A Ship of Many Faces

The light cruiser Mogami, lead ship of her class, possessed five triple
15.5cm gun positions and a 150,000 output that would rival even its
famed cousin the Yamato - it was an ambitious attempt to shoehorn heavy
cruiser armament into a slimline, lightweight hull. Later in her service
life, in 1939, she was up-armed with 20.3cm guns and converted into a
heavy cruiser before later joining the outbreak of war in the Pacific.
The alterations to this versatile vessel didn't end there, however, and
after sustaining heavy damage at the Battle of Midway in June 1942,
Japanese navy planners took the chance to have her converted into an
aircraft carrying cruiser while carrying out repairs. She finally met
her end in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944. Direct hits to her
bridge from U.S. aircraft were compounded by her colliding with the
heavy cruiser Nachi, and the Japanese Navy was left with no choice other
than to scuttle the Mogami, the task performed by the destroyer
Akebono. Thus the Mogami sank, leaving just the memory of this ship of
many faces. Now, she joins the Water Line Series for the first time in
her light cruiser guise.