Japanese Forces

Takao

japanese navy heavy cruiser takao, at the start of World War II, Takao was commanded by Captain Asakura Bunji and assigned to Vice Admiral Kondo Nobutake, in late December 1941, she provided gunfire support for the landings at Lingayen Gulf on Luzon in the Philippines, In early 1942, Takao operated in the Java Sea, the operations culminating in the Battle of the Java Sea, In June 1942, Takao and Maya supported the invasion of the Aleutian Islands. On 3 June 1942, their reconnaissance floatplanes were attacked by United States Army Air Forces Curtiss P-40 fighters from Umnak and two were shot down; on 5 June, Takao shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress. In August 1942, she was assigned to Operation Ka, the Japanese reinforcement during the Battle of Guadalcanal, In 1943, Takao supported the evacuation of Guadalcanal, On 22 October 1944, she joined Takeo Kurita's "Centre Force" and sailed from Brunei Bay for the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in 1945 surrendered to British forces on 5 September 1945