Tsukuba-class heavy armored cruisers: MTK. And then the jack came ... Skills and modules

In the last issue, we talked about the latest representatives of the armored cruisers, which for 20 years were one of the most important and revered ships in the fleets of all the major naval powers. A class that seemed to develop quite naturally and successfully, but which completely and forever disappeared from the plans of shipbuilders within only two or three years.

However, at the same time, the same fate befell a more important class of ships that formed the basis of the combat power of the then fleets - battleships. And the "gravedigger" in both cases is called the same person, the famous naval leader of England and the then First Lord of the Admiralty Sir John Fisher (friends and acquaintances often called him simply Jack).

Why is it “called” and not? The fact is that Fisher's authorship in relation to both great projects, the Dreadnought and the first battle cruiser, in any case, is not entirely reliable. The ideas of a large battleship armed with a large number of large-caliber guns of the same caliber have been wandering in different minds of specialists from different countries since the beginning of the 20th century - suffice it to recall the most famous of them, the Italian V. Kuniberti. Even more curious is the role of Fischer in the emergence of the "assassin of armored cruisers." Initially, after becoming First Lord of the Admiralty at the end of 1904, Sir John was an ardent admirer of medium calibers. 234-mm guns with new bolts seemed especially preferable to him and his associates. All loading operations in them could be carried out manually (although the 172-kg projectile seemed heavy even when "rolling" from tray to tray), and during the exercises it was possible to achieve a fantastic rate of fire: five to six or more rounds per minute. It turned out that such a weapon could "deliver" to the enemy the same weight of metal as the main weapon of battleships - the 12-inch. Even if not a weapon of even larger caliber. But then it seemed that twelve-inch cannons were not suitable for cruisers, while the smaller in weight and caliber quick-fighters were quite suitable as their main weapon.

It was from these considerations that the project of the prospective development of the "defenses" was drawn up; initially, the main task, in fact, consisted in the most convenient location of the maximum number of 234-millimeter paper. To develop the concept of a dreadnought battleship and a new armored cruiser, a special committee of the most capable naval officers and designers was created, naturally, under the leadership of the "chief" himself, Jack Fisher. Various options and combinations of two-gun turrets were studied. It cannot be said that they looked elegant, but the difficulties in placing five, six or even seven towers were quite objective. It is clear that not all guns could participate in the side salvo.

Meanwhile, reports began to arrive from the Far East about the battles of the Russo-Japanese War and its important features, such as a sharp increase in the distance of the battle (so, in any case, it seemed to observers), participation in general battles of Japanese armored cruisers. And, perhaps most importantly, about the most important role of the large, 12-inch caliber, which inflicted the greatest damage on armored warships.

And here one (or several at once, the opinions of historians differ) from the members of the Fisher committee came up with the idea to try to cut the Gordian knot tied by a pile of 234-mm towers, and try to introduce 12-inches as the main caliber for the "armored cruiser ". Fischer himself initially perceived such proposals as "betrayal" of his ideas about all rapid-fire shooters crushing a shower of fire. It took a while for Sir Jack to get into possible benefits armored caliber on a cruiser. But, penetrated, he became the most ardent supporter of the "cruiser dreadnought." Up to the point that he declared: "There is no such task for a battleship that a squadron cruiser could not perform" (this was the original name for what became battle cruisers). And so much so that, in the eyes of outsiders, he became his "only father."

I must say that in any case, D. Fischer's role in the emergence of a new class of cruisers has become very significant. The fact is that the idea of a battle cruiser was not only about hoisting 12-inch monsters into an old hull. Almost more important was the next jump in speed, associated, in turn, with the introduction of turbines, the transfer of boilers to oil heating and an increase in the size of the body (primarily its length) and seaworthiness. And here Sir John's position was "correct" from the very beginning.

How important the combination of all factors was for the appearance of a battle cruiser is clearly seen from the history of the further development of Japanese armored cruisers. The Russo-Japanese War was still in full swing, when in June 1904 a decision was made on the need to make up for the loss of the battleships Hatsuse and Yashima on Russian mines near Port Arthur with a couple of new units. It was decided in advance that they would be the fast armored cruisers. However, the command of the Joint Fleet and the Naval Headquarters was so impressed by the accuracy with which the Russian battleships covered their ships with 12-inches from a distance of 8 miles that they insisted on arming the new cruisers with 305-mm guns. By that time, Japanese shipbuilders did not have sufficient experience to develop their own project from scratch. Moreover, the situation was critical: the war was going on, and the ships were required as soon as possible. Therefore, the designers went to the most easy way: they used as a basis very good (for their time) hulls designed by F. Watts "Aesam", increasing them in size enough to accommodate two 12-inch towers instead of 8-inch. So the "Tsukuba" and "Ikoma" were born, with which the Land of the Rising Sun claims to be the first creator of battle cruisers.

However, these claims are not very well founded. Indeed, although for the first time large-caliber guns appeared on a cruiser as the main caliber (such exotic as E.Berten's "matsushima" can be ignored), the rest of the "Tsukuba" remained a traditional armored cruiser. Firstly, in addition to 12-inch guns, he also had guns of two calibers, and in a very, very substantial amount: twelve 152-mm and 120-mm barrels. Secondly, these guns were traditionally located in the side casemates and deck installations, with eight 6-inches - in the lower ones, located too close to the surface of the water. Thirdly, they already had far from progressive steam engines, which made it possible to develop a speed of only slightly more than 20 knots. (Recall that the "Dreadnought" could give 21 knots, and how the meeting with such a "cruiser" could end up with it, it is unnecessary to say.) Fourthly, the "newcomers" had a reservation that exactly repeated the protection of "Asama" and its relatives, although here it is worth noting that this protection for its time remained at an acceptable level - such a significant "reserve" was made on its predecessors.

One can continue to observe and enumerate signs indicating that the Japanese were never able to cross the threshold on the path leading to the revolutionary "Fischer ships". This is especially noticeable on the next pair of "semi-linear semi-cruisers", "Kurama" and "Ibuki". The Kurama was laid down just after the end of the Russo-Japanese War, but the changes in the project boiled down to replacing the six-inch casemates with eight 203-mm guns located in four towers in the same way as on the Russian Rurik-2. At the same time, 120-millimeter paper from the middle of the hull had to make room, and they were scattered in casemates around the board. The speed remained the same - 20.5 knots. Recalling a well-known anecdote from Soviet times about how a worker from a sewing machine factory tried in vain to assemble it at home from stolen parts - all the time for some reason they got a machine gun, we can say that no matter how hard the Japanese tried to build a real armored cruiser, they got everything the same battleship of the second class. Relatively fast and relatively powerful, but still second-class and still an armadillo.

The belated attempt to introduce a turbine installation on its "hybrid" did not help either. Although the second unit, the Ibuki, received a pair of direct-drive turbines, it only increased the speed to 21.5 knots - too short for its entry time. It should be noted that the Japanese tried to build the Ibuki as quickly as possible: they managed to launch it just six months after the official laying and put it into operation at the end of 1909, a year earlier than their less progressive Sister Spike. But the "Kurama" got an external, but "dreadnought" difference: tripod masts English sample, on the tops of which fire control posts were located. It is curious that in tests it only slightly yielded in speed to its turbine counterpart, but its 21 knots in 1911 looked, to put it mildly, not a cruising indicator.

As a result, all four immediately after entering service were among the outsiders, which affected their rather short and inactive service. "Tsukuba" died from the explosion of cellars in its own port in January 1917, and the rest were scrapped in 1924, and the most striking episode of their activities was only the participation of "Ibuki" in the hunt for Admiral Spee's squadron in 1914.

