Kinugasa was a Japanese heavy cruiser the keel of which was laid in 1924, launched in October 1926, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in September 1927. The ship was 185 m long, 15.8 m wide, and had a full displacement of 9,100 tons. The maximum speed of the Kinugasa cruiser was around 33.4 - 36 knots. At the time of launching, the main armament was 6 203 mm guns in three twin turrets, and the additional armament included: 4 120 mm cannons and 12 610 mm torpedo tubes.
Kinugasa was the second and final Aoba-class cruiser. Cruisers of this type They were initially designed as further Furutaka units, but during construction, the plans were modified with the addition of twin artillery turrets and seaplane operation capabilities. This led to some ship instability at high waves. The Kinugasa cruiser - like its twin Aoba - underwent modernization in the years 1938-1940, which mainly consisted in strengthening the anti-aircraft weapons. The combat career of the cruiser Kinugasa in World War II began in December 1941 with supporting the Japanese landing on the islands of Guam and Wake. In the period from January to May 1942, it covered numerous Japanese landings, including in: New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tulagi. The cruiser took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942), in which it was damaged. In August of the same year, he took an active part in the Battle of Savo, which was victorious for the Japanese forces. In October 1942, Kinugasa fought in the Battle of Cape Esperance. The cruiser was sunk on November 13, 1942 as a result of an attack by American on-board planes.
