was the lead ship in the two-vessel of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after Mount Furutaka, located on Etajima, Hiroshima immediately behind the Imperial Japanese Navy Academy. She was commissioned in 1926 and was sunk 12 October 1942 by and USS Duncan at the Battle of Cape Esperance. Design Furutaka and her sister ship Kako were the first generation of high speed heavy cruisers in the Japanese navy, intended to counter the American and British scout cruisers. They developed the experimental design pioneered in the cruiser . Although there were attempts to minimize weight and protection was only designed to be proof against 6 inch shells, the displacement was seriously overweight. The two ships were "scout cruisers", designed with aircraft facilities. The lack of catapults, however, necessitated launches from water until a major refit in 1932/3. Service history Inter-war period Furutaka was initially assigned to Cruiser Division 5 where she remained until reduced to reserve in December 1931. Furutaka underwent a series of significant refits in the 1930s. She was reconstructed and modernized at Kure Naval Base in 1932-33, receiving anti-aircraft guns upgraded to 12 cm (4.7 inch), aircraft catapult and an E4N2 floatplane. She was recommissioned into Cruiser Division 6. Further extensive work started in April 1937. The six single-mount 20 cm (7.9 inch) guns were replaced by three dual mount and re-bored 20.3 cm (8 inch) guns installed in improved mountings (allowing 55° elevation) with two turrets forward and one aft, fire control changed, light anti aircraft weapons augmented and eight new 610 mm (24 inch) Type 93 torpedo tubes were installed. Facilities were upgraded for two E7K2 floatplanes. New oil-fired boilers were installed and there was a general overhaul of machinery. In the light of the added top weight, an attempt was made to maintain stability by increasing the ship's beam - not entirely successfully. World War II In late 1941, Furutaka was assigned to Cruiser Division 6 Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto in the First Fleet with the cruisers , Kako and . At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the division was engaged in support for the invasion of Guam. After the failed first invasion of Wake Cruiser Division 6 was assigned to the larger second invasion force, and after the fall of Wake, returned to its forward base in Truk, Caroline Islands. From 18 January 1942, Cruiser