Furutaka and Kako began with six single 7.9-inch guns, then received three twin 8-inch turrets in later reconstruction. Their careers ended in the 1942 battles of Cape Esperance and Savo Island, placing these interwar experiments directly in the Guadalcanal campaign. The rebuild shows a recurring Japanese search for more combat power within an already constrained hull. The ships also gained a catapult and floatplane capacity, adding reconnaissance equipment to the demands placed on the design.
Chapter · 48:10-50:13
Furutaka's evolution from single guns to twin turrets
The first new Japanese cruisers show how early 7.9-inch single mounts were rebuilt into twin 8-inch batteries with aircraft facilities.