Difference between revisions of "IJN Suzuya"

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m (Primary armament)
m (Filled In Most Game Info With Her Direct Sister, IJN Mikuma)
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=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
''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.''
+
<!--''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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 +
Being essentially a heavy cruiser with light cruiser guns, the Suzuya is generally well-protected. Suzuya's citadel is protected with ~100 mm of RHA at the belt, 65 mm at the angled top, and 35 mm at the deck, which is strong enough to bounce several shots at longer range especially when angled. Her magazine, which sat on the waterline, is even better-protected with 140 mm at the belt and 40 mm at the deck. While most of her modest 951 crewmembers were packed inside her midship section, angling the ship will mitigate the issue and make them less vulnerable.
 +
 
 +
Unfortunately, since the Suzuya was designed with the emphasis on high offensive capabilities and good mobility, some compromises were required to achieve the goal. The Suzuya, as with the other IJN cruisers, has very poor turret and shell elevator protection. With a measly 25 mm of armour plate, Suzuya's guns can be easily disabled even by an average destroyer-calibre guns. Additionally, Suzuya's greatest strength of having numerous Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at her disposal is also her greatest weakness as half of the 24 "Long Lance" are stored just nearby the torpedo tubes, essentially acting as an ammo racks that can be detonated and cause severe damage to the ship.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
''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.''
+
<!--''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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Despite her massive size and displacement, the Suzuya is tied with her sister ship [[Mikuma]] and a smaller [[IJN Isuzu|Isuzu]] as the second fastest cruiser in the game (after a much smaller "scout cruiser" [[RN Attilio Regolo|Attilio Regolo]]) at 78 km/h (AB) or 67 km/h (RB). Owning to powerful 10 Kampon boilers powered four propeller shafts with 152,000 horsepower. With her high top speed, the Suzuya is capable of out-pacing almost every cruisers she will face and is able to closing in the gap at a faster rate.
 +
 
 +
However, due to the large size and displacement, the Suzuya is quite slow to decelerate and slugglsh to handle at times. This can be detrimental, especially when it comes to dodging torpedoes and mines.
  
 
{{NavalMobility}}
 
{{NavalMobility}}
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{{main|155 mm/60 3rd Year Type (155 mm)}}
 
{{main|155 mm/60 3rd Year Type (155 mm)}}
  
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
 
 +
The Suzuya's main armament consists of 15 x 155 mm/60 3rd Year Type cannons mounted in five triple turrets in A-B-Cs-X-Y setup. Due to the gun's setup, the Suzuya is able to deliver a full salvo at a steep 60 degrees angle, thus increasing the ship's protection effectiveness.
 +
 
 +
The 155 mm guns have only two shell choice; a rudimentary HE shell with 3.39 kg of TNT equivalent, and an APHEBC shell with high penetration (131 mm at 10 km) and a sizeable filler of 1.21 kg of TNT equivalent. As with other similar guns, both shell has a high shell velocity at 920 m/s and thus were reasonably accurate at all ranges.
 +
 
 +
The guns have a rather mediocre rate of fire for its calibre at 6 RPM (10 second reload with ace crew) compared to other 150-155 mm guns with 7-8 RPM as baseline. This is made up with the sheer volume of rounds it can deliver for each salvoes, with a well-aimed barrage capable of causing severe damage to the enemy ship.
  
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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{{main|5 inch/40 Type 89 (127 mm)}}
 
{{main|5 inch/40 Type 89 (127 mm)}}
  
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
 
 +
The Suzuya features 8 x 127 mm/40 Type 89 dual-purpose guns in four twin turrets placed around the funnel. The guns is reasonably effective against PT boats and destroyers due to fast reload time. As with the main guns,  it has two shell choice of a basic HE shell and a HE-TF shell with slightly higher filler but much better shell velocity (910 m/s).
 +
 
 +
Since the Suzuya's dedicated anti-air weapons is quite weak, you may want to use the 127 mm as a supplementary flak battery. Due to the HE-TF shell's high velocity, it can be surprisingly effective at longer ranges, though its performance gradually decrease as the enemy gets closer than 2 km.
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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{{main|25 mm/60 Type 96 (25 mm)|Type 93 (13.2 mm)}}
 
