Japanese cruiser Maya

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 Myōkō-class design, incorporating technical elements learned with the development of the experimental light 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.^[2]

The Takao class displaced 16,875 t (16,608 long tons). Maya was 203.8 metres (669 ft) long, with a beam of 20.4 metres (67 ft), draft of 6.32 metres (20.7 ft) and was capable of 35.25 knots.^[2]

Propulsion was by 12 Kampon boilers driving four sets of single-impulse geared turbine engines, with four shafts turning three-bladed propellers. The ship was armored with a 127 mm (5.0 in) side belt, and 35 mm (1.4 in) armored deck;, the bridge was armored with 10 to 16 mm (0.39 to 0.63 in) armored plates.^[2]

Maya's main battery was ten 20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns, the heaviest armament of any heavy cruiser in the world at the time, mounted in five twin turrets.^[2] Her secondary armament included eight Type 10 12 cm dual purpose guns with four twin mounts, two on each side, and 16 Type 90 torpedoes in four quadruple launchers. She was very deficient in anti-aircraft capability, with only two 40 mm (1.57 in) anti-aircraft guns. Maya was repeatedly modernized and upgraded throughout her career in order to counter the growing threat of air strikes, and in her final configuration was eight 20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns (4x2), twelve Type 89 12.7 cm (5 in) dual purpose guns (6x2), and 16 Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes in four quadruple launchers (plus 8 reloads). Anti-aircraft (AA) protection included 13 triple-mount and 27 single-mount Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Guns (13x3, 27x1) and 36 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns.

Discover more about Design related topics

Myōkō-class cruiser

Myōkō-class cruiser

The Myōkō-class cruisers were a series of four heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1920s. Three were lost during World War II.

Japanese cruiser Yūbari

Japanese cruiser Yūbari

Yūbari (夕張) was an experimental light cruiser built between 1922 and 1923 for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Although a test bed for various new designs and technologies, she was commissioned as a front-line warship and participated in numerous combat operations during World War II before she was sunk by the USS Bluegill. Designs pioneered on Yūbari had a major impact on future Japanese warship designs.

Deck (ship)

Deck (ship)

A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary or upper deck is the horizontal structure that forms the "roof" of the hull, strengthening it and serving as the primary working surface. Vessels often have more than one level both within the hull and in the superstructure above the primary deck, similar to the floors of a multi-storey building, that are also referred to as decks, as are certain compartments and decks built over specific areas of the superstructure. Decks for some purposes have specific names.

Bridge (nautical)

Bridge (nautical)

The bridge, also known as the pilothouse or wheelhouse, is a room or platform of a ship from which the ship can be commanded. When a ship is under way, the bridge is manned by an officer of the watch aided usually by an able seaman acting as a lookout. During critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge, often supported by an officer of the watch, an able seaman on the wheel and sometimes a pilot, if required.

20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun

20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun

Third year type 20 cm/50 caliber guns formed the main battery of Japan's World War II heavy cruisers. These guns were also mounted on two early aircraft carriers. The typical installation was ten 20 cm/50 guns; although Tone-class cruisers carried eight while Furutaka and Aoba-class cruisers carried six. After modernization, Akagi carried only six.

61 cm Type 90 torpedo

61 cm Type 90 torpedo

The 61 cm Type 90 torpedo was a surface-fired torpedo used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It was used in the Hatsuharu-class destroyers and in most cruisers, including the Furutaka, Aoba, Myoko, Takao and Mogami-class heavy cruisers after refits during the 1930s. It was superseded by the Type 93 oxygen-powered torpedo, commonly called the Long Lance, as oxygen generating equipment was installed aboard the cruisers.

Anti-aircraft warfare

Anti-aircraft warfare

Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action". It includes surface based, subsurface, and air-based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements, and passive measures. It may be used to protect naval, ground, and air forces in any location. However, for most countries, the main effort has tended to be homeland defence. NATO refers to airborne air defence as counter-air and naval air defence as anti-aircraft warfare. Missile defence is an extension of air defence, as are initiatives to adapt air defence to the task of intercepting any projectile in flight.

