The Agano-class ships were intended to replace the obsolete light cruisers built in the 1910s and 1920s as flagships of destroyer flotillas.
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.