Comments by "Sar Jim" (@sarjim4381) on "IJN Oyodo - Guide 097" video.

Thanks for another well made video. I have always thought the Oyodo was an early look at what later helicopter and missile cruiser conversions looked like. It seems the Japanese didn't really understand how valuable her radar and communications suite and aircraft, combined with her high speed, could have been to the fleet. After expending materials and time the Japanese didn't have converting a large part of her hangers to flag accommodations in early 1944, her days as a flagship only lasted four months before Admiral Toyoda wisely decided he'd have a longer lifespan by commanding an underground bunker in Yokohama rather than a warship. That left the Oyodo to be nothing but a large and fast transport until her inevitable sinking. The Japanese, if they had had started sooner and spent less time from launching to commissioning, had the chance to develop a class of cruiser that saw later iterations in the Tiger class and ships like the Jeanne d'Arc
22