Ōyodo-class cruiser

Class overview
Ōyodo in 1943 at Kure Naval Arsenal, Hiroshima Floatplane launcher is larger than later type.
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by:	Agano class
Built:	1941-43
In service:	1943-45
In commission:	1943-45
Planned:	2
Completed:	1
Lost:	1
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	Ōyodo
Namesake:	Ōyodo River
Ordered:	1939
Laid down:	14 February 1941
Launched:	2 April 1942
Commissioned:	28 February 1943
Struck:	20 November 1945
Fate:	sunk 28 July 1945 bombed by USN aircraft at Kure Naval Base
Notes:	raised and scrapped 1 August 1948
General characteristics
Class and type:	none
Type:	Cruiser
Displacement:	8,164 long tons (8,295 t) (standard) 11,433 long tons (11,616 t) (full load)
Length:	192 metres (629 feet 11 inches)
Beam:	15.7 metres (51 feet 6 inches)
Draught:	5.95 metres (19 feet 6 inches)
Installed power:	110,000 shp (82,000 kW)
Propulsion:	Geared turbines, 4 shafts 6 Kampon boilers
Speed:	34 kn (63.0 km/h; 39.1 mph)
Range:	10,600 nautical miles (19,600 kilometres) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	782 (initial); 911 (final)
Armament:	6 × 155 mm (6.1inch)/60 cal. 3rd Year Type guns (2 × 3) 8 × 100 mm (3.9inch)/65 cal. Type 98 AA guns (4 × 2) 18 × Type 96 25mm AA guns, (6×3, 1943) 52 × Type 96 25mm AA guns, (12×3 + 16x1, 1945)
Armor:	Side belt 60 mm (2.4 in) Deck 30–50 mm (1.2–2.0 in) Turrets/Barbettes 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in) Conning tower 40 mm (1.6 in)
Aircraft carried:	6 × floatplanes (1943), 2 × floatplanes (1944)

Ōyodo (大淀^?), was a light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), completed during World War II, and was the only ship of her class completed before the end of the war. As was the practice with IJN light cruisers, she was named after a river, in this case the Ōyodo River in Kyūshū, Japan. Intended as a command vessel for submarine operations, she was used for a variety of missions, and became the flagship of the Combined Fleet before being sunk by American aircraft at Kure, Hiroshima in July 1945.

The Imperial Japanese Navy concept of submarine warfare was to use long-range submarines in squadrons (sentai) to attack enemy units at extended ranges. These submarines would be coordinated by a cruiser, which would use reconnaissance aircraft to provide targeting information. Originally, it was intended that the Agano-class cruisers would be able to serve in this role, but proved unsatisfactory. By the late 1930s, the Japanese Navy had defined the need for seven cruisers to support its seven submarine squadrons. After several design iterations, funding for the first two vessels was approved under the 1939 4th Replenishment Program, of which only one, Ōyodo, was laid down; the second ship was to be named Niyodo. Immediately after Ōyodo was completed, all available shipbuilding resources at the Kure Naval Arsenal were diverted to build more aircraft carriers.

The Ōyodo design was as an enlarged and improved version of the Agano-class cruiser. Ōyodo retained the same general hull design as the cruiser Agano, with a flush deck and bulbous bow: however, her armament differed both in layout and weaponry, and her armour protection was reduced.

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