Japanese cruiser Kako
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Ordered: | 1922 Fiscal Budget |
| Laid down: | November 17, 1922 |
| Launched: | April 10, 1925 |
| Commissioned: | July 20, 1926 |
| Fate: | Sunk August 10, 1942 |
| Struck: | December 20, 1944 |
| Characteristics (Initial – Final) | |
| Displacement: | 9,433 tons – 10,341 tons |
| Length: | 185.17 meters |
| Beam: | 15.77 meters – 16.93 meters |
| Draft: | 5.56 meters – 5.61 meters |
| Propulsion: | 4-shaft geared turbines, 12 boilers; 102,000 hp |
| Speed: | 34.5 knots – 33 knots |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 625 |
| Armament: | (Initial): six 7.9 inch guns (3 × 2), four 3 inch AA guns (4 × 1); eight 24 inch torpedo tubes;(Final): six 8 inch guns (3 × 2), four 4.7 inch AA guns (4 × 1); eight 25 mm AA guns, four 13.2 mm AA guns, eight 24 inch torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft: | (initial): one floatplane (final): two floatplanes |
The Kako (加古) was the second ship in the Furutaka-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was built by Kawasaki Shipyards in Kobe.
At the start of the Pacific War, the Kako was assigned to CruDiv6 in the South Seas Force, where it supported the invasion of Guam and the second attack on Wake Island on December 23, 1941. It later supported the landings in the Solomon Islands and in Dutch New Guinea in early-mid 1942, including the invasion of Kavieng and Rabaul, Lae, Salamaua, Buka, Bougainville, the Shortlands and Admiralty Islands. It was present at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.
During the Battle of Savo Island, on August 9, 1942, the Kako damaged the American cruisers USS Astoria (CA-34) and USS Vincennes (CA-44) and assisted in sinking the USS Quincy (CA-39), and the Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra. The Kako emerged unscathed from the first day of the battle. However, on August 10, 1942, the Kako was sighted by the American submarine S-44 as it is withdrawing back to Kavieng, New Ireland. At 0706, the S-44 fired four Mark 10 torpedos from 700 yards, three of which hit the Kako. The first struck to starboard of the No. 1 turret, and water entered through open scuttles as the bow dipped. The others hit further aft, near the forward magazines and boiler rooms 1 and 2. The Kako rolled over on her starboard side and disappeared bow first in the sea less than 35 minutes after being hit, sinking off Simbari Island at 02-28S, 152-11E in about 130 feet of water. Of the crew, 34 crewmen were killed, but Captain Takahashi and the remaining crew were rescued.
Contents |
[edit] References
[edit] Books
- D'Albas, Andrieu (1965). Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II. Devin-Adair Pub. ISBN 081595302X.
- Dull, Paul S. (1978). A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-097-1.
- Lacroix, Eric, Linton Wells (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870213113.
[edit] External links
- Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt. Imperial Japanese Navy Page (Combinedfleet.com). Retrieved on 2006-06-14.
