Difference between revisions of "IJN Tama"

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{{Specs-Card|code=jp_cruiser_kuma}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=jp_cruiser_kuma
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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<!--In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship’s creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot. If a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.-->
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<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (多摩, [[Abbreviations#.28JP.29_Naval|namesake]]: Tama River), saw eventful service during her lifetime. Commissioned shortly after World War I, her early missions included the Siberian Intervention and diplomatic duties, such as transporting the US ambassador to Japan in 1925. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Tama conducted coastal patrols and later became part of the 5th Fleet, tasked with operations in the northern Pacific. She participated in the Aleutian Islands campaign during World War II but suffered damage from enemy action and harsh weather. In 1944, Tama was heavily damaged during the Battle off Cape Engaño, and on 25 October 1944, she was sunk by the submarine USS Jallao while attempting to withdraw, with all hands lost.
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{{Break}}
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The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} Japanese light cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]].
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The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced in [[Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy"]] as IJN Kuma. However, due to discrepancies in the 3D model compared to the real-life vessel, she was renamed IJN Tama in the [[Update "Dance of Dragons"]], as the model more accurately matched the ship.
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Tama performs best in countering enemy destroyers and poorly armoured cruisers, but she struggles against more heavily protected targets. Her broadside damage is above average, though she loses most of her firepower when engaging targets directly ahead or astern. The torpedoes have below-average warhead and low speed, but with the torpedo mode enabled, they offer exceptional range. Overall, Tama faces challenges typical of early interwar cruisers, balancing capability with limited tonnage.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armament separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips for preserving survivability in the "Use in battle" section.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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The IJN Tama is one of the weakest light cruisers when it comes to taking enemy fire, being unable to repel anything but destroyers in a direct, short-range gun battle. On top of having the lowest crew complement among cruisers, it suffers from one major weakness: ammunition explosions.
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[[File:Kuma-armour-xray-composite.jpg|thumb|left|450px|Tama's Charges, Shells and Torpedoes (highlighted red) are exposed to a direct enemy fire]]
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Both: First-stage ammo stowage and its main ammunition storage (Charge/Shell/Ammunition storage rooms) are exposed to direct enemy fire. The main storage is somewhat protected by the 44.6&nbsp;mm plate above it, however, it's above the waterline, allowing for lucky shells to get unimpaired into one of the rooms and blow it up. If the crew did not suffer particularly many casualties beforehand - ship can survive, however, such a blow is extremely severe, turning what otherwise would be a fresh ship, into a burning husk rapidly taking water in.
  
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''If necessary, use a graphics template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''
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Moreover: The citadel armour is the weakest among cruisers, amounting to only {{#unit:jp_cruiser_kuma|броня | цитадель | борт}}&nbsp;mm RHA. While on paper [[{{#unit:germ_cruiser_emden_1944|article}}|{{#unit:germ_cruiser_emden_1944|name}}]] has only {{#unit:germ_cruiser_emden_1944|броня | цитадель | борт}}&nbsp;mm, it's just for an internal plate, with a second 50&nbsp;mm plate in front of it. Under battle conditions this gives her much better protection, in particular at a point-blank range, where she's completely immune to Tama's 140&nbsp;mm type 2 SAP shells. Tama's citadel armour is enough to deflect only secondary armament (such as [[3-inch Mark 10 (76 mm)|
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3-inch Mark&nbsp;10]]), HE shells from the main guns or certain low-penetration AP shells at a high angle of attack (such as [[180 mm/60 B-1-K (180 mm)|180 mm/60 B-1-K]]'s PB-32 SAPCBC shell at angles of over 72°, or Tama's own 140&nbsp;mm type&nbsp;2&nbsp;SAP shells at any angle).
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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''Write about the ship’s mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward speed and reverse speed.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
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{{NavalMobility
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|SpeedForwardStockAB = 52
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|SpeedBackStockAB = 22
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|TurnTimeStockAB = 217.867
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|TurnSpeedStockAB = 37
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|SpeedForwardSpadedAB = 71
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|SpeedBackSpadedAB = 29
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|TurnTimeSpadedAB = 101.466
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|TurnSpeedSpadedAB = 47
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|SpeedForwardStockRB = 52
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|SpeedBackStockRB = 22
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|TurnTimeStockRB = 249.2
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|TurnSpeedStockRB = 37
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|TurnTimeSpadedRB = 173.8
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|TurnSpeedSpadedRB = 43
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}}
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
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As with every cruiser, the FPE and Tools are the most important modifications. Following that the goal is to reach the Ammo Wetting and 140 mm mod 1 SAP shells as soon as possible. Rudder Replacement would be a wise choice for the 3rd modification to unlock, as it increases your chances of dodging torpedoes, bombs, or perhaps even incoming shells if spotted early enough. In tier III the  140 mm mod 1 SAP and then Ventilation should be prioritized to increase firing power and decrease the crew loss in an event of a fire. The final required modification for the tier should typically be the Propeller Replacement, as it offers a significant improvement in mobility. Finally, for the tier IV you unlock Ammo Wetting, then Torpedo Mode. From now there's more freedom of choice. Two primary paths include the rest of Seakeeping or unlocking the Targeting modifications to help with the roll issues of the main guns. The least important modification is the Bomb mortar, as using depth charges on a cruiser is a grossly misguided venture.
  
