Kumano limped into Manila harbor on one boiler, to be sunk by Halsey's aviators on 25 November 1944; the US escort carrier planes mauled Suzuya at Leyte, which was scuttled by the destroyer on 25 October. Criticism This class is seen by naval architects as trying to fit a quart into a pint pot. The IJN's Naval staff insisted that each new class be superior to anything else in its category, which placed an enormous burden on Japanese naval constructors and the difficulties with these ships have to be seen in this light. The initial construction was extremely light in order to comply with the naval treaties and had to be remedied. When the Royal Navy's Director of Naval Construction (DNC) was told about these ships by British Naval Intelligence, quoting the public displacement figure, he replied that the capabilities quoted could not be achieved on this displacement and that "they must be building their ships out of cardboard or lying". Ships References Bibliography External links Cruiser classes Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy Ships built in Japan