The Amagi-class battlecruisers were a class of four battlecruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s as part of the Eight-eight fleet. They were named Amagi, Akagi, Atago, and Takao (initially named Ashitaka), after the mountains Amagi, Akagi, Atago, and Takao. The Amagi-class design was essentially a lengthened version of the Tosa-class battleships, but with a thinner armored belt and deck and a modified secondary battery arrangement.
Limitations imposed by the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty prevented the class from being completed as designed. However, the treaty had a limited allowance for hulls already under construction to be converted into aircraft carriers. Amagi and Akagi were both intended for conversion, but an earthquake damaged the hull of Amagi so extensively that the ship was scrapped. Akagi was reconstructed as an aircraft carrier and served with distinction as part of Kido Butai during the Second World War, participating in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor before being sunk at the Second Battle of Midway.
Specifications[]
- Type: Battlecruiser
- Service Period: Completed as aircraft carriers
- Characteristics:
- Length: 826 feet 1 inch (251.79 meters)
- Beam: 101 feet (30.79 meters)
- Draft: 31 feet (9.45 meters)
- Displacement: 40,566 tons (Standard); 46,000 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 1,600
- Propulsion: 20 x Kampon boilers, 4-shaft Gihon turbines, 131,200 shp
- Range: 8,000 nautical miles (14,816 kilometers) at 14 knots (25.93 km/h)
- Speed: 30 knots (55.56 km/h)
- Armament:
- 10 x 41cm/45-caliber 3rd Year Type naval guns (5x2)
- 16 x 14cm/50-caliber 3rd Year Type dual purpose naval guns (16x1)
- 6 x 12cm/45-caliber 11th Year Type anti-aircraft guns (6x1)
- 8 x 61cm torpedo tubes
- Armour:
- Belt: 10-inches (254 mm)
- Deck: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
- Conning Tower: 14-inches (356 mm)
- Torpedo bulkheads: 3-inches (76.2 mm)
- Barbettes: 11-inches (280 mm)
Unit Run[]
- IJN Amagi - planned for conversion to aircraft carrier, scrapped due to earthquake damage
- IJN Akagi - converted to aircraft carrier
- IJN Atago - cancelled
- IJN Takao - cancelled