 
== Armament ==
 
== Armament ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
 
=== Primary armament ===
 
=== Primary armament ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}
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<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' -->
 
{{main|140 mm/50 3rd Year Type (140 mm)}}
 
{{main|140 mm/50 3rd Year Type (140 mm)}}
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''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>.''
 
  
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''Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''
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Tama has above-average sustained firepower for its BR when firing a broadside of 6 guns from the first-stage ammo stowage, even despite ship's individual guns being sub-pair when compared with an armament of the ships in the same BR. As a consequence she as the worst firepower directly in the rear and ahead. Especially given an extremely narrow-angle where 3 turrets firing ahead can simultaneously shoot at the same target, while at the rear she's covered by just a single 140 mm gun.
  
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Guns have an acceptable reload speed and the second-best turning speed in its BR, though they suffer from one of the worst shell velocities among counterparts. Good horizontal guidance of the turrets allows her to fire most of its guns at a relatively steep angle of approach, minimizing exposed silhouette. That said though, once receiving all mobility upgrades, the ship will have an issue with roll exceeding negative vertical guidance of the turrets during the turns at high speed, making it impossible to engage targets at any range, often for significantly more than the full gun reload time.
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Four types of ammunition are available, with HE shells being the only one open without any modifications unlocked:
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* Type 0 '''HE''' - Primary type of shell, useful against all targets at all ranges. It's relatively good in fighting enemy ships of all types, primarily thanks to its good chance of igniting enemies. When fighting heavy cruisers with HE, shells should be fired at the superstructure whenever possible to prevent shells from being nullified by the armour.
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* Type 0 '''HE-DF''' - Time-fuzed anti-aircraft shells. Their usability is highly situational due to the vertical guidance of just +20° that prevents effective engagement of anything but torpedo bombers.
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* Type 2 '''SAP''' - tier 1 modification, it offers a larger explosive payload comparing to the type 1, though its penetration is usually insufficient to engage armoured parts of enemy cruisers at anything but the point-blank range. It's useful primarily against unarmoured targets, such as most of destroyers.
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* Type 1 '''SAPBC''' - anti-cruiser semi-armour piercing shells, with increased penetration for the price of explosive payload. Though even with that increase, it will still struggle against heavy cruisers, or even citadels of a certain light cruisers at range. Still, though, it is typically the primary shell type to be used against heavier enemy warships.
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{{:140 mm/50 3rd Year Type (140 mm)/Ammunition|140 mm type 0 HE, 140 mm type 2 SAP, 140 mm type 0 HE-TF, 140 mm mod 1 SAP}}
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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{{main|Type 96 (25 mm)}}
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{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}
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''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. The secondary armament is defined as the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armament and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section.''
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<!-- ''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|25 mm/60 Type 96 (25 mm)}}
  
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''If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''
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Dual-mount secondary 25 mm guns are positioned on sides of the first funnel. They have relatively good firing arcs, both: horizontal and vertical, although rarely able to bring both emplacements firing at a target at the same time. Realistically speaking those are the primary anti-aircraft armament of the ship.
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That said though - they are still an exceptionally poor anti-aircraft weaponry, the worst among cruisers of all nations, being able to take down only the least cautious enemy airplanes. Similarly, when faced with enemy boats - using primary armament to take them down is always a vastly superior solution, even when manually controlling the guns.
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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{{main|Type 92 navy (7.7 mm)|l1=Type 92 (7.7 mm)}}
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{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}
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''An important part of the ship’s armament responsible for air raid defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship’s anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets.''
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<!-- ''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|Type 92 (7.7 mm)}}
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Next to the bridge superstructure there are located two 7.7 mm machine guns. They play a support role against hostiles below 1 km range, that said though: Within its BR those guns provide an insignificant amount of firepower, being nothing more than a nuance to the enemy.
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=== Additional armament ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}
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<!-- ''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|Type 6 (533 mm)|Type 95 depth charge|Mk.6 mod1 mine}}
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The Tama comes with an unusual type of torpedoes for a Japanese warship. Its wet-heater Type 6 torpedoes are the worst torpedoes one can find one a Japanese Capital Ship, featuring low damage potential, slow speed, and a relatively short range (although that gets alleviated by the Torpedo Mode). The notable upside of the ship is the fact that she carries a full reload of torpedoes, allowing for surprise attacks and exploiting opportunities more than once during the battle.
  
