IJN Tone

IJN Tone Gradient

WW2 (1939-1945) The IJN Tone of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) was the lead ship of the Tone class of twin light cruiser battleships (eventually reclassified as heavy). Her sister ship was the IJN Chikuma, both of which served during World War II. The type was originally intended to be part of the existing pre-war superlative cruiser group, which consisted of four men and served from 1935 to 1944. Instead, the limitations of this class led to the development of a limited set of new ships - the Clay class.

The class is a hybrid of design goals, as it is to be armed with the same 12-inch 155mm main gun as the top-level, while still trying to meet the 8,000-ton international naval treaty limit. Before World War II, the Tone class was modified to go beyond these limitations and evolve into a heavy cruiser battleship, designed to carry a 203mm main gun and eight reconnaissance aircraft, the type was intended to be used as a deep-water "reconnaissance cruiser"".

The IJN Tone was originally ordered in 1932 and formulated on December 1, 1934. She was launched on November 21, 1937, and officially commissioned on November 20, 1938.

IJN Tone was involved in various operations during the Battles of Santa Cruz (25-27 October 1942) and the Battles of Guadalcanal (August 1942-February 1943). In February 1943, her anti-aircraft capabilities were enhanced by the installation of additional 25mm guns and a Type 21 air search radar.

The convoy then salutes her as they support the Marshall Islands campaign before returning to patrol. In February 1944, she was used to rescue Japanese troops from Truk and transfer them to Palau.

In March of the same year, she carried out further raids in the Indian Ocean, capturing the British freighter SS Behar on 9 March.

During the naval battle in the Philippine Sea (19-20 June 1944), the IJN Tone was just one of 90 Japanese warships that went up against 129 U.S. Navy warships. Tone was part of Force C and received additional 25mm anti-aircraft guns for self-defense and fleet protection.

Type 13 air search and Type 22 surface search radars were also added. The battle ended with another decisive victory for the United States - three aircraft carriers of the Japanese naval fleet were sunk and more than 500 Japanese aircraft were destroyed.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf (23-26 October 1944) was IJN Tone's last major war effort. A strong American air presence ensured that the Japanese fleet traveling in support of the Philippine campaign was contained and eventually driven away.

Tone's sister Chikuma was hit by an aerial torpedo during the battle and was sunk by her master on October 25.

After undergoing repairs and receiving additional 25mm guns and updated radar, Tone was moored at Etajima as a training platform. Here, she suffered some losses in an air raid on March 19, 1945, but she eventually died in another, this time on July 24, 1945, when she was anchored at Wu Harbor.

Toni was hit by three aerial bombs and sank where she was sitting. On July 28, she suffered more bomb and missile injuries that worsened her condition. The war ended in August 1945, and on November 20 of the same year, IJN Tone was removed from the Naval Register.

Her seafaring days are now over and she was raised and scrapped between 1947 and 1948.

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