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With three widely-spaced straight funnels and seven single turrets scattered around her deck, Natori looked, and was, out-of-date by World War Two. But she saw plenty of action, until a US submarine sank her in late 1944.

Natori was the fourth in the Nagara-class of light cruisers, which were intended for use as the flagship of a destroyer flotilla.

Natori was completed in 1922. Soon after commissioning, Natori was assigned to patrols off the China coast. From 1938, it was based in Taiwan, and helped cover the landings of Japanese troops in southern China.

On 26 November 1941, Natori became flagship of Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara's DesRon 5. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Natori was escorting six troop transports to northern Luzon. The landing force was attacked by three USAAF B-17s on 10 December 1941, which slightly damaged Natori and its escorting destroyer Harukaze with near misses.

Natori was later assigned to cover the invasion of the Dutch East Indies, and participated in the Battle of Sunda Strait in February 1942. Natori and other Japanese ships deployed around the landing areas. The USS Houston (CA-30) and the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth attacked Japanese troop transports. At 2300, Natori and her destroyers arrived. Natori, with Hatsuyuki and Shirayuki, then opened fire and rapidly closed the range. At 2308, the Allied cruisers turned NE and Natori and her destroyers headed SE in three columns.

On 10 March 1942, Natori was assigned to CruDiv 16 with the light cruiser Nagara. After the occupation of Java, Natori participated in the Battle of Christmas Island.

In April, Natori was assigned to patrols of the Java Sea, which continued into June. After a refit back at Maizuru, Natori returned to the Java Sea and Timor Sea until December, with occasional calls at Mergui in Burma, Penang, Singapore and Davao.

In December 1942, Natori delivered a Special Naval Landing Force to Hollandia, New Guinea.

On 9 January 1943, southeast of Ambon, Natori was sighted by USS Tautog (SS-199). The Tautog fired two torpedoes which hit the Natori in the stern. It broke off and carried away her rudder. In the next few minutes, as Natori got underway at reduced speed, Tautog fired two more torpedoes, but they either missed or were duds and Natori escaped without further damage.

On 21 January 1943, while at Ambon, Natori was damaged by a near-miss from a B-24. The bomb opened plates and flooded a boiler room. Natori departed for repairs at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore. Repairs were not completed until 24 May 1943, but then Natori was sent back to Japan for further repairs and modernization.

At Maizuru, two large guns were removed as were her catapult and derrick, and more anti-aircraft guns were installed. This brought Natori's 25 mm AA suite to fourteen barrels. Better air-search radar was fitted and hydrophones were installed at her bow. Repairs and modernization were completed on 1 April 1944, and Natori was assigned as the flagship of the Central Pacific Fleet's DesRon 3.

In June 1944, Natori ferried Japanese Army troops to Mindanao and Palau. Natori remained at Davao in late June through August as a guard ship.

On 18 August 1944, 200 nautical miles east of Samar, Natori was spotted by USS Hardhead (SS-365). USS Hardhead identified the target as a battleship and closed for a surface attack. One Mark 23 Torpedo fired at 2,800 yards (2,600 m) hit the Natori portside in a boiler room. She stopped dead in the water and was hit starboard amidships with another from the second salvo. At 0704, Natori sank, taking 330 crewmen including Captain Kubota with her. The destroyers Uranami and Kiyoshimo rescued 194 survivors, and the USS Stingray (SS-186) recovered four more survivors in a rubber raft. On 12 September 1944, almost a month after her sinking, USS Marshall (DD-676) captured a lifeboat with another 44 survivors of the Natori aboard.

Natori was removed from the Navy List on 10 October 1944.

Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual

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