Japanese cruiser Kitakami
Encyclopedia
was a Kuma class cruiser
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
, named after the Kitakami River
in Iwate Prefecture
, Japan
.
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship and also as a command vessel for destroyer
or submarine
flotillas.
. Soon after commissioning, it was based at Mako
, Pescadores Islands, and assigned to cover the landings of Japanese forces in central China
as the Second Sino-Japanese War
continued to escalate.
On 25 August 1941, Kitakami returned to Sasebo for conversion to a "torpedo cruiser" with ten Type 92 quadruple torpedo tube
mounts for the 61 cm (24 in) Type 93
torpedo, in line with Imperial Japanese Navy plans to create a special “Night Battle Force” of torpedo-cruisers. Modification was complete by 30 September 1941, and Kitakami is assigned to the Japanese First Fleet, CruDiv 9, under Rear Admiral
Fukuji Kishi.
, Kitakami was escorting the Combined Fleet
's battleship
s from Hashirajima
to the Bonin Islands and back to Japan.
From January to May 1942, Kitakami was assigned largely to training duties in Japanese home waters. At the time of the Battle of Midway
on 29 May 1942, Kitakami and its sister ship
Ōi
were part of the Aleutian Screening Force, and return safely to Japan on 17 June 1942.
(barges) and were fitted with two triple mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns. Depth charge
launch rails were also installed. After conversion, Kitakami and Ōi embarked the No. 4 Maizuiru Special Naval Landing Force, which they transported to Truk in the Caroline Islands
and Shortland Island
in the Solomon Islands
by 6 October 1942.
CruDiv 9 was disbanded on 21 November 1942, and the Kitakami was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet. In November, the Kitakami transported troops from Manila
to Rabaul
, New Britain
, and returned to Sasebo by the end of the year.
In January 1943, Kitakami was assigned to the reinforcement of Japanese forces in New Guinea
, and escorted a convoy with the IJA 20th Infantry Division
from Pusan to Wewak
, New Guinea via Palau
. In February, Kitakami escorted a convoy with the IJA 41st Infantry Division
from Tsingtao to Wewak, again via Palau.
On 15 March 1943, Kitakami was re-assigned to CruDiv 16 of the Southwest Area Fleet under Admiral Takasu, as a guard ship based out of Surabaya
. It escorted three troop convoys from Surabaya to Kaimana
, New Guinea during April and May.
On 23 June 1943, while at Makassar, the Kitakami, Ōi, Kinu
and Kuma
were bombed by Consolidated
B-24 Liberator
s of the 5th Air Force's 319th Bomb Squadron. None of the cruisers were hit, but some sustained slight damage from near-misses.
After refit at Seletar Naval Base
, Singapore
in August, Kitakami escorted a troop convoy from Singapore to the Nicobar Islands
in early September. Two more convoys were escorted to Port Blair
, Andaman Islands
in late October.
In late January 1944, Kitakami escorted another convoy to Port Blair. On its return voyage while transiting Malacca Strait, southwest of Penang
, Malaya, on 27 January 1944, the Kitakami was hit aft by two torpedoes fired by the HMS Templar (P316)
. The Kinu took Kitakami in tow to Angsa Bay, Malaya for emergency repairs, followed by extensive repairs at the No. 101 Repair Facility at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore in February. Repairs were not completed until 21 June 1944. However, after departing Singapore to escort the tanker Kyokuto maru, Kitakami began to take on water and had to put into Cavite
Navy Yard in the Philippines
from 12 July 1944 to 26 July 1944. Despite the additional repairs, Kitakami still took on water on its return voyage to Sasebo.
human torpedo carrier with a capacity for eight Kaitens. A 20-ton crane, formerly from the seaplane carrier Chitose
, was fitted to raise and lower the Kaiten into the water. The stern was remodeled into an overhanging ramp configuration and the aft turbines were removed as well, and the space used to hold spare parts & repair equipment. The removal of these turbines reduced Kitakami's top speed from 36 to 23 knots (45.1 km/h). All of Kitakami's armaments were removed
and replaced by two Type 89 127-mm AA guns and 67 Type 96 25-mm (12x3 and 31x1) AA barrels, two Type 13 air-search and one Type 22 surface-search radar
s. Two depth charge
launching rails were installed at the stern and two depth charge throwers were also installed. The refit was completed on 20 January 1945, and Kitakami was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
On 19 March 1945, American Task Force 58 aircraft carriers USS Essex (CV-9)
, USS Intrepid (CV-11)
, USS Hornet (CV-12)
, USS Wasp (CV-18)
, USS Hancock (CV-19)
, USS Bennington (CV-20)
and the USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
made the first carrier attack of the war on Kure Arsenal. More than 240 aircraft (SB2C Helldiver
s, F4U Corsair
s and F6F Hellcat
s) attacked the battleships Hyuga
, Ise
, Yamato
, Haruna
, aircraft carriers Amagi
, Katsuragi
, Ryuho
, Kaiyo
and other ships. Kitakami sustained no damage.