12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun

12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun

The 12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun was a Japanese anti-aircraft (AA) gun introduced before World War II. It was the Imperial Japanese Navy's standard heavy AA gun during the war.

Type 93 torpedo

Type 93 torpedo

The Type 93 was a 610 mm (24 in)-diameter torpedo of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), launched from surface ships. It is commonly referred to as the Long Lance by most modern English-language naval historians, a nickname given to it after the war by Samuel Eliot Morison, the chief historian of the U.S. Navy, who spent much of the war in the Pacific Theater. In Japanese references, the term Sanso gyorai is also used, in reference to its propulsion system. It was the most advanced naval torpedo in the world at the time.

Machine gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles are typically designed more for firing short bursts rather than continuous firepower, and are not considered true machine guns.

Early operations

Launch of Maya, 8 November 1930

Maya was laid down at the Kawasaki Shipyards in Kobe on 4 December 1928, launched and named on 8 November 1930, and was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 30 June 1932.^[3]

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.^[4] 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.^[2]

Pacific War

At the start of the Pacific War, Maya was based at Mako Guard District in the Pescadores Islands together with Atago and Takao. Atago and Takao sailed first to provide support for Japanese landings in the invasion of the northern Philippines. Maya remained at Mako in reserve until 8 December, when she sailed as part of Vice Admiral Ibō Takahashi's IJN 3rd Fleet, together with the cruisers Ashigara and Kuma to support Japanese landing at Vigan and at Lingayen Gulf. On 31 December, she provided cover for the Third Malaya Convoy, and assisted in the seizure of the Natuna islands.^[4] In January 1942, Maya was assigned to patrols from Palau, covering operations in the southern Philippines. In February, she provided distant cover for the Bombing of Darwin, Australia. From the end of February, she based at Staring-baai in the Celebes, and was involved in operations to hunt down and destroy shipping attempting to escape from the Dutch East Indies. On 2 March, Maya's floatplanes spotted HMS Stronghold, and Maya with the destroyers Arashi and Nowaki closed on the old destroyer/minelayer and expended 1270 rounds of ammunition on her before she finally sank. Survivors were picked up by captured small steamer Bintoehan, and later transferred to Maya. Later the same night, Maya and Atago also sank the destroyer USS Pillsbury.^[4] On 3 March, Maya was present at the sinking of the gunboat Asheville south of Java.

On 4 March, Atago, Takao and Maya, together attacked a convoy which had departed Tjilatjap for Fremantle, Australia, and sank the Royal Australian Navy sloop HMAS Yarra after a 90 minute battle, along with the British tanker Francol, depot ship Anking, and British minesweeper 51. Maya returned to Staring-baai on 7 March, and back to Yokosuka on 18 March. While dry-docked at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal an additional two Type 96 twin-mount AA guns were installed abreast the forward funnel.^[2]

In April 1942, Maya was part of the fleet assigned to the unsuccessful pursuit of Admiral William F. Halsey's Task Force 16.2 after the Doolittle Raid. In June 1942, Takao and Maya supported the invasion of the Aleutian Islands, protecting the convoy for Kiska and providing fire support for landings on Attu. Two reconnaissance aircraft from each cruiser were attacked by United States Army Air Forces P-40 Warhawks from Umnak on 3 June, with two destroyed and two heavily damaged on 3 June. Maya returned to Ōminato Guard District on 24 June.^[4]

In August 1942, Maya was assigned to "Operation Ka", the Japanese reinforcement during the Battle of Guadalcanal, departing Hashirajima with Atago and Maya on 11 August for Truk. The cruisers were in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on 24 August from a distance, and did not see combat. On 15 October, Maya, together with Myōkō and Isuzu participated a bombardment of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Maya fired 450 Type-3 incendiary and Type-91 armor-piercing shells during the operation.^[4] Maya was also at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands participating in night combat operations resulting in the sinking of the American aircraft carrier USS Hornet.^[2] On 3 November, Maya and Chikuma were sent to reinforce the IJN 8th Fleet at Shortland Island and participated in the second bombardment of Henderson Field on 14 November. On the return from the mission, Maya's task force was attacked by the submarine USS Flying Fish, which missed the cruiser with six torpedoes. Later, a United States Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber from VB-10 of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise dropped a 500-pound (227 kg) bomb astern of Maya. The near miss caused no damage, but the wing of the Dauntless clipped Maya's mainmast, and the plane crashed into the port side of the cruiser, igniting 4.7-inch shells and killing 37 crewmen. Maya was forced to jettison her torpedoes as a precaution while putting out the fires, and was forced to return to Yokosuka for repairs at the end of the year.^[4]

Maya in January 1943, showing damage sustained at Guadalcanal.

