Agano-class cruiser

Agano in October 1942, off of Sasebo, Nagasaki
Class overview
NameAgano class
Builders
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded bySendai class
Succeeded byŌyodo class
Completed4
Lost4
General characteristics
TypeLight cruiser
Displacement6,652 t (6,547 long tons) (standard); 7,590 t (7,470 long tons) (loaded)
Length174 m (571 ft)
Beam15.2 m (50 ft)
Draught5.6 m (18 ft)
Propulsion
  • 4 shaft Gihon geared turbines
  • 6 Kampon boilers
  • 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)
Speed35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement730[1]
Armament
Armour
  • Machinery belt: 60 mm (2.4 in)
  • Magazine belt: 55 mm (2.2 in)
  • Armoured deck: 20 mm (0.8 in)
  • Forward armoured bulkheads: 25 mm (1.0 in) to 20 mm (0.8 in)
  • Rear armoured bulkheads: 20 mm (0.8 in)
Aircraft carried2 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities1 aircraft catapult

The four Agano-class cruisers (阿賀野型軽巡洋艦, Agano-gata keijun'yōkan) were light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.[2] All were named after Japanese rivers. Larger than previous Japanese light cruisers, the Agano-class vessels were fast, but with little protection, and were under-gunned for their size (albeit with a powerful offensive torpedo armament, able to launch up to eight Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes in a salvo). They participated in numerous actions throughout World War II.

The Agano class was followed by the larger Ōyodo-class cruiser, of which only a single vessel was completed.

  1. ^ * Nishida, Nishida (2002). "Agano-class light cruisers". Imperial Japanese Navy. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  2. ^ Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X. page 111-112