Let us return, however, to the real "revolution" taking place in the meantime in the British Admiralty. The decision to install 305-mm guns on future cruisers was finally made, and their number was determined - eight barrels in two-gun turrets. Now all that remained was to put it into practice. The views of that time did not allow applying the obvious solution with towers located in pairs one above the other at the ends. It was believed that the gases from the firing of elevated guns would have a detrimental effect on the personnel of the lower installations. (The simplest experiment, which proved that there was no danger, was carried out after the laying of the "invincibles." But what worked well for smaller installations created almost insurmountable difficulties in the case of large 12-inch towers with their voluminous barbets and cellars. The solution was to move the medium installations in different directions, having received an echelon position instead of the "diamond". But it was not possible to smash them strongly because most of the length was occupied by powerful turbines, steam for which was provided by 31 boilers located in three stoking stoves. As a result, the middle towers could shoot at the "foreign" side only in a very narrow sector - about 30 degrees. But even here, in practice, it turned out that just with this arrangement, the gases from the "rear" tower really blind and deafen the front personnel. And it turned out, as luck would have it, in the very combat situation of the Falklands battle.

121. Battle cruiser "Invincible" (England, 1908)

Built by Armstrong in Elsvik. Displacement 17,200 tons, maximum length 172.8 m, width 22.1 m, draft 8.0 m. Power of the four-shaft steam turbine plant 41,000 hp, speed 25.5 knots. Armament: eight 305/45 mm, sixteen 102/45 mm rapid-fire cannons, five 457 mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 152 - 102 mm, deck 19 - 64 mm (on bevels 19 mm), turrets 178 - 76 mm, barbets 178 - 51 mm, conning tower 254 - 152 mm. In 1908 - 1909, 3 units were built: "Invincible", "Inflexible" and "Indomitable". The Invincible was killed in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, the other two were excluded from the lists and scrapped in 1922.

122. Battle cruiser "Von der Tann" (Germany, 1911)

Built by Blom und Voss in Hamburg. Displacement 19,060 tons, maximum length 171.7 m, width 26.6 m, draft 8.12 m. Power of a four-shaft steam turbine plant 43 600 hp, speed 24.75 knots. Armament: eight 280/45 mm, ten 150/45 mm and sixteen 88/45 mm rapid-fire cannons, four 450 mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 250 - 80 mm, deck 25 - 80 mm (on bevels 50 mm), turrets 230 - 60 mm, barbets 230 - 30 mm, battery 150 mm, conning tower 250 mm. Scuttled at Scapa Flow in June 1919.

123 Armored cruiser "Ibuki" (Japan, 1909)

Built at the shipyard in Kure. Displacement 15 590 tons, maximum length 147.83 m, width 22.98 m, draft 7.97 m. Power of the twin-shaft steam turbine machine unit 24 000 hp, speed 22.5 knots. Armament: four 305/45 mm, eight 203/45 mm, fourteen 120/50 mm, four 76/40 mm guns, three 457 mm torpedo tubes. Reservations: belt 178 - 102 mm, deck - 51 mm and 76 mm on side slopes, turrets and barbets of the main caliber 178 - 127 mm, medium caliber turrets 152 mm, battery deck 127 mm, wheelhouses: front - 203 mm, stern - 152 mm. Two units were built: "Ibuki" and "Kurama". At the beginning of the First World War, they participated in the search for the Spee squadron and guarding convoys en route from Australia to Suez. Both ships were disarmed after the Washington Conference and scrapped in 1924-1925.

The location of the artillery was not the only "hole" in the project. Much more significant was the complete preservation of protection at the level of their predecessors - "Warriers" and "Defense". 152-mm side armor and thin deck bevels behind it remained the only cover for mechanisms and cellars from enemy shells. Meanwhile, it would be naive to expect that potential adversaries, primarily Germany, which was intensively pursuing England, would not begin, in turn, to build ships with a single large-caliber artillery. And against 11- or 12-inch guns, the new cruisers would be as defenseless as the old ones. When meeting with dreadnoughts, they fell into the role of soldiers in tunics, going to machine guns.

Fisher and his associates understood this well, and therefore accompanied the birth of their pets with various reservations. In contrast to the Japanese "semi-battleships", the new ships, which soon received the designation "battle cruisers", were to be mainly engaged in reconnaissance and destruction of enemy forward forces of a similar purpose. True, it was stipulated that they could engage in battle with enemy battleships, but only "for a short time and at a great distance." It was believed that speed will serve as additional protection for them. Indeed, the 25-knot stroke seemed to guarantee a good margin in order to quickly get out of the danger zone. But life does not always confirm theoretical constructions. Moreover, the potential adversary was by no means dozing.

True, with the first response to the British battle cruisers, the Germans missed. Thoroughly disoriented by the penchant of Fischer and his team for 234-mm rapid-fire guns, even during the construction of the Invincibles, they laid down the Blucher - almost as high-speed, protected even better than the British, but armed in the “old way”, 210-mm cannons. It is clear that in the event of a personal meeting, the 12-inch British would have a decisive advantage over him. Germany was somewhat rescued by the lack of funds and building capacities, as well as a certain caution. By answering the British troika with one Blucher, they saved money and time for another, more correct answer.

Laid down in 1908, Von der Tann became the first real German battle cruiser. It differed from Fisher's ships in a much greater balance. At the same speed, the artillery was slightly inferior in caliber (280 mm instead of 305), but the towers themselves, in principle located according to the same rhombic-echelon scheme, were placed much wider, as a result of which 8 barrels could actually shoot on board. In addition, in contrast to the "British", who completely sacrificed medium caliber for the sake of 12-inches, leaving unprotected 102-mm cannons to repel destroyers, chaotically distributed among superstructures, "Von der Tann" had a full-fledged battery of ten 150 -millimeters, not counting one and a half dozen 88-mm anti-mine guns. At the same time, the battery had a solid cover with a thickness of 150 mm - the same as the vital parts of the Invincible! In general, in accordance with the German traditions already established by that time, the protection looked very solid - for a cruiser. The main armor belt had a thickness of 250 mm in the middle, however, only with a very narrow strip. But the rest of its parts significantly exceeded the thickness of the armor plates of its future opponents.

The British hastened to retaliate, and, in turn, made a mistake, and fundamentally. The construction started in the next year, 1909, "Indefettigable", in fact, was not much different from the first three "ibls". It was only possible to eliminate the defect with too close installation of the middle towers: as on the "Von der Tann", 8 guns could now shoot on board. But in all other respects, the changes were kept to a minimum. The most fraught for the fate of the ship was the repetition of the clearly insufficient reservation of the firstborn.

And the good thing would be limited to only a single failure. In the end, time was running out, and the "mistress of the seas" was preferable to get, if not the best unit of a new type, but quickly. But attracted by advertisements for supercruisers, the British dominions, Australia and New Zealand were eager to get the latest "toys". And they even collected money for that from their own, then rather scarce resources. The Admiralty should have waited a bit: there was new project a much more powerful ship, but impatience prevailed. And after 3 years, the empire received a couple of battle cruisers - replicas of the Indefetigable, which by that time were already outdated once and for all.

The reason was partly in the British themselves. In an attempt to disorientate their most likely enemy, Germany, they overestimated the stats of their battlecruisers. Thus, the "Invincibles" allegedly could run at a 27-knot speed, and the three of their "half-sisters" - even a knot faster, and, moreover, had about an inch thicker armor. Deza was a complete success, so much so that the final real data did not become public until 50 years later, when all six battlecruisers of the first generation had been lying on the bottom for three decades or more or turned into steel and rolled products.

But the effect of this deception was negative. The next response from the Germans turned out to be crushing - both for specific "Ibles" and for Fischer's concept as a whole. "Moltke" and "Goeben", then "Seydlitz" and already armed with 12-inch "Derflinger" and "Lutz" cruisers remained only in name. They were typical high-speed battleships, slightly weaker than the line "Germans", but in terms of armor they were not inferior to the main ships of the Grand Fleet. Of course, in combination with a high speed, reaching 27-28 knots, this required casualties: We managed to carve out a little on some weakening of artillery, but the main compensation was ... an increase in size. The battlecruisers of the new generation simply became larger than their battlecruisers. The British followed the same path, building in response the famous "cats" (which it would be more loyal to call the "royal family", because for a couple of felines - "Lyon" and "Tiger" - there were also "Queen Mary" and " Princess Royal "). Their size has already come very close to 30 thousand tons. And he did not become the limit. The baton was picked up by Russia, which planned the construction of four huge "Izmail", armed with twelve 356-mm guns. They already frankly outnumbered many battleships in armament, had a design speed of 27 knots with protection, even somewhat enhanced in comparison with the Sevastopol dreadnought.