{{main|25 mm/60 Type 96 (25 mm)|Type 93 (13.2 mm)}}
  
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
 
 +
The Mikuma's dedicated anti-air armaments consists of 8 x 25 mm Type 96 autocannons and 4 x 13.2 mm Type 93 machine guns, both placed in a twin mounts around the amidship. These AA armaments are quite light for her size and is largely useless beyond 2.5 km range, though it can works well in tandem with the secondary 127 mm guns, a skilled enemy pilot will be able to slip past the defence and attack the ship. Thus, it is always recommended to man the gun yourselves when the enemy gets too close.
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
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{{main|Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 (610 mm)}}
 
{{main|Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 (610 mm)}}
  
''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.''
+
The Suzuya features 24 x 610 mm Type 93 Model 1 Mod 2 "Long Lance" torpedoes launched from a pair of triple launchers on each sides of the seaplane catapults. Twelve were pre-loaded inside the launchers, while the other half were stored in ready racks near the launcher. With a large quantities of the dreaded "Long Lance" torpedoes, the Suzuya is capable of sinking several ships at longer ranges (including battleships) and capable of doing so multiple times (especially in Arcade). Although the launchers have a restricted arc and requires showing full broadsides to the enemy, exposing the ship to damage in the process.
 +
 
 +
However, since the Suzuya is already packed with several heavy weapons, Japanese engineer were unable to put the extra "Long Lance" storages at a safer place. As mentioned in the "Survivability and armour" section, these extra torpedoes are essentially external ammo racks that can be detonated and is detrimental to Suzuya's survival. Thus, it is recommended to unload these torpedoes when playing in a map where torpedoes are less useful, such as maps with numerous islets and covers.
  
 
=== Scout plane ===
 
=== Scout plane ===
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=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
<!-- ''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".'' -->
 
<!-- ''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".'' -->
 +
 +
With a combination of strong protection, large number of 155 mm guns, high top speed, and large amounts of Long Lance torpedoes, the Suzuya is highly versatile in terms of playstyle. The ship is capable to act as a spearhead by getting close to the enemy using its fast top speed and deal high burst damage to quickly dispatch enemy ship, or staying behind as a support and dealing damage using its guns and large number of torpedoes. However, the Suzuya does still suffer from a common weakness of Japanese cruisers, namely the poorly-protected turrets and lacklustre anti-air defence.
 +
 +
A common mistake made by many "heavy light cruiser" players is to venture too deep into the enemy territory due to their fast speed and heavy protection also applies with the Suzuya. To prevent from overextending and exposing yourself as a target in the process, situational awareness is key. Always look at the minimap to make sure you're not getting to close to the enemy, and make sure to find a way to retreat before others notice you. Knowing the type of enemy ships you face is also beneficial as the Suzuya has a high burst damage potential, and knowing where to shoot can also help destroy the enemy faster.
 +
 +
;Enemies worth noting
 +
 +
* [[Brooklyn (Family)|Brooklyn-class]] - While these US light cruisers are similar to the Suzuya in terms of main armament (15 x 152 mm guns), the Brooklyns are more specialized in gunnery compared to the Suzuya, with them sacrificing speed and torpedoes for absurd rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute (with an aced crew). The results of a 1-vs-1 fight between both ships were thus often depending on who managed to deal a crippling damage against the other's main turrets first. Suzuya's paper-thin turrets can be easily disabled by a few accurate salvoes, while Brooklyn's has a large magazine sitting way above the waterline that can cause devastating damage if it detonates.
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''

Revision as of 01:41, 25 October 2022

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the Japanese light cruiser IJN Suzuya. For other uses, see Mogami (Family).
IJN Suzuya
jp_cruiser_mogami_suzuya.png
GarageImage IJN Suzuya.jpg
IJN Suzuya
AB RB SB
6.0 6.0 6.0
Research:125 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:360 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Mogami-class, IJN Suzuya, 1937 (鈴谷, namesake: Suzuya River) is a rank V Japanese light cruiser with a battle rating of 6.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel105 / 100 / 35 mm
Main fire tower25 / 25 / 25 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure13 mm (steel)
Number of section9
Displacement15 091 t
Crew918 people

Being essentially a heavy cruiser with light cruiser guns, the Suzuya is generally well-protected. Suzuya's citadel is protected with ~100 mm of RHA at the belt, 65 mm at the angled top, and 35 mm at the deck, which is strong enough to bounce several shots at longer range especially when angled. Her magazine, which sat on the waterline, is even better-protected with 140 mm at the belt and 40 mm at the deck. While most of her modest 951 crewmembers were packed inside her midship section, angling the ship will mitigate the issue and make them less vulnerable.