Maya returned to Yokosuka for repairs and refit in January 1943, and was then reassigned to operations in northern waters, supporting supply missions to the Kurile Islands and the Aleutian islands. On 26 March, Maya participated in the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, off Kamchatka Peninsula. The cruisers USS Richmond, Salt Lake City, and four destroyers of Rear Admiral Charles H. McMorris' Task Group 16.6 engaged the cruisers Nachi, Maya, Tama, Abukuma and two destroyers of Vice Admiral Hosogaya's IJN Fifth Fleet, escorting a convoy with troops and supplies for the isolated garrison on Attu.　Maya catapulted her spotter aircraft and launched Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes, but scored no hits. In a four-hour running gun battle, Salt Lake City and destroyer Bailey were damaged by gunfire. Maya and Nachi were also damaged in the exchange of fire and the Japanese were forced to abort their resupply mission.^[4]

After repairs again at Yokosuka, Maya returned to the Kuriles in late April, and became flagship of the IJN Fifth Fleet, assisting in the evacuation of Kiska after the loss of Attu to the Americans in August 1943.

After refit in Yokosuka during which two additional twin-mount Type-96 AA guns (bringing its total to 16 barrels), Maya accompanied Chōkai back to Truk, arriving in late September, and started shuttling troops and supplies between Truk and Rabaul. ON 5 November, Maya was attacked by SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier USS Saratoga during the Carrier Raid on Rabaul. A bomb hit the aircraft deck portside above the No. 3 engine room and started a major fire. Seventy crewmen were killed. Emergency repairs were made at Rabaul, and Maya returned to Yokosuka at the end of 1943. During this repair, a major change was made in Maya's armaments, transforming her into an anti-aircraft cruiser, with her No.3 turret and aircraft hangar removed, and replaced by thirteen triple mount and nine single mount Type 96 AA guns, and six twin-mount 127-mm guns, as well as 36 Type 93 machine guns. Her twin torpedo launchers were upgraded to quadruple launchers, and a Type 22 surface-search radar was installed.^[2] The overhaul was completed on 9 April.

At Kure, Maya embarked two Aichi E13A1 "Jake" long-range scout planes, troops and materials. A monkey, donated to Maya by the Kure Zoo, was also embarked. During the voyage, the aircrew taught the monkey to salute the officers, much to their annoyance.^[4]

From April to June 1944, Maya supported other units in the defense of the Philippines, culminating in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, in which she was damaged slightly by near-misses. During this battle, on 20 June, the scout plane from Maya spotted Task Force 58 at a distance of 300 miles (480 km). Maya went into a ring formation with the battleships Kongō, Haruna, destroyer Asashimo and other escorts to protect the aircraft carrier Chiyoda. This formation was attacked by over 50 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from the aircraft carriers USS Bunker Hill, Monterey, and Cabot.^[4]

On 20 June, Maya retired with the remnants of the fleet via Okinawa to Yokosuka, arriving 25 June where the aircrew and their pet monkey disembarked and an additional 18 Type 96 single-mount AA guns were installed. On 14 July, Maya transported units of the IJA 28th Division to Miyako-jima from Kure, and then continued on to Singapore. She rendezvoused with the fleet at Brunei on 20 October.

