Mogami Class Heavy Cruiser Summary

After Japan abrogated the London Naval Treaty agreement, all four ships of the Mogami class were rearmed with larger guns beginning in 1939 and reclassified as heavy cruisers. 

All four ships participated in the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Mogami and Mikuma were present at the Battle of Sunda Strait and contributed to the sinkings of the cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston.

In June 1942, all four took part in the Battle of Midway, where Mogami and Mikuma collided trying to avoid a submarine attack; Mikuma was sunk on 6 June 1942 by aircraft from aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and Hornet. The heavily damaged Mogami limped home and spent ten months in repair, during which her afterparts were completely rebuilt, and "X" and "Y" turrets were replaced by a flight deck (with the intention to operate 11 aircraft).

The remaining ships participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. Mogami,  already damaged by a collision with the cruiser Nachi, survived addtional cruiser gunfire and an aerial attack, only to be later scuttled by the destroyer Akebono. Kumano limped into Manila harbor where she was sunk a few weeks later. US escort carrier planes damaged Suzuya at Leyte, which caused her to be scuttled by the destroyer Okinami.

The class has been criticized as trying to do too much to be superior to enemy designs but there is no denying the class could take significant punishment and remain afloat.

Ships of Class:

• Mogami - Scuttled during the Battle of Surigao Strait, Oct. 1944
• Mikuma - Sunk during the Battle of Midway, June 1942
• Suzuya - Sunk during the Battle off Samar, Oct. 1944
• Kumano - Sunk by US aircraft during teh Philippine campaign, Nov. 1944

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