The cruisers-battleships were already clearly enough intended for linear combat as part of large squadrons, albeit in the role of forward detachments or "high-speed wing of the fleet", but clearly not for traditional cruising operations - raiding and reconnaissance. And thus they became very valuable combat units that were taken into account when calculating the comparative power of the main forces. Initial considerations that it would be better for the "invincibles" not to get involved in a linear battle have been forgotten. And the retribution followed - under Jutland. "Von der Tann" with a successful salvo sent to the bottom of its full peer, by the way, almost the same size, "Indefettigable". Other German battlecruisers dealt with the Invincible and even the more heavily defended and larger Queen Mary. Although all the "British" died as a result of the explosion of ammunition, the very fact that the German shells managed to get to it serves as evidence of the lack of protection, especially armor. On the contrary, their opponents held out the entire battle against vastly superior forces. Even the weakest "Von der Tann" withstood the monstrous 381-mm shells that weighed nearly a ton.

After Jutland, the development of battlecruisers followed a completely logical path. Now even the British admirals did not want to risk their lives, their own and their own sailors on the "cardboard" ships. The designers frantically tried to strengthen the armor of the typically Fischer giants "Ripals" and "Rhinaun", which, with a displacement of about 30 thousand tons, were initially covered with a "fig leaf" of 152-mm plates. An even more serious revision was made to the project of the new generation battle cruiser "Hood", which as a result entered service only in 1920 and for a long time became the largest artillery battleship in the world. After the First World War, new ships of this class were no longer built, although this was largely facilitated by the Washington Agreement on the Limitation of Naval Arms, according to which the Japanese, British and American high-speed giants went under the knife. A dozen years later, all the newest battleships already had a speed close to the maximum speed of their "cruising" predecessors, completely merging with them into one class.

Armored cruisers

Ibuki-class armored cruisers - 2 units.

Ibuki Kure 5.1906 / 21.11.1907 / 1.11.1909-excl. 1923

"Kurama" Yoko 23.8.1905 / 21.10.1907 / 28.2.1911 - excl. 1923

14 636/15 595 t, 137.2x23x8 m. PT - 2, 18 PCs, 24,000 hp = 21.5 knots 2000 tons of coal + 218 tons of oil (Kurama PM - 2, 28 PCs, 22,500 HP = 20.5 oz. 1868 + 200 tons of oil). Armor: belt 178 - 102 mm, turrets and barbets GK 178 - 127 mm, turret SK 152 mm, deck 76 mm, wheelhouse 203 mm. Eq. 844 people 4 -305 mm / 45, 8 - 203 mm / 45, 14-120 mm / 40, 4-76 mm / 40, 3 TA 457 mm.

Cruisers with very powerful weapons, but relatively low speed. Often they are classified as battleships with lightweight armor protection - in some way they can be considered "relatives" of Russian battleships of the "Peresvet" class.

The project of the ships was developed on the basis of the Tsukuba armored cruiser. Initially, the Ibuki and Kurama were supposed to be of the same type, but for the first in the spring of 1906, Curtiss steam turbines were ordered, and the project had to be thoroughly revised. The Ibuki was officially laid down on May 22, 1907, but construction began earlier. "Ibuki" became the first Japanese turbine ship, but this did not make it faster: on trials, "Kurama" developed a course of 21.5 knots. with a power of 23,081 hp, and "Ibuki" - 21.16 knots. at 28,977 hp Outwardly, both ships differed in masts: on the Kurama they were three-legged, and on the Ibuki they were ordinary.

At the beginning of World War I, Ibuki participated in the search for Spee's squadron, and then accompanied troop transports en route from Australia to Suez. Both ships were disarmed after the Washington Conference and scrapped in 1924-1925.

Tsukuba-class armored cruisers - 2 units.

"Tsukuba" Kure 14.1.1905 / 26.12.1905 / 14.1.1907 - died 14.1.1917

Ikoma Kure 15.3.1905 / 9.4.1906 / 24.3.1908 - excl. 1922

13 750/15 400 t, 137.1x23x8 m. PM - 2, 20 PCs, 20 500 HP = 20.5 knots 2000 t coal ("Ikoma" 191 1 t of coal + 160 t of oil). Armor: belt 178 - 102 mm, upper belt and casemates 127 mm, turrets and barbets 178 mm, deck 76 mm, wheelhouse 203 mm. Eq. 879 people 4 - 305 mm / 45, 12 - 152 mm / 45, 12 - 120 mm / 40, 4 - 76 mm / 40, 2 - 40 mm auto., 3 TA 457 mm.

The first "capital" ships of Japanese construction and the first cruisers in the world, armed with 12-inch main battery artillery in two-gun turrets. Ordered in June 1904 as a replacement for the dead battleships Hatsuse and Yashima, laid down even before the end of the Russo-Japanese War. The construction of the ships was fraught with production problems, due to which the head Tsukuba had numerous defects. The commissioning of "Ikoma" was delayed by the lack of heavy artillery: the ship went for sea trials in November 1907, but was fully armed and manned only by February 1911. On the measured mile "Tsukuba" showed a speed of 20.5 knots. with a power of 20,736 hp, "Ikoma" - 21.9 knots. at 22,670 hp

"Tsukuba" was killed in Yokosuka as a result of the explosion of artillery cellars; crew losses amounted to 305 people killed. "Ikoma" in 1918-1919 was rearmed (4 - 305 mm / 45, 10-152 mm / 45, 8-120 mm / 40, 6 -76 mm / 40) and later served as a training artillery ship. Soon after the Washington Conference, it was disarmed and sold for scrap on 11/13/1924.

Kasuga-class armored cruisers - 2 units.

"Kasuga" Anya 10.3.1902 / 22.10.1902 / 7.1.1904 - died on 18.7.1945

"Nissin" Ane 5.1902 / 9.2.1903 / 7.1.1904 - excl. 1935

7700/8500 t, 111.73x18.7x7.4m. PM - 2, 12 PCs, 13,500 HP = 20 knots 600/1190 t coal Armor: belt 150 - 75 mm, upper belt of the tower and casemates 150 mm, barbets 150 - 100 mm, deck 37 - 25 mm, wheelhouse 150 mm. Eq. 595 - 610 people 1 - 254 mm / 45 (only on "Kasuga"), 2 - 203 mm / 45 (on "Nissin" 4 - 203 mm / 45), 14 - 152 mm / 40, 10 - 76 mm / 40, 4 - 4 / mm, 2 bullets, 4 TA 457 mm.

The last of a series of Italian armored cruisers of the "Garibaldi" class. Laid down for the Argentine Navy under the names "Mitra" and "Roca", purchased by Japan on 12/29/1903. They actively participated in the Russo-Japanese War, and they operated mainly in the same line with the battleships of Admiral Togo, since their actual speed did not exceed 18 knots. In 1914, steam boilers were replaced on both ships.

In 1917-1918, the Nissin operated in the Mediterranean. In 1927 she was reclassified as a training ship, in 1935 she became a floating target and was sunk the following year. "Kasuga" 13.1.1918 sat on stones in the Bank Strait (Indonesia) and was removed only six months later. Since 1925, the cruiser served as a training ship, and in July 1942 it was disarmed and turned into a hulk ship. Sunk by American aircraft, raised in 1948 and scrapped.

Armored cruiser Yakumo - 1 unit.

"Yakumo" Vulk 3.1898 / 18.7.1899 / 20.6.1900-scrapped. 1946

9735/10 300 t, 132.3x19.6x7.25 m. PM - 2, 24PK, 15,500 hp = 20uz. 600/1200 t coal Armor: belt 178 mm, upper belt 127 mm, turrets 150 mm, barbets 150 - 100 mm, casemates 150 - 50 mm, deck 63 mm, wheelhouse 350 mm. Eq. 698 people 4 - 203 mm / 40, 12-152 mm / 40, 16-76 mm / 40, 4-47 mm, 4 TA 457 mm.