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''If there is no anti-aircraft artillery, remove this section.''
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==== Stock ====
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When stock, with just 7 km range at the speed of 65 km/h, the usefulness of torpedoes is limited pretty much only to short-range counter-torpedo activities, or late-match encounters. That said though, ideally, torpedoes would be used only as a defensive measure, dropped between main gun salvoes or during the turns, as typically hostile ships will have ample time to avoid while themselves having faster and more potent torpedoes.
  
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=== Torpedo armament ===
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==== Torpedo Modification ====
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{{main|Type 6 wet-heater}}
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Once equipped with a torpedo modification it increases range to 15 km at the price of decreasing speed all the way down to 48 km/h. Use cases extend to an area-denial, taking down less aware cruisers or AI-controlled units, notably Cargo ships. The very slow speed, however, is a significant challenge, as sometimes you'll find even cruisers easily avoiding hits, with the barest adjustments of course making it impossible to score hit by the time torpedo actually arrives at the target location. Hitting a destroyer with torpedoes after the modification boils down mostly to luck or failure of the enemy captain to first change the course and then spot an obvious, slow-moving trails. Typically a wider cone of torpedo spread might be preferable for increasing a hit chance when dropping them against the larger number of enemy ships. Trying to nail a lone warship at a long range is a moot effort.
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''Torpedoes launchers are standard equipment on many ships and boats. Torpedoes are a significant means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc.''
 
  
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''If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.''
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=== Scout plane ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Plane}}
  
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=== Special armament ===
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Located amidships is a catapult with one E7K2 scout plane 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 E7K2 is equipped with only defensive machine gun turrets (ventral as well as dorsal) but it does carry 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.
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{{main|Type 95 depth charge}}
 
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''Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can take an off-guard opponent by surprise. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat.''
 
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don’t try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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Tama is a relatively weak cruiser, requiring more skill to play than the majority of its counterparts. It's not exceptional in any dimension while having two important downsides: exposed ammunition storage and negligible anti-aircraft armament. Even a typical upside of the Japanese warships - torpedoes - is crippled due to Tama featuring the worst torpedoes one could find in Japan. Torpedo mode mitigates the issue somewhat, but if one wants to play torpedo-centric gameplay, any Japanese destroyer would be a better choice.
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The best strategy is to be a strong team player. Use vastly superior anti-aircraft armament of the friendly warships to provide you with an anti-aircraft cover, pick equal or weaker targets with your guns, use your torpedoes on larger groups of enemies or AI targets. If playing arcade, you should drop torpedoes frequently, and if it's not convenient to make a 180° turn to attack with the other side (e.g. because you'd break the formation), just drop them into the water without any target, and wait for an automatic reload. Tama's main speed is higher than the one of other ships, so you can perform evasive action while keeping decently close to a group of friendlies. When concentrated by multiple enemy ships, you should attempt to break contact and flee, or at least put 1 friendly between you and them.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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<!--Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
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* Above-average firepower for the main calibre broadside
 
* Able to reload torpedoes in battle
 
* Able to reload torpedoes in battle
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* High speed
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* Good maximum speed for the BR
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* Very decent fire power for the main caliber
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* Very long-range torpedoes (although relatively slow)
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* One scout plane.
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
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* Exposed ammunition storage often leads to the ammunition explosions
 
* Poor AA armament
 
* Poor AA armament
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* Poor forward and rear-facing weaponry compared to the counterparts
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* SAP shells offer a very poor penetration and a relatively low explosive filler
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article.-->
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{{Notice
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Due to the expectation that the Tenryū-class cruiser wouldn’t perform to the satisfaction of the naval command in its role of leader and the appearance of newer and faster destroyer types, with which the Tenryū wasn’t able to keep up with, the shortcomings of the Japanese small cruiser concept became evident. These shortcomings were further emphasized with the advent of the large American Omaha-class light cruiser, capable of easily outgunning the Tenryū-class.
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|Since [[Update "Dance of Dragons"]] the ship previously known as "Kuma" was renamed to the more model accurate "Tama". The history section hasn't been updated yet and therefore may not be relevant to "Tama".
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|!
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}}
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
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Kuma (球磨) was laid down in August 1918 in Sasebo Navy Yard on the southernmost Japanese main island, Kyushu. She was completed in 10 months and launched in July 1919. She did not see any action during the interwar period, being kept out of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1929 she had rainwater protection devices added to the top of her funnels, making them characteristically bulbous (this missing is but one of several issues with the in-game model of Kuma which most closely reminds a 1942 refit of her sister ship, Tama (多摩)).
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Her first combat action was Operation M (M作戦), invasion of the Philippines, where she faced her first fight, being attacked by US airplanes ([[PBY-5 Catalina|Catalinas]] and [[B-17 (Family)|B-17]]s) while covering the landings in the northern part of the Philippines. She proceeded further south assisting invasion forces, where she fired her guns at the Cebu harbor, sinking coastal trading vessels. Following that she was ordered to secure the city of Zamboanga, where Kuma assisted with amphibious landings, shelled armed resistance on land and, in the evening of 3 March 1942, has sunk 12 ships in the Sulu Sea, marking it the most successful day in the ship's history. During the night of 8 April 1942 she was attacked by two US torpedo boats ([[Elco 77 ft PT-20|Elco 77 ft]]) while escorting an invasion force. She suffered a direct hit from an [[Mk.8-3 C/D (533 mm)|Mk. 8 torpedo]] in the bow, though it failed to detonate saving the ship. She continued her role as a cover of further landings, ending with the battle of Corregidor Island on 6 May 1942.
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In June 1943 Kuma was sent to guard the port of Makassar, where she survived a raid of seventeen [[B-24/PB4Y (Family)|B-24]] bombers, suffering only minor damage from near-misses.
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In November 1943 the ship underwent a significant refit of the armament. Dry-docked in Singapore, her catapult and the turret number 5 ahead of the catapult were removed, instead, two triple-mount [[25 mm/60 Type 96 (25 mm)|25 mm anti-aircraft cannons]] were installed on top of the two dual-mount 25 mm in the front.
  