Unfortunately, since the Suzuya was designed with the emphasis on high offensive capabilities and good mobility, some compromises were required to achieve the goal. The Suzuya, as with the other IJN cruisers, has very poor turret and shell elevator protection. With a measly 25 mm of armour plate, Suzuya's guns can be easily disabled even by an average destroyer-calibre guns. Additionally, Suzuya's greatest strength of having numerous Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at her disposal is also her greatest weakness as half of the 24 "Long Lance" are stored just nearby the torpedo tubes, essentially acting as an ammo racks that can be detonated and cause severe damage to the ship.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB78 / 25 km/h
RB67 / 22 km/h

Despite her massive size and displacement, the Suzuya is tied with her sister ship Mikuma and a smaller Isuzu as the second fastest cruiser in the game (after a much smaller "scout cruiser" Attilio Regolo) at 78 km/h (AB) or 67 km/h (RB). Owning to powerful 10 Kampon boilers powered four propeller shafts with 152,000 horsepower. With her high top speed, the Suzuya is capable of out-pacing almost every cruisers she will face and is able to closing in the gap at a faster rate.

However, due to the large size and displacement, the Suzuya is quite slow to decelerate and slugglsh to handle at times. This can be detrimental, especially when it comes to dodging torpedoes and mines.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 78 25
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 67 22

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB12 168 → 16 426 Sl icon.png
RB11 946 → 16 127 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications131 900 Rp icon.png
216 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 900 Ge icon.png
Crew training105 000 Sl icon.png
Experts360 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 400 Ge icon.png
Research Aces620 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
450 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
184 / 184 / 184 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 400 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 400 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 400 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
155mm_jp_type91_navy_ap_ammo_pack
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 400 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
127mm_jp_type1_naval_aa_distant_fuse_he_ammo_pack
Research:
5 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
9 400 Sl icon.png
250 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
6 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
280 Ge icon.png
Mods shipSupportPlane.png
Hydroplane
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
155mm_jp_type91_navy_he_tf_ammo_pack
Research:
8 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
360 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

5 х Turret3 x 155 mm/60 3rd Year Type cannon
Ammunition450 rounds
Vertical guidance-7° / 55°


The Suzuya's main armament consists of 15 x 155 mm/60 3rd Year Type cannons mounted in five triple turrets in A-B-Cs-X-Y setup. Due to the gun's setup, the Suzuya is able to deliver a full salvo at a steep 60 degrees angle, thus increasing the ship's protection effectiveness.

The 155 mm guns have only two shell choice; a rudimentary HE shell with 3.39 kg of TNT equivalent, and an APHEBC shell with high penetration (131 mm at 10 km) and a sizeable filler of 1.21 kg of TNT equivalent. As with other similar guns, both shell has a high shell velocity at 920 m/s and thus were reasonably accurate at all ranges.

The guns have a rather mediocre rate of fire for its calibre at 6 RPM (10 second reload with ace crew) compared to other 150-155 mm guns with 7-8 RPM as baseline. This is made up with the sheer volume of rounds it can deliver for each salvoes, with a well-aimed barrage capable of causing severe damage to the enemy ship.

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 36 36 36 36 36 36
Type 91 AP APHEBC 313 269 210 165 131 93
Type 0 HE-TF HE-TF 36 36 36 36 36 36
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
Mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(s)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Type 0 HE HE 920 55.8 N/A 0.1 3,390 79° 80° 81°
Type 91 AP APHEBC 920 55.8 0.035 7 1,210 48° 63° 71°
Type 0 HE-TF HE-TF 920 55.8 N/A 0.1 3,390 79° 80° 81°

Secondary armament

4 х Turret2 x 5 inch/40 Type 89 cannon
Ammunition400 rounds


The Suzuya features 8 x 127 mm/40 Type 89 dual-purpose guns in four twin turrets placed around the funnel. The guns is reasonably effective against PT boats and destroyers due to fast reload time. As with the main guns, it has two shell choice of a basic HE shell and a HE-TF shell with slightly higher filler but much better shell velocity (910 m/s).

Since the Suzuya's dedicated anti-air weapons is quite weak, you may want to use the 127 mm as a supplementary flak battery. Due to the HE-TF shell's high velocity, it can be surprisingly effective at longer ranges, though its performance gradually decrease as the enemy gets closer than 2 km.

