IJN Aoba
Sunk
| Type | Heavy cruiser |
|---|---|
| Class | Aoba |
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 6 × 20 cm (7.9 in)/50-cal Mark I guns (3×2) |
Refits
| 1938–1940 | New anti-aircraft guns, torpedo bulges and a stronger catapult. |
Fought at Savo Island. At Cape Esperance Admiral Gotō took the Americans for friendly ships; Aoba was hit some 40 times and Gotō was mortally wounded on her bridge. Bombed in Kure harbour in July 1945, she ended the war sitting on the bottom.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- (initial)
- 6 × 20 cm (7.9 in)/50-cal Mark I guns (3×2)
- 4 × 12 cm (4.7 in)/45 (4x1)
- 12 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes (6x2)
- (final)
- 6 × 8 in (203 mm)/50-cal Mark II guns (3×2)
- 4 × 120 mm (4.7 in)/45-cal (4x1)
- 8 × 610 mm (24 in) torpedo tubes (2x4)
- 50 × Type 96 25 mm (0.98 in) AA guns
Armour
- 76 mm (belt)
- 36 mm (deck)
| Builder | Mitsubishi |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 23 January 1924 |
| Launched | 25 September 1926 |
| Commissioned | 20 September 1927 |
| Displacement | 8,300 tons (standard); 9,000 (final) |
| Length | 185.17 m (607 ft 6 in) |
| Speed | 33.43–36 kn (61.91–66.67 km/h) |
| Complement | 643 (initial) – 657 (final) |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
25 September 1926
Battle of the Coral Sea
Survived
4–8 May 1942
Gotō's covering group
Battle of Savo Island
Damaged
8–9 August 1942
Battle of Cape Esperance
Damaged
11–12 October 1942
Gotō's flagship; Gotō killed
Fate
Sunk
Sunk 24 July 1945 by US aircraft, raised and scrapped in 1946–47