Japanese cruiser Kako Totally Explained

Everything about Japanese Cruiser Kako totally explained

was the second vessel in the two-vessel Furutaka-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was named after the Kakogawa River in Hyogo prefecture, Japan.

Background

Kako and her sister ship Furutaka were the first generation of high speed heavy cruisers in the Japanese navy, intended to to counter the US Navy Omaha class and Royal Navy Hawkins class scout cruisers.

Service career

Early career

Kako was completed at Kawasaki shipyards at Kobe on 20 July 1926. Assigned to the Fifth Squadron (Sentai) from then until 1933, she served in Japanese and Chinese waters, participating in fleet maneuvers and combat operations off the China coast. Kako was given a major refit in 1929-30, improving her machinery and slightly changing her appearance. Briefly operating with CruDiv6 in 1933, Kako was in the naval review off Yokohama in late August. She went into guard ship status in November of that year and into reserve in 1934.
   In July 1936, Kako began an extensive reconstruction at Sasebo Navy Yard, which was completed by 27 December 1937. At this time, its six single 200 mm (7.9-inch) main gun turrets were replaced by three 203.2 mm (8-inch) twin turrets.
   In late 1941, Kako was in CruDiv6 under Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto in the First Fleet with the Aoba, Furutaka and Kinugasa. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it was engaged in support for the invasion of Guam.
   After the failed first invasion of Wake CruDiv 6 was assigned to the larger second invasion force, and after the fall of Wake, returned to its forward base in Truk, Caroline Islands.
   From 18 January 1942, CruDiv 6 was assigned to support Japanese troop landings at Rabaul, New Britain and Kavieng, New Ireland and in patrols around the Marshall Islands in unsuccessful pursuit of the American fleet. In March and April 1942, CruDiv6 provided support to CruDiv 18 in covering the landings of Japanese troops in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea at Buka, Shortland, Kieta, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands and Tulagi from a forward base at Rabaul. While at Shortland on 6 May 1942, Kako was unsuccessfully attacked by four USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, but wasn't damaged.

Battle of the Coral Sea

At the Battle of the Coral Sea, CruDiv 6 departed Shortland and effected a rendezvous at sea with light carrier Shoho. At 1100 on 7 May 1942, north of Tulagi, Shoho was attacked and sunk by 93 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers and Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bombers from USS Yorktown and USS Lexington.
   The following day, 8 May 1942 46 SBDs, 21 TBDs and 15 Grumman F4F Wildcats from Yorktown and Lexington damaged Shokaku severely above the waterline and forced her retirement. As Furutaka and Kinugasa, undamaged in the battle, escorted Shokaku back to Truk, Kako and Aoba continued to cover the withdrawing Port Moresby invasion convoy.
   After refueling at Shortland on 9 May, Kako was stranded on a reef entering Queen Carola Harbor, but was soon re-floated. Kako returned to Kure on 22 May 1942 for repairs, and returned back to Truk on 23 June 1942, and from Truk to Rekata Bay, Santa Isabel Island, where it was assigned patrols through July.
   In a major reorganization of the Japanese navy on 14 July 1942, Kako was assigned to the newly created Eighth Fleet under Vice Admiral Mikawa Gunichi and was assigned to patrols around the Solomon Islands, New Britain and New Ireland.

Battle of Savo Island

On 8 August 1942, north of Guadalcanal a three-seat Aichi E13A1 "Jake" reconnaissance floatplane launched from Kako was shot down by an SBD Dauntless of VS-72 from the USS Wasp. This was the prelude to the Battle of Savo Island the following day.
   On 9 August 1942, CruDiv 6, Chokai, light cruisers Tenryu and Yubari and destroyer Yunagi engaged the Allied Forces in a night gun and torpedo action. At about 2300, Chokai, Furutaka and Kako all launched their reconnaissance floatplanes. The circling floatplanes dropped flares illuminating the targets and all the Japanese ships opened fire. USS Astoria, Quincy, Vincennes and HMAS Canberra were sunk. USS Chicago was damaged as were USS Ralph Talbot and USS Patterson. Kako's gunfire hit Vincennes in the hangar and destroyed all of her Curtiss SOC Seagull floatplanes On the Japanese side, Chokai was hit three times, Kinugasa twice, Aoba once; Furutaka and Kako were not damaged.
   However, on 10 August 1942, CruDiv 6's four heavy cruisers are ordered unescorted to Kavieng, while the remainder of the striking force returned to Rabaul. At 0650 American submarine USS S-44 sighted CruDiv 6 on a track less than away and fired four Mark 10 torpedoes from at the rear ship in the group, which happened to be Kako. At 0708, three torpedoes hit Kako. The first struck to starboard abreast the No. 1 turret. The other torpedoes hit further aft, in the vicinity of the forward magazines and boiler rooms 1 and 2. Kako rolled over on her starboard side and exploded as sea water reached her boilers. At 0715, Kako disappeared bow first in the sea off Simbari Island at in about 130 feet of water. Aoba, Furutaka and Kinugasa rescued Captain Takahashi and most of Kako's crew, but thirty-four crewmen were killed. Kako was removed from the Navy list on 15 September 1942. Commanding Officers Chief Equipping Officer - Capt. Akira Goto - 18 September 1925 - 20 July 1926
   Capt. Akira Goto - 20 July 1926 - 15 November 1927
   Capt. Junzo Yoshitake - 15 November 1927 - 10 December 1928
   Capt. Toraroku Akiyama - 10 December 1928 - 30 November 1929
   Capt. Nobutake Kondo - 30 November 1929 - 18 June 1930
   Capt. Kamezaburo Nakajima - 18 June 1930 - 1 December 1930
   Capt. Katsuyoshi Inoue - 1 December 1930 - 1 December 1931
   Capt. Shichisaburo Koga - 1 December 1931 - 1 December 1932
   Capt. Shunzo Mito - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1933
   Capt. Tokujiro Yokoyama - 15 November 1933 - 15 November 1934
   Capt. Ei Kashiwagi - 15 November 1934 - 15 November 1935
   Capt. Aritaka Aihara - 15 November 1935 - 1 July 1936
   Capt. Kentaro Oshima - 1 July 1936 - 1 December 1936
   Capt. Masao Okamura - 1 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
   Capt. Michiaki Kamata - 1 December 1937 - 20 October 1938
   Capt. Masaki Ogata - 20 October 1938 - 1 May 1939
   Capt. Ko Ito - 1 May 1939 - 1 July 1939
   Capt. Heitaro Edo - 1 July 1939 - 15 November 1939
   Capt. Giichiro Horie - 15 November 1939 - 15 October 1940
   Capt. Mitsuo Kinoshita - 15 October 1940 - 15 September 1941
   Capt. Yuji Takahashi - 15 September 1941 - 10 August 1942

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