Japan - Aoba Class Heavy Cruiser

Aoba 1927:
Both ships looked like that once completed, a catapult was envised but not yet avaliable at the time of completion.
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Kinugasa 1932:
She was the first one to recieve an aircraft catapult and a Nakajima E2N in 1928, but by 1932 a searchlight and two 13mm machine-gun mounts where also added in the bridge area.
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Aoba 1937:
Both Aoba and Kinugasa where refitted in 1936-1937, initially a more extensive modification was envised and would have lasted until 1938, but plans does not materialize and a minor one was implemented; a Kawanishi E7K replaced the older Nakajima E2N, two quad torpedo launchers where fitted, four twin 25mm machine guns where placed abreast the funnels and the 13mm machine guns previously placed near the bridge where moved forward of it, 203/50 Type 3 mod 2 barrels replaced the older 200/50 Type 3 mod 1, the 120mm guns where enclosed and upgraded but not replaced, also the hull was bulged to improve stability issues.
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Aoba 1941:
By the time the war started some minor modifications where implemented, the guns where slighty modified to increase their elevation and range, a degaussing cable was added and an Aichi E13A superseded the older Kawanishi E7K
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Kinugasa 1942:
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Aoba 1943:
After suffering heavy damage during the battle of Cape Esperance in October 1942 the destroyed turret 3 of Aoba was plated over and replaced with a triple 25mm machine gun mount, the cruiser then soilered without her aft heavy guns untill august 1943, when a new turret was finally put back in place.
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Aoba 1944:
When the battle damage from Cape Esperance was finally repaired other modification where implemented; other than an increase in AA armament the most visible one was the fitting of a tripod foremast to support a type 21 air search radar and it's control room, a type 13 air search was also added on the mainmast.
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Aoba 1945:
By the time of her sinking a Type 22 surface search radar had been added, also the AA-suite was further upgraded when the cruiser was relegated to a mere anti aircraft platform in Kure harbor because of irreparable battle damage suffered between late 1944 and early 1945.
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Superb drawing as usual(even though it's only a WIP). If we others left the bucket for six months there would be nothing left for us to draw once we came back.

*Does happy dance* Another IJN CA class! Woot! Looks great thus far!

-Matt

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

The careful and detailed variation in sheer is an interesting hallmark of period Japanese design. I look forward to watching this drawing progress.

And really hope you'll draw both the Aoba (or Kinugasa) as built, and the Furutaka (or Kako) as built! Nay, I say you must do it!

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

You draw really really fast!

Agreed, you are on a ship frenzy. Excellent work btw.

Did anyone know if the Aoba ever operated or carried depth charges?

This pic is puzzling me:

I would believe it. The Cleveland class had depth charge racks at one point IIRC. Sub-hunting (at least in pre-war doctrine) isn't always the domain of destroyers.

BTW, this is fantastic, you are outpacing almost of us.

BB1987 wrote:

Did anyone know if the Aoba ever operated or carried depth charges?

Even by 1939

I am not sure that these "device" was ASW depth charge ? (but possible after august-1942...due to the Kako sinking

)
Maybe these "device" were "smoke-screen" system ?

Shipbucket

Japan - Aoba Class Heavy Cruiser

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