Aoba

The Aoba-class cruisers were originally intended to be identical to the Furutaka class, but a number of changes were made to the design by the order of the Navy's General Staff. New 120 mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted instead of 76 mm ones, and a catapult for seaplanes was added between the stern superstructure and the turret. Aoba actively participated in World War II: She landed troops on Guam and Wake, escorted convoys, and fought in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Savo Island, and Cape Esperance. On July 24, 1945, she was sunk in Kure Harbor by an Allied bomber force.