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was one of four
heavy cruiser A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Treat ...
s, active in
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
with the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
(IJN). These were the largest and most modern cruisers in the Japanese fleet, and were intended to form the backbone of a multipurpose long-range strike force. These ships were fast, powerful and heavily armed, with enough firepower to hold their own against any cruiser in any other navy in the world. Her
sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...
s were , and .


Background

The ''Takao''-class ships were approved under the 1927 to 1931 supplementary fiscal year budget, and were each named after a mountain.
Mount Maya is a mountain in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. This mountain is one of the major peaks of the Rokkō Mountains, and is the most popular peak for visitors on the West-Rokkō Mountains. Outline Mount Maya is one of the two centers in Rokk ...
is located outside Kobe.


Design

The ''Takao''-class cruisers were an improved version of the previous design, incorporating technical elements learned with the development of the experimental light cruiser . They had a distinctive profile with a large, raked main smokestack, and a smaller, straight, second smokestack. Intended to address issues with the '' Myōkō '' class, the ''Takao'' class had thicker armor, dual-purpose main guns which could be used against aircraft, and torpedo launchers moved to the upper deck for greater safety. However, as with its predecessors, the ''Takao'' class was also top-heavy.Patton, ''Japanese Heavy Cruisers of World War Two'', pp. 36–48 The ''Takao'' class displaced . ''Maya'' was long, with a beam of , draft of and was capable of 35.25 knots. Propulsion was by 12
Kampon The was the externally operating division of the Ministry of the Navy of Japan responsible for the administration of naval vessel construction. From 1923 onward, it took on the role of a research institution for the research and development of n ...
boilers driving four sets of single-impulse geared turbine engines, with four shafts turning three-bladed propellers. The ship was armored with a side belt, and armored deck;, the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
was armored with armored plates. ''Mayas main battery was ten 20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns, the heaviest armament of any heavy cruiser in the world at the time, mounted in five twin turrets. Her secondary armament included eight Type 10 12 cm dual purpose guns with four twin mounts, two on each side, and 16 Type 90 torpedoes in four twin launchers. She was very deficient in anti-aircraft capability, with only two
anti-aircraft gun Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...
s. ''Maya'' was repeatedly modernized and upgraded throughout her career in order to counter the growing threat of air strikes, and in her final configuration was eight 20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns (4x2), twelve Type 89
dual purpose gun A dual-purpose gun is a naval artillery mounting designed to engage both surface and air targets. Description Second World War-era capital ships had four classes of artillery: the heavy main battery, intended to engage opposing battleships and ...
s (6x2), and 16 Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes in four quadruple launchers (plus 8 reloads). Anti-aircraft (AA) protection included 13 triple-mount and 27 single-mount Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Guns (13x3, 27x1) and 36 anti-aircraft machine guns.


Service history


Early operations

''Maya'' was
laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...
at the Kawasaki Shipyards in Kobe on 4 December 1928, launched and named on 8 November 1930, and was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 30 June 1932.Nishida, ''Takao class heavy cruisers'' All of the ''Takao'' class were assigned to the
Yokosuka Naval District was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula. Its h ...
, forming ''Sentai''-4 of the
IJN 2nd Fleet The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) created as a mobile strike force in response to hostilities with Russia, and saw action in every IJN military operation until the end of World War II. History Established on 27 October 1903, ...
, and trained as a unit during the 1930s. ''Maya'' was commanded by Captain
Masaichi Niimi Vice-Admiral was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Life and naval career Niimi was born in what is now Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City, in Hiroshima Prefecture, as the second son to a farming and soy sauce producing f ...
from 15 November 1932, followed by Captain
Jisaburō Ozawa was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Ozawa held several important commands at sea throughout the duration of the conflict ( Southern Expeditionary Fleet, 3rd Fleet, 1st Mobile Fleet, and the Combined Fleet). Ozawa ...
from 15 November 1934 to 28 October 1935. During this time, issues with their stability and seaworthiness due to the top-heavy design became evident. With the start of the
Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
, she led a fleet with the
Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
's
IJA 6th Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the . Actions The 6th Division was formed in Kumamoto City on 12 May 1888, as one of the new divisions to be created after the reorganization of the Imperial Japanese ...
from
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
to China in August 1937. ''Takao'' and ''Atago'' were rebuilt at the
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama. History In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate govern ...
between 1938 and 1939, resulting in an improved design: the size of the bridge was reduced, the main mast was relocated aft, and hull budges were added to improve stability. ''Maya'' and ''Chōkai'' were not modified as extensively, and can almost be considered a separate class.


