Japanese cruiser Sendai

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Career

Ordered:	FY1920
Laid down:	16 February 1922
Launched:	30 October 1923
Completed:	29 April 1924
Fate:	Sunk at the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay by United States Cruisers 2 November 1943
Struck:	5 January 1944
General Characteristics
Displacement:	7,100 tons
Length:	534 ft 9 in (163m)
Beam:	48 ft 5 in (14.8m)
Draft:	16 ft 1 in (4.9m)
Speed:	35 knots (65 km/h)
Complement:	460
Aircraft:	One; one catapult
Armament:	7 × 5.5-inch (140mm) guns (7 × 1) up to 44 × 25mm AA guns 6 × 13mm AA guns 8 × 610mm torpedo tubes (4 × 2)

Japanese Cruiser Sendai (川内) was the lead ship of her class of light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Sendai participated in numerous actions during the Pacific War as did her sisters Naka and Jintsu. Mainly used as a Destroyer Division leader, the Sendai was sunk by American cruisers during the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay on 2 November 1943.

1 Name
2 History
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Name

Sendai means "Natural Lake" in Japanese. The ship itself is named after a river in the Satsuma province of Japan.

[edit] History

April 1924: Completed at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Yard in Nagasaki and commissioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
December 1941: Participates in the invasion of Malaya, escorting minelayers and transports and bombarding numerous islands in the area. Sorties on 10 December to attempt an assault on British "Force Z" (HMS Repulse and HMS Prince Of Wales). Prince of Wales and Repulse are later sunk by bombers operating from bases in Indochina.
January 27, 1942: The Battle of Endau. While escorting troop transports, the Sendai and her Destroyer Division are attacked by two Allied destroyers. The Sendai sinks the HMS Thanet during the action.
May-June 1942: One of the many ships in the Main Body of Japanese warships sent to attack Midway Island in the Battle of Midway. Is turned away from the island without seeing action.
August-November 1942: Makes numerous bombardments of Guadalcanal in response to the American invasion there.
15 November 1942: Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Sendai fired upon by the battleship USS Washington. Retires with destroyer group with no major damage.
November 1942 - 1 November 1943: Refits in Truk. Makes several escort cruises during this time period.
November 2, 1943: Battle of Empress Augusta Bay. Four Light Cruisers and eight destroyers of the United States Navy intercept the Sendai and her Destroyer Division while en route to the Bougainville invasion beachhead. Sendai is hit by numerous 6-inch (152mm) shells fired from light cruisers USS Cleveland, USS Columbia, USS Montpelier and USS Denver). Subsequently set on fire and wrecked. Sendai is abandoned, and 237 of her crew are rescued by American destroyers.