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In response to this, Japanese shipbuilders revised Tenryū’s design and developed a new, larger version of the ship with increased speed, range and firepower. This new successor design would become known as the Kuma-class light cruiser. With the design being accepted, outstanding plans for the construction of the four remaining Tenryū-class light cruisers, as well as three other cruisers, were cancelled, while an order to construct five Kuma-class light cruisers was issued instead.
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Early morning of 11 January 1944, during the naval exercises at the Malacca Strait, a lookout on Kuma spotted a periscope-like object. Called in Fubuki-class destroyer Uranami identified it as a false periscope, presuming it to be released by one of the friendly submarines (Japanese used floating devices made of wood and bamboo to lure US aircraft into wasting bombs). This periscope, however, belonged to the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho that at 11:43 fired a spread of 7 torpedoes, Kuma spotted them and attempted evasive action, however, it suffered a hit with two torpedoes to the stern, tearing off a large part of it and igniting fires across decks. Seven minutes into the action depth charges detonated on the quarterdeck. Captain called to abandon ship and within the following seven minutes Kuma has sunk, stern-first, with 138 lives lost. Survivors were rescued by the Uranami, including the captain.
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She rested on her starboard, 46 m underwater, with her stern missing all the way to the port propeller. She met an unusually sad fate, being looted for scrap with a use of floating cranes. In 2014 it was reported that looters have cleared up nearly the entire wreck, metal likely being sold to China at the price of roughly 600 Malaysian Ringgit per tonne (125 € / $140 / ¥15,000). Large pieces of Kuma's wreck [https://www.reddit.com/r/WarshipPorn/comments/26b3rq/plundered_remains_of_the_wreck_of_the_ijn_light/ were photographed] in May 2014, later that month Malaysian Marine Depart­ment managed to [https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/05/23/sea-salvage-work-halted-dept-sinks-its-teeth-into-vessel-illegally-stripping-wrecks-for-scrap capture the group] responsible for the lootings.
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=== [[wt:en/news/6171-development-kuma-the-fighting-bear-en|Devblog]] ===
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Due to the expectation that the Tenryū-class cruiser wouldn't perform to the satisfaction of the naval command in its role of leader and the appearance of newer and faster destroyer types, with which the Tenryū wasn't able to keep up with, the shortcomings of the Japanese small cruiser concept became evident. These shortcomings were further emphasized with the advent of the large American Omaha-class light cruiser, capable of easily outgunning the Tenryū-class.
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 +
In response to this, Japanese shipbuilders revised Tenryū's design and developed a new, larger version of the ship with increased speed, range and firepower. This new successor design would become known as the Kuma-class light cruiser. With the design being accepted, outstanding plans for the construction of the four remaining Tenryū-class light cruisers, as well as three other cruisers, were cancelled, while an order to construct five Kuma-class light cruisers was issued instead.
  
 
Kuma, the lead ship of her class, was laid down in August 1918, launched in July 1919 and subsequently entered service with the IJN the following year, in August of 1920. Immediately after her commissioning, Kuma was deployed as part of the Japanese intervention in Siberia against Bolshevik forces.
 
Kuma, the lead ship of her class, was laid down in August 1918, launched in July 1919 and subsequently entered service with the IJN the following year, in August of 1920. Immediately after her commissioning, Kuma was deployed as part of the Japanese intervention in Siberia against Bolshevik forces.
Line 71: Line 159:
 
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kuma participated in the Invasion of the Philippines and would remain stationed there until August 1942. After a brief refit in September, Kuma joined the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea campaigns, being tasked with transporting troops and patrolling the local waters until late 1943.
 
