Japanese cruiser Naka
Encyclopedia
was a Sendai-class
light cruiser
in the Imperial Japanese Navy
, named after the Naka River in the Tochigi
and Ibaraki prefecture
s of eastern Japan
.
flotilla.
Yokohama
on 30 November 1925.
On 26 November 1941, Naka became flagship
of 4th Destroyer Flotilla under Rear Admiral
Shōji Nishimura. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
, Naka was engaged in the invasion of the southern Philippines
as part of Vice Admiral
Ibo Takahashi
's Third Fleet
escorting transports with components of the IJA 48th Infantry Division. Naka was slightly damaged by strafing by five Boeing
B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and Seversky P-35 Guardsman and Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters of the USAAF Far East Air Force.
In January 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla was assigned to the invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, escorting a convoy carrying the Kure No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Sakaguchi Brigade to Tarakan
and Balikpapan
, Borneo
. On 24 January 1942 while landing troops at Balikpapan, the Royal Netherlands Navy
submarine K-XVIII, operating on the surface due to poor weather, fired four torpedoes at the Naka, but missed. While Admiral Nishimura ordered Naka and her destroyers in an unsuccessful pursuit of the submarine, USN Task Force 5 with , , and attacked the now unprotected Japanese convoy, sinking several transports.
In late February 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorted transports with the 48th Infantry Division to Makassar
, Celebes
and eastern Java
. Ahead of the convoy were 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (flagship light cruiser
) and the cruisers Nachi
and Haguro
. Naka was thus in a central position for the Battle of the Java Sea
on 27 February 1942.
At 1547, the Japanese cruisers , and Jintsu with destroyers , , , and , , , and engaged Dutch Rear Admiral Karel W. F. M. Doorman
's Strike Force consisting of two heavy cruiser
s ( and ), three light cruiser
s (HNLMS De Ruyter
(Doorman's flagship), HNLMS Java), and nine destroyers .
At 1603, Naka and its destroyer squadron with , , , , and launched 43 Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes at the Allied force from about 16250 yards (14,859 m); sinking Kortenaer. The destroyers launched 56 torpedoes in addition to 8 torpedoes from Naka, but amazingly failed to hit anything. Asagumo closed with the HMS Electra, sinking it in a gun battle. The Jupiter hit a Dutch mine
and sank. Towards midnight, De Ruyter and Java were hit by torpedoes and exploded.
This engagement was followed by the Battle of Sunda Strait
, the next day on 28 February 1942, at which Naka was not present.
In March, Naka was assigned patrol duties between Java and the Celebes. However, on 14 March 1942, Naka received orders to become flagship for the Christmas Island
invasion force. The force consisted of Naka, 16th Cruiser Division's and , 9th Destroyer Division's Minegumo and Natsugumo, 22nd Destroyer Division's , , and , 16th Destroyer Division's Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze, oiler Akebono Maru and transports Kimishima Maru and Kumagawa Maru. Landing operations progressed without opposition on 31 March 1942, however, fired four torpedoes at the Naka, but all missed. Seawolf tried again with two more torpedoes the following day, 1 April 1942, and this time one hit to starboard near her No. 1 boiler. Natori towed the badly damaged Naka to Bantam Bay, Java for temporary repairs, and Naka then proceeded to Singapore
under her own power. The damage was sufficient to justify a return to Japan for further repairs in June. Naka remained in Japan in reserve until April 1943.
On 1 April 1943, Naka was assigned to the new 14th Cruiser Division under Rear Admiral Kenzo Ito with , arriving at Truk on 30 April 1943. For the next several months, Naka was assigned to make troop transport runs
around the Marshall Islands
and Nauru
.
On 21 October 1943, Naka and Isuzu embarked Army troops at Shanghai
. The convoy was intercepted by in the East China Sea
on 23 October 1943, which fired 10 torpedoes, failing to damage either cruiser.
On 3 November 1943, convoy was attacked 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of Kavieng
by 13th Air Force B-24 Liberator
bombers. Naka suffered a near-miss, and arrived at Rabaul
on 5 November 1943, the same day as the Carrier Raid on Rabaul. Naka was slightly damaged by near-misses from dive bombers from and .
