Katori-class cruiser
Katori
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Katori class |
| Builders: | Mitsubishi, Yokohama |
| Operators: |
 Imperial Japanese Navy
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| Cost: |
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| Built: | 1938–1940 |
| In commission: | 1940–1945 |
| Planned: | 4 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruiser |
| Displacement: |
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| 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: |
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| 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: |
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| Armour: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 1 × floatplane |
| Aviation facilities: | 1 catapult |
The Katori-class training cruisers (香取型練習巡洋艦 Katori-gata renshū-jun'yōkan?) were originally ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to serve as training ships in the 1937 and 1939 Supplementary Naval budgets. During 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.
Originally ordered by the IJN in the 1937 and 1939 Supplementary Naval budgets, the Katori-class cruisers were purpose-designed to replace the aging armored cruisers in the officer training role, and as such differed from other IJN cruisers in several aspects. Built to commercial standards to minimize cost, the Katori class had a lower length-to-beam ratio than was usual for cruisers, giving the ships greater initial stability for trainees unfamiliar with lives at sea. Unusually for IJN ships, the Katori class had mixed steam turbine/diesel propulsion, intended to maximize the ships' instructional value rather than speed: even at a combined 8000 shp the maximum speed was only 18 knots, too slow for conventional cruiser duties.
The main armament of each ship was four 140 mm (5.5 in) guns in two twin-gun turrets, the same type used on the light cruiser Yūbari, in "A" and "Y" positions. These were supplemented by a pair of 127 mm (5 in) AA guns in "X" position, two pairs of 25 mm AA guns, and two pairs of 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedoes. Four single 50 mm saluting guns were also carried. A floatplane could be launched by a catapult mounted amidships.
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Wikipedia