| Battleship Class: |
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|---|---|
| Builder: |
Kure dockyard for the reconstruction |
| Date: |
1936 - 1940 |
| Displacement metric tons: |
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| Length Overall |
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| Beam: |
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| Draught: |
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| Machinery: |
8 Kampon boilers |
| Shaft Horse-Power: |
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| Speed: |
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| Fuel: |
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| Radius: |
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| Armament: |
14 x 6in 50-cal 4 x 5in AA 4 x 40mm AA 8 x 13mm MGs 8 x 25mm AA |
| Complement: |
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Hiei
Launched 21 November, 1912 and completed 16 August, 1914; 1932 cadets training ship;
1940 re -rated as a battleship; sunk 13 November, 1942 in the battle of Savo Island by
gunfire, torpedoes and air attacks from USS Enterprise, Portland, San Francisco,
Cushing, O'Bannon and US Marine Corps aircraft (09° 00' S, 159° 00' E.)
General Notes:
These were the first true battlecruisers built for the Japanese Navy. They were designed
by Sir George Thruston and were similar to HMS Tiger, but were slower and carried
heavier armament. They were built under the 1910-11 Budget, and were later reclassified
battleships. Kongo was last the capital ship to be built outside Japan.
Armour:
Belt 8in to 3in; bulkheads 9in to 15in; barbettes 10in; turrets 9in; CT 10in to 6in. The
deck protection was greatly increased during reconstruction.
Re-Armament and Reconstruction:
In 1915 Kongo had her forward funnel raised 6 ½ft. In 1923-35 Kongo and Hiei were
given caps to their forward funnels. In 1927-31 torpedo-bulges and thicker deckarmour
were added, the 14in guns were given more elevation, and provision was made for 3
floatplanes. The number of funnels was reduced from 3 to 2, and after this reconstruction
they were re-rated as battleships. From 1932 to 1936, Hiei had all of her 6in guns
removed.
From 1934 to 1940, all were lengthened by 26 ¼ft aft, and had new fire-control installed.
Hiei's foremast was a prototype for the Yamato Class, and she was the only unit of the
class to have the forefunnel thinner than the after one. In 1943, Kongo and Haruna had
34 x 25mm AA guns, and in 1944 they received radar; their secondary armament was
now 8 x 6in, 12 x 5in and 34 x 25mm AA. In October 1944 they had 100 x 25mm AA,
and the final total was 118, and even depth-charges had been added.
The yards which carried out the various reconstructions were:
Kongo 1929-31, Yokosuka DY; 1936-7, Yokosuka DY
Hiei 1929-32 Kure DY; 1936-40, Kure DY
Kirishima 1927-30, Kure DY; 1935-6, Sasebo DY
Haruna 1927-8, Yokosuka DY; 1933-4, Kure DY
Machinery:
To comply with the provisions of the 1922 Washington Treaty the ships were
'demilitarised' as follows:
Kongo and Kirishima: 16 Yarrow boilers, 13800 shp = 18 knots (armament 8 x 14in, 16 x
6in 4 to 7 3.1in AA, 3 floatplanes and catapult, 4 x 21in TT).
Haruna: similarly armed but machinery as Hiei. Fuel increased to 2661ts coal and 3292ts
oil = 9500 nm @ 14 knots.
Haruna & Hiei: 11 boilers, 13800 shp = 18 knots. Hiei had 6 x 14in, 16 x 6in, 4 x 3.1in
AA.
Trials speeds:
As Built As Modernized
Kongo 27.54 knots (78275 shp) 30.27 knots
Kirishima 27.6 knots (82000 shp) 30.5 knots
Haruna 27.78 knots (80476 shp) 30.2 knots
Hiei 27.6 knots (shp not known) 29.7 knots
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