On 23 November 1943, Naka departed Ponape
with troop reinforcements for Tarawa, but the island fell to the Americans before the reinforcements can be landed.
From 17–18 February 1944, Naka assisted light cruiser , which had been torpedoed the day before by . Immediately after Naka departed, Truk was attacked by US Navy Task Force 58 in Operation Hailstone
. The Americans sank 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroyed nearly 200 aircraft and damaged severely about 100 more, eliminating Truk as a major base for the IJN. Naka was attacked 35 nautical miles (65 km) west of Truk by three waves of SB2C Helldiver
s and TBF Avengers from and TBFs of VT-25 of . The first two strikes failed to score a hit, but Naka was hit by a torpedo and a bomb in the third strike and broke in two, sinking at 07°15′N 151°15′E. Some 240 crewmen perished, but patrol boats rescued 210 men including Captain Sutezawa.
Naka was removed from the navy list
on 31 March 1944.
Sendai class cruiser
The were a group of warships operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Named after rivers, they participated in numerous actions during the Pacific War and were mainly used as destroyer flotilla leaders.-Design:...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
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 Naka River in the Tochigi
Tochigi Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kantō region on the island of Honshū, Japan. The capital is the city of Utsunomiya.Nikkō, whose ancient Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples UNESCO has recognized by naming them a World Heritage Site, is in this prefecture...
and Ibaraki prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
s of eastern 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
Naka was the third (and final) vessel completed in the Sendai-class of light cruisers, and like other vessels of her class, she was intended for use as the flagship of a destroyerDestroyer
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...
flotilla.
Early career
Naka was completed at MitsubishiMitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on 30 November 1925.
On 26 November 1941, Naka became flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of 4th Destroyer Flotilla 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"...
Shōji Nishimura. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack 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...
, Naka was engaged in the invasion of the southern 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...
as part of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Ibo Takahashi
Ibo Takahashi
- Books :...
's Third Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...
escorting transports with components of the IJA 48th Infantry Division. Naka was slightly damaged by strafing by five Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and Seversky P-35 Guardsman and Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters of the USAAF Far East Air Force.
In January 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla was assigned to the invasion of the Netherlands East Indies, escorting a convoy carrying the Kure No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF) and Sakaguchi Brigade to Tarakan
Battle of Tarakan (1942)
The Battle of Tarakan took place on January 11–12, 1942. Even though Tarakan was only a small marshy island at northeastern Borneo in the Netherlands East Indies, but the 700 oil wells, oil refinery and airfield on it, was one of the main objectives for the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War...
and Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. On 24 January 1942 while landing troops at Balikpapan, the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
submarine K-XVIII, operating on the surface due to poor weather, fired four torpedoes at the Naka, but missed. While Admiral Nishimura ordered Naka and her destroyers in an unsuccessful pursuit of the submarine, USN Task Force 5 with , , and attacked the now unprotected Japanese convoy, sinking several transports.
In late February 1942, 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorted transports with the 48th Infantry Division to Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
, Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and eastern Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. Ahead of the convoy were 2nd Destroyer Flotilla (flagship light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
) and the cruisers Nachi
Japanese cruiser Nachi
was the second of four Myōkō-class heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy — the other ships of the class being , and . She was named after a mountain in Wakayama Prefecture....
and Haguro
Japanese cruiser Haguro
|-External reference links: -External links:**...
. Naka was thus in a central position for the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
on 27 February 1942.
At 1547, the Japanese cruisers , and Jintsu with destroyers , , , and , , , and engaged Dutch Rear Admiral Karel W. F. M. Doorman
Karel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily-organized multinational naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack. Doorman was killed and the main body of ABDACOM Naval forces destroyed...
's Strike Force consisting of two heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s ( and ), three light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s (HNLMS De Ruyter
HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)
HNLMS De Ruyter was a light cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was originally designed as a ship with a lighter armament due to financial problems and the pacifist movement. Later in the design stage, an extra gun turret was added and the armor was improved...
