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Commander David McClintock looked through Darter's periscope in the early morning of 23 October 1944. The sight must have been a submariner's dream: Japanese battleships and cruisers stretched out in front of him in Palawan Passage.

The IJN warships were steaming for Tacloban, part of the multi-pronged, last-ditch Japanese effort to dispute the American landings on the Philippines. Having been on patrol with her partner USS Dace (SS-247) for a month, Darter (SS-227) hit the jackpot this morning. The two subs strained their engines to get themselves ahead of the Japanese fleet, in ambush position. Darter fired a spread of torpedoes and four hit Atago; in less than twenty minutes, the cruiser went down with over 300 hands. Next, Darter turned her attention to cruiser Takao, striking with two torpedoes and making her dead in the water. Just as the American sailors had anticipated, the Japanese force turned away from the deadly Darter, and right towards LtCdr Bladen Caggett's USS Dace, which then sank the heavy cruiser Maya. A good morning for US submarines; a very bad morning for Japanese cruisers.

Atago was one of four in her class of heavy cruisers, an improvement over the previous Myoko class. Their 8-inch guns could over-match almost all warships of the time, and a top speed of 34+ knots would permit them to elude any battleships with larger guns. Approved in the 1927 budget, Atago was built by the Kure Naval shipyards near Hiroshima, and like her sister ships, was named after a mountain (Mount Atago, outside of Kyoto).

30 March 1932:
Kure Navy Yard. Atago is completed and commissioned in the IJN.

26-29 October 1936:
Atago welcomes aboard the Emperor Hirohito, who observes the annual Imperial Naval Review off Kobe.

December 1941:
At the start of the Pacific War, the Atago was the flagship of Vice Admiral Kondo Nobutake's Cruiser Division 4, along with sister ships Maya and Takao, and assigned to support the invasion of Malaya and the Philippines. On 2 December, she arrives at Mako, Pescadore Islands, and receives the signal "Climb Mt. Niitaka," from the Combined Fleet. This signifies that X-Day hostilities will commence on 8 December (Japan Time).

February-March 1942:
Battleship Kongo, cruisers Atago and Takao, and four destroyers operate in Dutch East Indies. On 2 March, the cruisers overhaul and sink LtCdr H. C. Pound's old four stack destroyer USS Pillsbury (DD-227).

4 March 1942:
280 miles south of Java. At sunrise, Atago and other Japanese warships attack an Allied convoy. For more than ninety minutes, Australian sloop HMAS Yarra fights back, but is smothered by 5-inch and 8-inch shells and finally sinks, a blazing wreck. The cruisers also sink three British ships: tanker Francol, a minesweeper, and depot ship Anking. The Japanese pick up one lifeboat of survivors from Francol, but they are never heard of again. That same day, Atago captures Dutch freighter Duymaer Van Twist, later placed in Japanese service.

March-April 1942:
Atago operates from Celebes, Borneo, Singapore, Malaya, and Camranh Bay.

12 April 1942:
Arrives at Yokosuka for refit: dual 127-mm. High Angle (HA) guns are installed, replacing single 120-mm guns. Work completed in time for the Battle of Midway.

27 May 1942: Operation "MI" - The Battle of Midway:
Departs Hashirajima in Kondo's Second Fleet, accompanying battleships Hiei and Kongo. Atago not engaged in the battle.

11 August 1942:
CruDiv 4's Atago, Takao and Maya depart Hashirajima for Truk with Vice Admiral Kondo's Second Fleet.

20 August 1942 - Operation "KA": The Reinforcement of Guadalcanal:
Atago's CruDiv 4 departs Truk with Rear Admiral Abe Hiroaki's battleships Hiei and Kirishima, and other cruisers and destroyers. This force joins Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi's Third Fleet, Carrier Strike Force: Shokaku, Zuikaku and Zuiho.

24 August 1942 - The Battle of the Eastern Solomons:
Cruises NE of Guadalcanal with the Carrier Strike Force. USN Vice Admiral Fletcher's Saratoga (CV-3) and Enterprise (CV-6) launch aircraft that sink light carrier Ryujo. In turn, aircraft from Shokaku and Zuikaku find and hit Enterprise with three bombs. That evening, aircraft from Saratoga damage seaplane carrier Chitose. Atago undamaged.

5 September 1942:
Atago arrives at Truk.

18-20 September 1942:
Kondo's Second Fleet and Nagumo's Third Fleet (altogether comprising 3 carriers, 4 battleships, 9 cruisers - including Atago, and many destroyers) steam for the Solomons.

9 November 1942:
Vice Admiral Kondo departs Truk for Ontong Java area with CruDiv 4's Atago and Takao, carrier Junyo, Screen's BatDiv 3's Kongo and Haruna, CruDiv 8's Tone, light cruiser Sendai, and destroyers. The Main Body also includes battleships Hiei and Kirishima, light cruiser Nagara, and six destroyers.

