Atago B

14.3

Atago B

Cruiser | Japan | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points40,100

Main Battery

203 mm/50 3rd Year Type No.2 in a Model E turret5 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire3.75 shots/min.

Reload Time16 sec.

Rotation Speed6.2 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time29.03 sec.

Firing Range15.78 km.

Maximum DispersionUnable to match configuration for query: artillery:pjsc598_black_atago::stock|artillerydispersion m.

HE Shell203 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,300

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell17 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity840 m./s.

HE Shell Weight125.85 kg.

AP Shell203 mm AP Type91

Maximum AP Shell Damage4,700

Initial AP Shell Velocity840 m./s.

AP Shell Weight125.85 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range6.6 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Torpedo Tubes

610 mm Quad4 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.59 shots/min.

Reload Time101 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoType90 mod. 1

Maximum Damage17,233

Torpedo Speed62 knot

Torpedo Range9.99 km.

AA Defense

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second40.4

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a single mount30 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second54

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a triple mount6 х 3 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second19.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a twin mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second16.2

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed35.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius790 m.

Rudder Shift Time8.1 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range11.52 km.

Air Detectability Range7.16 km.

Battle Levels

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14.3

Atago B

Cruiser | Japan | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points40,100

Main Battery

203 mm/50 3rd Year Type No.2 in a Model E turret5 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire3.75 shots/min.

Reload Time16 sec.

Rotation Speed6.2 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time29.03 sec.

Firing Range15.78 km.

Maximum DispersionUnable to match configuration for query: artillery:pjsc598_black_atago::top|artillerydispersion m.

HE Shell203 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage3,300

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell17 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity840 m./s.

HE Shell Weight125.85 kg.

AP Shell203 mm AP Type91

Maximum AP Shell Damage4,700

Initial AP Shell Velocity840 m./s.

AP Shell Weight125.85 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range6.6 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell127 mm HE Type0

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,100

Initial HE Shell Velocity725 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Torpedo Tubes

610 mm Quad4 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.59 shots/min.

Reload Time101 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoType90 mod. 1

Maximum Damage17,233

Torpedo Speed62 knot

Torpedo Range9.99 km.

AA Defense

127 mm/40 Type 89 on a Model A1 mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second40.4

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a single mount30 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second54

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a triple mount6 х 3 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second19.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

25 mm/60 Type 96 on a twin mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second16.2

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed35.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius790 m.

Rudder Shift Time8.1 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range11.52 km.

Air Detectability Range7.16 km.

Battle Levels

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VIII

Special

Atago B — Japanese special premium Tier VIII cruiser.

Developed from the Myōkō-class cruisers. When commissioned, Atago was one of the most powerful heavy cruisers in the world. The ship surpassed the speed of all Japan's potential rival cruisers. For her time, Atago was well-armored with efficient AA armament, along with powerful artillery and torpedoes.

Atago B first went on sale on 29 November 2019.

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

Tier VIII Atago B shares many characteristics with the tech tree Japanese heavy cruisers, making her an ideal captain trainer for that line. Her heavy armament, excellent concealment, and survivability combine to make a potentially powerful package. Despite her age, she remains a well-balanced and effective premium ship.

The Ship

Atago B has a top speed of 35.5 knots, one of the fastest at her tier, allowing her to outpace many of her peers. This can be pushed to 37 knots with the Sierra Mike signal, providing her with excellent mobility. She has a fast 8.1 second rudder shift and will rapidly respond to course changes. However, her turning circle of 790 meters is rather large, which makes it awkward to maneuver in confined spaces or around torpedoes. Her base concealment of 11.5 km can be reduced to just 9.8 km if Atago B is fully built for stealth.

Atago B mounts a standard cruiser Damage Control Party , which is active for 5 seconds with a 60 second cooldown. Her second slot has a choice of consumables: Hydroacoustic Search  or Defensive AA Fire . Hydroacoustic Search is the optimal choice, to detect torpedoes at 3 km and ships at 4 km for 100 seconds. The Defensive AA Fire will provide a 50% boost to her continuous AA damage, but her weak AA defenses mean the benefits are effectively wasted. She carries a Catapult Fighter  in her third slot, which launches three fighters that patrol around the ship for up to 1 minute, where they will provide emotional support to a ship under air attack. Her fourth consumable slot features a Repair Party  that can recover 14% of lost health with a single use. This can potentially recover 5,600 health per use if used efficiently, for a total of 16,800.

