heavy cruiser IJN Aoba Heavy Cruiser

[Culusion 254]

The IJN Aoba was one of two Aoba class heavy cruisers, the second being Kinugasa. The Aoba class where originally planned to be the third and fourth ships of the Furutaka class heavy cruisers but design issues with the Furutaka class resulted in modifications to include double turrets and an aircraft catapult, this added more weight to the already top-heavy design, causing stability problems.
History:

Laid down: 23 January 1924

Launched: 25 September 1926

Commissioned: 20 September 1927
Aoba was completed at Mitsubishi shipyards at Nagasaki on 20 September 1927 and was assigned to Cruiser Division 5 until 1933 and thereafter to Cruiser Division 6 and Cruiser Division 7, serving as flagship during much of her career. She was frequently dispatched to patrol the China coast in the late 1920s and the 1930s.

Out of service: 1945
Scrapped: 1946-47
Aoba was formally removed from the Navy List on 20 November 1945. Her wreck was scrapped in 1946–47

Statistics:

Displacement: 8,300 tons (standard); 9,000 (final)

Length: 185.17 m (607 ft 6 in)

Beam: 15.83 m (51 ft 11 in) (initial), 17.56 m (57 ft 7 in) (final)

Draught: 5.71 m (18 ft 9 in) (initial), 5.66 m (18 ft 7 in) (final)

Propulsion: 4-shaft Brown Curtis geared turbines, 12 Kampon boilers, 102,000 shp (76,000 kW)

Speed: 33.43–36 kn (61.91–66.67 km/h)

Range: 7,000 nmi (13,000 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h) (initial), 8,223 nmi (15,229 km) at 14 knots (final)

Complement: 643 (initial) – 657 (final)
Armor: 76 mm (belt), 36 mm (deck)

Armament:

(initial)

6 × 7.9 inch (200 mm)/50-cal guns (3 x 2)

4 × 12 cm (4.7 in)/45 (4x1) (On the IJN Nachi)

12 × 24in (610mm) torpedo tubes (6x2)

 

(final)
Aoba was extensively modernized at Sasebo Navy Yard from 1938–1940, receiving new torpedo tubes, enhanced anti-aircraft guns, improved fire controls and better aircraft facilities. Her bridge was rebuilt and bulges added to her hull in an attempt to compensate for the additional weight and improve stability. After re-commissioning in October 1940, Aoba returned to Cruiser Division 6.

6 × 8in (203mm)/50-cal guns (3x2) (as mounted on the Tone class cruiser Chikuma)

 

4 × 4.7in (120mm)/45-cal (4x1) (same as initial)
 

8 × 24 inch (610 mm) Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo tubes (2x4) 

50 × Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in) AA guns

Aircraft carried:

1 × floatplane (initial)

2 × floatplane, 1 catapult (final)



Aoba returned to Kure on 22 October. During repairs, the wrecked No. 3 turret was covered over with steel plates, and a Type 96 triple-mount 25-mm AA gun installed in its place. Aoba was sent back to Truk on 24 February 1943. 

On 3 April, while moored at Kavieng, New Ireland, Aoba was bombed by Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Fifth Air Force's 43rd Bombardment Group. A direct hit on Aoba caused two Type 93 Long Lance torpedoes to explode and set the ship on fire while the B-17's strafed the decks with machine guns. Aoba had to be beached to avoid sinking.

After being towed back to Truk, and again to Kure on 1 August, Aoba was again repaired and re-fitted. The 200 mm (8 inch) gun was restored to the No. 3 turret and a Type 21 air-search radar and two Type 96 twin mount 25 mm AA guns were installed. However, Aoba's maximum speed was reduced to 25 knots (28.5 mph, 46 km/h) due to irreparable engine damage.

Type 21 air-search radar


Type 96 twin mount 25 mm AA gun


References:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_79-50_3ns.php
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_47-45_10ns.php
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/type-93-long-lance-torpedo-gyroscope

Wikipedia

[leroyonly 4,311]

Open for discussion. 

[Valcour 1,141]

Yes please!  I love the looks of the IJN CA's.  Not as sexy as the Hippers but then nothing is.

 

[RedACE 149]

+1 of cause.

We need as many IJN big vessels as we can.

[Kuro_Kisame 2]

+1 to this

I love to see how CA rolls

[RedACE 149]

But why do you have the Chikuma picture?

I think it belong to Tone class?

[Culusion 254]

14 minutes ago, RedACE said:

But why do you have the Chikuma picture?

I think it belong to Tone class?

thats why it says:

 

3 hours ago, Culusion_IA said:

(as mounted on the Tone class cruiser Chikuma)

I couldn't find a picture of the guns so I used the Chikuma as a reference but I'd appreciate a picture of the guns if/when its provided

[Tasty95215 2,099]

Here's shell information for the 203mm Type 3 guns:

 

AP shells

Spoiler

 

HE/incendiaries

Spoiler

 

[Milocat 4,857]

Yes please, give us the Aoba!  +1.

[funkrockjock 30]

+1 for sure! The original would make a good premium, and the updated would be good in the tech tree. 

[CokeSpray 7,274]

Suggestion passed to the developers for consideration.

[leroyonly 4,311]

As the Aoba class Heavy Cr uiser, Aob a has been implemented with update 2.9 Direct Hit,

 

Moved to Implemented Suggestions.