Japanese Cruiser Tone (1937)

was the lead ship in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after the Tone River, in the Kantō region of Japan and was completed on 20 November 1938 at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki shipyards. ''Tone'' was designed for long-range scouting missions and had a large seaplane capacity. She was extensively employed during World War II usually providing scouting services to their aircraft carrier task forces. She almost always operated in this capacity in conjunction with her sister ship . She was involved in sinking the destroyer USS ''Edsall'' in the Java Sea, before escorting aircraft carriers at the Indian Ocean Raid and battles of Midway, Eastern Solomons, and Santa Cruz throughout 1942.

In 1944, ''Tone'' sank the British steamship ''Behar'', and committed a war crime when anywhere between 60 and 80 civilians were murdered aboard the ship. At the battle of Leyte Gulf, ''Tone'' survived several bomb hits from US aircraft and in turn fought Taffy 3 where she mostly operated alongside the heavy cruiser '' Haguro'', together crippling the escort carrier USS ''Kalinin Bay'' and damaging the escort carrier USS ''Fanshaw Bay''. Near the end of the war, ''Tone'' was sunk in port by US carrier aircraft and scrapped post war.

World War II

Early Pacific War

At the end of 1941, ''Tone'' was assigned to CruDiv 8 with her sister ship, ''Chikuma'', and was thus present during the attack on Pearl Harbor. That day, 7 December 1941, ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' each launched one Aichi E13A1 "Jake" floatplane for a final weather reconnaissance over Oahu. At 0630, ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' each launched short-range Nakajima E4N2 Type 90-2 Reconnaissance Seaplane to act as pickets and patrol south of the Striking Force. ''Tone''s floatplane flew to Lahaina, but found no American fleet units present. During the subsequent attack, the battleships , , and were sunk and , , , and many smaller ships were damaged.

On 16 December, CruDiv 8 was ordered to assist in the second attempted invasion of Wake Island. ''Tone'' launched two Nakajima E8N "Daves" for anti-submarine patrols. After the fall of Wake Island, CruDiv 8 returned to Kure, Hiroshima. By 14 January 1942, CruDiv 8 was based out of Truk in the Caroline Islands, and covered the landings of Japanese troops at Rabaul, New Britain as well as attacks on Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea. On 24 January, ''Tone''s floatplanes attacked the Admiralty Islands. After 1 February air raid on Kwajalein by Vice Admiral William Halsey, Jr aboard the aircraft carrier , ''Tone'' departed Truk with the Carrier Striking Force in an unsuccessful pursuit. ''Chikuma'' and ''Tone'' later participated in the Raid on Port Darwin, Australia on 19 February, which destroyed 15 aircraft and sinking 11 ships. ''Tone'' launched a floatplane to report in weather conditions prior to the attack, but the plane’s radio failed and it returned without reporting. Later, another floatplane had greater success, and shot down a PBY Catalina of the RAAF.

Battle of the Java Sea

On 1 March 1942, ''Tone'' spotted the old American destroyer , SSE of Christmas Island. Four days later, floatplanes from ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' took part on the strike against Tjilatjap. On 6 March, ''Tone'' rescued a British seaman who had been adrift since his ship had been sunk off Java on 27 February.

Indian Ocean Raids

On 5 April 1942, ''Tone'' was part of a major task force which launched 315 aircraft against British-held Colombo, Ceylon. The old destroyer , armed merchant cruiser and 27 aircraft were destroyed and over 500 killed in the harbor, while cruisers and were destroyed at sea. ''Tone'' and the rest of the task force returned to Japan in mid-April 1942, when it was almost immediately assigned to the unsuccessful pursuit of Admiral Halsey's Task Force 16.2 with the aircraft carrier after the Doolittle Raid.

Battle of Midway

At the crucial Battle of Midway, ''Tone'' and CruDiv 8 was part of Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo's Carrier Striking Force. On 4 June, ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' each launched two "Jakes" to search out for American carriers. ''Tone''s floatplane discovered American ships, but owing to internal bureaucracy in their command structure its report was not immediately delivered to Admiral Nagumo. As a result, he had already ordered his aircraft to prepare for another attack on Midway before he received the report. ''Tone'' was attacked by enemy carrier aircraft during the battle, but sustained no damage, except the loss of a "Dave" with its crew. ''Chikuma'' and ''Tone'' were then detached to support Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya's Aleutian invasion force. However, the anticipated American counter-attack failed to materialize. CruDiv 8 cruised northern waters uneventfully.

Rear Admiral Chuichi Hara assumed command of CruDiv 8 from 14 July 1942. With the US invasion of Guadalcanal, ''Chikuma'' and ''Tone'' were ordered south again on 16 August with the aircraft carriers , , , , and . They were joined by the battleships , , seaplane tender , and cruisers , , , .

