Agano in October 1942, off of Sasebo, Nagasaki
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Class overview | |
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Name | Agano class |
Builders | |
Operators | Imperial Japanese Navy |
Preceded by | Sendai class |
Succeeded by | Ōyodo class |
Completed | 4 |
Lost | 4 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Light cruiser |
Displacement | 6,652 t (6,547 long tons) (standard); 7,590 t (7,470 long tons) (loaded) |
Length | 174 m (571 ft) |
Beam | 15.2 m (50 ft) |
Draught | 5.6 m (18 ft) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) |
Range | 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h) |
Complement | 730[1] |
Armament |
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Armour | |
Aircraft carried | 2 × floatplanes |
Aviation facilities | 1 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.