10 November 1942:
DesDiv 27's Shigure, Shiratsuyu and Yugure depart the Shortland Islands, Bougainville to execute Vice Admiral Kondo's planned landing of 14,500 men, heavy weapons and supplies of the IJA's 38th "Hiroshima" Infantry Division and the 8th Special Naval Landing Force on Guadalcanal. The twelve destroyers of Rear Admiral Tanaka Raizo's DesRon 2 will escort an 11-ship high-speed reinforcement convoy. The landing is to be preceded by another bombardment of Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Part of Kondo's plan calls for DesDiv 27's destroyers to act as picket ships between Guadalcanal and the Russell Islands.

12 November 1942:
In the early morning, BatDiv 11 is joined by Rear Admiral Kimura's DesRon 10 and her destroyers. BatDiv 11 and DesRon 10 detach to bombard Henderson Field. At 1030, a USAAF B-17 heading towards Savo Island spots Abe's force. At 1530, Abe's force rendezvous with Rear Admiral Takama Tamotsu's five destroyers.

13 November 1942 - The First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal:
CruDiv 4 cruises off Ontong Java with Kondo's fleet. Abe's force engages an American cruiser-destroyer force off Guadalcanal. Hiei is damaged heavily by gunfire and later sunk off Savo Island by American aircraft.

15 November 1942 - The Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal:
In a night gun battle with USS South Dakota (BB-57) and Washington (BB-56) and destroyers, the Atago and Takao hit South Dakota twenty-three times. Kirishima also hits South Dakota with a single 14-inch round. South Dakota is damaged but not sunk. Early in the battle, Atago and Takao each launch eight Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes at Washington, but they all miss. The Kirishima and destroyer Ayanami are sunk as a result of the action. The Atago is damaged slightly. IJN cruisers and destroyers retire northward.

December 1942:
Battle-damage repairs at Kure.

February - July 1943:
At Truk.

July - September 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Refit and modification. Additional anti-aircraft guns are installed. Atago sails for Truk.

17 October 1943:
The Japanese intercept radio traffic that suggests the Americans are planning another raid on Wake. Admiral Koga's fleet, including Atago, sorties from Truk to intercept the enemy task force, but no engagement occurs. By 26 October, the fleet arrives back at Truk.

5 November 1943: The Carrier Raid on Rabaul:
The cruiser force arrives at Rabaul. About noon, while refueling in Simpson Harbor, the cruisers are attacked by 97 planes from Saratoga (CV-3) and Princeton (CVL-23). Bombs damage cruisers Atago, Takao, Maya, Mogami, Agano, Noshiro, and two destroyers. Atago sustains three near-misses by 500-lb. bombs that kill 22 crewmen including her skipper Captain Nakaoka, who is hit by a bomb splinter while on the bridge. Later that day, she departs Rabaul with Takao.

November - December 1943:
At Yokosuka for repairs and re-fit. Captain Araki Tsutau assumes command. Additional 25-mm. AA guns are installed and a Type 22 surface-search radar is fitted. Then training cruises out of Yokosuka.

early January 1944:
Departs Yokosuka for Truk with Maikaze and Nowaki. On 7 January 1944, she is sighted by USS Halibut (SS-232), but the submarine is unable to attack. Arrives at Truk unharmed on 9 January.

mid-February 1944:
CruDiv 4's Atago and Chokai depart Truk for Palau with Cru Div 5's Haguro and Myoko and destroyers.

1 March 1944:
Atago's CruDiv 4 is reassigned to Vice Admiral Ozawa's First Mobile Fleet.

29 March 1944:
CruDivs 4 and 5 sortie for the Philippines.

6 April 1944:
The cruiser force is attacked by submarine Dace (SS-247), but misses with improperly set torpedoes. The cruiser force is also sighted by Darter (SS-227), but it is unable to attack.

June 1944:
Refit and modification at Kure. Four triple and 22 single mount 25-mm. AA guns are installed bringing their total to 60 barrels. A Type 13 air-search radar is also fitted.

late July 1944:
Drydocked and refit at Singapore.

22 October 1944: Operation "SHO-I-GO" - The Battle of Leyte Gulf:
Atago sorties with CruDiv 4's Chokai, Takao, and Maya, battleships Yamato, Musashi, and Nagato, light cruiser Noshiro, and eight destroyers.

23 October 1944: The Battle of the Palawan Passage:
At 0533, Atago is hit by four torpedoes from Cdr David McClintock's USS Darter (SS-227). Takao is also hit, set afire and goes dead in the water. Off to starboard, destroyers attempt to draw alongside but Atago is heeling so heavily that they cannot approach. When Atago takes on a severe list, Kurita takes to the sea. Some thirty staff officers swim towards the destroyers. CoS Rear Admiral Koyanagi Tomiji also reaches Kishinami. At 0553, Atago sinks in 1000 fathoms of water. 360 are killed, but 529 survivors including Vice Admiral Kurita, Rear Admiral Koyanagi, and Rear Admiral Araki are taken aboard Kishinami. 171 other survivors are rescued.

20 December 1944:
Removed from the Navy List.

Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual

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