Pacific War

At the start of the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...
, ''Maya'' was based at
Mako Guard District The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Taiwan before and during World War II. Located in Mako , (present-day Makung, Pescadores Islands, Republic of China), the Mako Guard District was responsible for control of the stra ...
in the
Pescadores Islands The Penghu ( , Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘''  or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel, coveri ...
together with ''Atago'' and ''Takao''. ''Atago'' and ''Takao'' sailed first to provide support for Japanese landings in the invasion of the northern Philippines. ''Maya'' remained at Mako in reserve until 8 December, when she sailed as part of Vice Admiral
Ibō Takahashi was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Biography Takahashi was a native of Fukushima prefecture, born in a family of Eastern Orthodox faithful. His name "Ibō" was Chinese transliteration of "John". His father was ...
's
IJN 3rd Fleet The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which was created, and subsequently disbanded on six separate occasions and revived on five separate occasions. History Russo-Japanese War First established on 28 December 1903, the 3rd Flee ...
, together with the cruisers and to support Japanese landing at
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
and at
Lingayen Gulf Lingayen Gulf is a large gulf on northwestern Luzon in the Philippines, stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central (Luzon), Cordillera Central. The Agno ...
. On 31 December, she provided cover for the Third Malaya Convoy, and assisted in the seizure of the
Natuna islands Natuna Regency is an islands regency located in the northernmost part of the Province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.4 ...
. In January 1942, ''Maya'' was assigned to patrols from
Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...
, covering operations in the southern Philippines. In February, she provided distant cover for the
Bombing of Darwin The Bombing of Darwin, also known as the Battle of Darwin, on 19 February 1942 was the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia. On that day, 242 Empire of Japan, Japanese aircraft, in two separate raids, attacked the ...
, Australia. From the end of February, she based at
Staring-baai Staring-baai ( Dutch for Staring Bay) is a bay off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It lies slightly southeast of Kendari, the provincial capital of South East Sulawesi, where it opens to the east onto the Banda Sea. During Worl ...
in the
Celebes Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archi ...
, and was involved in operations to hunt down and destroy shipping attempting to escape from the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
. On 2 March, ''Mayas floatplanes spotted , and ''Maya'' with the destroyers and closed on the old destroyer/
minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...
and expended 1270 rounds of ammunition on her before she finally sank. Survivors were picked up by captured small steamer ''Bintoehan'', and later transferred to ''Maya''. Later the same night, ''Maya'' and ''Atago'' also sank the
destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
. On 3 March, ''Maya'' was present at the sinking of the gunboat south of
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. On 4 March, ''Atago'', ''Takao'' and ''Maya'', together attacked a convoy which had departed
Tjilatjap Cilacap Regency (, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese: ) is a regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Cilacap, which had 263,098 inhabitants in mid 2024, sprea ...
for
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, and sank the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
sloop after a 90 minute battle, along with the British tanker ''Francol'', depot ship ''Anking'', and British minesweeper 51. ''Maya'' returned to
Staring-baai Staring-baai ( Dutch for Staring Bay) is a bay off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It lies slightly southeast of Kendari, the provincial capital of South East Sulawesi, where it opens to the east onto the Banda Sea. During Worl ...
on 7 March, and back to Yokosuka on 18 March. While dry-docked at
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama. History In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate govern ...
an additional two Type 96 twin-mount AA guns were installed abreast the forward funnel. In April 1942, ''Maya'' was part of the fleet assigned to the unsuccessful pursuit of Admiral
