It's well known that aircraft carriers
formed the main strike force of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
To allow air groups to focus on their primary function,
the reconnaissance functions within aircraft carrier task forces
were performed by seaplanes.
These were carried on board escort ships.
It was necessary to build special "reconnaissance cruisers" for this role.
Heavy cruiser Tone fulfilled exactly that role,
and I want to tell you about her today.
Engineers decided to place all four of her twin turrets
that housed 203 mm guns at her bow end.
This unique solution allowed them to significantly improve
the ship's seafaring characteristics
and reduce the shell dispersion of the main battery.
In addition to that, her aft had a vacant space
for mounting torpedo launchers and aircraft equipment.
Tone was commissioned in 1938,
and she was named after a river on Honshu island.
The ship was an active participant of World War II,
primarily in the Pacific Ocean— beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor,
where her seaplanes conducted final reconnaissance before the strike,
and ending with the grand battle of Leyte Gulf.
Tone suffered damage in the latter battle
and was sent to Japan for repairs afterward.
It was there that she met her destiny—
she would never again depart from her homeland following her repairs.
In July 1945, three bombs dropped by U.S. naval aviation
sent the ship to the bottom,
and she was scrapped for metal after the war ended.
There can be no doubt that Tone was a vivid example
of the kind of original design ideas
that were very common for naval engineering in the Land of the Rising Sun.
It would have been just impossible for the World of Warships designers
to have ignored her.
Tone is a Tier VIII cruiser in World of Warships.
Like most Japanese cruisers,
she's equipped with long-range torpedoes that can inflict decent damage.
Her armor is solid for her type and she has adequate concealment.
She's armed with eight 203 mm guns in four turrets
and carries a torpedo bomber squadron comprising four aircraft,
each of which carries two torpedoes.
Aviation is Tone's primary feature,
and it makes the cruiser very unpredictable for her enemies.
Fighting over medium and long ranges
is an optimal tactic to choose for her.
I'll tell you why...
The cruiser has good firing accuracy,
and her aircraft can conduct reconnaissance to locate
and then strike any enemy ships hiding behind islands.
Keep in mind that Tone's aviation has low detectability
and torpedoes that aren't so powerful.
Her planes can quickly gain high speed
thanks to acceleration during take-off.
The ship's decent speed allows her to quickly change flanks
and take up advantageous positions.
In terms of upgrades, it's most effective to install the following:
Main Armaments Modification 1,
Engine Room Protection, Main Battery Modification 2,
Steering Gears Modification 1,
and Concealment System Modification 1.
Attention! Ship raffles are still on in Armada!
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where are the main battery guns installed on cruiser Tone?
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