(Doorman's flagship), HNLMS Java), and nine destroyers .
At 1603, Naka and its destroyer squadron with , , , , and launched 43 Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes at the Allied force from about 16250 yards (14,859 m); sinking Kortenaer. The destroyers launched 56 torpedoes in addition to 8 torpedoes from Naka, but amazingly failed to hit anything. Asagumo closed with the HMS Electra, sinking it in a gun battle. The Jupiter hit a Dutch mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
and sank. Towards midnight, De Ruyter and Java were hit by torpedoes and exploded.
This engagement was followed by the Battle of Sunda Strait
Battle of Sunda Strait
The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II. On the night of 28 February – 1 March 1942, the Australian light cruiser and the American heavy cruiser faced a major Imperial Japanese Navy task force. After a fierce battle of several hours duration, both Allied...
, the next day on 28 February 1942, at which Naka was not present.
In March, Naka was assigned patrol duties between Java and the Celebes. However, on 14 March 1942, Naka received orders to become flagship for the Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
invasion force. The force consisted of Naka, 16th Cruiser Division's and , 9th Destroyer Division's Minegumo and Natsugumo, 22nd Destroyer Division's , , and , 16th Destroyer Division's Amatsukaze and Hatsukaze, oiler Akebono Maru and transports Kimishima Maru and Kumagawa Maru. Landing operations progressed without opposition on 31 March 1942, however, fired four torpedoes at the Naka, but all missed. Seawolf tried again with two more torpedoes the following day, 1 April 1942, and this time one hit to starboard near her No. 1 boiler. Natori towed the badly damaged Naka to Bantam Bay, Java for temporary repairs, and Naka then proceeded to 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...
under her own power. The damage was sufficient to justify a return to Japan for further repairs in June. Naka remained in Japan in reserve until April 1943.
On 1 April 1943, Naka was assigned to the new 14th Cruiser Division under Rear Admiral Kenzo Ito with , arriving at Truk on 30 April 1943. For the next several months, Naka was assigned to make troop transport runs
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
around the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
.
On 21 October 1943, Naka and Isuzu embarked Army troops at Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. The convoy was intercepted by in the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
on 23 October 1943, which fired 10 torpedoes, failing to damage either cruiser.
On 3 November 1943, convoy was attacked 60 nautical miles (111 km) north of Kavieng
Kavieng
Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2000, it had a population of 10,600....
by 13th Air Force 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...
bombers. Naka suffered a near-miss, and arrived at 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...
on 5 November 1943, the same day as the Carrier Raid on Rabaul. Naka was slightly damaged by near-misses from dive bombers from and .
On 23 November 1943, Naka departed Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
with troop reinforcements for Tarawa, but the island fell to the Americans before the reinforcements can be landed.
From 17–18 February 1944, Naka assisted light cruiser , which had been torpedoed the day before by . Immediately after Naka departed, Truk was attacked by US Navy Task Force 58 in Operation Hailstone
Operation Hailstone
Operation Hailstone was a massive naval air and surface attack launched on February 17–18, 1944, during World War II by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk in the Caroline Islands, a pre-war Japanese territory.-Background:Truk was a major Japanese logistical base...
. The Americans sank 31 transports and 10 naval vessels (two cruisers, four destroyers and four auxiliary vessels), destroyed nearly 200 aircraft and damaged severely about 100 more, eliminating Truk as a major base for the IJN. Naka was attacked 35 nautical miles (65 km) west of Truk by three waves of 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 and TBF Avengers from and TBFs of VT-25 of . The first two strikes failed to score a hit, but Naka was hit by a torpedo and a bomb in the third strike and broke in two, sinking at 07°15′N 151°15′E. Some 240 crewmen perished, but patrol boats rescued 210 men including Captain Sutezawa.
Naka was removed from the navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 31 March 1944.
Books
- First-hand account of the torpedoing of Naka at Christmas Island by the captain of the Japanese destroyer AmatsukazeExternal links
- Tabular record: CombinedFleet.com: Naka history