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kuma participated in the Invasion of the Philippines and would remain stationed there until August 1942. After a brief refit in September, Kuma joined the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea campaigns, being tasked with transporting troops and patrolling the local waters until late 1943.
  
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In January 1944, Kuma came under torpedo attack from the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho, shortly after departing Penang. Kuma suffered two hits, with the resulting damage and subsequent depth charge detonations sealing the ship’s fate. Kuma was later struck from navy records in March 1944.
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In January 1944, Kuma came under torpedo attack from the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho, shortly after departing Penang. Kuma suffered two hits, with the resulting damage and subsequent depth charge detonations sealing the ship's fate. Kuma was later struck from navy records in March 1944.
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== Media ==
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
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''- From [[wt:en/news/6171-development-kuma-the-fighting-bear-en|Devblog]]''
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;Skins
  
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== Media ==
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=jp_cruiser_kuma Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
 
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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''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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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<!--Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''other literature.''-->
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* [[wt:en/news/6171-development-kuma-the-fighting-bear-en|[Development<nowiki>]</nowiki> Kuma: The Fighting Bear]]
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* [[wt:en/news/6171-development-kuma-the-fighting-bear-en|[Development] Kuma: The Fighting Bear]]
  
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{{ShipManufacturer Sasebo Naval Arsenal}}
 
{{Japan light cruisers}}
 
{{Japan light cruisers}}

Latest revision as of 12:20, 15 October 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
IJN Tama
jp_cruiser_kuma.png
GarageImage IJN Tama.jpg
IJN Tama
Japan flag.png Japan
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.0 5.0 5.0
Class:
Research:36 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:115 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Kuma-class, IJN Tama, 1942 (多摩, namesake: Tama River), saw eventful service during her lifetime. Commissioned shortly after World War I, her early missions included the Siberian Intervention and diplomatic duties, such as transporting the US ambassador to Japan in 1925. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Tama conducted coastal patrols and later became part of the 5th Fleet, tasked with operations in the northern Pacific. She participated in the Aleutian Islands campaign during World War II but suffered damage from enemy action and harsh weather. In 1944, Tama was heavily damaged during the Battle off Cape Engaño, and on 25 October 1944, she was sunk by the submarine USS Jallao while attempting to withdraw, with all hands lost.

The IJN Tama was introduced in Update 1.89 "Imperial Navy" as IJN Kuma. However, due to discrepancies in the 3D model compared to the real-life vessel, she was renamed IJN Tama in the Update "Dance of Dragons", as the model more accurately matched the ship.

Tama performs best in countering enemy destroyers and poorly armoured cruisers, but she struggles against more heavily protected targets. Her broadside damage is above average, though she loses most of her firepower when engaging targets directly ahead or astern. The torpedoes have below-average warhead and low speed, but with the torpedo mode enabled, they offer exceptional range. Overall, Tama faces challenges typical of early interwar cruisers, balancing capability with limited tonnage.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel0 / 63 / 29 mm
Main fire tower38 / 8 / 0 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure8 mm (steel)
Number of section8
Displacement7 104 t
Crew447 people

The IJN Tama is one of the weakest light cruisers when it comes to taking enemy fire, being unable to repel anything but destroyers in a direct, short-range gun battle. On top of having the lowest crew complement among cruisers, it suffers from one major weakness: ammunition explosions.

Tama's Charges, Shells and Torpedoes (highlighted red) are exposed to a direct enemy fire

Both: First-stage ammo stowage and its main ammunition storage (Charge/Shell/Ammunition storage rooms) are exposed to direct enemy fire. The main storage is somewhat protected by the 44.6 mm plate above it, however, it's above the waterline, allowing for lucky shells to get unimpaired into one of the rooms and blow it up. If the crew did not suffer particularly many casualties beforehand - ship can survive, however, such a blow is extremely severe, turning what otherwise would be a fresh ship, into a burning husk rapidly taking water in.

Moreover: The citadel armour is the weakest among cruisers, amounting to only 63 mm RHA. While on paper Emden, 1944 has only 50 mm, it's just for an internal plate, with a second 50 mm plate in front of it. Under battle conditions this gives her much better protection, in particular at a point-blank range, where she's completely immune to Tama's 140 mm type 2 SAP shells. Tama's citadel armour is enough to deflect only secondary armament (such as 3-inch Mark 10), HE shells from the main guns or certain low-penetration AP shells at a high angle of attack (such as 180 mm/60 B-1-K's PB-32 SAPCBC shell at angles of over 72°, or Tama's own 140 mm type 2 SAP shells at any angle).

