Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:07:48-1:08:59

Why a dense Type 96 battery still left a light cruiser exposed

Large numbers of Type 96 25 mm guns could not compensate for their weak late-war performance or for a cruiser fighting air attack without effective support.

Anti-Aircraft WarfareImperial Japanese NavyLight CruisersType 96 25 mm Anti-Aircraft GunWorld War II
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Question

How effective were the light cruiser's larger anti-aircraft guns and battery of roughly thirty-five Type 96 25 mm weapons against the air attack it faced?

Short answer

Not very effective. The Type 96 battery was weak by late-war standards, the larger guns added too little, and the cruiser was effectively defending itself alone.

Notes

Barrel count alone gives a poor measure of anti-aircraft protection. By this stage of the war, the Type 96 25 mm was markedly less effective than the Bofors, Oerlikon, and pom-pom batteries carried by comparable Allied ships. The cruiser's two larger anti-aircraft guns could add only limited weight to the defence. Transport ships in the same convoy did not provide the kind of escort protection needed to change the outcome.