William F. Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (30 October 1882 – 16 August 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others be ...
's Task Force 16.2 after the Doolittle Raid. In June 1942, ''Takao'' and ''Maya'' supported the invasion of the Aleutian Islands, protecting the convoy for
Kiska Kiska (, ) is one of the Rat Islands, a group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. It is about long and varies in width from . It is part of Aleutian Islands Wilderness and as such, special permission is required to visit it. The island has ...
and providing fire support for landings on Attu. Two reconnaissance aircraft from each cruiser were attacked by
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
s from
Umnak Umnak (; ) is one of the Fox Islands (Alaska), Fox Islands of the Aleutian Islands. With of land area, it is the third largest island in the Aleutian archipelago and the List of islands of the United States by area, 19th largest island in the Unit ...
on 3 June, with two destroyed and two heavily damaged on 3 June. ''Maya'' returned to
Ōminato Guard District The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in northern Honshu before and during World War II. Located in Mutsu Bay at the present-day city of Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, the Ōminato Guard District was responsible for control o ...
on 24 June. In August 1942, ''Maya'' was assigned to "Operation Ka", the Japanese reinforcement during the
Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of W ...
, departing
Hashirajima is an island in southern Hiroshima Bay in the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Located southeast of Iwakuni, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyo Islands group. The island covers and as of 2013 had a population of 184 r ...
with ''Atago'' and ''Maya'' on 11 August for Truk. The cruisers were in the
Battle of the Eastern Solomons The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons (also known as the Battle of the Stewart Islands and in Japanese sources as the Second Battle of the Solomon Sea) took place on 24–25 August 1942 and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campa ...
on 24 August from a distance, and did not see combat. On 15 October, ''Maya'', together with and Isuzu participated a bombardment of Henderson Field on
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
. ''Maya'' fired 450 Type-3 incendiary and Type-91 armor-piercing shells during the operation. ''Maya'' was also at the
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, fought during 25–27 October 1942, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Santa Cruz or Third Battle of Solomon Sea, in Japan as the Battle of the South Pacific ( ''Minamitaiheiyō kaisen''), was the fourt ...
participating in night combat operations resulting in the sinking of the American aircraft carrier . On 3 November, ''Maya'' and were sent to reinforce the IJN 8th Fleet at
Shortland Island Shortland Island (once known as ''Alu'') is the largest island of the Shortland Islands archipelago, in the Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province of Solomon Islands, at . The original name was a Melanesian word, while the curren ...
and participated in the second bombardment of Henderson Field on 14 November. On the return from the mission, ''Maya''s task force was attacked by the
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
, which missed the cruiser with six torpedoes. Later, a
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
Douglas SBD Dauntless The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy's main Carrier-based aircraft, ...
dive bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
from VB-10 of the aircraft carrier dropped a 500-pound (227 kg) bomb astern of ''Maya''. The near miss caused no damage, but the wing of the Dauntless clipped ''Mayas mainmast, and the plane crashed into the port side of the cruiser, igniting 4.7-inch shells and killing 37 crewmen. ''Maya'' was forced to jettison her torpedoes as a precaution while putting out the fires, and was forced to return to Yokosuka for repairs at the end of the year. ''Maya'' returned to Yokosuka for repairs and refit in January 1943, and was then reassigned to operations in northern waters, supporting supply missions to the
Kurile Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands are a volcanic archipelago administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the Russian Far East. The islands stretch approximately northeast from Hokkaido in Japan to Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, separating the ...
and the
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
.


