Tone's all-guns-forward and all-aircraft-aft compromise

Tone could carry up to six floatplanes while placing all four 8-inch turrets forward of the superstructure. The arrangement was a cruiser analogue to a battlecarrier, with guns at the front and aviation at the rear. Two turrets had useful forward fire, while the others depended on firing over or around neighbouring mounts and offered almost no stern engagement. Retreating under fire would therefore require manoeuvres that reduced speed and complicated the escape. The design tried to satisfy reconnaissance and battle-line support without performing either role cleanly. Photographs showing water over the forward deck reinforce the practical seakeeping burden of packing so much battery into the bow.