In July 1945, an additional twenty seven single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were fitted to Kitakami. However, on 24 July 1945 about 200 aircraft Task Force 38's USS Essex (CV-9)
, USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
, USS Randolph (CV-15)
, USS Hancock (CV-19)
, USS Monterey (CVL-26)
and USS Bataan (CVL-29)
again attacked the Kure area. Kitakami was damaged by strafing and thirty-two crewmen were killed.
on 2 September 1945, Kitakami was moved to Kagoshima and assigned to the Repatriation Service. She was used as a repair tender for ships on repatriation duties.
Kitakami was removed from the Navy List on 30 November 1945, and scrapped at Nanao
from 10 August 1946 – 31 March 1947.
Kuma class cruiser
-See also:*List of World War II ships...
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, named after the Kitakami River
Kitakami River
The is the fourth largest river in Japan and the largest in the Tōhoku region. It is 249 kilometers long and drains an area of 10,150 square kilometers. It flows through mostly rural areas of Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures. The river is unusual in that it has two mouths, one flowing south into...
in Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
Kitakami was the third of five vessels completed in the Kuma-class of light cruisers. As with its sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship and also as a command vessel for destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
or submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
flotillas.
Early career
Kitakami was completed on 3 July 1920 at Sasebo Navy Yard, NagasakiNagasaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
. Soon after commissioning, it was based at Mako
Makung
Makung is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Taiwan . Makung is on the western part of the main Penghu Island....
, Pescadores Islands, and assigned to cover the landings of Japanese forces in central China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
as the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
continued to escalate.
On 25 August 1941, Kitakami returned to Sasebo for conversion to a "torpedo cruiser" with ten Type 92 quadruple torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
mounts for the 61 cm (24 in) Type 93
Type 93
Type 93 may refer to:* Type 93 Air-to-Ship Missile* Type 93 flamethrower* Type 93 mine* Type 93 Surface-to-Air Missile* Type 93 torpedo...
torpedo, in line with Imperial Japanese Navy plans to create a special “Night Battle Force” of torpedo-cruisers. Modification was complete by 30 September 1941, and Kitakami is assigned to the Japanese First Fleet, CruDiv 9, under Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Fukuji Kishi.
Early stages of the Pacific War
At the time of the attack on Pearl HarborAttack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Kitakami was escorting the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
's battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s from Hashirajima
Hashirajima
is an island in southern Hiroshima Bay of the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Located 26 kilometers southeast of Iwakuni, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyō Islands group....
to the Bonin Islands and back to Japan.
From January to May 1942, Kitakami was assigned largely to training duties in Japanese home waters. At the time of the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
on 29 May 1942, Kitakami and its sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
Ōi
Japanese cruiser Oi
was the fourth of five Kuma-class light cruisers, which served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was named after the Oi River in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan.-Background:...
were part of the Aleutian Screening Force, and return safely to Japan on 17 June 1942.
As a fast troop transport
From August - September 1942, Kitakami and Ōi were converted into fast transports. Their ten quadruple torpedo launchers are reduced to six (a total of 24 tubes). They were equipped with two Daihatsu landing craftLanding craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
(barges) and were fitted with two triple mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns. Depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
launch rails were also installed. After conversion, Kitakami and Ōi embarked the No. 4 Maizuiru Special Naval Landing Force, which they transported to Truk in the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
and Shortland Island
Shortland Island
Shortland Island is the largest island of the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands, at . Named by John Shortland....
in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
by 6 October 1942.
CruDiv 9 was disbanded on 21 November 1942, and the Kitakami was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet. In November, the Kitakami transported troops from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, and returned to Sasebo by the end of the year.
In January 1943, Kitakami was assigned to the reinforcement of Japanese forces in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and escorted a convoy with the IJA 20th Infantry Division
20th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the .-History:The 20th Division and the 19th Division were raised on 24 December 1915 as a garrison force for Korea. After Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, and subsequent occupation, and then annexation of Korea,...
from Pusan to Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
, New Guinea via Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
. In February, Kitakami escorted a convoy with the IJA 41st Infantry Division
41st Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
The 41st Division was an infantry division of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was formed on 2 October 1939, under the command of Lieutenant General Moritake Tanabe...
from Tsingtao to Wewak, again via Palau.
