was the second ship in the two ship of light cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). She was named after the Tatsuta River in Nara Prefecture, Japan.
Background
The Tenryū class was designed to act as flagships for destroyer flotillas. The design represented an intermediate class between the light cruiser and the destroyer, which had few counterparts in other navies of the time, although it was inspired by a similar concept to the Royal Navy's and s. The IJN and Japanese shipbuilding industry were still closely associated with that of the British because of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, and were able to improve on that experience.
Design
The Tenryū-class vessels, termed "small-model" (or "3,500-Ton") cruisers, were designed as fast flotilla leaders for the Imperial Navy's new first- and second-class destroyers.
In terms of weaponry, the Tenryū class was weaker than any other contemporary cruiser. The main battery consisted of four 14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns, which were also utilized as the secondary battery on the s. However, the guns were situated in single mounts on the centerline, with only a limited angle of fire, and could fire only one gun at a target immediately in front or aft of the vessel. A further weakness was the lack of room for anti-aircraft guns. Despite awareness increasing about the growing threat of aircraft to surface ships, the secondary battery of the Tenryū class consisted of only a single dual-purpose 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval guns, plus two 6.5 mm machine guns. The class also was the first to use triple torpedo launchers, with two centerline-mounted Type 6 launchers. No reloads were carried.
In 1923, in the aftermath of the Great Kantō earthquake, Tatsuta made use of its high speed to transport emergency relief supplies from Kure to Tokyo.
During maneuvers on 19 March 1924, Tatsuta was involved in a collision outside Sasebo harbor, where she rammed and sank the submarine Submarine No. 43 (later raised, repaired, and returned to service as ) with the loss of submarine's entire crew of 46.
Tatsuta was refitted in late 1926, when she was given a tripod foremast, serving on active duty again from 1 December 1926 to 1 December 1927, and from December 1930 to November 1931.
On 6 March 1934, during fleet maneuvers off Sasebo, the torpedo boat capsized due to design defects in what later came to be known as the Tomozuru Incident. Tatsuta found the capsized vessel and towed it back to Sasebo for examination. From 15 November 1934, Tatsuta, under the command of Captain Chūichi Hara, was made flagship of the 5th Destroyer Squadron within the IJN 3rd Fleet and was assigned to patrols of the China coast. She was relieved by the new cruiser on 15 November 1935 and returned to Sasebo.
On 14 July 1942, in a major reorganization of the Japanese navy, CruDiv 18 under Rear Admiral Mitsuharu Matsuyama came under the newly created IJN Eighth Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa and based at Rabaul. On 20 July, Tatsuta was assigned to cover Japanese troop landings in the invasion of Buna, New Guinea ("Operation RI"). The invasion force was attacked by USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Martin B-26 Marauder bombers on its return to Rabaul, but Tatsuta was unharmed. Tatsuta escorted three more convoys to Buna in August, two of which were successful.
On 1 November, Tatsuta was designated flagship of CruDiv18 under Admiral Mitsuharu Matsuya. However, due to damage to her rudder, she remained at Truk from 5 November to 12 January 1943.
Return to Japan
Tatsuta returned to Maizuru on 19 January - 28 March 1943 for repairs, and remained in Japan until October making training cruises in the Seto Inland Sea with newly commissioned destroyers of the 11th Destroyer Squadron of the IJN 1st Fleet. On 8 June, while Tatsuta was moored near Hashirajima, the battleship exploded and sank due to an accidental magazine explosion. Tatsuta participated in the rescue operation and recovered 39 wounded survivors.
Tatsuta was stricken from the navy list on 10 May 1944.
Gallery
<gallery>
File:Japanese cruiser Tatsuta 1919.jpg|In 1919
File:IJN_Tatsuta_in_Inland_Sea_1920s.jpg|In the Inland Sea with destroyer flotilla, 1920s
File:IJN Tatsuta at Kure in 1928.jpg|At Kure in 1928
File:Japanese cruiser Tatsuta in 1927 with Nagato and Mutsu.jpg|In 1927 with battleships Nagato and Mutsu
File:Japanese cruiser Tatsuta in 1927.jpg|In 1927 with weather balloon
File:Japanese cruiser Tatsuta in May 1932.jpg|In May 1932
</gallery>