Japanese cruiser Kinu

Nagara class light cruiser

Kinu (鬼怒 ) was the fifth of the six ships completed light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Kinu River in Tochigi prefecture Japan. She was active in World War II in various campaigns in Malaya, the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea before being sunk by United States Navy carrier based aircraft in the Philippines in 1944.

Following the production of the five s, an additional three 5,500 ton class light cruisers authorized under the 8 4 Fleet Program were ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1920 as flagships for submarine squadrons. Due to minor changes in design, primarily due to advances in torpedo technology, these three vessels were initially designated as "modified Kuma class", or "5500 ton class Type II", before being re designated as a separate class named after the lead vessel, Japanese cruiser Nagara. A second set of three vessels was authorized in late 1920.

The Nagara class vessels were essentially identical to the previous Kuma class cruisers, retaining the same hull design, engines and main weaponry, with the addition of the new 610 mm Type 93 Long Lance Torpedoes, which required a larger launcher. However, in silhouette, a major difference from the Kuma class was in the configuration of the bridge, which incorporated an aircraft hangar. Initially, a 33 feet (10 m) platform was mounted above the No.2 turret, extending over the forward superstructure below the bridge. This was later replaced by an aircraft catapult. Even so, the arrangement proved unwieldy, and the catapult was moved to the rear of each ship in the class, between the No.5 and No.6 turrets during retrofits in 1929 1934. Abukuma and Kinu, were scheduled to receive the new Type 93 torpedoes in early 1941. However, shortages meant that only Abukuma was refitted quadruple mounts in place of the aft twin mounts.

On 9 December 1941, Japanese submarine I 65 reported sighting Force Z (the Royal Navy battleship , battlecruiser and supporting destroyers). The report was received by Kinu, Japanese cruiser Yura and the 81st Naval Communications Unit in Saigon. The reception was poor and it took another 90 minutes to decode and relay the message to Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa aboard his flagship, Japanese cruiser Chōkai. However, I 65s report was incorrect about the heading of Force Z, throwing the Japanese fleet into confusion. A Kawanishi E7K "Alf" from Kinu buzzed I 65, its pilot mistaking her for an enemy submarine. The following day, Force Z was overwhelmed by torpedo bombers of the 22nd Air Flotilla from French Indochina. Afterwards, for most of the month of May, Kinu returned to Kure Naval Arsenal for an overhaul. After returning to the southern front, Kinu was assigned to patrols of the Java Sea from June through September. On 13 September 1942, Kinu embarked the 2nd Infantry Division at Batavia with the light cruiser Japanese cruiser Isuzu for the Solomon Islands. It disembarked the troops at Shortland Island and Bougainville on 22 September 1942 and remained on patrol in the Timor Sea and eastern Dutch East Indies through January 1943.