Kongo Class Battleship

A Kongo class battleship was one of four Imperial Japanese Navy's battleships, which were produced successively in a series and used during WW2. Originally built as battlecruisers between 1913 and 1915, they underwent modernization in the late 1920s and 1930s, as they were converted into powerful war vessels, with a longer deck, thicker armor, and a new power plant.

The IJN Kongo was the first one of the series and it was launched in 1913. It had been produced at Vickers shipyards, England. It was the last major  Japanese warship made in a foreign country. It would be followed by IJN Hiei, in 1914. The following year, 1915, IJN Haruna and IJN Kirishima would be launched successively. The last three of the series had been built at Japanese shipyards. However, they complied with the Vickers' engineers' concept of a battlecruiser: fast speed, heavy armament, but limited protection.

All four of them were part of the Japanese Navy fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They would also participate in the Battle of Midway, in early June 1942. With IJN Kirishima and Hiei having been sunk by USS Washington near Guadalcanal in November 1942, the remainder two Kongo class battleships would take part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, and the naval engagement off Samar island, Philippines. However, in November 1944, the IJN Kongo, the first of the series, was sunk by the USS Sealion submarine. Meanwhile, the IJN Haruna would be sunk by Allied bombers, on July 28, 1945, a couple of weeks before the war ended.

Below, photo of the IJN Kongo taken in 1913 during trials right after she had been launched.

Description

The Kongo class battleship originally featured three funnels, but one of them would be taken out during the modernization process, fitting them with a strong 'pagoda' mast. In the 1930s, new boilers and steam turbines were installed, doubling their maximum speed. Their belt armor was reinforced and the turrets modified to increase the maximum elevation of their naval guns, from +30 to +40 degrees. However, they kept their powerful 356mm (14 in) naval guns, which were set up in four twin turrets; two on fore and two on aft deck.

Kongo Class Specifications

Type: Fast Battleship

Number built: four

Length: 222 m (728 ft, 6 in)

Beam: 31 m (102 ft, 4 in)

Displacement: 36,000 tons (with full load)

Power Plant: 4 shafts, reduction-geared steam turbines, and four boilers, putting out 136,000 HP.

Maximum Speed: 30 knots

Armament: eight 356-mm (14 in) guns; sixteen 152-mm guns; sixteen 76mm AA guns.

Crew: 1,210 officers and sailors

 Below, the IJN Haruna in 1937

 The funnels of the IJN Kongo during her modernization