Japanese cruiser Kashii

Kashii on 15 July 1941, at Yokohama during commissioning
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	Kashii
Ordered:	1939 Fiscal Year
Laid down:	4 October 1939
Launched:	15 October 1940
Commissioned:	15 July 1941
Struck:	20 March 1945
Fate:	sunk 12 January 1945 bombed/torpedoed by USN aircraft off French Indochina, South China Sea13°50′N 109°20′E / 13.833°N 109.333°E / 13.833; 109.333
General characteristics
Class and type:	Katori-class cruiser
Displacement:	5,890 long tons (5,985 t) normal 6,180 long tons (6,279 t) full load
Length:	129.77 m (425 ft 9 in)
Beam:	15.95 m (52 ft 4 in)
Draught:	5.75 m (18 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:	2-shaft geared turbines, plus diesel motors 3 Kampon boilers 8,000 shp (6,000 kW)
Speed:	18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Range:	9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement:	315 + 275 midshipmen
Armament:	4 × 140 mm (5.5 in)/50 cal. guns (2×2) 2 × 127 mm (5 in)/40 cal. AA guns (1×2) 4 × Type 96 AA guns (later increased to 30) 8 × 13 mm (0.51 in) AA guns 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (2×2)
Aircraft carried:	1 × floatplane
Aviation facilities:	1 catapult

Kashii (香椎 練習巡洋艦, Kashii renshūjunyōkan^?) was the third and final vessel completed of the three light cruisers in the Katori class, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. The ship was named after a noted Shinto shrine in Fukuoka, Japan.

The Katori-class cruisers were originally ordered to serve as training ships in the 1937 and 1939 Supplementary Naval Budget. With the Pacific War, they were used as administrative flagships for various fleets, such as submarine command and control and to command escort squadrons. The ships were upgraded as the war progressed with additional anti-aircraft guns and depth charges.

Kashii was completed by Mitsubishi shipyards in Yokohama on 15 July 1941, and was initially assigned to Sasebo Naval Base.

With the growing tensions in the Pacific, Kashii was subsequently (31 July 1941) assigned to the Southern Expeditionary Fleet under Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa. On 18 October 1941, Kashii became flagship of the Southern Expeditionary Fleet based out of Saigon, French Indochina. One month later, Kashii was transferred to Hainan and Vice Admiral Ozawa transferred his flag to the cruiser Chōkai.