Light Cruiser Kuma

Kuma was the lead ship of the five-ship Kuma class, laid down at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, launched 14 July 1919, and commissioned 31 August 1920. Displacing approximately 5,100 tons standard, the Kuma class carried seven 140mm single-mount guns, eight 533mm torpedo tubes, and could sustain 36 knots. Kuma served throughout the early Pacific War, supporting the landings in the Philippines and later operating in the Dutch East Indies. By late 1943 she was stationed at Penang in Malaya supporting Japanese operations in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal theater. On 11 January 1944, Kuma was exercising off Penang when she was detected and attacked by the British submarine HMS Tally-Ho (P317) under Lieutenant Commander Bennington. Two torpedoes struck Kuma starboard aft; after her own depth charges detonated she sank by the stern about twelve minutes later, at approximately 5°26′N 99°52′E. 138 of her crew were lost; the survivors, including her captain, were rescued by the destroyer Uranami. Her sinking by a British submarine — one of the rare instances of Royal Navy submarine success in the Far East — disrupted Japanese supply operations in the Malacca Strait region.