Built in Germany under the program of 1896 as a development of the Asama-class cruisers. He took an active part in the war with Russia in 1904-1905. In 1921 she was reclassified into a class 1 coastal defense ship, but later served as a training ship. Repeatedly modernized and rearmed. In July 1942 she was "reinstated in rank" and again became a class 1 cruiser, but did not participate in hostilities. Sold for scrap in June 1946.

Armored cruiser "Azuma" - 1 unit.

"Azuma" SNz 3.1898 / 24.6.1899 / 28.7.1900-scrapped. 1946

9278/9953 t, 137.9x18x7.21 m. PM - 2, 24 PCs, 17,000 hp = 20 knots. 600/1200 t coal Armor: belt 178 mm, upper belt 127 mm, turrets, barbets and casemates 150 mm, deck 63 - 50 mm, wheelhouse 350 mm. Eq. 726 people 4-203 mm / 40, 12-152 mm / 40, 16-76 mm / 40, 4-47 mm, 4 TA 457 mm.

Built in France according to the 1896 program. Similar to the Asama-class cruisers, but with a shorter armor belt. He took an active part in the Russo-Japanese War. Since 1914 it has been used as a training ship. In 1941 it was turned into a hulk ship, heavily damaged by American aircraft on 18/07/1945. Sold for scrap in 1946.

Armored cruisers of the Izumo class - 2 units.

"Izumo" Arm 5.1898 / 19.9.1899 / 25.9.1900-killed 28.7.1945

Iwate Arm 5.1898 / 29.3.1900 / 18.3.1901 - died on 24.7.1945

9750/10 300 t, 132.3x20.94x7.4 m. PM - 2, 24 PCs, 14,500 HP = 20.75 knots. 600/1400 t coal Armor: belt 178 mm, upper belt 127 mm, turrets, barbets and casemates 152 mm, deck 63 - 51 mm, wheelhouse 356 mm. Eq. 672 people 4-203 mm / 40, 14-152 mm / 40, 12-76 mm / 40, 4 - 47 mm, 2 bullets, 4 TA 457 mm.

Built in England according to the 1896 program; were an improved version of the cruiser "Asama". On trials, "Izumo" developed a course of 22.04 knots. with a power of 15,739 hp, Iwate - 21.74 knots. at 16,078 hp They actively participated in the Russo-Japanese War. In 1921, they were reclassified as coastal defense ships of the 1st class. "Izumo" in 1932 - 1942 was the flagship of the Japanese so-called Chinese fleet; then briefly reclassified into a class 1 cruiser, and in 1943 - into a training ship. "Iwate" actually served as a training ship since 1923, although in 1942 she was also formally enrolled in class 1 cruisers. Both were sunk in July 1945 at Kure by American aircraft, raised and scrapped in 1947.

Asama-class armored cruisers - 2 units.

"Asama" Arm 11.1896 / 22.3.1898 / 18.3.1899 - scrapped. 1947

"Tokiwa" Arm 1.1898 / 6.7.1898 / 18.5.1899 - died on 8.8.1945

9700/10 500 t, 134.7x20.45x7.43 m. PM -2, 16 PC, 18,000 hp = 21.5 knots. 600/1400 t coal Armor: belt 178 mm, upper belt 127 mm, turrets, barbets and casemates 152 mm, deck 76 - 51 mm, wheelhouse 356 mm. Eq. 676 people 4-203 mm / 40, 14-152 mm / 40, 12-76 mm / 40, 4-47 mm, 4 TA 457 mm.

At the time of their appearance, they were the best armored cruisers in the world, the founders of a whole series of similar ships in the Japanese program of 1896. Designed in England by F. Watts. They took an active part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

"Asama" until 1915 ("Tokiwa" until 1910) carried 12 cylindrical steam boilers, which were replaced by 16 Japanese Miyabara systems during the repair. During the First World War "Asama" twice (03.12.1914 and 31.01.1915) received serious damage due to navigation accidents; from June 1915 to March 1917 it was under repair. In 1921, both cruisers were reclassified as coastal defense ships of the 1st class; "Tokiwa" from 1.4.1922 was listed minelayer... In the future, they were repeatedly modernized and re-equipped. Lived to the Second World War. The Tokiwa was sunk by American aircraft in Maizuru, raised and scrapped in 1947.

Armored cruiser "Aso" - 1 unit.

"Aso" FSh 12.1898 / 30.5.1900 / 4.1903 - excl. 1930

7800 t, 137.03x17.5x6.7 m. PM - 2, 26 PCs, 16,500 HP = 21 knots. 750/1200 t coal Armor: belt 200 - 100 mm, upper belt and casemate 60 mm, deck 50 - 30 mm, wheelhouse 160 mm. Eq. 791 people 2- 152 mm / 50, 8- 152 mm / 45, 16-76 mm / 40, 2 pool.

Former Russian Bayan, captured on 2.1.1905 in Port Arthur. Restored and commissioned in 1908. In 1913, it was rearmed: the towers with 203-mm guns were dismantled and replaced with Armstrong's deck-mounted 152-mm gun mounts with a barrel length of 50 calibers. In 1920, it was converted into a minelayer capable of taking 420 mines. Excluded from the fleet on 1.4.1930, turned into a floating target and sunk during exercises on 8.8.1932.

- one of the most powerful ships of its class at the moment.

In terms of the totality of characteristics, it is not inferior, and in some parameters even surpasses its competitors at the 10th level. Having an amazing speed for such a massive ship, combined with incredibly accurate 203 mm guns, which show themselves perfectly even when shooting up to 19 km, we can confidently repulse absolutely any enemy flagship.

Let's start with the formalities

The development of projects for heavy cruisers of the Ibuki type was started at the end of 1937 and, in general, represented to a greater extent a qualitatively new modernization of the Mogami project. Most of the drawings, in fact, were borrowed from the latter. The end of the design phase fell on November 1941. Construction began in mid-spring 1942. Construction works moved very quickly and, by the time Ibuki was converted into an aircraft carrier, the hull was almost ready for launch. The riveting system was very reliable and increased the overall durability and reliability of the armor. In November, the hull was towed for a complete conversion to an aircraft carrier. Power plant almost completely repeated, both in terms of layout and in terms of Mogami power. That is, it also had 152,000 horsepower.

As stated earlier, strong point the cruiser had armor protection. 101 mm of armor covered the entire engine room. In addition, the armor was at a slight angle, which greatly increased the actual thickness. The art cellars were covered with 140 mm of armor. Further, the protection gradually decreased down to the bottom of the hull. However, the main battery towers did not have reliable protection, which was typical of Japanese cruisers.

The guns were supposed to be installed standard - 203 mm, type 3, number 2. Anti-aircraft armament consisted of long-range universal 128 mm guns. For close-range fire, 25 mm machine guns and 13.2 mm machine guns were used. Of the torpedo armament, Type 93 oxygen torpedoes were used for 4 torpedo tubes (2 per side). The total ammunition load of torpedoes could be from 16 to 24 units.

In the game, we are at level 9 in the development branch and, as a result, we are actively getting to the dozens, which are not particularly dangerous enemies for us. But let's start with artillery. Here we have 5 towers of two 203 mm guns with the following arrangement: three - on the bow and 2 - in the stern.

Already traditional for Japanese cruisers has become the fact that, being strictly nose to the enemy, we cannot fire from three towers at once, since the second is at the same height as the first, therefore it closes us access to volley fire. In this case, we need to turn the hull by 20-30 degrees, and only in this case all bow weapons can fire unhindered.

The rear ones, too, cannot boast of convenience, although they are located floor by floor. As a result, in order to conduct effective firefight with all 10 guns, we need to turn the side very much, which is fraught with what you know. The disadvantages also include not very fast reloading - 14 seconds, and the base speed of the gun's turn - 36 seconds. The last stat is accelerated by the Expert Guidance perk.