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB72 / 29 km/h
RB62 / 25 km/h
Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock 52 22 ~217.87 ~356.38
Upgraded 71 29 ~101.47 ~210.83
RB/SB Stock 52 22 ~249.2 ~407.63
Upgraded 62 25 ~173.8 ~330.4

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB4 659 → 6 317 Sl icon.png
RB5 953 → 8 072 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications35 700 Rp icon.png
77 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 200 Ge icon.png
Crew training33 000 Sl icon.png
Experts115 000 Sl icon.png
Aces590 Ge icon.png
Research Aces360 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
330 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
148 / 148 / 148 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 000 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 000 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 000 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
140mm_jp_1940_type1_naval_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 000 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
25mm_type96_naval_ap_ammo_pack
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 000 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag dist fuse ship.png
140mm_jp_1940_type0_aa_distant_fuse_naval_he_ammo_pack
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
25mm_type96_naval_incendiary_ammo_pack
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 800 Sl icon.png
160 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
140mm_jp_1940_mod1_naval_sap_ammo_pack
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 300 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods ship mortar.png
Bomb mortar
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods naval mine.png
Mines
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods shipSupportPlane.png
Hydroplane
Research:
1 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 700 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png

As with every cruiser, the FPE and Tools are the most important modifications. Following that the goal is to reach the Ammo Wetting and 140 mm mod 1 SAP shells as soon as possible. Rudder Replacement would be a wise choice for the 3rd modification to unlock, as it increases your chances of dodging torpedoes, bombs, or perhaps even incoming shells if spotted early enough. In tier III the 140 mm mod 1 SAP and then Ventilation should be prioritized to increase firing power and decrease the crew loss in an event of a fire. The final required modification for the tier should typically be the Propeller Replacement, as it offers a significant improvement in mobility. Finally, for the tier IV you unlock Ammo Wetting, then Torpedo Mode. From now there's more freedom of choice. Two primary paths include the rest of Seakeeping or unlocking the Targeting modifications to help with the roll issues of the main guns. The least important modification is the Bomb mortar, as using depth charges on a cruiser is a grossly misguided venture.

Armament

Primary armament

7 х Turret140 mm/50 3rd Year Type cannon
Ammunition200 rounds
Vertical guidance-3° / 20°
Main article: 140 mm/50 3rd Year Type (140 mm)

Tama has above-average sustained firepower for its BR when firing a broadside of 6 guns from the first-stage ammo stowage, even despite ship's individual guns being sub-pair when compared with an armament of the ships in the same BR. As a consequence she as the worst firepower directly in the rear and ahead. Especially given an extremely narrow-angle where 3 turrets firing ahead can simultaneously shoot at the same target, while at the rear she's covered by just a single 140 mm gun.

Guns have an acceptable reload speed and the second-best turning speed in its BR, though they suffer from one of the worst shell velocities among counterparts. Good horizontal guidance of the turrets allows her to fire most of its guns at a relatively steep angle of approach, minimizing exposed silhouette. That said though, once receiving all mobility upgrades, the ship will have an issue with roll exceeding negative vertical guidance of the turrets during the turns at high speed, making it impossible to engage targets at any range, often for significantly more than the full gun reload time.

Four types of ammunition are available, with HE shells being the only one open without any modifications unlocked:

  • Type 0 HE - Primary type of shell, useful against all targets at all ranges. It's relatively good in fighting enemy ships of all types, primarily thanks to its good chance of igniting enemies. When fighting heavy cruisers with HE, shells should be fired at the superstructure whenever possible to prevent shells from being nullified by the armour.
  • Type 0 HE-DF - Time-fuzed anti-aircraft shells. Their usability is highly situational due to the vertical guidance of just +20° that prevents effective engagement of anything but torpedo bombers.
  • Type 2 SAP - tier 1 modification, it offers a larger explosive payload comparing to the type 1, though its penetration is usually insufficient to engage armoured parts of enemy cruisers at anything but the point-blank range. It's useful primarily against unarmoured targets, such as most of destroyers.
  • Type 1 SAPBC - anti-cruiser semi-armour piercing shells, with increased penetration for the price of explosive payload. Though even with that increase, it will still struggle against heavy cruisers, or even citadels of a certain light cruisers at range. Still, though, it is typically the primary shell type to be used against heavier enemy warships.

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 2 SAP SAP 61 53 43 35 35 35
Type 0 HE-TF HE-TF 35 35 35 35 35 35
Mod 1 SAP SAPBC 115 100 81 65 54 40
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 840 37.87 0 0.1 3.15 79° 80° 81°
Type 2 SAP SAP 701 37.9 0.05 6 2.96 47° 60° 65°
Type 0 HE-TF HE-TF 850 37.9 0 0.1 3.15 79° 80° 81°
Mod 1 SAP SAPBC 855 37.87 0.05 6 2.21 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

2 х Turret2 x 25 mm/60 Type 96 automatic cannon
Ammunition3000 rounds
Belt capacity15 rounds
Fire rate261 shots/min
Main article: 25 mm/60 Type 96 (25 mm)

Dual-mount secondary 25 mm guns are positioned on sides of the first funnel. They have relatively good firing arcs, both: horizontal and vertical, although rarely able to bring both emplacements firing at a target at the same time. Realistically speaking those are the primary anti-aircraft armament of the ship.

