IJN Agano
Contents
Description
Agano (Japanese: 阿賀野) was the lead ship of her class of Imperial Japanese Navy light cruisers (in Japanese also designated as 阿賀野型軽巡洋艦 - second-rank cruisers of the Agano class). Launched and commissioned in October 1940, she saw limited combat during her service. Although designed as a modern vessel, she was criticised for her inadequate anti-aircraft armament. Agano participated in several missions, including the Battle of Bougainville Island, but her role was marginal at best. In November 1943, she was heavily damaged during the Rabaul air raids, losing her rudder and two propellers. While attempting to return to Japan for repairs, she was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Skate on 16 February 1944 and subsequently sank, marking the first loss of her class.
Agano-class, IJN Agano, 1944 was introduced along with the initial release of the Imperial Japanese Navy in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy". She has a fairly high speed, long-lance torpedoes, scout planes, and a good rate of fire, making it easy to fight against destroyers and other cruisers, while also being very competent at winning missions through objectives. Her biggest downsides are very limited anti-air capability, relatively poor survivability, and low penetration of the armour-piercing rounds. She should not be played as a conventional ship when in uptiers, her large torpedo broadside and quick scout plane should be utilized and used as a supporting role ship.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour is virtually non-existent. Even a few accurate salvos of AP or SAP shells from enemy destroyers are capable of sending Agano to the bottom of the sea. It offers protection only against HE shells, which are relatively uncommon at this BR range.
Mobility
The Agano is very fast for a cruiser and can keep up with some destroyers when fully upgraded.The ship makes up for its overall semi-weak armour with speed. It is able to weave in and out of combat at will and is relatively manoeuvrable when compared to its usual adversaries.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 76 | 23 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 65 | 20 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| Type 0 HE | HE | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Type 4 SAP | SAP | 81 | 68 | 52 | 40 | 34 | 34 |
| Type 0 HE-TF | HE-TF | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Type 0 HE | HE | 850 | 45.26 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.17 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Type 4 SAP | SAP | 850 | 45.26 | 0.01 | 7 | 2.92 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| Type 0 HE-TF | HE-TF | 850 | 45.26 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.17 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Secondary armament
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 100 m | 1,000 m | 2,000 m | 3,000 m | 4,000 m | 5,000 m | ||
| Type 98 HE | HE | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Type 98 HE-TF | HE-TF | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Type 98 HE | HE | 902 | 5.97 | 0 | 0.1 | 399 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Type 98 HE-TF | HE-TF | 902 | 5.97 | 0 | 0.1 | 399 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Anti-aircraft armament
Anti-aircraft defenses can be described as adequate at best. 10 x 25 mm AA guns in four separate mounts can shoot down a slow-flying or non-maneuvering plane at distances of under 2 km. However, they will have trouble dealing with a fast and maneuvering aircraft.
Additional armament
16 x Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 (610 mm) in two mounts of four tubes and one reload are the famous Japanese Long Lance torpedoes. Incredibly effective and deadly even against the top tier vessels. Thanks to the long range they can be used to engage targets even within the enemy spawn zone, making them arguably the deadliest weapon on the cruiser.
Scout plane
Located amidships is a catapult with one Aichi E13A1 scout plane (the second stored on the trolley is not available) which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The E13A1 is equipped with a 7.7 mm Type 97 defensive machine gun and a formidable load of 4 x 60 kg bombs. It also has the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilize the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new! Carrying a heavier bomb load than most other scout planes, this unit has a very good chance to sink enemy boats or even a destroyer.
Usage in battles
When downtiered, the best approach is to target enemy destroyers, as your fast-firing (6-second reload) 152 mm main guns are excellent at taking them down. However, accuracy is essential, as the ready rack holds only 20 shells per gun. Once this is depleted, the rate of fire becomes a significant drawback, particularly against manoeuvring targets. Avoid engaging in duels with enemy heavy cruisers, as your guns may struggle to penetrate their thicker armour plating. When uptiered, you may encounter battlecruisers and battleships, against which your guns are largely ineffective. In such cases, your only realistic method of engaging them is by using your torpedoes.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 16 Long Lance torpedoes are devastating against enemy ships
- Very fast for a cruiser, can keep up with some destroyers when fully upgraded
- Main guns have a great rate of fire in first-stage, equal to US cruisers
- Very good SAP shells, able to effectively deal with soft targets
- One scout plane
Cons:
- No dedicated armour-piercing shells and a poor explosive filler in the HE and HE-TF shells
- 25 mm AA guns cannot engage close targets
- Armour is mediocre, other cruisers will punch right through it at close range
- Turrets are large and lack armour, can thus easily be disabled
- Torpedoes have very limited firing arc
History
Agano was the lead ship of four light cruisers built to supercede and replace the older cruisers serving as destroyer flotilla flagships in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Launched in October 1941, she entered service a year later and saw her first operation escorting troop transports to New Guinea in December 1942. The ship was involved in Operation Ke, the evacuation of 10,652 Japanese troops from Guadalcanal as well as the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay, an American victory which closed the Solomon Islands campaign. Several weeks later, American airstrikes damaged the ship as it lay in port at Rabaul and whilst en route to receive repairs, she was struck by a torpedo from an American submarine which flooded the boiler rooms and knocked out all power. The submarine Albacore prepared to finish the helpless and immobile ship, but was prevented from doing so by depth charges from the Urakaze. Taken under tow to Truk, Agano underwent 4 months of repairs before being able to attempt the journey back to the home islands of Japan in February 1944, for more permanent fixes. Ambushed by the American submarine Skate, Agano was hit by 2 torpedoes and sank 6 hours later.
Her destroyer escort Oite took on 523 survivors from the Agano, but was herself sunk 2 days later by Grumman TBF Avengers of Task Force 58 during Operation Hailstone. She sank almost immediately with the loss 172 out of her 192 complement whilst all 523 survivors of the Agano were lost.
Media
- Skins
Market
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
- [Wikipedia] Japanese cruiser Agano
- [大日本帝国軍 主要兵器] 『阿賀野型軽巡洋艦』 【Agano-class light cruiser】
- [大日本帝国軍 主要兵器] 阿賀野【阿賀野型軽巡洋艦 一番艦】 【Agano-class light cruiser first】
| Sasebo Naval Arsenal (佐世保海軍工廠) | |
|---|---|
| Destroyers | |
| Mutsuki-class | IJN Mutsuki |
| Hatsuharu-class | IJN Hatsuharu |
| Shiratsuyu-class | IJN Yuudachi |
| Light Cruisers | |
| Agano-class | IJN Agano |
| Unique Ships | IJN Yubari |
| Tanks | Chi-Ha Short Gun |
| Japan light cruisers | |
|---|---|
| Kuma-class | IJN Tama |
| IJN Yubari* | |
| Nagara-class | IJN Isuzu |
| Sendai-class | IJN Sendai |
| Agano-class | IJN Agano |
| Mogami-class | IJN Mikuma · IJN Suzuya |
| * Unique ship | |