The disadvantages listed above are not so critical in practice. With proper skill and developed tactics, their effect is practically not felt.

Moving on to the choice of shells

After the recent patch 0.3.1, we received excellent high-explosive shells that will allow us to compete on a par with single-tier shells and easily destroy weaker battleships. With a maximum firing range of 19.5 km and excellent ballistics, keeping the same Yamato will not be special labor... The shells, even at the maximum distance, lay down heap and have a flat trajectory. This allows you to play as a real sniper, burning battleships and cruisers.

If we do not let the same Des Moines come closer than 13-15 km and use our high speed, complete with guns, then they become meat for us. Armor-piercing shells bounce off us very well. And from slowly flying land mines can be well dodged.

Armor-piercing, by the way, has become more difficult to use, since you need to watch the angle at which the enemy cruiser or destroyer is in relation to us. If the side with the engine room is turned perpendicular to us - boldly shoot the BB and knock out multiple citadels. Armor-piercing ones are extremely effective against Tier 7 cruisers or just enemies at close range who do not try or cannot defend against you.

In general, Ibuki's guns are extremely comfortable to use.

Reservation

After recent changes, our charm, with a good turnaround, almost completely ignores armor-piercing fire from cruisers or destroyers, which, of course, cannot be said about battleships. But the situation is different with them.

Landmines, naturally, are extremely unpleasant to us because of their ability to cause fires and, which is sometimes more critical, to knock out torpedo tubes and turrets. And so Ibuki tanks well, holds a blow.

Torpedoes

Of the torpedoes, we have the standard 610 mm. However, it is no longer the Type 90, but the Type 90 Long Lands. The cruising range is 20 km. Compared to stock, our damage is 3,500 more, and the speed has increased by 5 knots. This is good news.

Cooldown without perks and modules - 2 minutes. It's hard to complain about this, since we have 2 vehicles with 4 torpedoes on each side. That's roughly 80,000 damage. With close contact, we turn into an adequate version of Kitakami. And yes, a little advice: if a close encounter is inevitable, think ahead about using all torpedoes and first of all shoot from the blind for your side artillery.

Air defense

Air defense protection in comparison with the Baltic, to put it mildly, will leave much to be desired. To put it mildly.

There are not many universal weapons and their damage is small. The main part of the anti-aircraft power begins to work from 3.1 km, where a huge number of single and triple 25 mm machine guns are located and everything else that shoots in sync with them.

Our main trump card, as always, is the barrage of fire. We, as when playing on battleships, must react in advance to the high activity of aviation in our sector.

Skills and modules

At level 9 we have wide choose learned skills and installed modules. Let's start with the first one. Here's a standard selection from the cruising set:

Basic fire training.
Fundamentals of damage control.
Increased readiness.
Expert guidance.
Barrage.
Enhanced fire training.
With the top cruisers receiving repairs, the perk for enhancing this ability is starting to work even better.

Moving on to the modules:

Main caliber towers.
Fire control system.
And the third slot is the most interesting for us, because here we can choose to enhance one of our combat capabilities. Air defense and secondary armament are going through the forest at once. The acceleration of the rollback of torpedoes is behind them, in the same way. Remains range and reload. Reloading, in turn, seriously ruins the turning speed of already not fast towers, providing a 2-second head start. Doubtful module.
We choose to increase the range and get the de facto and de jure cruiser with the highest range. And coupled with excellent ballistics and density of fire ... You can continue your own train of thought.
The fourth slot is dedicated to damage control systems.
Fifth - under the rudders.
The final one is for a detection system that fits perfectly with the third module.

Eventually

What can I say here? Ibuki is one of the most powerful cruisers in the game. The firing range, coupled with powerful guns and an extremely high travel speed (base - 35 knots), which can be increased with the help of the flag to 37, give us an explosive mixture.

The Ibuki type was originally ordered during the Russo-Japanese War on January 31, 1905, as the Tsukuba type. But before construction began, they were redesigned for 8-inch (203-mm) guns in four twin-turrets instead of twelve 6-inch (152-mm) guns. This required a larger hull to mount the turrets and increased power for slightly higher speed than the Tsukuba type.

They were intended to fight in a line with battleships, as the two Kasuga-class armored cruisers did in the battles on the Yellow Sea and Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese War. The advent of the Dreadnought, armed with ten 12-inch (305-mm) cannons and a speed of 22 knots, rendered these ships obsolete before they entered service. In 1912 they were reclassified as battle cruisers.

The ships had a total length of 147.8 m, a length between perpendiculars of 137.2 m, a width of 23.0 m and a draft with a normal displacement of 8.0 m. They had a normal displacement of 14,636 long tons (14,871 tons), a total displacement of 15,595 long tons (15,845 t), which is about 900 long tons (910 t) more than Tsukuba. The crew consisted of 845 officers and sailors.

Armament

The ships were equipped with four 305-mm / 45 guns in two-gun turrets in the bow and stern. The guns had an elevation angle of 23 °, a depression angle of -3 °. This made it possible to fire an armor-piercing projectile at 22,000 m. The guns fired several types of shells of the same weight, 386 kg each.

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History

In the mid-1930s, when the specter of the Sino-Japanese war and the associated confrontation with the United States was already on the horizon, a group of the Japanese military proposed to reconsider the traditional approach to building Japanese cruisers. They pointed out that cruisers with 203-mm guns, no matter how good they are, are still no more than parity with similar enemy cruisers. The gap between the tactical niches of battleships and heavy cruisers was so great that both of these classes of ships could not interact effectively.

To solve this problem, engineers proposed to create a special class of "leaders" of heavy cruisers, armed with heavier artillery caliber 250-280 millimeters. Such "super-heavy" cruisers could effectively disable the enemy's "Washington" cruisers and cover the actions of the cruising vanguard in the event of a collision with battleships.

On December 29, 1934, Japan announced the denunciation of all previously concluded agreements on the limitation of naval weapons. Formally, nothing more deterred the Japanese fleet from building those ships that seemed optimal to it. However, the Japanese Empire continued to build "Washington" type cruisers, only slightly increasing their displacement.

There were several reasons for this. Firstly, the Japanese type of heavy cruisers was quite balanced and efficient, and (in the opinion of the Japanese) fit perfectly into the concept. Secondly, the Japanese economy could not afford the construction of a large number of oversized ships. Finally, thirdly, the Japanese admirals preferred not to "provoke" the situation, fearing that the construction of cruisers with heavier artillery could provoke the withdrawal of the United Kingdom and the United States from the Washington Agreement.

The situation changed in the late 1930s, with the entry into service of the German fleet of three "pocket battleships" of the Deutschland class. Armed with 280mm cannons, these ships represented a significant improvement over heavy cruisers. The innovative concept of these new ships caught the attention of sailors around the world - and Japan was no exception.

In 1936, the Japanese naval command proposed the development of a special class of "heavy armored cruisers" capable of acting as leaders for squadrons of standard heavy cruisers. The military motivated this by the fact that the "balance" of the cruising forces had already been violated by German ships, and Japan's actions would no longer have a decisive influence on the situation. In addition, the admirals considered it possible to misinform the United States by convincing them that the Japanese followed the German path of building small battleships, and thus hide the construction of the giant super-battleships Yamato.

The arguments turned out to be convincing, however, an unexpected problem was the lack of a suitable "intermediate" caliber in the Japanese arsenal for installation on "super-heavy" cruisers. The fleet managed to get out of this situation as follows: as the main artillery for the new class of cruisers, it was supposed to use the old 305-mm turrets taken from the Kavachi and Settu dreadnoughts when they were decommissioned. In addition, the development of the project was supposed to focus on a modified type of heavy cruiser "Mogami", redesigned for 305-mm artillery.

Armament

The main armament of the heavy armored cruisers was made up of six 305-mm 45-caliber guns of the 41st Meiji year. Two three-gun towers were located at the extremities. These guns were originally intended to arm the onboard towers of the Kawachi and Settu dreadnoughts: after the ships were scrapped in 1922, the guns were retained and later converted for use on Tsukuba-class cruisers.