Survivability

With 25 mm bow and stern plating, Atago B can bounce all cruiser-caliber AP as well as the 356 mm rounds of some battleships, but most battleships in her matchmaking range will overmatch this plating. Her plating will also shatter the HE rounds of many destroyers, although Japanese gunboats and German destroyers are notable exceptions, as are Ragnar and Tromp with their larger caliber guns. Her citadel is protected by a 102 mm armor belt; although this is rather thin, further protection is provided by external torpedo bulges for much of its length. Finally her deck armor is 41 mm thick, allowing her to defeat the HE bombs of British aircraft carriers, as well as the tactical aircraft of US carriers. Her superstructure can still be penetrated by these types, so Atago B should not be thought of as bomb-proof.

Atago B has 40,100 hit points as standard, a decent amount although it is on the low side for a Tier VIII heavy cruiser. The ability to recover lost health allows Atago B to stay in the fight for longer than her hit points would initially suggest. Experienced players of Japanese cruisers will be accustomed to the ease with which their modules, particularly the rudder, are disabled, and Atago B is no different in this regard.

Armament

Atago B has ten 203 mm guns mounted in five twin turrets. These weapons will feel familiar to players who have experienced the tech tree heavy cruisers with their long reload and slow turret traverse. Her range of 15.8 km is also somewhat short for the tier, although her concealment allows her to reach useful firing positions. Compensating for these drawbacks, Atago B has the improved dispersion common to Japanese 203 mm guns and some of the best HE rounds at her tier. Her AP rounds are able to pose a threat to enemy cruisers out to maximum range, even if they lack the punch of her US counterparts. With her improved dispersion and large number of guns, Atago B can punish broadside cruisers and inflict serious damage on her opponents if players have the right ammunition loaded. Her HE rounds are powerful weapons, with high damage and good fire chance per shell. When engaging battleships, her high explosive shells can penetrate the bow and stern plating of battleships within her matchmaking spread, as well as the decks of British and French battleships. Although her shells have a good individual fire chance, Atago B lacks the reload to pose a serious fire threat, but she will deal far more direct damage than most light cruisers.

Atago B mounts a heavy torpedo armament, with two quad launchers on each side. Compared to most other Japanese cruisers, these have improved angles, with the forward launchers able to engage targets at 39° from her bow. However, using both launchers on a side will still require showing broadside to an enemy. Her torpedoes have a long range and hit hard, with a good flooding chance, but they are easily spotted. An alert enemy will have a minimum of almost 10 seconds to take avoiding action.

Anti-Aircraft

Atago B’s anti-aircraft defenses are weak. She has some long range weapons, but the damage they produce is underwhelming and will not dissuade a determined Tier VI carrier. She will produce 3 flak clouds which can cause serious damage, particularly to lower tier aircraft, but these are easily avoided. Most of Atago B’s anti-air DPM comes from her short range automatic weapons, as she lacks any medium range weapons. Although the damage from her short range weapons may look impressive, by the time they engage their targets, the aircraft will likely have already finished their attacks.

Anti-Submarine

Atago B uses an ASW airstrike with a range of 7 km. Each attack will drop two bombs, with up to two attacks queued at a time. These are standard for the tier, doing 4,200 damage on a direct hit.

Battle Performance

Atago B is able to use her concealment to reach positions many other cruisers cannot. This allows her to obtain crossfire on large targets or support friendly destroyers from effective ranges. Her AP rounds can pose a serious threat to broadside cruisers, and her HE is effective against angled targets and destroyers. Atago B benefits from the Gun Feeder captain skill, which will allow players to change to the correct ammunition type without waiting for (what can seem like) a lifetime to pass while the target maneuvers away.

She is equally at home harassing battleships or supporting friendly destroyers. Although her reload may be slow, few destroyers will want to hang around after catching a full salvo of Atago B’s HE rounds.

Her torpedoes, although powerful, should be thought of as emergency weapons or for area denial. Although they can reach out to 10 km, expecting to reliably hit targets at this range is unrealistic, and launching from short ranges is not recommended. When under air attack, her best hope is relying on friendly AAA or enemy misplays.