On 15 March 1943, Kitakami was re-assigned to CruDiv 16 of the Southwest Area Fleet under Admiral Takasu, as a guard ship based out of Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
. It escorted three troop convoys from Surabaya to Kaimana
Kaimana
Kaimana is a small port town in West Papua, Indonesia and capital of the Kaimana Regency.It is served by Kaimana Airport. Kaimana is part of a Sea Conservation Area in West Papua.Butterflies in the surrounding forest of Karora are reported to be on the brink of extinction due to logging in the...
, New Guinea during April and May.
On 23 June 1943, while at Makassar, the Kitakami, Ōi, Kinu
Japanese cruiser Kinu
was a Nagara-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Kinu River in Tochigi prefecture Japan.-Background:Kinu was the fifth vessel completed in the Nagara-class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer...
and Kuma
Japanese cruiser Kuma
was a Kuma-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Kuma River in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.-Background:Kuma was the lead ship of the five vessels in the Kuma-class of light cruisers and was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship, and also as a...
were bombed by Consolidated
Consolidated Aircraft
The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was being closed by its parent corporation, General Motors. Consolidated became...
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s of the 5th Air Force's 319th Bomb Squadron. None of the cruisers were hit, but some sustained slight damage from near-misses.
After refit at Seletar Naval Base
Seletar
Seletar is an area of Singapore within its North-East Region. Seletar commonly refers to the areas south of Yishun and west of Sungei Punggol, covering Yio Chu Kang near Jalan Kayu , the Lower Seletar Reservoir and part of Upper Thomson .The Seletar Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in August, Kitakami escorted a troop convoy from Singapore to the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
in early September. Two more convoys were escorted to Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
, Andaman Islands
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
in late October.
In late January 1944, Kitakami escorted another convoy to Port Blair. On its return voyage while transiting Malacca Strait, southwest of Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Malaya, on 27 January 1944, the Kitakami was hit aft by two torpedoes fired by the HMS Templar (P316)
HMS Templar (P316)
HMS Templar was a British submarine of the third group of the T class. She was built as P316 by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and launched on 26 October 1942...
. The Kinu took Kitakami in tow to Angsa Bay, Malaya for emergency repairs, followed by extensive repairs at the No. 101 Repair Facility at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore in February. Repairs were not completed until 21 June 1944. However, after departing Singapore to escort the tanker Kyokuto maru, Kitakami began to take on water and had to put into Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
Navy Yard in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 12 July 1944 to 26 July 1944. Despite the additional repairs, Kitakami still took on water on its return voyage to Sasebo.
As a Kaiten carrier
From 14 August 1944 Kitakami was repaired and modified at Sasebo into a KaitenKaiten
The Kaiten were manned torpedos and suicide craft, they were used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II.-History:...
human torpedo carrier with a capacity for eight Kaitens. A 20-ton crane, formerly from the seaplane carrier Chitose
Japanese aircraft carrier Chitose
was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It should not be confused with the earlier cruiser of the same name. First laid down as a seaplane tender in 1934 at Kure Navy yard, the ship originally carried Kawanishi E7K Type 94 "Alf" and Nakajima E8N Type 95...
, was fitted to raise and lower the Kaiten into the water. The stern was remodeled into an overhanging ramp configuration and the aft turbines were removed as well, and the space used to hold spare parts & repair equipment. The removal of these turbines reduced Kitakami's top speed from 36 to 23 knots (45.1 km/h). All of Kitakami's armaments were removed
and replaced by two Type 89 127-mm AA guns and 67 Type 96 25-mm (12x3 and 31x1) AA barrels, two Type 13 air-search and one Type 22 surface-search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s. Two depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
launching rails were installed at the stern and two depth charge throwers were also installed. The refit was completed on 20 January 1945, and Kitakami was assigned directly to the Combined Fleet.
On 19 March 1945, American Task Force 58 aircraft carriers USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the...
, USS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid (CV-11)
USS Intrepid , also known as The Fighting "I", is one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. She is the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in August 1943, Intrepid participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, most notably the Battle...
, USS Hornet (CV-12)
USS Hornet (CV-12)
USS Hornet is a United States Navy aircraft carrier of the Essex class. Construction started in August 1942; she was originally named , but was renamed in honor of the , which was lost in October 1942, becoming the eighth ship to bear the name.Hornet was commissioned in November 1943, and after...
