Kuma class cruiser

[Robert9670]

The Kuma class cruiser was a class of light cruisers operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.  The Kuma-class cruisers proved useful in combat operations ranging from the Aleutian Islands to the Indian Ocean throughout the war.  5 ships were part of this class, and out of the 5, 4 were lost during the war.  Kuma was sunk on January 11, 1944 by the submarine HMS Tally-Ho (P317), Tama was sunk on October 20, 1944 by the submarine USS Jallao (SS-368), Kitakami survived the war and was scrapped from August 10, 1946 to March 31, 1947, Oi was sunk by the submarine USS Flasher (SS-249) on July 19, 1944, and Kiso was sunk by U.S. Navy aircraft on November 13, 1944

 

Kuma

http://www.combinedf....com/kuma01.jpg

 

 

General characteristics

 

Type:  Light Cruiser

 

Displacement:  5,500 long tons (5,588 t) normal

5,832 long tons (5,926 t) full load

 

Length:  162.1 m (531 ft 10 in) o/a

   158.6 m (520 ft 4 in) w/l

 

Beam:  14.2 m (46 ft 7 in)

 

Draft:  4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)

 

Propulsion:  4 shaft Gihon geared turbines, 12 Kampon boilers, 90,000 shp (67,000 kW)

 

Speed:  36 knots (41 mph, 67 km/h)

 

Range:  9,000 nm (17,000 km) at 10 knots (12 mph, 19 km/h)

 

Complement:  450

 

Armament:  7 x 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns

   2 x 8cm/40 3rd Year Type naval guns

   8 x 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes (4 x 2)

   48 naval mines

 

Armor:  Belt: 60mm (2.4 in)

Deck: 30mm (1.2)

 

Ships in class:  Kuma, Tama, Kitakami, Oi, Kiso

[Robert9670]

Kuma off of Tsingtao, 1930

[Robert9670]

Tama, 1942

[Robert9670]

Kitakami in 1935

[Robert9670]

Oi in 1923 at Kure Harbor, Hiroshima

[Robert9670]

Kiso, 1942

[Robert9670]

[ScarredJosh]

Interesting ship. It doesnt have a lot in the means of armament...  but having its own seaplane as a lower tier DD.. that could be fun. +1

[sgtpepper500]

Nice info (+1). Always fun to read about warships.

[Wunderwaffen1945]

very light ship for a cruiser +1

[AlternateRouge]

It is a kuma class... it is deadly after all with alot of torpedo launchers

[igorfc]

I still humbly think this class is in a gameplay point of view, more a DD than a CL, especially with the "torpedo cruiser modification" made in the Katori and Oi...

[Capcon]

Once people who don't know the ship from history catch on none of these will last much past initial sighting in the game. Everyone and everything on the other side will be on the hunt and will clobber it instantly.

 

No way I'll play this as there will be little fun being a target that can't take the hits or defend itself effectively.

 

Free experience here I come.

[NGTM_1R]

Wunderwaffen1945, on 08 January 2013 - 07:20 PM, said:

very light ship for a cruiser +1

It's not a cruiser in the conventional sense, but a leader for a destroyer squadron, which is what most Japanese light cruisers were actually designed to do.

Curious if there are any pictures of Kitakami and Oi after their conversion, I've never seen one.

[Robert9670]

Kiso in the Aleutian Islands, 1942

http://ww2db.com/images/ship_kiso2.jpg

[Robert9670]

Kuma in 1935 off Tsingtao, with Kawanishi E7K1 "Alf" floatplane on catapult