IJN Yubari (CL-1927)
The Yubari was to be the forerunner of a further set of light cruisers. Being
an improved Sendai type. However the Washington Treaty meant that cruiser
construction from 1923 onwards would centre on heavy cruisers with 8" guns. So
the Yubari ended up being a one off class of one ship. The biggest improvement
was to go from the single 5.5" guns to 5.5" guns in light twin turrets. To fit
the twin turrets required a whole new set of uptakes from the magazines to the
guns compared to the Sendai's. A wider, shorter hull meant a reduction in speed
of two knots but the ship was still fast enough to act with the destroyer
squadrons and older light cruisers.
The twin 5.5" were still a low angle set of guns. Anti-aircraft guns in 3", and
eventually 13.2mm and 25mm needed to be fitted for that duty. Fast forward to
1939 and the Yubari was taken in hand to be converted to an anti-aircraft
cruiser with the twin 5" dual purpose weapons replacing the low angle 5.5"
turrets on a one for one basis.
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In this guise the Yubari fought through the war till an American submarine
caught the Yubari exiting harbour and put three torpedoes into it.
| Displacement | 5,500 tons std, 6,850 tons full load | |
| Length | 535 ft | |
| Breadth | 52 ft | |
| Draught | 17 ft | |
| Machinery | 4 shaft Steam turbines, 90,000shp | |
| Speed | 34 knots | |
| Range | 6,500 miles at 18 knots | |
| Armour | 2.5" side, 1.5" deck, (1" turrets) | |
| Armament | 8 x 5.5" (4x2) 4 x 3" (4x1) 8 x 13.2mm (4x2) |
8 x 5" (4x2) 26 x 25mm (6x3 4x2)
|
| Aircraft | 2 | |
| Torpedoes | 12 x 21" | 12 x 24" (4x3) |
| Complement | 460 | |
| Notes | IJN Yubari |
|
The original Yubari, below, showed how far the Japanese were willing to push
designs to get as many ships into service as possible. The Yubari was a step too
far even for the Japanese.
The Yubari was more big destroyer than cruiser.