Japanese Cruiser Kitakami

was a in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Kitakami River in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

Background

After the construction of the s, the drawbacks of the small cruiser concept became apparent. At the end of 1917, plans for an additional six ''Tenryū''-class vessels, plus three new-design 7,200 ton-class scout cruisers were shelved, in place of an intermediate 5,500 ton-class vessel which could be used as both a long-range, high speed reconnaissance ship, and also as a command vessel for destroyer or submarine flotillas. ''Kitakami'' was the third in a series of five vessels in this class which were built from 1918-1921.Gardner, ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921''; page 238

Design

The ''Kuma''-class vessels were essentially enlarged versions of the ''Tenryū''-class cruisers, with greater speed, range, and weaponry. With improvements in geared-turbine engine technology, the ''Kuma''-class vessels were capable of the high speed of , and a range of at .

The number of 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns was increased from four on the ''Tenryū'' class to seven on ''Kitakami'': two forward, one on each side of the superstructure and three aft, which meant that only six guns could be brought to bear on a broadside. The torpedo launchers were also increased to four double launchers: however, the ''Kuma'' class remained highly deficient in anti-aircraft protection, with only two 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval guns and two machine guns.Stille, ''Imperial Japanese Navy Light Cruisers 1941-45'', pages 14-18;

Service career

Early career

''Kitakami'' was laid down on 1 September 1919, launched on 3 July 1920 and completed 15 April 1921 at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Nagasaki.Nishida, ''Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy'' Soon after commissioning, she was based at Mako, Pescadores Islands. She was commanded by Captain Jinichi Kusaka from November 1931 through December 1932 and Captain Tomoshige Samejima from December 1932 to March 1934. With the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, she was assigned to cover the landings of Japanese forces in central China.
CombinedFleet.com: ''Kitakami'' Tabular Record of Movement;

On 25 August 1941, ''Kitakami'' returned to Sasebo for conversion to a "torpedo cruiser" with ten quadruple torpedo tube mounts for the Type 93 “Long Lance” torpedo, in line with Imperial Japanese Navy plans to create a special "Night Battle Force" of torpedo-cruisers. Modification was completed by 30 September 1941, and ''Kitakami'' was assigned to the Japanese First Fleet, CruDiv 9.

Early stages of the Pacific War

At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, ''Kitakami'' was escorting the Combined Fleet's battleships from Hashirajima to the Bonin Islands and back to Japan.

From January to May 1942, ''Kitakami'' was assigned largely to training duties around the Japanese home islands. At the time of the Battle of Midway on 29 May 1942, ''Kitakami'' and her sister ship were part of the Aleutian Screening Force, and returned safely to Japan on 17 June 1942.

As a fast troop transport

From August – September 1942, ''Kitakami'' and ''Ōi'' were converted into fast transports. Their ten quadruple torpedo launchers were reduced to six (a total of 24 tubes). They were equipped with two and were fitted with two triple mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns. Depth charge launch rails were also installed. After conversion, ''Kitakami'' and ''Ōi'' embarked the No. 4 Maizuiru Special Naval Landing Force, which they transported to Truk in the Caroline Islands and Shortland Island in the Solomon Islands by 6 October 1942.

CruDiv 9 was disbanded on 21 November 1942, and ''Kitakami'' was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet. In November, ''Kitakami'' transported troops from Manila to Rabaul, New Britain, and returned to Sasebo by the end of the year.

In January 1943, ''Kitakami'' was assigned to the reinforcement of Japanese forces in New Guinea, and escorted a convoy with the IJA 20th Infantry Division from Pusan to Wewak, New Guinea via Palau. In February, she escorted a convoy with the IJA 41st Infantry Division from Qingdao to Wewak, again via Palau.

On 15 March 1943, ''Kitakami'' was reassigned to CruDiv 16 of the Southwest Area Fleet as a guard ship based out of Surabaya. She escorted three troop convoys from Surabaya to Kaimana, New Guinea during April and May.

On 23 June 1943, while at Makassar, ''Kitakami'', ''Ōi'', and were bombed by Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 5th Air Force's 319th Bomb Squadron. None of the cruisers were hit, but some sustained slight damage from near-misses.

After refit at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore in August, ''Kitakami'' escorted a troop convoy from Singapore to the Nicobar Islands in early September. Two more convoys were escorted to Port Blair, Andaman Islands in late October.

In late January 1944, ''Kitakami'' escorted another convoy to Port Blair. On its return voyage while transiting Malacca Strait, southwest of Penang, Malaya, on 27 January 1944, the ''Kitakami'' was hit aft by two torpedoes fired by the submarine . ''Kinu'' took ''Kitakami'' in tow to Angsa Bay, Malaya for emergency repairs, followed by extensive repairs at the No. 101 Repair Facility at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore in February. Repairs were not completed until 21 June 1944. However, after departing Singapore to escort the tanker ''Kyokuto maru'', ''Kitakami'' began to take on water and had to put into Cavite Navy Yard in the Philippines from 12 July 1944 to 26 July 1944. Despite the additional repairs, ''Kitakami'' still took on water on her return voyage to Sasebo.

As a ''Kaiten'' carrier

From 14 August 1944 ''Kitakami'' was repaired and modified at Sasebo Naval Arsenal into a ''Kaiten'' human torpedo carrier with a capacity for eight ''Kaiten''. A 20-ton crane, formerly from the seaplane carrier , was fitted to raise and lower the ''Kaiten'' into the water. Her stern was remodeled into an overhanging ramp configuration and the aft turbines were removed as well, and the space used to hold spare parts and repair equipment. The removal of these turbines reduced ''Kitakami''s top speed from . All of ''Kitakami''s remaining armaments were removed and replaced by two Type 89 127-mm AA guns and 67 Type 96 25-mm (twelve triple-mount and 31 single-mount) AA guns, two Type 13 air-search and one Type 22 surface-search radars. Two depth charge launching rails were installed at the stern and two depth charge throwers were also installed. The refit was completed on 20 January 1945, and ''Kitakami'' was reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet.

On 19 March 1945, American Task Force 58 aircraft carriers , , , , , and made the first carrier attack of the war on Kure Naval Arsenal. More than 240 aircraft (Curtiss SB2C Helldivers, Vought F4U Corsairs and Grumman F6F Hellcats) attacked the battleships , , , , aircraft carriers , , , and other ships. ''Kitakami'' sustained no damage.

In July 1945, an additional twenty seven single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were fitted to ''Kitakami''. However, on 24 July 1945 about 200 aircraft Task Force 38's ''Essex'', , , '' Hancock'', and again attacked the Kure area. ''Kitakami'' was damaged by strafing and thirty-two crewmen were killed.

Post-war

After the surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, ''Kitakami'' was moved to Kagoshima and assigned to the Repatriation Service. She was used as a repair tender for ships on repatriation duties.

''Kitakami'' was removed from the navy list on 30 November 1945, and scrapped from 10 August 1946 – 31 March 1947.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitakami
Kuma-class cruisers
Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal
1920 ships
Second Sino-Japanese War cruisers of Japan
World War II cruisers of Japan