Тяжёлый крейсер «Майя»: описание и модернизации

One of four Takao class heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy

Maya (摩耶) was one of four heavy cruisers, active in World War II with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). These were the largest and most modern cruisers in the Japanese fleet, and were intended to form the backbone of a multipurpose long range strike force. These ships were fast, powerful and heavily armed, with enough firepower to hold their own against any cruiser in any other navy in the world. Her sister ships were Japanese cruiser Takao, Japanese cruiser Atago and Japanese cruiser Chōkai.

The Takao class ships were approved under the 1927 to 1931 supplementary fiscal year budget, and were each named after a mountain. Mount Maya is located outside Kobe.

The Takao class cruisers were an improved version of the previous design, incorporating technical elements learned with the development of the experimental light cruiser Japanese cruiser Yūbari. They had a distinctive profile with a large, raked main smokestack, and a smaller, straight, second smokestack. Intended to address issues with the Myōkō class, the Takao class had thicker armor, dual purpose main guns which could be used against aircraft, and torpedo launchers moved to the upper deck for greater safety. However, as with its predecessors, the Takao class was also top heavy. The Takao class displaced Maya was long, with a beam of , draft of and was capable of 35.25 knots. All of the Takao class were assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District, forming Sentai 4 of the IJN 2nd Fleet, and trained as a unit during the 1930s. Maya was commanded by Captain Masaichi Niimi from 15 November 1932, followed by Captain Jisaburō Ozawa from 15 November 1934 to 28 October 1935. During this time, issues with their stability and seaworthiness due to the top heavy design became evident. With the start of the Second Sino Japanese War, she led a fleet with the Imperial Japanese Army's IJA 6th Division from Nagoya to China in August 1937. Takao and Atago were rebuilt at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal between 1938 and 1939, resulting in an improved design: the size of the bridge was reduced, the main mast was relocated aft, and hull budges were added to improve stability. Maya and Chōkai were not modified as extensively, and can almost be considered a separate class.