These heavy naval guns fired 386 kg shells with an initial velocity of up to 870 meters per second. The elevation angle of the guns was increased to 32 degrees, which made it possible to fire at a range of up to 28,000 meters. By redesigning the shutter design, the rate of fire was increased to 2.5 rounds per minute. The ammunition capacity was about 100 shells per gun: unlike other Japanese heavy ships, the cruiser's guns were equipped with a large stock of high-explosive shells (mainly because a significant number of land mines were already in the arsenal).

The auxiliary armament of the cruisers consisted of two three-gun turrets with 155-mm 60-caliber guns from the 3rd year of the Showa era. Removed from the Mogami-class cruisers during their modernization, the towers were installed in a linear-elevated position, and fired over the towers of 305-mm / 50 mounts. The main task of the 155-mm guns was to defend against enemy destroyers: also, according to the admirals, these installations could provide "massive" fire in the event of close combat with enemy heavy cruisers.

The ships' anti-aircraft armament consisted of twelve 127-mm 40-caliber universal guns located side by side on sponsons in twin mounts. The close air defense was initially provided with four built-in 25-mm anti-aircraft guns and four 13.2-mm machine guns: in the future, the number of anti-aircraft guns was constantly increasing.

The additional armament of the Tsukuba-class cruisers was identical to the Mogami-class, and consisted of four three-pipe 61-centimeter torpedo tubes installed in the hull niches. The devices were equipped with a quick reloading system, and were equipped with 24 torpedoes. In addition, at the stern of the ships, two K-guns were installed side by side for firing depth charges.

Protection

The defense of the heavy armored cruisers was focused on withstanding the fire of the 8-inch guns of the American and British heavy cruisers. Basically, it developed solutions previously implemented on Mogami-class cruisers. The basis of the vertical protection was a solid, tilted armored belt, in the lower part that passed into the anti-torpedo bulkhead. The length of the belt (total) was about 82 meters, the height was 6.5 meters. The upper edge of the belt was recruited from NVNC armor plates, with a thickness of 145 to 170 millimeters. The lower edge (which served as an anti-torpedo bulkhead) was assembled from plates 30-65 millimeters thick. Such a system was believed to provide protection of the engine room from armor-piercing shells of a 203-mm 55-caliber American cannon at distances up to 11,500 meters.

At the ends, the belt passed into V-shaped traverses connecting with the barbets of the main caliber towers. The thickness of the traverses was 140 millimeters. At the bottom, they were connected to the lower deck of the cruisers.

The horizontal protection consisted of 35 mm thick CNC steel armor plates positioned at the middle deck level above the engine room. The sides had bevels, the thickness of which reached 65 millimeters. Above the cellars, the booking was located at the level of the lower deck and had a thickness of 55 millimeters.

The turrets of the main battery, unlike other Japanese heavy cruisers, had adequate protection. The turret front plates were 190 millimeters thick: the side plates were reduced to 138 in NVNC steel. Under the bases of the towers, there were 125 mm thick barbets going up to the armored deck.

Medium-caliber turrets, borrowed from the base model of Mogami-class cruisers, retained traditionally weak protection. Their walls consisted of 25mm CNC steel plates, and the barbets were protected by anti-splinter 30mm plates. Adequate protection - 100 mm of wall armor and 50 mm of roof armor - was received by the armored wheelhouse. Chimneys and steering gears were protected by 100mm NVNC reinforced plates.

Power point

The power plant of heavy armored cruisers differed significantly from previous Japanese projects (as well as from subsequent ones). The Tsukuba-class cruisers were the first and last large Japanese ships with a combined diesel-steam turbine power plant. The decision, made under German influence (or rather, under the impression of the range of the "Deutschland" type) was supposed - according to calculations - to provide the new ships with very high autonomy, while maintaining a high speed.

The power plant consisted of four Kanpon-type forced turbine units, each developing 38,000 hp. Unlike previous projects, the ships did not carry cruising turbines. Their niche was occupied by four large diesel-electric units, each developing 14,000 hp. Maximum speed As a result, the ships' progress did not exceed 33 knots, but the cruising 14-knot range with a fuel reserve of 2200 tons reached 12000 miles, i.e. was one third more than that of the Mogami cruisers.

The disadvantages of the combined power unit were its considerable size and low reliability: during the service life of "Tsukuba", diesel engines on it were replaced four times (!) While only once due to damage. In addition, the MO of the cruisers was almost 28% higher than that of the Mogami-class cruisers.

Aircraft armament

Heavy armored cruisers of the "Tsukuba" type carried advanced aircraft armament, more advanced than conventional heavy cruisers. In the aft part of the ships, under the upper deck, there was an aircraft hangar: two Kure N.2 Type 9 powder catapults, mounted side by side on sponsons, served to launch the aircraft.

Nominally, the Tsukuba-class cruisers could carry up to eight seaplanes with folding wings: four were placed in the hangar, two on catapults, and two more on sites next to the stern mast. In practice, the number of aircraft carried as a rule did not exceed seven: four of them were two-seat reconnaissance aircraft “Watanabe” E9B, two - three-seat reconnaissance aircraft “Aichi” E10A, and one was “Kavanishi” E7K.

In 1942, the composition of the air group was changed and now it consisted of three Mitsubishi F1M, one Aichi E10A and three float fighters Nakajima A6M2-N. The latter were intended to intercept enemy patrol aircraft (which, as expected, would pose a particular danger to the raiders). In 1944, the reconnaissance seaplanes were replaced by three Aichi E13Ns.

Equipment

The ships were equipped with a rangefinder system identical to the Mogami type with one exception - the aiming of the main caliber installations was carried out using a Type 14 rangefinder with an 8-meter base. The directors of the type 94 and type 95 were used to aim the main guns. The auxiliary and universal caliber were aimed, respectively, with the help of the Type 92 and Type 91 rangefinders mounted on board. The ships had a large number of observation posts equipped with stationary binoculars and 110-cm searchlights.

During the war, the ships received radar equipment. In the fall of 1942, the Ibuki was equipped with a prototype Type 21 search radar. In 1943, during a scheduled overhaul, Tsukuba received a Type 21 radar to detect surface and air targets, and an E-27 device to detect enemy radars. In 1944, during a major overhaul and modernization, Tsukuba was equipped with a new Type 13 search radar, a modified Type 22 radar suitable for controlling main caliber fire, and an experimental Type 23 radar designed for anti-aircraft artillery guidance.

Modernization

Over the course of their careers, ships have undergone several upgrades, mainly aimed at strengthening anti-aircraft artillery and anti-submarine defense. The number of built anti-aircraft 25-mm machine guns, initially equal to four, was increased to eight by the fall of 1942. In the summer of 1943, the Ibuki was equipped with twelve, and the Tsukuba with ten 25-mm submachine guns. By the end of 1944, the number of anti-aircraft guns on "Tsukuba" was brought to 42 barrels. From the autumn of 1943, both ships were also equipped with anti-aircraft launchers NURS (the effectiveness of which, however, was near-zero).

Among other changes, in the summer of 1944, two of the four torpedo tubes were dismantled on the Ibuki, and the vacant space was used to install four additional K-guns.

In the spring of 1944, a project was considered for rebuilding the Tsukuba and Ibuki into light aircraft carriers. The main and auxiliary artillery was to be dismantled from the ships, and a hangar for 15 A7M "Reppu" fighters and 15 B7A "Ryusei" torpedo bombers was built on the main deck. Anti-aircraft weapons and power point remained the same. As a result, the project was not implemented, since the calculations showed that the increased upper weight would require the installation of additional boules, due to which the ship's speed would drop to 25 knots.

In the summer of 1944, the Japanese fleet considered another, more radical project of rebuilding the Tsukuba into an “anti-submarine battleship” - a specialized escort ship. According to the project, the main and auxiliary artillery were to be dismantled from the ship, and in their place were installed six four-barreled 300-mm Type 101 anti-submarine bombers. The anti-aircraft armament was enhanced by the installation of four paired 127-mm guns and fifty 23-mm machine guns. Finally, 48 (!!!) K-guns were supposed to be installed on the sides of the ship. The project was also not implemented.