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

On 24 August 1942, CruDiv 7's and arrived to join the reinforcement fleet for Guadalcanal. The following morning, a Consolidated PBY Catalina spotted ''Ryūjō'', which Douglas SBD Dauntlesses and Grumman TBF Avengers from ''Enterprise'' unsuccessfully attacked. Seven floatplanes from ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' were launched to locate the American fleet. One of ''Chikuma''s planes spotted the Americans, but was shot down before its report could be relayed. However, a second floatplane was more successful, and the Japanese launched an attack against ''Enterprise'', hitting it with three bombs which set her wooden deck on fire. However, in the meantime, the Americans located the Japanese fleet, and ''Ryūjō'' was sunk by planes from the carrier . ''Tone'' was attacked unsuccessfully by two Avengers whose Mark 13 torpedoes missed, returning to Truk safely.

Battle of Santa Cruz

Through October, ''Chikuma'' and ''Tone'' patrolled north of the Solomon Islands, awaiting word of recapture of Henderson Field by the Japanese. On 19 October, ''Tone'' (with the destroyer ) was detached on an independent mission to scout for American ships. Both ships operated off the Santa Cruz Islands until a Kawanishi H6K "Emily" from Jaluit Atoll sighted a carrier off the New Hebrides. On 26 October 1942, northeast of Guadalcanal, Rear Admiral Hiroaki Abe's task force launched seven floatplanes to scout south of Guadalcanal. They located the American fleet, and Abe followed with an attack by carrier planes which sank the carrier and damaged the battleship and cruiser . However, two of the four aircraft launched by ''Tone'' during the attack were shot down.

''Tone'' supported Japanese reinforcement efforts at Guadalcanal through mid-November 1942, and was then assigned to patrols from its base in Truk through mid-February 1943. After returning to Maizuru for refit on 21 February, two additional twin-mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were installed along with a Type 21 air-search radar. On 15 March 1943 Rear Admiral Kishi Fukuji assumed command of CruDiv 8, and ''Tone'' was ordered back to Truk. However, on 17 May, ''Chikuma'' and ''Tone'' were tasked to accompany battleship back to Tokyo for the state funeral of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. ''Tone'' was back in Truk by 15 July, having avoided numerous submarine attacks along the route. From July to November, ''Tone'' was engaged in making troop transport runs to Rabaul, and to patrols of the Marshall Islands in unsuccessful pursuit of the American fleet. While back at Kure on 6 November, ''Tone'' gained additional 25-mm AA guns, bringing its total to 20. CruDiv 8 was disbanded on 1 January 1944, and both ''Tone'' and ''Chikuma'' were reassigned to CruDiv 7 (with ''Suzuya'' and ''Kumano'') under Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura. ''Tone'' returned to Truk on 2 January. In February, ''Tone'' assisted with the evacuation of Japanese forces from Truk to Palau.

From 1 March 1944, ''Tone'' was assigned to commerce raiding in the Indian Ocean. On 9 March, ''Tone'' sank the British freighter , taking aboard 108 survivors against orders. Of the survivors, 32 were disembarked as prisoners of war at Batavia. Admiral Naomasa Sakonju aboard the cruiser , ordered that the remaining prisoners be "disposed of", and they were taken out to sea and beheaded. (Following the war, Sakonju was executed for war crimes, including the murder of these prisoners, while the former commander of ''Tone'', Captain Haruo Mayazumi, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.) On 20 March 1944, Rear Admiral Kazutaka Shiraishi assumed command of CruDiv 7.

Battle of the Philippine Sea

On 13 June 1944, Admiral Soemu Toyoda activated "Operation A-GO" for the defense of the Mariana Islands. ''Tone'' was assigned to Force "C" of Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa's Mobile Fleet, which proceeded through the Visayan Sea to the Philippine Sea headed towards Saipan. On 20 June, after the battleships , and carrier were attacked by aircraft from the carriers , and and the bulk of the Japanese air cover was destroyed in the " Great Marianas Turkey Shoot", ''Tone'' retired with the Mobile Fleet to Okinawa, and from there to Kure. While at Kure from 26 June to 8 July 1944, ''Tone'' gained additional Type 96 25-mm AA, bringing its total to 57. Two new Type 22 surface-search radars and a Type 13 air-search radar were also fitted. After ferrying army troops to Okinawa, ''Tone'' was reassigned back to Singapore in July.

Battle of Leyte Gulf

On 23 October 1944, ''Tone'' along with the cruisers ''Kumano'', ''Suzuya'' and ''Chikuma'', sortied from Brunei towards the Philippines with Admiral Takeo Kurita's First Mobile Striking Force. The battle group was attacked by submarines while steaming through the Palawan Passage. The cruisers ''Atago'' and ''Maya'' were sunk, and ''Takao'' was damaged. As the force entered the Sibuyan Sea on 24 October, the Center Force suffered eleven raids by aircraft from the carriers of Task Group 38.2. ''Musashi'' was sunk and ''Tone'' was hit by bombs.

