Historical:

IJN Aoba (Ì´_Ì´åÕÌ´åÔä Ì´_àÌ´åÌ´Ì_áÁ¾«ÜÌ´åä_ Aoba jÌ´åÇjun'yÌ´åÌ´åkan^?) was the lead ship in the two-vessel Aoba-class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Launched in 1926 and heavily modernized in 1938-40, she displaced 8,300 tons (standard, 9,000 final), was 185.17 meters long, and carried a main battery of six 20 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval guns in three double turrets, two forward and one aft.

The Aoba initially served as a patrol craft, largely along the China coast, and saw extensive service during WW II. Repeatedly heavily damaged and repaired, she was finally crippled by bombing and settled on the bottom of shallow Kure harbor in April 1945; two raids in late July reduced her to an unsalvageable hulk.

Named after Mount Aoba, a volcano located behind Maizuru, Kyoto, she was formally removed from the Navy List on November 20, 1945, and her wreck scrapped in 1946–47.

Info:        IJN Heavy Cruiser "Aoba"  – 1944