Tatsuta was a Japanese light cruiser the keel of which was laid in 1917, launched in May 1918, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in March 1919. The ship was 142.6 meters long, 12.3 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 4,600 tons. Cruiser Tatsuta's top speed was around 32-33 knots. At the time of launching, the main armament was 4 140 mm guns in single positions, and the additional armament was, among others: 2 triple 533 mm torpedo tubes.
Tatsuta was the second and final cruiser of the Tenryu-class. Units of this type were built as light and very fast cruisers, which were to act as the so-called "Leaders" - that is, guides of a destroyer flotilla. When designing them, particular emphasis was placed on speed at the expense of armor or larger on-board weapons of a larger caliber. In the 1920s, the cruiser Tatsuta was the leader of, among others, the 1st Destroyer Squadron. In the years 1937-1938 he fought in Chinese waters, including: supporting Japanese troops in the Shanghai area. The cruiser combat route during World War II began with the fighting in the area of Wake Island in December 1941, and in early 1942 it supported further landing operations in New Ireland and New Britain. From July 1942, Tatsuta served in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal, performing primarily the tasks of guarding convoys. From November 1942 to March 1943, the cruiser was overhauled - first at the base on Truk Island and later at the base at Kure. In August-September 1943, Tatsuta was modernized - for example, it received a new radar and strengthened its anti-aircraft armament. On March 13, 1944, the cruiser Tatsuta was sunk by the USS Sand Lance submarine.