato (Ship captain) and Rear Admiral Isaki (Destroyer Division Commander) are killed as well.