IJN LIGHT CRUISER KINU

Kinu was a Japanese light cruiser the keel of which was laid in 1921, launched in May 1922, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in November 1922. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 163 m, width 14.8 m, and the actual full displacement - 5,800 tons. The maximum speed of the cruiser Kinu was up to 36 knots. At the time of launching, the main armament was 7 140 mm guns in single positions, and additional armament was, among others: 2 80 mm cannons and 8 torpedo tubes Kinu was the fourth Nagara-class cruiser. The cruisers of this type were built on the basis of the successful design of the Kuma class ships. In fact, the two types differ slightly, and often the Nagara type is referred to as the modified Kuma type. The main differences were in the construction of superstructures, which allowed Nagara-type units to operate seaplanes. Already at the time of the launch, torpedo tubes of a new type were also fitted. Nagara-class cruisers were built from the very beginning as the so-called "Leaders" of the destroyer flotillas, which resulted in the creation of very fast ships, with good artillery armament, but relatively poorly armored. The combat career of the cruiser Kinu began during the Sino-Japanese fights in the 1930s. In the course of these struggles, he supported Japanese landings in central China and performed patrol functions. Kinu's combat trail in World War II began in December 1941 with support for the Japanese landing in Malaya. In the same month, he participated in the tracing of the British battleships HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales, which were later sunk by Japanese planes. From mid-December 1941 to March 1942, Kinu supported subsequent Japanese amphibious operations in Southeast Asia. Then, until 1943, he performed mainly patrol functions in the Timor Sea. From August to October 1943, Kinu was modernized in Japan - its anti-aircraft armament was strengthened and a new type of radar was installed. After modernization, in November 1943, Kinu returned to patrol and convoy service. The cruiser was sunk on October 26, 1944 by American on-board aircrafts off the Philippine island of Masbate.