On 22 October, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Maya was assigned to Sentai-4 with sister ships Atago, Takao and Chōkai together with the battleships Yamato, Musashi and Nagato. At 05:33 on 23 October, the fleet was attacked in the Palawan Passage by a pair of US submarines, Maya's sister-ships Atago and Takao were torpedoed by the submarine USS Darter. Atago was hit four times and sank in approximately 18 minutes, while Takao was severely damaged by two hits and forced to retire to Singapore. Twenty minutes later, submarine USS Dace fired six torpedoes at Maya, mistaking it for a Kongō-class battleship; Maya was struck by four torpedoes portside: one in the forward chain locker, another opposite No. 1 gun turret, a third in No. 7 boiler room and the last in the aft engine room. Powerful secondary explosions followed immediately, and by 06:00 Maya was dead in the water and listing heavily to port. She sank five minutes later, taking 336 officers and men to the bottom, including her captain (09°27′N 117°23′E / 9.450°N 117.383°E / 9.450; 117.383Coordinates: 09°27′N 117°23′E / 9.450°N 117.383°E / 9.450; 117.383).^[4]

Akishimo rescued 769 men, and transferred them to the battleship Musashi, which was sunk the following day; 143 of Maya's crewmen were lost with Musashi. Thus, from the final crew of 1,105 crewmen, 479 were lost. She was removed from the navy list on 20 December 1944.^[4]

Discover more about Service history related topics

Keel laying

Keel laying

Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.

Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation

Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ship & Offshore Structure Company is the shipbuilding subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It produces primarily specialized commercial vessels, including LNG carriers, LPG carriers, container ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers, as well as high speed passenger jetfoils. In addition, it is also a producer of warships for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, including submarines. Kawasaki also produces marine machinery, including marine engines, thrusters, steering gears, deck and fishing machinery.

Masaichi Niimi

Masaichi Niimi

Vice-Admiral Masaichi Niimi was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Jisaburō Ozawa

Jisaburō Ozawa

Vice-Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet. Ozawa has been noted for his unusual height: he was over 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, although his exact height has not been reliably reported.

Imperial Japanese Army

Imperial Japanese Army

The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor of Japan as supreme commander of the army and the Imperial Japanese Navy. Later an Inspectorate General of Aviation became the third agency with oversight of the army. At its height, the IJA was one of the most powerful and influential political forces in Imperial Japan, and an often dominant force on the battlefield. The IJA is notorious for its numerous war crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War, such as the Rape of Nanjing and the Bataan Death March.

6th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

6th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)

The 6th Division was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call sign was the Bright Division .

Nagoya

Nagoya

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3 million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most populous city of Aichi Prefecture, and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, and Chiba. It is the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the third-most populous metropolitan area in Japan with a population of 10.11 million in 2020.

Pacific War

Pacific War

The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast Pacific Ocean theater, the South West Pacific theater, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the Soviet–Japanese War.

Mako Guard District

Mako Guard District

The Mako Guard District was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in Taiwan before and during World War II. Located in at Mako 23°35′24″N 119°34′05″E,, the Mako Guard District was responsible for control of the strategic Straits of Taiwan and for patrols along the Taiwan and China coastlines and in the South China Sea. It was disbanded in 1943, and reestablished as the Takao Guard District at Takao on the Taiwan main island.

Philippines campaign (1941–1942)

Philippines campaign (1941–1942)

The Philippines campaign, also known as the Battle of the Philippines or the Fall of the Philippines, was the invasion of the Philippines by the Empire of Japan and the defense of the islands by United States and the Philippine Armies during World War II. It took place between December 8, 1941 and May 8, 1942.

Ibō Takahashi

Ibō Takahashi

Ibō Takahashi was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Japanese cruiser Ashigara

Japanese cruiser Ashigara

Ashigara (足柄) was the final vessel of the four-member Myōkō class of heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which were active in World War II. The other ships of the class were Nachi, Myōkō, and Haguro. Ashigara was named after Mount Ashigara on the border of Kanagawa and Shizuoka Prefectures.

On 19 April 2019, researchers aboard RV Petrel announced they had located the wreck of Maya in around 1,850 m (6,070 ft) of water. She sits upright with the tip of the bow broken off and lying upside down off the port quarter of the remainder of the wreck. She is in astonishingly good condition, with all main gun turrets still in place, and the massive bridge structure intact. Although her sister ship Atago was also sunk nearby, the bridge structure and main gun layout confirm that the wreck is indeed Maya.

In the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies, the father of Setsuko and Seita serves onboard Maya. He is assumed to have been killed in the end of the film.