was the lead ship in the two-ship of light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Tenryū was named after the Tenryū River in Nagano and Shizuoka prefectures.

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 Imperial Japanese Navy and Japanese shipbuilding industry were still closely associated with the British due to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, and were able to improve on the British 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.

However, 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 21-inch launchers. No reloads were carried.

After minor renovation in late 1927, Tenryū once again became flagship of the 1st Destroyer Squadron. From 1 December 1928, she was assigned back to Kure, serving as a training vessel for the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy and Submarine School. In 1930, she was given a tripod foremast.

On 9 October 1931, Tenryū was assigned to patrols of the Yangtze River in China as part of the IJN 3rd Fleet, and was thus in combat during the January 28 Incident at Shanghai in 1932. She returned to Japan in October 1933, and from November 1934 was again based at Kure. On 26 September 1935, during fleet maneuvers in a typhoon, Tatsuta (along with several other vessels) suffered hull damage in what later came to be known as the Fourth Fleet Incident. Repair work at Kure Naval Arsenal lasted until May 1936.

On 14 July 1942, in a major reorganization of the Japanese navy, CruDiv 18 under Rear Admiral Mitsuharu Matsuyama came under the newly created Eighth Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa and based at Rabaul. On 20 July, Tenryū was assigned to cover Japanese troop landings in the invasion of Buna, New Guinea ("Operation RI"). The invasion force was attacked by United States Army Air Forces Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Martin B-26 Marauder bombers on its return to Rabaul, but Tenryū was unharmed. and narrowly escaping a torpedo launched by on 3 November off Santa Isabel Island. On 8 November, Tenryū was attacked by PT boats (PT-37, PT-39, and PT-61) off Cape Tassafaronga, but escaped without damage. Twenty-three crewmen were lost, but Suzukaze rescued the survivors, including Captain Mitsuharu Ueda.

Tenryū was struck from the navy list on 20 January 1943.

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File: IJN Tenryu in 1919 under construction.jpg|

File: IJN Tenryu in 1919 under trials.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in Yokosuka 1919.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in 1921.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in 1920s.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in 1926 postcard.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in 1930.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in Inland Sea 1930-32.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu 1930-31.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in Shanghai 1932.jpg|

File: IJN Tenryu in Shanghai Feb 1934.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu docked at Shanghai Feb 1934.jpg|

File: Japanese cruiser Tenryu in 1936.jpg|

</gallery>

References

Notes

Books

  • Gallery: US Navy Historical Center