IJN Kirishima

The IJN Kirishima was a Japanese warship which was used in WW1 and WW2. It was one of the four Congo class battlecruisers which had been produced for the Imperial Japanese Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. Although it had been conceived as a battlecruiser, it was rebuilt and modernized into a fast battleship in the 1930s. It would play the role of carrier escort and it would also be used to bombard coastal areas before an invasion.

The IJN Kirishima was launched in 1913, entering service in 1915. Between 1927 and 1931, it was at dry dock being refitted. Between 1934 and 1940, along with her sister Hiei, it was completely modernized, receiving a new power plant to make it faster and with a longer range. Armor was also reinforced and heavy anti-aircraft guns were set up on deck. On December 7, 1941, Kirishima and the other three Congo-class battleships took part in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In early June 1942, during the Battle of Midway, she was hit by US dive bombers but was only slightly damaged.

Below, photo of the Kongo-class IJN Kirishima before second upgrade.

On November 12 and 13, she was part of the Japanese flotilla that attacked the US Navy's warships providing support to the US Marines on Guadalcanal. During that night, she and her sisters sank the USS Atlanta and seriously damaged the USS San Francisco, Juneau, and Helena. However, two days later, on the night of November 15-16, IJN Kirishima would be sunk by the American battleship USS Washington (BB-56). While she was viciously firing at the USS Dakota, the USS Washington came up from nowhere hitting Kirishima hull side with the 406mm gun shells. The rounds also knocked out two turrets as huge amount of water poured into the steering room. Other round impacts caused flames shoot up from fore section, with a series of explosions.

Specifications

Overall Length: 222 m

Beam: 31 m

Draft: 9.7 m

Displacement: 36,6000 tons (full load)

Power Plant: 4-shaft geared steam turbines, which put out 136,000 HP.

Speed: 30 knots

Armor: between 76 and 203-mm-thick on belt; and 121-mm on deck.

Armament: eight 356-mm naval guns; fourteen 152mm guns; and eight 127mm and twenty 25mm AA guns.

Crew: 1,500 officers and sailors.

Below, drawing of IJN Kirishima after 2nd modernization