Anti-aircraft armament

4 х Turret2 x 25 mm/60 Type 96 automatic cannon
Ammunition3000 rounds
Belt capacity15 rounds
Fire rate261 shots/min
2 х Turret2 x 13.2 mm Type 93 machine gun
Ammunition3600 rounds
Belt capacity30 rounds
Fire rate476 shots/min


The Mikuma's dedicated anti-air armaments consists of 8 x 25 mm Type 96 autocannons and 4 x 13.2 mm Type 93 machine guns, both placed in a twin mounts around the amidship. These AA armaments are quite light for her size and is largely useless beyond 2.5 km range, though it can works well in tandem with the secondary 127 mm guns, a skilled enemy pilot will be able to slip past the defence and attack the ship. Thus, it is always recommended to man the gun yourselves when the enemy gets too close.

Additional armament

Setup 124 x 610 mm Type 93 Model 1, Mod 2 torpedo

The Suzuya features 24 x 610 mm Type 93 Model 1 Mod 2 "Long Lance" torpedoes launched from a pair of triple launchers on each sides of the seaplane catapults. Twelve were pre-loaded inside the launchers, while the other half were stored in ready racks near the launcher. With a large quantities of the dreaded "Long Lance" torpedoes, the Suzuya is capable of sinking several ships at longer ranges (including battleships) and capable of doing so multiple times (especially in Arcade). Although the launchers have a restricted arc and requires showing full broadsides to the enemy, exposing the ship to damage in the process.

However, since the Suzuya is already packed with several heavy weapons, Japanese engineer were unable to put the extra "Long Lance" storages at a safer place. As mentioned in the "Survivability and armour" section, these extra torpedoes are essentially external ammo racks that can be detonated and is detrimental to Suzuya's survival. Thus, it is recommended to unload these torpedoes when playing in a map where torpedoes are less useful, such as maps with numerous islets and covers.

Scout plane

Main article: E8N2

Located amidships are two catapults each carrying one E8N2 scout plane (the third E8N2 and single E7K2 stored on trolleys are not available) which provide 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 E8N2 is equipped with both an offensive machine gun and a defensive machine gun turret, and carries 2 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!

Usage in battles

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).

Pros and cons

With a combination of strong protection, large number of 155 mm guns, high top speed, and large amounts of Long Lance torpedoes, the Suzuya is highly versatile in terms of playstyle. The ship is capable to act as a spearhead by getting close to the enemy using its fast top speed and deal high burst damage to quickly dispatch enemy ship, or staying behind as a support and dealing damage using its guns and large number of torpedoes. However, the Suzuya does still suffer from a common weakness of Japanese cruisers, namely the poorly-protected turrets and lacklustre anti-air defence.

A common mistake made by many "heavy light cruiser" players is to venture too deep into the enemy territory due to their fast speed and heavy protection also applies with the Suzuya. To prevent from overextending and exposing yourself as a target in the process, situational awareness is key. Always look at the minimap to make sure you're not getting to close to the enemy, and make sure to find a way to retreat before others notice you. Knowing the type of enemy ships you face is also beneficial as the Suzuya has a high burst damage potential, and knowing where to shoot can also help destroy the enemy faster.

Enemies worth noting
  • Brooklyn-class - While these US light cruisers are similar to the Suzuya in terms of main armament (15 x 152 mm guns), the Brooklyns are more specialized in gunnery compared to the Suzuya, with them sacrificing speed and torpedoes for absurd rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute (with an aced crew). The results of a 1-vs-1 fight between both ships were thus often depending on who managed to deal a crippling damage against the other's main turrets first. Suzuya's paper-thin turrets can be easily disabled by a few accurate salvoes, while Brooklyn's has a large magazine sitting way above the waterline that can cause devastating damage if it detonates.

Pros:

  • Features the same hull as the Mogami heavy cruiser; able to withstand a fair amount of enemy fire before sinking
  • Lots of guns (5 turrets with 3 guns in each turret)
  • 24 Long Lance torpedoes
  • Anti-torpedo bulges along the hull are filled with water and can absorb explosions of up to 250 kg TNT equivalent
  • Very fast for a cruiser of this size
  • Two scout planes.

