ðɪ æɡˈɑːnoʊklˈæs ʃˈɪps wɜːɹ ɪntˈɛndᵻd tə ɹᵻplˈeɪs ðɪ ˈɑːbsəlˌiːt lˈaɪt kɹˈuːzɚz bˈɪlt ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd tˈɛn z ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti z æz flˈæɡʃɪps ʌv dᵻstɹˈɔɪɚ flətˈɪləz.
The Agano-class ships were intended to replace the obsolete light cruisers built in the 1910s and 1920s as flagships of destroyer flotillas.