Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Imperial Japanese Navy — Cruiser

Japanese cruiser Abukuma

Nagara-class cruiser

Japanese cruiser Abukuma
Unknown author — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Imperial Japanese Navy photograph of light cruiser Abukuma in 1941, shortly before sailing on the Pearl Harbor raid. This photo clearly shows the seaplane catapult with E7K ("Alf") floatplane mounted and ready to launch. It was originally published with permission in the 1941 edition of Jane's Fighting Ships. Like thousands of other German and Japanese military photos surrendered to the US Militar

Service

  1. Imperial Japanese Navy as Abukuma26 May 1925 — 20 December 19441,937 days of the war
Nagara-class cruiser Particulars
Name
Abukuma
Builder
Uraga Dock Company
Ordered
1920
Laid down
8 December 1921
Launched
16 March 1923
Commissioned
26 May 1925
Struck
20 December 1944
Fate
Sunk 26 October 1944 (1944)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
5,570 long tons (5,659 t)
Length
162.1 m (531.8 ft) OA
Beam
14.2 m (46.6 ft)
Draught
4.8 m (15.7 ft)
Speed
36 knots (66.7 km/h, 41.4 mph)
Range
6,000 nmi (11,112 km)
Complement
450
Main gun
140 mm (5.5 in)

Abukuma was a Nagara-class cruiser built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Uraga Dock Company laid her keel on 8 December 1921. She entered service on 26 May 1925, having been launched on 16 March 1923.

She was one of six ships of her class. The class followed the Kuma-class cruiser and was succeeded by the Japanese cruiser Yūbari (chronologically).

She displaced 5,570 long tons. She measured 162.1 m (532 ft) long with a beam of 14.2 m (47 ft). Her designed speed was 36 knots, and she carried a complement of 450.

Her main battery was seven 140 mm (5.5 in) guns. Her belt armour was 60 mm (2.4 in) and her deck 30 mm. She carried one aircraft.

She was in commission for 1,937 days of the Second World War. She was struck from the register on 20 December 1944.

She was sunk on 26 October 1944, at 9°20′N 122°32′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 4 shaft Gihon geared turbines
  • 12 Kampon boilers
  • 90000 shp
Armament
  • (Initial)
  • 7 × 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns
  • 2 × 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun s
  • 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (4x2)
  • 48 naval mines
  • (Final) 5 × 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns
  • 2 × 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun s
  • 4 × triple, 2x twin,24x single Type 96 25 mm AA guns
  • 10 × Type 93 13.2 mm machine guns
  • 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes (2x4)
Armour
  • Belt: 60 mm
  • Deck: 30 mm
Aircraft
  • 1 x floatplane

Sister ships

Sources