Cons:

  • Like most Japanese cruisers, very weak anti-aircraft armament
  • Wide hull makes evading enemy torpedoes difficult as it takes some time to manoeuvre the ship
  • Torpedo arcs are limited, have to show almost full broadside to launch torpedoes. Better rear angles than forward.
  • Slow rate of fire for the calibre of guns: guns have longer reload than equivalent guns in other nations
  • Large, lightly armoured turrets can be easily knocked out

History

The IJN Suzuya was the third of four Mogami-class heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese navy. To comply with the regulations of the Washington Naval Treaty, she was classified as a light cruiser and built with fifteen 6-inch (152 mm) guns. However, the ship was designed from the outset to be armed with dual 8-inch (203 mm) turrets, which were refitted onto the ship in 1937. Suzuya served extensively in the Second World War, participating in major conflicts such as the Battle of Midway, Solomon Islands campaign and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Suzuya met her end at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where she was crippled by American torpedo bombers and subsequently abandoned.

Design and construction

Suzuya was the third of four Mogami-class cruisers. To comply with the Washington Naval Treaty, she was initially classified as a light cruiser with an official displacement of 8,500 tons. However, she was designed from the outset to be refitted with 8-inch (203 mm) guns and made into a heavy cruiser in a later refit.[1] Her main armament consisted of fifteen 6-inch (152 mm) guns in five triple turrets, giving her one of the heaviest broadsides of any Treaty cruiser. She was also fitted with moderate anti-aircraft protection and four triple torpedo tube launchers carrying the deadly Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes.[1]

Suzuya was launched on November 20th 1934 at a ceremony attended by Emperor Hirohito. She was completed in January of 1936 but was immediately drydocked to allow her hull to be reinforced. She entered service in late 1937, but was immediately drydocked again to be refitted with her intended armament of ten 8-inch (203 mm) guns in five dual mounts.[1] In-game, Suzuya appears in her pre-modification light cruiser configuration.

Operational history

IJN Suzuya during sea trials, 1935

Following her rearmament, which was completed by December 30th 1939, Suzuya was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Division of the Japanese 2nd fleet, along with her sister ships Mogami, Mikuma and Kumano. Before the war, she served primarily in the South China Sea, as well as the occupation of French Indochina.[2] At the time of the Pearl Harbour attack, she was covering the invasion of Malaya; she was subsequently part of a task force hunting for the British Force Z (consisting of the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse and escorting destroyers), but proved unsuccessful in locating her target; the ships were eventually sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers.[1][2]

From April 1st 1942, Suzuya participated in commerce raiding in the Indian ocean, intercepting and destroying several Allied merchantmen. She went on to serve at the Battle of Midway, where she intended to shell the island in preparation for the Japanese invasion; this order was called off.[2] She saw extensive service escorting the Japanese carrier fleet during the Solomon islands campaign, and participated in the bombing of Henderson Field at Guadalcanal. She was attacked by American torpedo-bombers, but survived unscathed.[2]

In mid-1944, Suzuya was part of the cruiser squadron escorting the Japanese carrier fleet on the Marianas campaign; however, American aircraft decimated the Japanese air group in the 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot', resulting in the crippling of Japan's remaining carrier air group. She met her own demise just three months later, at the Battle of Leyte Gulf; attacked by American aircraft, a bomb near-miss caused her No. 1 torpedo tube, laden with Long Lance torpedoes, to explode.[2] The resulting fire caused severe damage, and she was abandoned. Suzuya was removed from the navy list in December of 1944. Her wreck has never been found, and is believed to lie at a depth of almost 9 kilometres.[1][2]

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

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

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chen, C. (2007)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Hackett, B., & Kingsepp, S. (2018)

Works Cited

  • Chen, C. (2007, October). Heavy Cruiser Suzuya. Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=40
  • Hackett, B., & Kingsepp, S. (2018). IJN SUZUYA: Tabular Record of Movement. Retrieved November 19, 2020, from http://www.combinedfleet.com/suzuya_t.htm


Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (横須賀海軍工廠)
Destroyers (DD) 
Momi-class  IJN Momi
Light Cruisers (CL) 
Mogami-class  IJN Suzuya
Heavy Cruisers (CA) 
Myōkō-class  IJN Myoko
Battlecruisers (BC) 
Kurama-class  IJN Kurama
Amagi-class  IJN Amagi
Battleships (BB) 
Fusō-class  IJN Yamashiro
Nagato-class  IJN Mutsu
Tanks  Ka-Mi · Ka-Chi · Chi-Ha LG
See also  Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal

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