IJN Oyodo - Japan's Experimental Command Cruiser

The Japanese Navy had a habit of making interesting designs. Sometimes these were ahead of their day. The Fubuki-class destroyers being an excellent example. Other times, these were...of questionable utility. Ryujo and the I-400s are the prime examples here.
Oyodo is one of the most interesting of the bunch. A submarine command cruiser, which seems like the kind of 'wacky concept' that the Japanese loved. Probably not the best use of resources, in the end.
However, the ship would ultimately end up as a flagship instead. Her extensive command facilities given a new, and arguably more useful, role. Even if it meant the ship largely missed out on actual combat.
Further Reading:
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[@Einwetok]

For such a skimpy armor belt she sure soaked some damage.

[@issacfoster1113]

How would that correlate to bomb damage.

[@MONTANI12]

@@issacfoster1113 the thicker the plate of steel, the tougher it is to damage, the same goes for the need reinforcement of braces in the area. That's why battleships could shrug off damage that would be out right lethal to a destroyer, while at the same time holding its shape and not warping its self to a noodle.

[@208transparency4]

Shes in my collection 1/700 scale model. Another prime example of IJN Imaginative when it comes to design and purpose.

[@SuperShovelpower]

May i ask you is it a full hull one or a waterline series model. im rly interested!

[@metaknight115]

Have you ever heard of Tameichi Hara? If not, his book "Japanese destroyer Captain" is available on Audible and is a very interesting read on the Japanese perspective of WW2. He commanded the destroyer Amatsukaze throughout 1942, the destroyer Shigure throughout 1943, and the light cruiser Yahagi during battleship Yamato's last mission. He saw a very successful career, sinking or capturing five ships aboard Amatsukaze, and survived the entire war from Pearl Habor to the surrender in Tokyo. Probably his most famous action was when he commanded Amatsukaze during the naval battle of Guadalcanal, where his ship sank the destroyer Barton and helped to sink the light cruiser Juneau with torpedo hits, before shelling the crippled heavy cruiser San Francisco, but in turn was shelled by the light cruiser Helena, but survived and withdrew from the battle.
The only problem with the book is that while his descriptions of his own actions is spot on, his thoughts on the other ships that served in his battle are sometimes inaccurate and should generally be taken with a grain of salt, especially battles he didn't directly take part in, such as thinking there were three battleships at the 2nd battle of Guadalcanal or that Yamato didn't fire a single shot at the battle off Samar, let alone hit an escort carrier and two destroyers.

[@208transparency4]

That book was incredible

[@wirelessone2986]

Thank you for this comment didn't know of this book!!!!

[@knowsyourmom]

I thought the Juneau was sunk after the battle, by I-26

[@alephalon7849]

Good video. Ooyodo's yet another one of those interesting designs that start out as a good idea, arrive obsolete, and get press-ganged into a different role that actually worked out for it.

[@brookeshenfield7156]

Clemson class…

[@bkjeong4302]

Eh,the idea for this one was questionable from the start.

[@brookeshenfield7156]

@@bkjeong4302 The Clemson class were the worst destroyers of their day, obsolete when finally employed in combat, then press ganged into being minelayers, sweepers, and high-speed transports. But whatever.
What would you list as another example?

[@s.31.l50]

In what way were the Clemson’s the worst DDs in the early 1920s? They were perfectly fine destroyers with some of the heaviest torpedo armaments before the IJN special types kicked off.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@brookeshenfield7156
The Clemsons were not questionable when first designed or even when they first entered service. This thing very much was because the entire submarine doctrine she was built for was flawed.

[@ARGONUAT]

Thanks as always for doing such a great job filling in those lesser known parts of naval history.

[@Caktusdud.]

Oh right on queue, just reading up on her and then you release a video, got my work cut out for me thank you:)))

[@billcomerford3021]

Thank you for this interesting piece of history. Please continue sharing your knowledge.

[@christophersnyder1532]

This was pretty much an Agano class, except for it retaining Mogami's original mounts, similarily with the Yamato class battleship receiving them, also.
There is much more I could mention, however, this video did that nicely.
Take care, and all the best.

[@petestorz172]

Sounds like she was designed for a concept that sounded good when suggested but was actually not practical. By the time she was commissioned, many I-boats were being used in supply duty. IIRC, her 6" guns didn't have a very impressive firing rate. Given that she got used for supply convoy escort, loading her up with the 100 mm DP guns and using her float planes to scout for submarines might have improved her usability. Adapting to all 100 mm guns might have been difficult, of course.

[@Iron_Blood_Enjoyer1933]

I beleive the Omono, the Tier VII rep in the Japanese light cruiser line in WoWs, is the idea of Ōyodo being completed as a full fledged light cruiser, including an extra turret to bring the total up to twelve 6 inch guns in four triple turrets. No special aircraft hanger and repair section on the aft end of the ship.

[@spudhut2246]

Great Video!!! Keep them coming

[@Jpdt19]

Thanks for this. Some unique photos I haven't seen of her before post sinking/salvage

[@paullaw1438]

Thank you for this excellent presentation. It is a very useful account of this rather enigmatic ship.
An interesting example of the IJN’s efforts to compensate for their limited construction capacity by ingenious niche designs, which the tide of war unfortunately quickly rendered obsolete…..
- which makes me ask whether you have plans to handle those even more enigmatic cruiser designs, the ‘torpedo cruisers’ Kitakami and Oi? (Or have I missed something?)

[@thomasbeach905]

For a submarine to successfully torpedo a group of three 25-30 knot warships would be largely luck, so for the Oyodo, Hyuga and Ise to escape is not surprising. Submarines were mainly useful in commerce raiding at 6-knot transports.

[@Wayne.J]

There were wolfpacks as well. Ultra gave out the time and position as well so Submarine HQs at Pearl Harbor and Fremantle passed them on as well.
Probably better for the Allies that the returned to the Empire. Ise, Hyuga and Oyodo could potentially pop up at an Allied beach head much later in the war which would have been awkward in confined waters of Sumatra or Borneo

[@gregwasserman2635]

I sometimes wonder if the IJN had "converted" the ship into a more Cleveland-class configuration with two turrets aft as well as arming her with torpedoes that the vessel would have been more useful.

[@josephhungerford8348]

Very interesting topic keep it up the great , very interesting warship n History.

[@mattwilliams3456]

They certainly weren’t afraid to try out new concepts.

[@ruskyrosco1054]

Love your videos, hope many more subs come your way. Not uboat subs.

[@dennisvandermarkt8263]

Nice video

[@Subsidiarity3]

She was lucky until she wasn't.

[@jasonz7788]

Great job! thank you

[@tobiasGR3Y]

The novelty of this cruiser is even more amusing when you consider that Japanese doctrine gutted their submarine forces’ effectiveness before the war even started.

[@mbryson2899]

Interesting video.

[@kevinbourke1847]

Mission girl (kancolle or kantai collection)

[@nigellawson8610]

She was quite narrow in proportion to her length. I wonder how that affected her stability?

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

Great video.

[@kevinyoung9557]

Ode to Oyodo .

[@Backwardlooking]

👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@user-ss3fc1ip5p]

連合艦隊最後の旗艦

[@jeffblacky]

Torpedo Los

[@bkjeong4302]

One of the ACTUAL “IJN what the hell are you doing” garbage ships.