Kuma

Ballistics

Armor Model

Overview

Upon learning the characteristics of the American Omaha-class ships, the leadership of the Japanese Navy ordered cruisers of increased size and combat power. Based on the Tenryū, a cruiser design was created that combined the functions of a destroyer leader and a scout. Thanks to the increase in displacement, the machinery was strengthened, allowing for high speed, and the number of main battery guns grew to seven. The Kuma was built in Sasebo. The cruiser participated in the intervention in Soviet Russia. In the 1920s–30s, the ship patrolled the Chinese coast. During World War II, the Kuma participated in the landings in the Philippines. In 1942–44, the cruiser took part in combat operations in New Guinea and then patrolled the waters of the Dutch East Indies. On January 11, 1944, the Kuma was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho in the Strait of Malacca, after which it caught fire and sank.