Atago B offers two play style options. The safer, traditional option is to build for stealth, allowing her to move about the battlefield and remain unspotted. For those who are more confident in their abilities, Atago B’s good base concealment means they can forgo the concealment modification and opt for a double rudder shift build. This transforms Atago B from a sneaky ambush predator into a slippery open-water gunboat that can rapidly switch direction to avoid enemy fire. If engaging from open water, player should utilize their range in order to maximize the amount of time they will have to avoid incoming fire. Her good accuracy means she can still expect to land multiple shells per salvo on battleships. If this option is taken, players must vary the evasive action they take, ensuring that their movements do not become predictable.

Whichever option is picked, Atago B has something to offer everyone, from relative novices to experienced veterans.

PROS

• Heavy main battery armament
• Good HE shells
• Excellent gun accuracy
• Strong torpedoes
• Fast rudder shift
• Good concealment
• Repair Party  consumable
• Black is cool

CONS

• Slow main battery reload
• Glacial turret traverse
• Low HP for a heavy cruiser
• Weak AA defenses

Research

As a premium ship, Atago B has no upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

Concealment Build This focuses on building into Atago B’s excellent stealth, allowing her to work as an ambush ship. In slot 3, the choice is between alleviating some of the turret traverse speed issues or adding to her already good accuracy.

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection
• Slot 3: Main Battery Modification 2 -or- Aiming Systems Modification 1
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 

Open Water Build With this setup, Atago B trades some concealment for the ability to dodge long range gunfire aimed at her. The concealment can still be reduced to 10.4 km with captain skills, meaning she is still a rather stealthy ship.

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection
• Slot 3: Main Battery Modification 2
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
• Slot 5: Steering Gears Modification 2

Commander Skills

Atago B is a good fit for any captain taken from the Japanese Zao line of cruisers, with the possible exception of captains built for 155 mm Mogami.

The special captain Yamamoto Isoruku can work well with Atago B. His improved Grease the Gears skill provides a 20% buff to her turret traverse, a massive improvement to this badly needed skill. His Second Wind talent will also massively improve her reload, although chances are the game will mostly be finished by the time this activates.

Stealth build captain

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party   Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning of a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5km.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance fired at submarines. ★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search, Surveillance Radar, Smoke Generator, & Engine Boost.	Eye in the Sky Spotting Aircraft: • +2 charges • -50% cooldown time.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★★	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
3	Heavy HE and SAP Shells +10% HE and SAP shell damage. +15% ship detectability guns 149mm and up. ★	Pack a Punch +15% torpedo damage. +20% secondary battery range..	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Heavy AP Shells +5% damage for AP shells 190mm and larger.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★★	Survivability Expert +450 HP per ship tier. ★
4	Top Grade Gunner -10% reload time of secondary batteries If enemy ship is spotted within detectability range, -8% reload time of main battery.	Outnumbered If there are fewer allies than visible enemies within the ship's base main caliber firing range: +8% ship speed -10% main battery dispersion.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken..	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	AAA & ASW Expert +25% continuous AA and flak damage. +15% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −50% ship consumables reload time..
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Open Water Captain If building for open water, Grease the Gears becomes more important to counter her slow turret traverse times. Incoming fire alert is also more important, giving players an early warning of incoming fire.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party   Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning of a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5km. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance fired at submarines. ★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search, Surveillance Radar, Smoke Generator, & Engine Boost.	Eye in the Sky Spotting Aircraft: • +2 charges • -50% cooldown time.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★★	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
3	Heavy HE and SAP Shells +10% HE and SAP shell damage. +15% ship detectability guns 149mm and up. ★	Pack a Punch +15% torpedo damage. +20% secondary battery range..	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Heavy AP Shells +5% damage for AP shells 190mm and larger.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★★	Survivability Expert +450 HP per ship tier. ★
4	Top Grade Gunner -10% reload time of secondary batteries If enemy ship is spotted within detectability range, -8% reload time of main battery. ★★	Outnumbered If there are fewer allies than visible enemies within the ship's base main caliber firing range: +8% ship speed -10% main battery dispersion.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken..	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	AAA & ASW Expert +25% continuous AA and flak damage. +15% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −50% ship consumables reload time..
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Atago B can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire  - 3 charges or Hydroacoustic Search  - 3 charges
• Slot 3: Catapult Fighter  - 3 charges
• Slot 4: Repair Party  - 3 charges

