4th Myōkō class (妙高型) heavy cruisers (other ships were Nachi, Myōkō & Haguro)
Commissioned: 20 August 1929
Battle of the Java Sea [1 Mar 1942] - Ashigara shared in the sinking of cruiser HMS Exeter and destroyer HMS Encounter. On 10 March 1942, she became flagship for the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet, and led the invasion of Christmas Island on 26 May 1942. She returned to Sasebo Naval Arsenal for a refit and repairs in June.
[Arp 1943] - returned to Yokosuka for installing a Type 21 radar
[Mar 1944] - Type 22 surface-search radar was installed.
[Sep 1944] - refitted at Kure Naval Arsenal, adding Type 96 AA guns
Battle of Leyte Gulf [24 Oct 1944] - Ashigara, with Nachi and eight destroyers.
[8 Jun 1945] sunk by HMS Trenchant in Bangka Strait
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