With a huge ocean between themselves and
most of the world, and being completely dependant
on raw materials from overseas, the Japanese
saw great value in the idea of a large, heavily
armed, fast warships. Direct confrontation
with enemy battleships was not nearly as
likely as with cruisers or battlecruisers,
so they decided that their first dreadnoughts
would be of the battlecruiser type. Having
no experience in designing either battlecruisers
or dreadnought battleships, the Japanese
asked Vickers for a battlecruiser design
that would exceed all existing or planned
battlecruisers in terms of gun power and
protection.
Designed by Sir George Thurston, the design
was based on the H.M.S. Lion Class battlecruisers. Unfettered by bureaucracy
and restrictions imposed by the Admiralty,
Thurston came up with one of the most successful
designs ever. With their 8x 14" main
rifles, all-centerline gun layout, and two-forward/
two-aft turret arrangement, these ships corrected
the design problems with the H.M.S. Lion. The design was so impressive that the fourth
ship of the British Lion Class, the HMS Tiger, was cancelled and redesigned to be very
similar to the Kongo. During WWI, there was some talk by the
British of attempting to lease these fine
vessels for service with the Royal Navy.
These ships continued in front line service
in the Japanese Imperial Navy well into WWII,
receiving major rebuilds in the late 1920s,
and again in the 1930s. The Hiei was partially disarmed under the Washington
Treaty for use as a training ship, but was
returned to active service in the mid 1930s.
Kongo was built in the Vickers- Armstrong Yard
at Barrow, the last major Japanese warship
built overseas. It has been reported that
the three ships built in Japanese yards had
some minor changes, such as lower portholes
to accommodate the slightly smaller stature
of the average Japanese seaman.
Originally classed as "Junyo senkan",
or battlecruisers, their designation was
changed to "Senkan", or battleship,
after rebuilding. The rebuilding included
increased protection, anti-torpedo bulges,
and the conversion to oil fuel. Again rebuilt
in the 1930s, the hulls were lengthened and
the machinery replaced to increase speed.
By battlecruiser standards they were pretty
well protected, but their level of protection
did not rate their reclassification as fast
battleships. During the war, they were mostly
used as fast carrier escorts, and for nighttime
bombardment missions where they could use
their speed to exit the battle area before
the inevitable daylight attacks from US aircraft.
Kongo was lost to submarine attack, Haruna to air attack, Kirishima to fire from a modern battleship, and Hiei from the combined fire of cruisers and destroyers.
Kongo Class Specs as built
Kongo Class specs after first reconstruction
Kongo Class specs after second reconstruction
IJN Kongo:
Laid down at Vickers, Barrow, UK, 11 Jan
1917
launched 18 May 1912
Delivered to the IJN 16 Aug 1913.
WWI service:
Search for Graf Spee's squadron
Rebuilt 1929-31 at Yokosuka:
Reboilered, increased protection, bulges
Rebuilt 1935-37 at Sasebo:
Re-engined, reboilered, lengthened, speed
to 30.5 knots
WWII Service:
Malaya landings, Ambon, Darwin, Ceylon, Midway,
Guadalcanal, Santa Cruz,
Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf, engages US destroyers
and escort carriers, is slightly damaged
in air attacks
November 21, 1944, struck by three torpedoes
from US submarine Sealion. Apparently progressive
flooding caused the ship to slow and capsize,
and fire caused Kongo to
explode as she rolled over, sinking 2.5 hours
after the torpedo hits. Last reported position
at 26-09 N, 121-23 E,
60 miles north of Keelung, Formosa in 348
feet of water.
About 1,200 crewmen are lost, 237 survivors
rescued. Officially struck from Navy list
Jan 20, 1945.
IJN Hiei
Laid down at Yokosuka 4 Nov 1911
Launched 21 Nov 1912
Completed 4 Aug 1914
WWI service:
Search for Graf Spee's squadron
Rebuilt 1932 at Kure:
Cadet training ship, 11 boilers, speed reduced
to 18 knots,
rear 14" turret and all 6" guns
removed, main armor belt removed
Rebuilt 1937-40 at Kure:
Returned to front-line use, turret and guns
replaced,
machinery and hull modified as others
WWII Service:
Pearl Jarbor, East Indies, Ceylon, Midway,
Eastern Solomons,
Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal
13 November 1942: The First Naval Battle
of Guadalcanal, Hiei sinks US destroyer Laffey, but is struck by at least one torpedo from
a US destroyer, possibly two more, plus 30x
8" shells from the cruisers Portland and San Francisco and dozens of 5" shells from cruisers
and destroyers. Steering gear jammed with
helm hard over. Daylight brings over 70 US
air attacks, with strikes from bombs and
torpedoes. Ships is abandoned and scuttled,
with an order from Yamamoto directing that
the ship not be scuttled arriving too late.
The Hiei sinks by the stern at 09-00S, 159-00E. 188
crewmen are lost.
Ship removed from Navy List 20 December 1944.
IJN Kirishima
Laid down by Mitsubishi 17 Mar 1912
Launched 1 Dec 1913
Completed 19Apr 1915
Rebuilt 1927-30 at Kure:
Reboilered, increased protection, bulges
Rebuilt 1934-36 at Sasebo:
Re-engined, reboilered, lengthened, speed
to 30.5 knots
WWII Service:
Pearl Harbor, East Indies, Darwin, Ceylon,
Midway,
Eastern Solomons, Guadalcanal
Hit by one 8" shell from San Francisco
at First Guadalcanal
November 15, 1942, Second Battle of Guadalcanal,
hits USS South Dakota with one 14" and several smaller shells.
USS Washington approaches undetected to within 5,800 yards
and Kirishima hit by 9x 16" and over 40x 5"
shells.
Ship listing, on fire, and unable to steer,
the order to scuttle is given and Kirishima
rolls over to starboard, capsizes seven miles
NW of Savo Island
at 9-10S, 159-55E, in over 4000 feet of water.
Over 300 crewmen are lost, with 1,125 survivors.
IJN Haruna
Laid down by Kawasaki 16 Mar 1912
Launched 14 Dec 1913
Completed 19 Apr 1915
WWI Service:
Damaged by German mine in South Pacific
Rebuilt 1924-28 at Yokosuka:
Reboilered, increased protection, bulges
Rebuilt 1933-34 at Kure:
Re-engined, reboilered, lengthened, speed
to 29.5 knots
Prototype tower for Yamato Class fitted
WWII Service:
Malaya landings, East Indies, Darwin, Ceylon,
Midway,
Guadalcanal, Santa Cruz, Philippine Sea,
Leyte Gulf
Bomb damage Battle of Philippine Sea June
20, 1944
With Kurita's main force at Leyte Gulf operation,
slightly damaged, fires on US destroyers
and escort carriers
Some sourses indicate she was in company
with Kongo Nov 21, 1944, when her sister
was sunk.
Nov 22, 1944, ran aground at Lingga Roads,
returned to Japan for repairs
6" guns reduced to 8, 5" guns increased
to 12, depth charges fitted
Damaged by air attacks March 19, June 12,
July 24, and July 28, 1945,
settles in shallow water after 9 bomb hits.
65 men killed.
Removed from Navy list Nov 20, 1945
Wreck re-floated and broken up 1946
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