Battle off Samar

The following day during the Battle off Samar, ''Tone'' served in the fight against Taffy 3, a small US task force of six escort carriers, three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts. ''Tone'' started off the battle at 7:18 by engaging the destroyer USS ''Johnston'', scoring no hits as in turn ''Johnston'' crippled the ''Kumano'' with 45 shell hits and a torpedo that blew off her bow, forcing her out of the battle alongside ''Suzuya'' to escort her. Shortly afterwards, she and ''Chikuma'' were attacked by American torpedo bombers at 7:30 and forced to break off from formation, and several minutes later change course to attack the escort carriers.

At 8:18, ''Tone'' joined the heavy cruiser ''Haguro'' in attacking the escort carrier USS ''Kalinin Bay'', which from 18,000 yards, they successfully hit with three 8-inch (203 mm) shells. Simultaneously, aircraft strafing killed one sailor and injured several others. After ''Haguro'' was forced to disengage after being hit by two bombs and two 5-inch (127 mm) shells from ''Kalinin Bay'', destroying her forward superfiring turret, ''Tone'' switched fire to the attacking destroyer USS ''Heermann'''','' firing thirty 8-inch (203 mm) rounds and four torpedoes, straddling ''Heermann'' several times and forcing her to turn away. After ''Haguro'' had finished helping to sink the destroyer USS ''Hoel'', she and ''Tone'' closed to 10,000 yards, and reengaged ''Kalinin Bay,'' crippling her with another eleven 8-inch (203 mm) shell hits, before ''Tone'' was forced to dodge air attacks from Taffy 2 and Taffy 3 aircraft during the same attacks that sank her sistership ''Chikuma'' with several torpedo hits, while sperate air attacks sank the heavy cruisers and ''Suzuya''. By 8:55, ''Tone'' and ''Haguro'' took aim at the escort carrier USS ''Fanshaw Bay''. ''Tone'' fired 28 rounds, hitting ''Fanshaw Bay'' with a single 8-inch (203 mm) shell, whilst ''Haguro'' struck the escort carrier with three 8-inch (203 mm) shells, starting a fire in her hanger bay and disabling her aircraft elevator.Lundgren (2014) p 175

With three heavy cruisers sunk and a fourth crippled, Admiral Kurita ordered a retreat from the battle, prompting ''Tone'' to disengage Taffy 3. While retreating, ''Tone'' was hit by two bombs from carrier aircraft, one was a dud, but the other disabled her steering wheel, forcing her crew to manually control the rudder. Throughout the next day, several aircraft raided Kurita's fleet, but ''Tone'' was not damaged and returned to Brunei on the 28th.

Drydock and use as a training ship

On 6 November, ''Tone'' departed Brunei towards Manila, and onward to Mako in the Pescadores and Kure. Back in dry dock in Maizuru, ''Tone'' gained four additional triple-mount 25-mm AA guns aft, bringing its total to 62. The Type 21 radar was replaced with a Type 22. CruDiv 7 was disbanded 21 November and ''Tone'' reassigned to CruDiv 5 with ''Kumano''. Once repairs were completed on 18 February 1945, ''Tone'' relocated to Etajima, where it was moored for use as a training ship. It was slightly damaged in an air raid on 19 March.

Sinking during the bombing of Kure

On 24 July 1945, Task Force 38 launched a large air raid against Kure aimed at the final destruction of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Nine aircraft from the light carrier ''Monterey'' hit ''Tone'' with three bombs, causing her to settle to the bottom of the bay. The hulk was attacked again on 28 July by rockets and armor-piercing bombs dropped by planes from the carriers , and . ''Tone'' was removed from the Navy List on 20 November 1945 and scrapped after the war from 1947–1948.

References

Citations

Books

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*Lundgren, Robert (2014). ''The World Wonder'd: What really happened off Samar''. Nimble Books. .

External links

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* Tabular record:
CombinedFleet.com: ''Tone'' history
(Retrieved 26 January 2007.)


Two photos of ''Tone'', but you must type ''Tone'' in the pic search window,

World War II Cruisers

Military Times
* https://imodeler.com/2017/06/scout-4-is-late/ - discussion of what is often reported as a catapult jam in the early stages of the Battle of Midway

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tone
Tone-class cruisers
Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
1937 ships
World War II cruisers of Japan
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Cruisers sunk by aircraft
Ships sunk by US aircraft
Shipwrecks in the Inland Sea
Maritime incidents in July 1945
Japanese war crimes
Bombing of Kure