Designed with little more than a passing nod to the international naval treaties of the inter-war period, the Imperial Japanese Navy's heavy cruisers were fast and heavily armed. Like the other vessels of the Japanese Navy, the heavy cruisers were technologically superior to and far more innovative than their Allied rivals, whom they met in many of the major Pacific Theatre battles, including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Mark Stille continues his study of the IJN of WWII with this fascinating topic, addressing the design and development of all 18 ships in the six heavy cruiser classes, from pre-war construction and mid-war alterations, to their operational histories and eventual fates.Table of Contents: Introduction Japanese naval strategy and the role of the heavy cruiser Japanese heavy cruiser doctrine Japanese heavy cruiser design and development and impact of the Washington and London Naval Treaties Japanese heavy cruiser weapons Japanese heavy cruiser radar The Heavy Cruiser Classes Furutaka Class Aoba Class Myoko Class Takao Class Mogami Class Tone Class Analysis and Conclusion