, USS Wasp (CV-18)
USS Wasp (CV-18)
USS Wasp was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the ninth US Navy ship to bear the name, was originally named Oriskany, but was renamed while under construction in honor of the previous , which was sunk 15 September 1942...
, USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, USS Bennington (CV-20)
USS Bennington (CV-20)
USS Bennington was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the second US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington...
and the USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
USS Belleau Wood was a United States Navy active during World War II in the Pacific Theater, from 1943 to 1945. The ship also served in the First Indochina War under French Navy temporary service as Bois Belleau....
made the first carrier attack of the war on Kure Arsenal. More than 240 aircraft (SB2C Helldiver
SB2C Helldiver
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a carrier-based dive bomber aircraft produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service. Despite its size, the SB2C was much faster than the SBD it replaced...
s, F4U Corsair
F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and...
s and F6F Hellcat
F6F Hellcat
The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big...
s) attacked the battleships Hyuga
Japanese battleship Hyuga
Hyūga , named for Hyūga Province in Kyūshū, was an of the Imperial Japanese Navy laid down by Mitsubishi on 6 May 1915, launched on 27 January 1917 and completed on 30 April 1918. She was initially designed as the fourth ship of the , but was heavily redesigned to fix shortcomings...
, Ise
Japanese battleship Ise
, was the lead ship of the two-vessel Ise-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which saw combat service during the Pacific War. Ise was named after Ise Province, one of the traditional provinces of Japan, now part of Mie Prefecture....
, Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
, Haruna
Japanese battleship Haruna
, named after Mount Haruna, was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during :World War I and :World War II. Designed by the British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the fourth and last battlecruiser of the , among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built...
, aircraft carriers Amagi
Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy built during World War II. Named after Mount Amagi, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and did not participate in any battles. The ship capsized in July 1945 after being hit multiple times during airstrikes by American...
, Katsuragi
Japanese aircraft carrier Katsuragi
was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy built during World War II. Named after Mount Katsuragi, and completed late in the war; she never embarked her complement of aircraft and did not participate in any battles. The ship was badly damaged in a July 1945 airstrike by American carrier aircraft on Kure...
, Ryuho
Japanese aircraft carrier Ryuho
The was a Japanese Light aircraft carrier. Sole ship of her class, she was converted from a submarine tender. During World War II she operated mainly as aircraft transport but did participate in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea.-Conversion and commission:...
, Kaiyo
Japanese aircraft carrier Kaiyo
was a escort carrier operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy in World War II. The ship was originally built as the ocean liner Argentina Maru. She was purchased by the IJN on 9 December 1942, converted into an escort carrier, and renamed Kaiyo. The ship was primarily used as an aircraft transport,...
and other ships. Kitakami sustained no damage.
In July 1945, an additional twenty seven single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns were fitted to Kitakami. However, on 24 July 1945 about 200 aircraft Task Force 38's USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex (CV-9)
USS Essex was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the...
, USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
USS Ticonderoga was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for historic Fort Ticonderoga, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War...
, USS Randolph (CV-15)
USS Randolph (CV-15)
USS Randolph was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The second US Navy ship to bear the name, she was named for Peyton Randolph, president of the First Continental Congress. Randolph was commissioned in October 1944, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific...
, USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock (CV-19)
USS Hancock was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
, USS Monterey (CVL-26)
USS Monterey (CVL-26)
USS Monterey was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, in service during World War II and used in training for several years thereafter....
and USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS Bataan (CVL-29)
USS Bataan , originally planned as USS Buffalo and also classified as CV-29, was an 11,000 ton Independence class light aircraft carrier which was commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II....
again attacked the Kure area. Kitakami was damaged by strafing and thirty-two crewmen were killed.
Post-war
After the surrender of JapanSurrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
on 2 September 1945, Kitakami was moved to Kagoshima and assigned to the Repatriation Service. She was used as a repair tender for ships on repatriation duties.
Kitakami was removed from the Navy List on 30 November 1945, and scrapped at Nanao
Nanao
-Places:*Nanao, Ishikawa , a city in Japan**Nanao Line a rail line through Nanao, Ishikawa**Nanao Station a station on the Nanao Line*Nan'ao County , an island county in, Shantou, China*Nan'ao Town , a town in mainland China...
from 10 August 1946 – 31 March 1947.
External links
- Tabular record: CombinedFleet.com: Kitakami history