{"id":372,"date":"2013-06-04T21:02:06","date_gmt":"2013-06-05T01:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/njipms.org\/?page_id=372"},"modified":"2013-06-06T15:29:27","modified_gmt":"2013-06-06T19:29:27","slug":"japanese-light-cruiser-yahagi-hasegawa-1350-scale","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/njipms.org\/?page_id=372","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Light Cruiser Yahagi – Hasegawa 1\/350 Scale"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IJN_Yahagi\"<\/a>History<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of four Agano-class cruisers intended to be Destroyer squadron flagships, the Japanese light cruiser Yahagi was built at the Sasebo Naval Yard and commissioned into service on December 29, 1943.\u00a0\u00a0 After months of training in the Singapore area, she participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, rescuing 570 sailors from the stricken Shokaku.\u00a0 Following the debacle at Philippine Sea, Yahagi returned to Japan, where she received additional AA guns and radar at the Kure Naval Yard.<\/p>\n

Following her refit, she joined the Yamato, Musashi, Kongo, Nagato, 8 cruisers and a host of Destroyers carrying troops and supplied to Okinawa.\u00a0\u00a0 After fulfilling this mission, she departed Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa for Manila, then moved onto Singapore after a few days.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yahagi continued to train in the Singapore area, until sailing to Brunei in October, 1944.<\/p>\n

From Brunei, she joined the Center Force of the multi-faceted Japanese Operations “SHO-I-GO”, which sought a decisive battle with the United States Navy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As part of the Center Force, Yahagi was part of the running battles of the Palawan Passage, the Sibuyan Sea and the Battle off Samar, all of which were part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Her participation in these engagements seems limited to her coming through unscathed, with was an achievement unto itself.<\/p>\n

After the Leyte Gulf fiasco, the Imperial Japanese Navy scattered westward, seeking safety from American aircraft and submarines.\u00a0\u00a0 Yahagi returned to Brunei, then accompanied the battleships Yamato, Kongo and Nagato on the passage back to Japan in November, 1944.\u00a0 During this trip, Kongo and a destroyer were sunk by the US submarine Sealion II.<\/p>\n

Upon her return to Japan, Yahagi underwent another refit at Sasebo, then conducted training with the battleship Yamato for the next several months.\u00a0\u00a0 Finally, in April of 1945, along with Yamato and 8 destroyers, she departed on Operation TEN-ICHI-GO, which was in essence a naval Kamikaze attack against the US fleet laying off the Okinawa beachhead.\u00a0\u00a0 Spotted by American submarines soon after their departure from Japan on April 6th, the force was overwhelmed by US Navy aircraft on April 7th.\u00a0\u00a0 Yahagi was torpedoes and brought to a halt during the first wave of attacks, then further battered by as many as six additional torpedoes and up to a dozen bombs.\u00a0 She finally succumbed to her assailants at approximately 2pm in the afternoon of the 7th of April, taking 440+ men with her.<\/p>\n

For more information, check out the Yahagi’s Tabular Record of Movement (TROM) at the Combined Fleet website.<\/p>\n\n\t\t