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Atago B comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP. ★★★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy. ★	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. ★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. ★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts.	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire . ★★

Gallery

Historical Info

Atago B, 1932

Construction

Builder: Kure Naval Arsenal,
   Hiroshima, Japan

Laid down: 28th April 1927

Launched: 16th June 1930

Commissioned: 30th March 1932

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Specifications

9,850 tons displacement, standard

203.8m length

19m beam

6.1m draft

---

Machinery

Twelve Kampon oil-fired boilers

Four Kampon geared shaft turbines

2,750 tons of oil

---

Performance

35.5 knots at 130,000 shaft horsepower

8,500 nm at 14 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 127mm-102mm

Decks: 47mm-35mm

Turrets: 25mm

Fore and Aft Plating: 25mm

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Armament

Main

Ten (5x2) 20.3cm/50 3rd Year Type mod. 2 guns

Secondary

Four (4x1) 12cm/45 10th Year Type dual-purpose guns

Anti-aircraft

Two (2x1) 40mm 2-pdr AA guns

Torpedoes

Eight (4x2) 61cm Type 90 torpedoes

Aircraft Facilities

1 Kawanishi E7K floatplane

2 Nakajima E4N floatplanes

2 aircraft catapults

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Complement

773 men

Atago B, 1944

Specifications

14,616 tons displacement, standard

203.8mm length

20.4m beam

6.3m draft

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Armament

Main

Ten (5x2) 20.3cm/50 3rd Year Type mod. 2 guns

Secondary

Eight (4x2) 12.7cm/40 Type 89 dual-purpose guns

Anti-aircraft

Sixty (4x3, 8x2, 32x1) 25mm Type 96 AA guns

Four (2x2) 13.2mm Type 93 AA machine guns

Torpedoes

Sixteen (4x4) 61cm Type 93 Torpedoes

Aircraft Facilities

1 Mitsubishi F1M2 floatplanes

2 Aichi E13A floatplanes

2 aircraft catapults

---

History

Design

Originally planned to be built as Myoko class cruisers, Atago and her sister ships were redesigned into the newer Takao class heavy cruisers. This new design was created to address many of the issues with the previous classes as well as incorporate knowledge learned from the experimental cruiser Yūbari. The new hull design was very similar to those prior, but it featured a shorter and thicker armor belt as well as deck mounted torpedo launchers instead of hull mounted tubes. The new cruisers were also designed to achieve higher maximum speeds than their Allied counterparts.

The Takao class was the first class of cruisers designed to carry the new 203mm guns which were later fitted onto most Japanese heavy cruisers. These guns were originally designed to be dual purpose and could elevate as high as 70 degrees. This was later reduced to 55 degrees after the high angles began to cause issues and damage to the guns. Like the Myoko class, Atago and her sisters had their main armament mounted in a pyramidal group forward and a superfiring pair in the aft.

It wasn’t until the first Myoko class cruiser was completed that the Japanese designers realized that the new ships would be over the 10,000 ton weight limit. Despite lighter alloys and welding being utilized much more during construction, the new ships were still over the design weight and as a result, suffered from lower speeds and stability issues. To help alleviate this, the planned torpedo armament was reduced from twelve torpedo tubes mounted in four triple launchers to eight torpedo tubes in four double launchers. Later refits and upgrades increased the hull strength and stability of the Takao class ships. This allowed the cruisers to have their torpedo armaments increased to sixteen tubes mounted in four quadruple launchers. The anti-aircraft and secondary armaments of the cruisers were also built up continuously since their completion and entry into service.

Service

Atago was commissioned on 30 March 1932, one day before Takao. The newly completed cruisers were assigned to the 4th Cruiser Squadron in December, but later removed to undergo alterations to address the stability issues with the ships. Atago’s sister ships Takao, Maya, and Chokai all rejoined the 4th cruiser squadron by 1937, but Atago herself would remain in reserve until 1939. During this time, Atago underwent her first modernization, receiving upgrades to her hull strength and armament. Atago then joined Takao in conducting patrol operations off the coast of China until December of 1941.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Atago sailed in support of the invasion of the Philippines and Malaya. In early 1942, Atago and her sister ships conducted operations in the Dutch East Indies, participating in the Battle of Java Sea. The cruiser squadron participated in raids on American convoy ships and destroyed numerous Allied destroyers and small warships. At the conclusion of the campaign in the Dutch East Indies, Atago returned to Yokosuka where she received her second modernization. The ship’s anti-aircraft armament was increased and the existing secondary guns were replaced with the newer dual purpose 127mm guns. After completing her modernization, Atago escorted the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Midway but did not actively participate in the battle.

