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The Takao-class was a set of four heavy cruisers built by the Japanese in the 1930's. All saw action during WWII.

Takao - Lead ship of the class. Launched in 1930. After undergoing major refits along with Atago in 1938-39 (reduction of the bridge, relocation of the main mast, adding side bulges for stability), the two patrolled the Chinese coast before the Pacific War began. In the early stages of 1942 Takao & Atago engaged Dutch shipping convoys, sinking several of them. They also sunk the Clemson-class destroyer Pillsbury (DD-227), leaving no survivors. In June Takao & Maya assisted in the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian islands. In August they were dispatched along with Atago to the Solomon Islands but never saw combat. In October they assisted with the sinking of the USS Hornet (CV-8). In early 1943 the three cruisers assisted in the successful evacuation of nearly 12000 Japanese troops from Guadalcanal.

A massive strike group comprising the Shokaku, Zuikaku, Zuiho, Yamato, Nagato, & all four Takao's as well as several other destroyers & cruisers attempted to deal with the American carrier fleet around Gilbert Islands, but failed to make contact & returned home.

During the battle of Leyte Gulf, Takao was hit by two ship-launched torpedoes, which caused major damage to the shafts, rudder, & some boiler rooms. Takao was escorted back to Brunei where she spent the rest of the war moored alongside the Myoko.

On July 31st the Royal Navy used a midget submarine to plant explosives along Takao's side, blowing a hole 20x10m in her side & knocking out several gun turrets, but she did not sink. After the war it was discovered the ship was manned only by a skeleton crew & had no ammunition for her 8-inch main armament. She was sunk on October 19th, 1946 as target practice for the HMS Newfoundland.

Atago - She was actually launched two months before Takao, despite beginning construction later. During the Pearl Harbor attack, she supported the invasions of Malaysia & the Philippines. Atago was present at the Solomon Islands, but the only action she saw was through her seaplanes, two of which were sunk.

In 1943, she sustained three near-hits by 500lb bombs while refueling at Rabaul, killing 22 crewmen.

During the battle of Leyte Gulf, Atago was hit by four torpedoes from the USS Darter, setting her ablaze & causing her to eventually capsize. 360 crewmen were lost, but 529 survived, including Vice Admiral Kurita.

Maya - Launched in late 1930. She underwent refits prewar, in which she had her third 8-inch turret removed to make room for more AA guns. After the attack on Pearl Harbor she assisted with the invasion of the Philippines. In mid-1942 she, Myoko, & Isuzu bombarded Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Maya also participated in the battle of the Santa Cruz islands where her & her sister ships Takao & Atago assisted in the sinking of the USS Hornet. In November 1942, after participating in the second bombing on Henderson Field, Maya suffered a near-hit with a 500-lb bomb from a Dauntless dive bomber, operating from the USS Enterprise.

Maya engaged with several US cruisers during the battle of the Komandorski islands off Kamchatka. She & the cruiser Nachi were damaged & the Japanese had to retreat.

In 1944, during the battle of Leyte Gulf, she was hit with four torpedoes from the USS Dace, who mistook her for a Kongo-class battleship. She listed heavily to port & sank around 0605 hours, taking 336 crewmen to the bottom, including her captain. 706 survivors were rescued by the Akishimo, who were then transferred to the Musashi, who sank the next day. 143 of Maya's crewmen were lost with the Musashi's sinking.

Chokai - Launched in April 1931. She underwent slight refit prewar, mainly for AA guns, but did not reduce bridge size (like Takao & Atago), nor have a main turret replaced (like Maya). During the Pearl Harbor attack she assisted with the invasion of Malaya, as well as the pursuit of the Royal Navy's Battleship Force Z. Chokai engaged in merchant shipping raids in the Indian Ocean in early 1942. Chokai was hit several times during the assault on the Solomon islands, & after repair in Rabaul she engaged in nighttime operations against the US Navy.

During the battle of Leyte Gulf, Cruiser Division 4 (Takao, Atago, Maya, & Chokai), sustained heavy losses, with the disabling of Takao & the sinking of Atago & Maya. Chokai survived undamaged. During the battle of Samar two days later, Chokai was hit by the escort carrier USS White Plains, igniting the eight deck-mounted torpedoes. The explosion caused severe damage, disabling her steering & causing her to fall out of formation. Minutes later, she was hit with a bomb which crippled her, & she went dead in the water. She was scuttled by the destroyer Fujinami later that day. Two days later Fujinami was also sunk, at the loss of every single crewmen on board, including all of Chokai's survivors. Chokai is one of the largest vessels ever to be sunk with the loss of all crewmen. She is also potentially the deepest shipwreck in the world, lying a whopping 8100m (26600ft) below the surface.