In the spring of 1945, the Tsukuba was fitted with guides for the Okha Model 23 kamikaze aircraft. These pulsed-engine projectiles were intended to be used to engage enemy ships in battle, but in practice kamikaze were never based on them.

Construction

“ Tsukuba ” - was ordered under the financial reserve program of 1934 and laid down on January 1, 1938 at the Mitsubishi slipway in Nagasaki, freed after the launch of the Tone heavy cruiser. After a 28-month slipway period, the battleship was launched on March 14, 1940 and commissioned on August 8, 1941.

“ Ibuki ” - ordered under the main program of 1937, laid down on April 14, 1938 at the naval shipyard in Kure. Launched on October 28, 1940: during launching, the ship's hull was deformed, as a result of which the completion was delayed. Officially, the Ibuki entered service on November 2, 1941, but was actually recognized as combat-ready only by January 1942.

Service history

On October 11, "Tsukuba" was assigned to the 23rd cruiser division (at that time it was one of them). As part of it, he took part in the Malay Campaign, operating in the 2nd Fleet of Admiral Kondo. On December 2, 1941, the ship participated in a skirmish with British Formation Z (battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruisers Hood and Repals, aircraft carrier Ark Royal) in the South China Sea. The cruiser fired 120 shells, but apparently did not get hits.

In February, the 23rd cruiser division, replenished by this time with the Ibuki, supported the fighting in the Philippines. On February 27, during the battle in the Java Sea, both ships were sent to the battle area, as the Japanese feared that the Australian battle cruiser - HMAS "Australia" - might take part in the battle. However, the Japanese "pocket" battleships did not have a chance to take part in naval battles that time. Their actions in the Philippines were limited to occasional fire support for the troops (for which their old-style 305-mm guns, provided with a significant supply of high-explosive shells, turned out to be extremely effective).

On April 14, the 23rd division relocated to Jakarta, from where it subsequently conducted combat operations. On 28 April, Tsukuba and Ibuki were attached to Admiral Izawari's task force formed to raid the west coast of Australia. During this operation, which took place from May 4th to May 18th, heavy armored cruisers bombarded Geraldton (May 10) and covered a Japanese Marine raid on Kalbari (May 12). At the same time, "Ibuki" was attacked by a light Australian reconnaissance aircraft "Fairchild 24", the pilot of which, having no weapons at all, tried to ram the Japanese ship. Then both ships returned to Jakarta.

From July 1942, both heavy armored cruisers made periodic departures to provide artillery support for the Japanese forces besieging Singapore. On the night of July 22, the Ibuki, which was firing at British forces near Jurong, was unexpectedly hit by volleys of a 381mm battery, which the Japanese considered completely incapacitated. Although the conditions for firing were unfavorable, the Japanese ship, considering itself safe, moved at a very low speed and as a result, after a dozen volleys, the British battery achieved a hit.

The explosion, caused by a semi-armor-piercing projectile that pierced the belt with an 879-kg shell, disabled four Ibuki boilers and caused severe flooding. The damaged cruiser was forced to throw herself on the beach: British aircraft from the Openhouse airbase conducted several night raids, trying to finish off the stuck ship, but did not succeed in this. Having somehow patched up the holes, on August 2 the Japanese removed the Ibuki from the shallows and took it to Jakarta. From there he was sent to the metropolis for renovation.

Remaining temporarily without a sister ship, "Tsukuba" in the fall of 1942 was temporarily transferred to the 30th (composite) cruiser division, which included "Kumano", "Mogami" and "Suzuya". In November 1942, the ship took part in an unsuccessful attempt to disrupt the passage of the British-American convoy CS-2, the second major convoy sent to supply beleaguered Singapore. On the night of November 15-16, south of Pulau Bunt, the 30th Composite Division engaged the British "outpost" ships covering the entrance to the Strait of Malacca, a formation of destroyers and fast transports. The long-range skirmish led to heavy damage to the British heavy cruisers Devonshire and Hawkins: however, the Japanese failed to build on the success and, due to the appearance on the battlefield of the Australian battle cruiser Australia, were forced to retreat. On the retreat, Tsukuba was attacked and damaged by a British submarine off the coast of Sumatra, but managed to be repaired in Jakarta.

In February 1943, the repaired cruiser Ibuki returned from the metropolis. Reunited, the ships again made up the 23rd cruiser division, which, however, on March 22, was "upgraded" to the 1st battlecruiser division. In the spring of 1943, both ships were on training missions.

In May 1943, both heavy armored cruisers undertook a raid against the Allied shipping in the Indian Ocean (the so-called 2nd Indian Ocean Raid). Acting in conjunction with the 5th cruiser squadron and the 1st operational submarine squadron, the Japanese raiders advanced beyond the Maldives, and even sank several transports in the Arabian Sea, but then were forced to urgently retreat, as reports appeared that a large British formation threatened to cut off them from the base.

After refueling off Sumatra, the Japanese formation undertook another exit, but at the entrance to the Bay of Bengal it was intercepted by the allied Bengal fleet. On May 28, a collision occurred between the squadrons, during which Ibuki and Tsukuba were heavily damaged by fire from the Australian battle cruiser HMAS Australia and the heavy cruisers HMAS Darvin, HMS Norfolk and French Foch accompanying it.

Having hardly reached Jakarta, the heavy armored cruisers were again put for repair, after which they were supposed to be transferred to the Solomon Islands to support the Japanese forces in the Bismarck Sea. However, on July 20, 1943, the cruiser Ibuki was torpedoed by a Dutch submarine in the Java Sea and forced to return for repairs. The transfer of "Tsukuba" to Rabaul was eventually also canceled.

In August 1943, Tsukuba launched a second major raid off the coast of Australia. During this operation, which lasted from August 11 to September 2, the Japanese formation, led by a heavy armored cruiser, reached the Great Australian Gulf, but due to the significantly strengthened allied defense, the Japanese actions were much less effective than in 1942. The Empire of Japan could no longer afford to risk ships only for support and demonstration operations, so all operations were limited to the sinking of several small coastal steamers in Australian waters and occasional bombardments of the coast from seaplanes. Plans to reach Tasmania were not implemented due to severe fuel shortages.

Returning to Jakarta on September 4, Tsukuba reunited with the Ibuki, who had returned from repairs. But soon thereafter, the 1st battlecruiser division was again under fire: the night raid of Australian flying boats on Jakarta on October 18, 1943 ended with new damage for the Tsukuba. Because of this, the third major raid into the Indian Ocean, planned for the fall of 1943, had to be canceled. In addition, the barrels of the cruisers' guns, which had not been replaced since 1941, began to show clear signs of increased wear.

In early 1944, the 1st Division was in a slightly better position than the rest of the Japanese battlefleet. Based in Jakarta, at least it did not experience an acute shortage of fuel supplied from the Indonesian fields. On February 8, Tsukuba was recalled to the metropolis for renovation and modernization.

The cruiser Ibuki, left alone, conducted several raids into the Indian Ocean, but due to the lack of funds and the poor organization of the operation, the actions of this ship were almost inconclusive: there are strong doubts even that the allies noticed them at all. Since the Imperial Japanese Navy could no longer provide light aircraft carriers to support raid operations, heavy armored cruisers risked leaving the range of coastal aviation only at night, which seriously limited their autonomy. Returning from one of such semi-senseless raids, “Ibuki” was attacked by the Belgian submarine “Narcissus” off the coast of Java, and only by pure chance escaped death.

In May 1944, returning from the metropolis "Tsukuba" was used to provide fire support for Operation Ichi-Go in mainland China. With her guns, the cruiser supported the offensive of the Japanese troops on Fuzhou: at the same time, she was attacked by the Chinese small submarine Hu Long, but managed to avoid damage.

The Chinese initially reported damage to the Furutaka-class heavy cruiser: it was only after the war that it became known that the attacked ship was Tsukuba. Modern Chinese historical materials claim that the cruiser was severely damaged and out of order for a long time, but this version is not confirmed by other sources.