Battle of the Komandorski Islands

''Main Article:
Battle of the Komandorski Islands A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
'' On March 23, ''Maya'' departed Paramushiro alongside the heavy cruiser '' Nachi'', the light cruisers '' Abukuma'' and '' Tama'', and five destroyers to support a troop convoy destined to the Attu Islands. American intelligence intercepted plans for the mission (albeit underestimating the convoy's escort), prompting a squadron of the heavy cruiser USS ''Salt Lake City'', the light cruiser USS ''Richmond'', and four destroyers to sail out in hopes of engaging the Japanese ships. In the early daylight of the 27th, ''Maya'' was intercepted by the US ships, but was untargeted, with both of the US cruisers focusing their gunfire at ''Nachi'' from a distance of 21,000 yards. ''Nachi's'' return fire for ineffective, but ''Salt Lake City'' and ''Richmond'' managed to gouge ''Nachi'' with five shells, setting her on fire. ''Maya'' unleashed a spread of four long lance torpedoes at the enemy, but none hit their mark. However, the same could not be said for ''Maya's'' gunfire, which engaged in a duel with ''Salt Lake City''. During the exchange of fire, ''Maya'' was lightly damaged by a few straddles and near misses, killing one man, but was not directly hit, and in turn inflicted far more damage than she received and, despite the long range of 21,000 yards, immediately began to score hits on ''Salt Lake City'', the first of which was an 8-inch (203 mm) projectile which set her starboard spotting plane on fire, killing 2 men. Another direct hit from ''Maya'' flooded the cruiser's forward compartments, and several more snuffed out ''Salt Lake City's'' boiler fires one by one, causing the cruiser to slowly loose speed. After being hit by seven 8-inch (203 mm) shells from ''Maya'', ''Salt Lake City'' finally went dead in the water with a rudder jam, prompting escorting destroyers to cover her with a smokescreen. Simultaneously, ''Nachi'' fired on American destroyers attempting a torpedo charge, and crippled the destroyer USS ''Bailey'' with four 8-inch (203 mm) shell hits and damaged the destroyer USS ''Coghlan'' with one. Completely out of AP shells, the American cruisers were forced to fire HE shells at the enemy. However, the larger water columns caused by the HE shells, mixed with intercepted transmissions between US intelligence caused the Japanese command to believe they were under air attacks, resulting in the Japanese ships retreating, and for the troop convoy to be called off, ultimately ending the battle in a US victory. After repairs again at Yokosuka, ''Maya'' returned to the Kuriles in late April, and became flagship of the IJN Fifth Fleet, assisting in the evacuation of Kiska after the loss of Attu to the Americans in August 1943. After refit in Yokosuka during which two additional twin-mount Type-96 AA guns (bringing its total to 16 barrels), ''Maya'' accompanied ''Chōkai'' back to Truk, arriving in late September, and started shuttling troops and supplies between Truk and
Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...
. ON 5 November, ''Maya'' was attacked by SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier during the
Carrier Raid on Rabaul The bombing of Rabaul in November 1943 here refers to a series of concentrated air raids conducted by the allied military in World War 2, against the major Japanese stronghold in New Guinea located at Rabaul between November 2 to 11. In respo ...
. A bomb hit the aircraft deck portside above the No. 3 engine room and started a major fire. Seventy crewmen were killed. Emergency repairs were made at Rabaul, and ''Maya'' returned to Yokosuka at the end of 1943. During this repair, a major change was made in ''Mayas armaments, transforming her into an anti-aircraft cruiser, with her No.3 turret and aircraft hangar removed, and replaced by thirteen triple mount and nine single mount Type 96 AA guns, and six twin-mount 127-mm guns, as well as 36 Type 93 machine guns. Her twin torpedo launchers were upgraded to quadruple launchers, and a Type 22 surface-search radar was installed. The overhaul was completed on 9 April. At
Kure is a city in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 208,024 in 106,616 households and a population density of 590 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . With a strong industrial and naval heritage, ...
, ''Maya'' embarked two
Aichi E13A The Aichi E13A (World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft, Allied reporting name: "Jake") is a long-range reconnaissance seaplane used by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 1941-45. Numerically the most important floatplane of the IJN, i ...
1 "Jake" long-range scout planes, troops and materials. A monkey, donated to ''Maya'' by the Kure Zoo, was also embarked. During the voyage, the aircrew taught the monkey to salute the officers, much to their annoyance. From April to June 1944, ''Maya'' supported other units in the defense of the Philippines, culminating in the
