Sister ship Mogami og the Japanese Suzuya
Source Dutch magazine Onze Vloot dated June 1936, p. 79, drawing by E.Th. Poppe
German Admiral Graf Spee
An item referred to the magazine Revista Marittime dated October 1934 which on her turn used the British naval magazine The Navvy as source for reporting that Japan was building at Yokosuka, Japan a 10.000 tons cruiser (1) similar to the German pocket battleship Deutschland and would be the most modern ship within the Japanese navy.(2)
Notes
1. This must be the Suzuya of the Mogami-class heavy cruisers consisting of the Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya and Kumano. Building ordered under the 1931 Fiscal Year, laid down by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 11 December 1933, launched on 20 November 1934, commissioned on 31 October 1937, sunk in the Battle of Samar on 25 October 1944 and stricken on 20 December 1944. Displacement 8.500 (official)-13.670 (final) tons and as dimensions 200,6 x 20,2 x 5,9 metres or 658 x 66 x 19 feet. Speed 35,5 (final)-37 (initial) and a range of 8.032 miles with a speed of 14 knots and heavy oil bunker capacity of 2.243 tons. Crew numbered 850-950. Armament consisted of 5x3-15.5cm/6.1“ guns, 4x2-12,7cm/5” guns, 4x1-4cm anti aircraft guns and 4x3-61cm/24“ torpedo tubes. Armour consisted of a 10-12,5cm thick belt, a 3,5-6cm thick deck and the turrets protected by 2,5cm.
2. Of the Deutschland-class armoured ships well known as pocket battleships later classified as heavy cruisers. Laid down by Reichsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven, Germany on 1 October 1932, launched on 30 June 1934, commissioned on 6 January 1936, after the Battle of the River Plata with British/New Zealand cruisers on 13 December, scuttled by her own crew in the harbour of Montevideo, Uruguay on 17 December 1939. Displacement 14.890 (design)-17.280 (full load) tons and as dimensions 186 x 21,65 x 7,34 metres or 610.3 x 71.0 x 24.1 feet. Speed 2,8 knots and with a speed of 18,69 a range of 16.300 nautical miles. Crew numbered 951-1.070 men. Armament consisted of 2x3-28cm/11” guns, 8x1-15cm/5.9” guns and 8-53,3cm/21.0” torpedo tubes. Armour consisted of a 8cm/3.1” thick belt, a 1,7cm/0.67”-4,5cm/1.77” thick deck with the main gun turrets protected by 14cm/5.5”.
