Agano-class cruiser
Agano in October 1942, off of Sasebo, Nagasaki
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Agano class |
| Builders: | Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Yokosuka Naval Arsenal |
| Operators: |
 Imperial Japanese Navy
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| Preceded by: | Sendai class |
| Succeeded by: | Ōyodo class |
| Completed: | 4 |
| Lost: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Light cruiser |
| Displacement: | 6,652 t (6,547 long tons) (standard); 7,590 t (7,470 long tons) (loaded) |
| Length: | 174 m (571 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.6 m (18 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
| Range: | 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 730 |
| Armament: |
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| Armour: | |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 × floatplanes |
| Aviation facilities: | 1 aircraft catapult |
The four Agano-class cruisers (阿賀野型軽巡洋艦 Agano-gata keijun'yōkan?) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. All were named after Japanese rivers. Larger than previous Japanese light cruisers, the Agano-class vessels were fast, but with little protection, and were under-gunned for their size. They participated in numerous actions during World War II.
The Agano class was followed by the larger Ōyodo-class cruiser, of which only a single vessel was completed.
The Imperial Japanese Navy had developed a standardized design for light cruisers as flagships for destroyer and submarine squadrons, based on a 5,500 ton displacement, shortly after World War I. However, by the 1930s these vessels were obsolete, as contemporary destroyers were faster, carried more powerful armament, and had greater endurance. As soon as the restrictions of the London Naval Treaty were removed, the Navy General Staff developed a plan within the Fourth Fleet Supplemental Budget to build 13 new 6000 ton cruisers between 1939 and 1945 to replace the Tenryū, Kuma, and Nagara-class cruisers. These vessels were intended to be the flagships for six destroyer squadrons and seven submarine squadrons. The new design was finalized in October 1937; however, construction was delayed due to overloading of the Japanese shipyards. Construction costs came to 16.4 million yen per vessel.
The design for the Agano class was based on technologies developed by aboard the cruiser Yūbari, resulting in a graceful and uncluttered deck line and single smokestack. Unlike most Japanese designs, the Agano class was not overweight, so it exhibited good stability and seaworthiness.
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