That said though - they are still an exceptionally poor anti-aircraft weaponry, the worst among cruisers of all nations, being able to take down only the least cautious enemy airplanes. Similarly, when faced with enemy boats - using primary armament to take them down is always a vastly superior solution, even when manually controlling the guns.

Anti-aircraft armament

2 х Turret7.7 mm Type 92 machine gun
Ammunition1940 rounds
Belt capacity97 rounds
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: Type 92 (7.7 mm)

Next to the bridge superstructure there are located two 7.7 mm machine guns. They play a support role against hostiles below 1 km range, that said though: Within its BR those guns provide an insignificant amount of firepower, being nothing more than a nuance to the enemy.

Additional armament

Setup 116 x 533 mm Type 6 wet-heater torpedo
Setup 210 x Type 95 depth charge
Setup 316 x 533 mm Type 6 wet-heater torpedo
4 x Type 95 depth charge
Setup 444 x Mk.6 mod1 moored contact mine
Setup 516 x 533 mm Type 6 wet-heater torpedo
2 x Mk.6 mod1 moored contact mine
Main articles: Type 6 (533 mm), Type 95 depth charge, Mk.6 mod1 mine

The Tama comes with an unusual type of torpedoes for a Japanese warship. Its wet-heater Type 6 torpedoes are the worst torpedoes one can find one a Japanese Capital Ship, featuring low damage potential, slow speed, and a relatively short range (although that gets alleviated by the Torpedo Mode). The notable upside of the ship is the fact that she carries a full reload of torpedoes, allowing for surprise attacks and exploiting opportunities more than once during the battle.

Stock

When stock, with just 7 km range at the speed of 65 km/h, the usefulness of torpedoes is limited pretty much only to short-range counter-torpedo activities, or late-match encounters. That said though, ideally, torpedoes would be used only as a defensive measure, dropped between main gun salvoes or during the turns, as typically hostile ships will have ample time to avoid while themselves having faster and more potent torpedoes.

Torpedo Modification

Once equipped with a torpedo modification it increases range to 15 km at the price of decreasing speed all the way down to 48 km/h. Use cases extend to an area-denial, taking down less aware cruisers or AI-controlled units, notably Cargo ships. The very slow speed, however, is a significant challenge, as sometimes you'll find even cruisers easily avoiding hits, with the barest adjustments of course making it impossible to score hit by the time torpedo actually arrives at the target location. Hitting a destroyer with torpedoes after the modification boils down mostly to luck or failure of the enemy captain to first change the course and then spot an obvious, slow-moving trails. Typically a wider cone of torpedo spread might be preferable for increasing a hit chance when dropping them against the larger number of enemy ships. Trying to nail a lone warship at a long range is a moot effort.

Scout plane

Main article: E7K2

Located amidships is a catapult with one E7K2 scout plane 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 E7K2 is equipped with only defensive machine gun turrets (ventral as well as dorsal) but it does carry 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

Tama is a relatively weak cruiser, requiring more skill to play than the majority of its counterparts. It's not exceptional in any dimension while having two important downsides: exposed ammunition storage and negligible anti-aircraft armament. Even a typical upside of the Japanese warships - torpedoes - is crippled due to Tama featuring the worst torpedoes one could find in Japan. Torpedo mode mitigates the issue somewhat, but if one wants to play torpedo-centric gameplay, any Japanese destroyer would be a better choice.

The best strategy is to be a strong team player. Use vastly superior anti-aircraft armament of the friendly warships to provide you with an anti-aircraft cover, pick equal or weaker targets with your guns, use your torpedoes on larger groups of enemies or AI targets. If playing arcade, you should drop torpedoes frequently, and if it's not convenient to make a 180° turn to attack with the other side (e.g. because you'd break the formation), just drop them into the water without any target, and wait for an automatic reload. Tama's main speed is higher than the one of other ships, so you can perform evasive action while keeping decently close to a group of friendlies. When concentrated by multiple enemy ships, you should attempt to break contact and flee, or at least put 1 friendly between you and them.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Above-average firepower for the main calibre broadside
  • Able to reload torpedoes in battle
  • Good maximum speed for the BR
  • Very long-range torpedoes (although relatively slow)
  • One scout plane.

Cons:

  • Exposed ammunition storage often leads to the ammunition explosions
  • Poor AA armament
  • Poor forward and rear-facing weaponry compared to the counterparts
  • SAP shells offer a very poor penetration and a relatively low explosive filler

History

Msg-important.png Since Update "Dance of Dragons" the ship previously known as "Kuma" was renamed to the more model accurate "Tama". The history section hasn't been updated yet and therefore may not be relevant to "Tama".