Battle of the Philippine Sea The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a major naval battle of World War II on 19–20 June 1944 that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious r ...
, in which she was damaged slightly by near-misses. During this battle, on 20 June, the scout plane from ''Maya'' spotted
Task Force 58 The Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 38 when assigned to Third Fleet, TF 58 when assigned to Fifth Fleet) was a group of ships in World War II. It was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific War from January 1944 through th ...
at a distance of . ''Maya'' went into a ring formation with the
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
s , , destroyer and other escorts to protect the aircraft carrier . This formation was attacked by over 50 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from the aircraft carriers , , and . On 20 June, ''Maya'' retired with the remnants of the fleet via
Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
to Yokosuka, arriving 25 June where the aircrew and their pet monkey disembarked and an additional 18 Type 96 single-mount AA guns were installed. On 14 July, ''Maya'' transported units of the IJA 28th Division to
Miyako-jima is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Miyako Island is administered as part of the City of Miyako Island, which includes not only Miyako Island, but also five other islands. Geogr ...
from Kure, and then continued on to Singapore. She rendezvoused with the fleet at Brunei on 20 October. On 22 October, in the
Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf () 23–26 October 1944, was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. By late 1944, Japan possessed fewer capital sh ...
, ''Maya'' was assigned to ''
Sentai In Japanese language, Japanese, is a military unit and may be literally translated as "wikt:squadron, squadron", "task force", "Division (naval), division (of ships)", "group (air force unit), group" or "wing (air force unit), wing". The ter ...
''-4 with sister ships ''Atago'', ''Takao'' and ''Chōkai'' together with the battleships , and . At 05:33 on 23 October, the fleet was attacked in the
Palawan Passage The Palawan Passage is a natural waterway in the southeastern South China Sea to the west of the island of Palawan in the Philippine Islands. It is deep and relatively free of navigational hazards, making it an important shipping route. The entire ...
by a pair of US submarines, ''Maya''s sister-ships ''Atago'' and ''Takao'' were torpedoed by the submarine . ''Atago'' was hit four times and sank in approximately 18 minutes, while ''Takao'' was severely damaged by two hits and forced to retire to Singapore. Twenty minutes later, submarine fired six torpedoes at ''Maya'', mistaking it for a battleship; ''Maya'' was struck by four torpedoes portside: one in the forward chain locker, another opposite No. 1 gun turret, a third in No. 7 boiler room and the last in the aft engine room. Powerful secondary explosions followed immediately, and by 06:00 ''Maya'' was dead in the water and listing heavily to port. She sank five minutes later, taking 336 officers and men to the bottom, including her captain (). rescued 769 men, and transferred them to the battleship ''Musashi'', which was sunk the following day; 143 of ''Maya''s crewmen were lost with ''Musashi''. Thus, from the final crew of 1,105 crewmen, 479 were lost. She was removed from the
navy list A Navy Directory, Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a co ...
on 20 December 1944.


Wreck

On 19 April 2019, researchers aboard announced they had located the wreck of ''Maya'' in around of water. She sits upright with the tip of the bow broken off and lying upside down off the port quarter of the remainder of the wreck. She is in astonishingly good condition, with all main gun turrets still in place, and the massive bridge structure intact. Although her sister ship ''Atago'' was also sunk nearby, the bridge structure and main gun layout confirm that the wreck is indeed ''Maya''.


''Maya'' in popular culture

In the
Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio based in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It has a strong presence in the animation industry and has exp ...
film ''
Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 Japanese Anime, animated war film written and directed by Isao Takahata, and produced by Studio Ghibli. It is based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical Grave of the Fireflies (short story), short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka ...
'', the father of Setsuko and Seita serves onboard ''Maya''. He is assumed to have been killed in the end of the film.


References


Notes


Books

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maya Takao-class cruisers Ships built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries 1930 ships Second Sino-Japanese War cruisers of Japan World War II cruisers of Japan Ships of the Aleutian Islands campaign Ships sunk by American submarines World War II shipwrecks in the South China Sea Maritime incidents in October 1944 2019 archaeological discoveries Shipwreck discoveries by Paul Allen