In late 1942, Atago was deployed to Truk in response of the American push into the Solomon Islands. While Atago participated in both the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Battle of Santa Cruz, she only played a minor role during the engagements. On 15 November 1942, Atago, Takao, and Kirishima engaged the American battleships USS South Dakota and USS Washington. The Japanese ships were able to score numerous damaging hits on South Dakota. Ultimately, Kirishima was lost and the two cruisers suffered minor damage resulting in their return to Kure for repairs. Atago would again return to the Solomon Islands in early 1943 to assist in the evacuation of the area.

Atago was later deployed to Rabaul in preparation to attack the American forces landing on Bougainville. However, this effort was stopped when on 5 November 1943, the forces stationed at Rabaul came under attack from Allied aircraft from USS Saratoga and USS Princeton. Atago again sustained minor damage and returned to Japan for repairs. While in Yokosuka, the ship received additional anti-aircraft weapons as well as a newer radar system.

In January of the following year, Atago returned to service and conducted minor operations while stationed at Truk. The ship later sailed in support of the Japanese Fleet at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, but did not engage any targets. Atago returned to Japan for the final time in July and received additional anti-aircraft weapons as well as upgrades to her radar mounts.

With her last refit complete, Atago sailed to Singapore where she would join the First Mobile Striking Force and serve as the fleet’s flagship. The Japanese force departed on 22 October 1944 and sailed for Leyte Gulf. White en route to Leyte, the Mobile Force came under attack from two American submarines, USS Darter and USS Dace. Atago was hit by four torpedoes from Darter and despite attempts to keep the ship afloat, sank in the waters off Palawan Island. The First Mobile Striking Force would continue towards Leyte in an attempt to halt the American landings in the Philippine Islands, but would ultimately result in the loss of much of the remaining Japanese naval forces.

Historical Inaccuracies

• More than half of Atago's 25mm/60 anti-aircraft guns are missing. Her actual AA complement consisted of sixty (60) 25mm guns in four quadruple, eight twin and 32 single mounts. In addition, two twin mount 13.2mm AA machine guns are also missing.

Historical Gallery

• 

  Colored photo of Atago, 1932.

• 

  Atago at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, 30 Nov 1939.

• 

  US Navy Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) reference document on Atago.

• 

  Detailed ONI document of Atago project.

Video

References

1. Japanese cruiser Atago - Wikipedia
2. Takao-class cruiser - Wikipedia

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for purchase in the Premium Store during Update 0.7.11 during the Black Friday promotion. Could also drop from Black Friday containers.

Testing Changes

• October 15, 2018:
  • First announcement.

• Update 0.7.11.1:
  • Fixed a bug due to which the armor could differ from the armor of the original version of the ship.
• Update 0.8.0:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures.
• Update 0.9.2:
  • Armor thickness changed: the central part was reinforced from 25 mm to 27 mm.
• Update 0.9.6:
  • The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 790 m to correct prior discrepancy.
• Update 0.9.10:
  • The distribution of HP in the hull was slightly updated.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 6.6 km.
• Update 0.11.1:
  • Minor corrections to geometry and textures of the ship.
  • AA guns changed to be closer to the historical composition:
    • Added six twin and six triple 25 mm/60 Type 96 AA mounts.
    • Added two single 25 mm/60 Type 96 AA mounts increasing the total from 28 to 30.
  • Because of this the characteristics of the ship's AA defenses changed:
    • Port AA rating increased from 47 to 53.
    • Continuous damage per second increased from 105 to 138.
    • Continuous damage per second of short-range AA guns increased from 133 to 221.
  • Engine acceleration values changed:
    • Time to reach full speed forwards from 50 to 40 s.
    • Time to reach full speed in reverse from 30 to 20 s.
• Update 12.11:
  • Improved geometry and textures of the ship.
  • Improved geometry and textures of the Special permanent camouflage.

Ships of Japan

Cruisers