Kuma (球磨) was laid down in August 1918 in Sasebo Navy Yard on the southernmost Japanese main island, Kyushu. She was completed in 10 months and launched in July 1919. She did not see any action during the interwar period, being kept out of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1929 she had rainwater protection devices added to the top of her funnels, making them characteristically bulbous (this missing is but one of several issues with the in-game model of Kuma which most closely reminds a 1942 refit of her sister ship, Tama (多摩)).

Her first combat action was Operation M (M作戦), invasion of the Philippines, where she faced her first fight, being attacked by US airplanes (Catalinas and B-17s) while covering the landings in the northern part of the Philippines. She proceeded further south assisting invasion forces, where she fired her guns at the Cebu harbor, sinking coastal trading vessels. Following that she was ordered to secure the city of Zamboanga, where Kuma assisted with amphibious landings, shelled armed resistance on land and, in the evening of 3 March 1942, has sunk 12 ships in the Sulu Sea, marking it the most successful day in the ship's history. During the night of 8 April 1942 she was attacked by two US torpedo boats (Elco 77 ft) while escorting an invasion force. She suffered a direct hit from an Mk. 8 torpedo in the bow, though it failed to detonate saving the ship. She continued her role as a cover of further landings, ending with the battle of Corregidor Island on 6 May 1942.

In June 1943 Kuma was sent to guard the port of Makassar, where she survived a raid of seventeen B-24 bombers, suffering only minor damage from near-misses.

In November 1943 the ship underwent a significant refit of the armament. Dry-docked in Singapore, her catapult and the turret number 5 ahead of the catapult were removed, instead, two triple-mount 25 mm anti-aircraft cannons were installed on top of the two dual-mount 25 mm in the front.

Early morning of 11 January 1944, during the naval exercises at the Malacca Strait, a lookout on Kuma spotted a periscope-like object. Called in Fubuki-class destroyer Uranami identified it as a false periscope, presuming it to be released by one of the friendly submarines (Japanese used floating devices made of wood and bamboo to lure US aircraft into wasting bombs). This periscope, however, belonged to the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho that at 11:43 fired a spread of 7 torpedoes, Kuma spotted them and attempted evasive action, however, it suffered a hit with two torpedoes to the stern, tearing off a large part of it and igniting fires across decks. Seven minutes into the action depth charges detonated on the quarterdeck. Captain called to abandon ship and within the following seven minutes Kuma has sunk, stern-first, with 138 lives lost. Survivors were rescued by the Uranami, including the captain.

She rested on her starboard, 46 m underwater, with her stern missing all the way to the port propeller. She met an unusually sad fate, being looted for scrap with a use of floating cranes. In 2014 it was reported that looters have cleared up nearly the entire wreck, metal likely being sold to China at the price of roughly 600 Malaysian Ringgit per tonne (125 € / $140 / ¥15,000). Large pieces of Kuma's wreck were photographed in May 2014, later that month Malaysian Marine Depart­ment managed to capture the group responsible for the lootings.

Devblog

Due to the expectation that the Tenryū-class cruiser wouldn't perform to the satisfaction of the naval command in its role of leader and the appearance of newer and faster destroyer types, with which the Tenryū wasn't able to keep up with, the shortcomings of the Japanese small cruiser concept became evident. These shortcomings were further emphasized with the advent of the large American Omaha-class light cruiser, capable of easily outgunning the Tenryū-class.

In response to this, Japanese shipbuilders revised Tenryū's design and developed a new, larger version of the ship with increased speed, range and firepower. This new successor design would become known as the Kuma-class light cruiser. With the design being accepted, outstanding plans for the construction of the four remaining Tenryū-class light cruisers, as well as three other cruisers, were cancelled, while an order to construct five Kuma-class light cruisers was issued instead.

Kuma, the lead ship of her class, was laid down in August 1918, launched in July 1919 and subsequently entered service with the IJN the following year, in August of 1920. Immediately after her commissioning, Kuma was deployed as part of the Japanese intervention in Siberia against Bolshevik forces.

During the early 1930s, Kuma underwent a significant refit and later took part in hostilities during the Second Sino-Japanese War, patrolling off the coast of China and assisting in landing operations.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Kuma participated in the Invasion of the Philippines and would remain stationed there until August 1942. After a brief refit in September, Kuma joined the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea campaigns, being tasked with transporting troops and patrolling the local waters until late 1943.

In January 1944, Kuma came under torpedo attack from the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho, shortly after departing Penang. Kuma suffered two hits, with the resulting damage and subsequent depth charge detonations sealing the ship's fate. Kuma was later struck from navy records in March 1944.

Media

Skins

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


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

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