Kaga 1930
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| 加賀 [Kaga] | Kawasaki, Kobe | 19.7.1920 | 17.11.1921 | 31.3.1928 | sunk 4.6.1942 |
| Data variant | as completed |
|
Displacement standard, t |
26900 |
|
Displacement full, t |
33693 |
|
Length, m |
218.0 pp 230.0 wl 238.5 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
29.6 |
|
Draught, m |
7.93 |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
4 sets Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 12 Kampon boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
91000 |
|
Max speed,
kts |
27.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 3600, coal 1700 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 8000(14) |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 152, main deck: 55 - 32, turrets: 25, casemates: 25 - 19 |
|
Armament |
2 x 2 - 200/50 3-shiki, 6 x 1 - 200/50 3-shiki, 6 x 2 - 120/45 10-shiki, 22 x 1 - 6.5/115, 60 aircraft (1MF, A1N fighters, 2MR/C1M recon planes, 1MT1, 2MT/3MT/B1M torpedo bombers) |
|
Complement |
1340 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 5,190+375+1100=6,665m², ha - ?m² / ?m³): Upper flight (landing) deck: 171.3x30.3m, upper flight-off deck: 15x~25m, lower flight-off deck: 55x~20m. Upper and medium hangars, each: ~100x22x5m, small lower hangar: ~20x20x?m. Lifts: fore (11.8x13.0m) and aft (12.8x8.4m). Aircraft fuel stowage: ?.
after modernization (fd - 7,533m², ha - ~7,130m² / ~35,660m³): Flight deck: 248.6x30.3m. Upper and medium hangars, each: ~153x22x5m, small lower hangar: ~20x20x?m. Lifts: fore (11.5x12.0m), medium (10.7x15.9m) and aft (12.8x9.9m). Aircraft fuel stowage: ?.
| Year | fighters | diving bombers | torpedo bombers | recon planes |
| 1929 | 15 A1N2 | --- | 24 B1M | 8 C1M |
| 11.1935 | 16 A2N | 16 D1A1 | 28 B2M | --- |
| 7.1937 | 16 A2N | 14 D1A1 | 22 B2M and B4Y1 | --- |
| 12.1941 | 27 A6M2 | 26 D3A1 | 26 B5N2 | --- |
| 6.1942 | 21 A6M2 | 27 D3A1 | 18 B5N2 | --- |
Project history: Kaga was laid down as third battleship of "8-8" shipbuilding Programme (standard displacement 39900t, 5x2 410mm main guns). After the Washington conference building have suspended also it was going to sold already launched ship for scrap. However after damage during earthquake of hull of proposed to completion as an aircraft carrier battlecruiser Amagi it have decided to replace her by Kaga. Incomplete battleship was towed to Yokosuka N Yd, and late 1923 works have renewed. As a whole design repeated Akagi. Outwardly it differed by a construction of funnels: on Kaga smoke ducts placed from both sides and went along a hangar to a stern. The battleship hull was on 13m shorter, than on battlecruiser because of what the flight deck also has gone out more shortly, and arrangement of a triple-level hangar should be changed a little. Besides, the deck had no characteristic for Akagi angle towards a stern. Scheme of placing of flight decks, elevators, and also armament and protection on Kaga and Akagi were practically identical. (Former differed by more thin armoured deck: only 38mm). Engine power and maximal speed of Kaga at the moment of commission were much less, than Akagi (91000hp and 27.5kts against 131200hp and 31kts)
From 25.6.1934 till 25.6.1935 aircraft carrier has passed massive reconstruction (further under the same project Akagi was also updated). After installation of anti-torpedo bulges hull breadth has increased from 29.6 to 32.5m, hull length was also increased from 238.5 to 247.7 m. Engine power was enlarged at the expense of replacement of 12 old boilers with mixed combustion by 8 oil-firing ones with larger steam output. Flight deck was extended to 248.6 m (exceeded maximal hull length), both fwd launching decks on hangar decks were eliminated. Elevators became three. Number of 200mm guns was stored, but their arrangement has partially changed: guns were transferred from dismantled turrets into increased aft casemates. Number of aircrafts, including spare planes, has increased from 60 to 90. After modernization characteristics of Kaga and Akagi became more similar. The basic differences consisted that island of Kaga placed on the starboard side and was more close to a stem, funnel had smaller size, and medium elevator has been moved forward.
Ship protection: Main 152mm belt closed about 2.3 of hull length and was inclined at 14° from vertical. Flat main (lower hangar) 55-32mm (38mm armour on 17mm plating) deck connected with its upper edge but had additional 75mm slopes connected with lower edge of main belt. There was 76mm longitudinal anti-torpedo bulkhead.
Ship protection after modernization: Main 152mm belt closed about 2.3 of hull length and was inclined at 14° from vertical. Flat main (lower hangar) 79-57mm (51-32mm armour on 28-25mm plating) deck connected with its upper edge but had additional 102mm slopes connected with lower edge of main belt. There was 76-16mm longitudinal anti-torpedo bulkhead. Depth of underwater protection was increased at 1.5m by bulges.
Modernizations: (6/1934 - 6.1935, Sasebo K K): ship was modernized. Upper flight deck was lengthened, other flight decks were removed. Hull was lengthened and bulged, small island superstructure was fitted starboard. Boilers were replaced by new ones. Funnels and elevators were reconstructed. Data was as given in the table.
Kaga 1941
Kaga 1942
| Data variant | 1935 modernization |
|
Displacement standard, t |
38200 |
|
Displacement full, t |
43650 |
|
Length, m |
218.0 pp 240.3 wl 247.7 oa 248.6 fd |
|
Breadth, m |
32.5 |
|
Draught, m |
9.48 |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
4 sets Kampon geared steam turbines, 12 Kampon boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
127400 |
|
Max speed, kts |
28.3 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 5300 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 10000(16) |
|
Armour, mm |
belt: 152, main deck: 55 - 32, casemates: 25 - 19 |
|
Armament |
10 x 1 - 200/50 3-shiki, 8 x 2 - 127/40 89-shiki, 90 aircraft (A2N fighters, D1A diving bombers, B2M, B3Y torpedo bombers) |
|
Complement |
2016 |
1938: + 11 x 2 - 25/60 96-shiki
1941: + 4 x 2 - 25/60 96-shiki
Naval service: During battle at Midway in the afternoon 4.6.1942 American carrier aircraft (Hornet, Yorktown and Enterprise air groups) achieved four hits and five near misses of 454kg bombs. Extensive breaking downs and fires on flight and hangar decks forced the crew soon abandon the ship. Later 9 hours after attack she was as result of explosion of aviation petrol tanks.
Kaga 1928
Kaga
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14