IJNS Chikuma - Paul Wright RSMA

IJN Chikuma and her sister Tone were the final products of a string of brilliant heavy cruiser designs initiated by the Japanese in the interwar years. They were designed as scouting cruisers, the eyes of the fleet, and to this end the ships carried a full suite of 6 float planes situated aft of the mainmast whilst the main armament was grouped in 4 turrets forward of the bridge.

These ships were very fast - achieving sustained speeds of 35 knots in service. They were also very busy ships, usually acting together, Chikuma and Tone were in the thick of every important action from Pearl Harbour, the Indian Ocean, the Battle of Midway where they located the U.S carrier fleet, the Battle of Santa Cruz where they did the same thing, and finally at the Battle of Leyte Gulf where Chikuma sank the U.S Gambier Bay, an escort carrier before being sunk herself with bombs and torpedoes.

Image size 14″ by 19″

Original acrylic on paper.