S. Welberry, The Military History of the Republic of China, London, 1958.

In the spring and summer of 1944, both heavy armored cruisers operated in Indonesia, guarding convoys, transporting troops (due to a strong shortage of transport) and occasionally being involved in covering the active light forces. “Ibuki” in July 1944 occasionally served as a floating mooring mast for Japanese anti-submarine airships. The fleet considered several options for their further operation, including conversion into light aircraft carriers, but ultimately the conversion of the ships was abandoned. The project of rebuilding the Tsukuba into an “anti-submarine battleship” - a specialized convoy escort ship equipped with powerful anti-aircraft artillery and a battery of 305-mm bombers for launching depth charges did not receive support either.

In July 1944, the 1st Battlecruiser Division was again dispatched to Malacca in an attempt to thwart a British convoy to Singapore. On the night of 28 July, the heavy armored cruisers covered an unsuccessful raid by eight Japanese destroyers up the Malaccan Strait. The operation was unsuccessful: the British light cruisers "Mauritis" and "Nigeria" found the enemy, and clearly demonstrated the advantages of British radars in the night battle. After fifteen minutes of futile firefight, Ibuki and Tsukuba retreated. Passing back through the strait, the Japanese cruisers were attacked torpedo boats who left Singapore, but managed to repel the attack.

This was the last time the heavy armored cruisers operated together. Shortly thereafter, an order followed to redeploy the 1st Battlecruiser Division to Brunei to reinforce Kurita's fleet. On the crossing, both ships were discovered and then torpedoed by the American submarine Sailfish: the less damaged Ibuki was repaired in Brunei, while the Tsukuba was sent to Japan for repair. Before he could return, the American fleet struck at the very heart of the Empire of Japan - the Philippines.

Allied landings in Leyte Gulf led to the largest ever naval battle in history. Among the hundreds of ships involved were both heavy armored cruisers - although this time they were forced to operate separately from each other.

For the final and decisive fight, Toyoda has amassed a truly impressive force. Under the command of Vice Admiral Ozawa was the entire mighty 1st division of the aircraft carriers, including the Taiho, Juikaku, AmagiII”And the huge aircraft carrier“ Shinano ”, and four more light aircraft carriers made up the 2nd division. All the remaining flight forces of the Imperial Japanese Navy were concentrated on their decks, including Ozawa's last trump card: one hundred and fifteen new carrier-based fighters A7M "Reppu". The navy saved these state-of-the-art vehicles for the final battle, however, their effectiveness was limited by a shortage of experienced pilots.

Toyoda made the main bet on the guns of his battleships. Under the command of Vice Admiral Kurita was the most powerful force, including the huge super-battleships Yamato, Musashi and the fast battleships Nagato and Mutsu, as well as the pocket battleship Ibuki. Four old slow-moving battleships ("Fuso", "Yamashiro", "Ise" and "Hiuga") under the command of Vice Admiral Nishimura were assigned to the role of decoys ...

Military Publishing. "The War in the Pacific Ocean and the Defeat of Imperialist Japan", Moscow, 1988.

On October 23rd, the Ibuki, traveling with the Kurita formation from Brunei, was torpedoed by the USS Darter at the Palawan Pass. The explosion led to the flooding of the engine room of the cruiser and the aft ammunition storage. There was no point in driving the crippled ship further, and Kurita ordered the return of the Ibuki to Brunei.

The cruiser Tsukuba, which covered the deployment of Ozawa's carrier forces, suffered less damage. Maneuvering with the battle cruisers Haruna and Congo, he fended off attacks by American aircraft on the aircraft carriers Taiho, Shinano and Amagi, which were the 1st carrier formation, with anti-aircraft fire. During the battle, the ship received two hits from 250-kg aerial bombs, as a result of which its speed dropped to 22 knots, but nevertheless kept its course and managed to return to base. On the way home, the Tsukuba received a crew from the sinking Shinano, which Halsey's aircraft had turned into flaming ruins.

The damaged Ibuki was somehow repaired in Brunei, after which it returned to its former base in Jakarta. After the liberation of the Philippines by the Americans, the Japanese ships remaining in southeast Asia no longer had a single chance to return to the metropolis. On November 2, all Japanese naval forces in the south were merged into the 1st Southeast Fleet: Ibuki became the flagship of this pitiful fragment of Japan's former might. In December, it was used to evacuate troops from the island garrisons, which were no longer able to defend. Then, the increased risk of air raids forced the cruiser to move to the safer Banjarmasin.

When, in January 1945, the British Navy launched Operation Unicorn, coming with all its might for the freedom of Singapore, the 1st Southeast Fleet left Jakarta for the last time, attempting to strike at British forces landing in the Malacca Peninsula. On 5 January, during a night crossing on the Karimata Strait, the Ibuki escorted by the destroyer Kamikaze was discovered and then attacked at Keppulaan Ling by a detachment of British destroyers supported by the battle cruiser Tiger. Caught by surprise, without effective fire control radars, the Japanese heavy armored cruiser found itself in a completely hopeless position: although the team managed to remove the wrecked ship from under fire, the Ibuki soon lost its speed and was finished off by aircraft from aircraft carriers the next morning.

The cruiser Tsukuba, which retreated to the metropolis, on January 1 was enlisted in the 1st division of the battleships of the 2nd fleet. On April 4, 1945, during the almost meaningless departure of the remnants of the Japanese fleet to support the besieged Okinawa, the cruiser was damaged by the American ASM-N-2 "Bat" gliding bomb. While returning to Japan, he was attacked by an American submarine, but managed to avoid damage. In May, the ship made a successful transition to Aomori to strengthen the defense of Honshu: at the same time, “Tsukuba” was blown up by two mines, and her speed did not exceed 23 knots in the future. American aircraft bombed the ship several times, but thanks to skillful camouflage, the cruiser escaped heavy damage.

By early August 1945, the heavy armored cruiser Tsukuba was one of the last three serviceable Japanese heavy ships, along with the battleship Nagato and the battle cruiser Haruna. On August 14, after the entry of the Soviet Union into the war, the ship moved (in tow by a coal-fired minesweeper to save fuel) to Khakodate. The Japanese command planned to use the ship to support a kamikaze attack on Soviet ships near the Kuriles, but due to the news of Japan's surrender, the exit to sea did not take place.

After the war, the Tsukuba was among other Japanese ships requisitioned by the Americans. From November 1945 to December 1946, he stood in the "storage of the world" in Alaska, along with the rest of the ships of the Japanese fleet. In 1947, the Japanese "pocket" battleship was handed over to Holland for reparations: under the name "Commander de Ruyter" he served in the fleet until 1959, and as a training ship until 1971.

Whale. "Dragon Flower" is one of eight small railroad-transportable class M ("Baby") boats sold to China by the Soviet government in 1937-1939.

Light anti-submarine airships of the “Y” series, with a volume of about 11,000 cubic meters. About three dozen such devices were built in 1942-1943 for anti-submarine patrols and protection of convoys to the metropolis.

The fleet, in addition to "Ibuki", included heavy cruisers Haguro, Mioko, light cruiser Kitakami and several destroyers.

HMS "Tiger", battle cruiser from the period of the First World War. According to the London Agreement of 1931, she was transferred to the category of training ships. With the outbreak of the Second World War, it was restored in its former capacity in 1939-1941. Decommissioned in 1947.

The attack was launched on August 18th on the personal initiative of General Fusaki. Since by this time it was already known about the acceptance of the terms of surrender, the general managed to use only about 28 aircraft instead of 120 planned. Fighters from Soviet aircraft carriers managed to intercept most of the attackers, but the Soviet fleet nevertheless suffered losses: one destroyer and one transport ship were sunk by kamikaze strikes, and another patrol ship, two landing boats, a dry cargo ship and an armed transport ship were damaged.

Peace Vault is the slang name for the depots of captured weapons and military equipment, created after the demilitarization of Japan and Germany in 1945.

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