Kirishima was a Japanese battlecruiser, the keel of which was laid in 1912, launched in December 1913, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in April 1915. The total length of the ship was 223 meters, width 29.3 meters, and a full displacement of 38,200 tons. The maximum speed of the line cruiser Kirishima was around 30-31 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 8 356 mm guns in four turrets, two guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 14 152 mm guns.
Kirishima was the third of four Congo-class battleships. The vessel, the second in the series, was built at the Japanese shipyard in Nagasaki. In the interwar period, Kirishima underwent three modernizations, in the years 1927-1930, 1932-1933 and 1934-1936. They were aimed at: significantly improving the armor of the ship (especially in critical points, such as the engine room), rebuilding the front superstructure, which took the shape of a Japanese pagoda, and increasing the power and modernizing the engine room. The combat career of Kirishima in World War II began with the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 1941), during which she was part of the forces protecting Japanese aircraft carriers. In April 1942, he also took part in the famous Japanese raid on the Indian Ocean, and later - in June this year - took part in the Battle of Midway. Kirishima was sunk on November 15, 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
Hiei was a Japanese battlecruiser, the keel of which was laid in 1911, launched in November 1912, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in August 1914. The total length of the ship was 222 meters, width 29.3 meters, and a full displacement of 38,900 tons. The maximum speed of the Hiei battleship was around 29-30 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 8 356 mm guns in four turrets, two guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 14 152 mm guns.
Hiei was the second of four Congo-class battleships. The unit was the first in the series to be built at the Japanese shipyard in Yokosuka, but with the use of many elements imported from Great Britain. In the interwar period, Hiei underwent numerous reconstructions. The first of them, from the mid-1920s, focused on the reconstruction of the front superstructure, which took the shape of a Japanese pagoda. In the period 1929-1933, in connection with the disarmament systems, Hiei was converted into a training artillery ship. e.g. by reducing the power of the engine room or weakening the armor. However, at the end of the 1930s, when Japan entered the path of intensive naval armaments Hiei, the potential of a real battleship was restored. Hiei's combat career in World War II began with the attack on Pearl Harbor (December 1941), during which he was part of the forces protecting Japanese aircraft carriers. In early 1942, he covered the occupation of Rabaul. In April 1942, he also took part in the famous rally of the Japanese fleet to the Indian Ocean, and later - in May this year - he covered the forces fighting in the Aleutian region. Hiei was sunk on November 13, 1942, in the Battle of Savo Island in the Guadalcanal Battle.
The Congo was a Japanese battlecruiser, the keel of which was laid in 1911, launched in May 1912, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in August 1913. The total length of the ship was 222 meters, width 31 meters, and a full displacement of 36,600 tons. The Congo battleship's top speed was around 30 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 8 356 mm guns in four turrets, two guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 8 152 mm guns.
The Congo was the first of the four battlecruisers of the type to bear that name - the Congo. The unit was built at the British Vickers shipyard in Barrows-in-Furness. Thorough modernization of the Congo took place in the period 1929-1931 and 1935-1937, when the ship's engine room was completely changed, the superstructures were expanded, the anti-torpedo cover was improved and the seaplane catapults were added. During World War II, Congo took part in the Battle of Midway (June 1942), but played a marginal role there. In the last months of 1942 he took part in the fighting in the Guadalcanal area, incl. by firing at American positions on the island. In 1944 he fought in the Battle of Leyte, where he was instrumental in sinking the USS Gambler Bay escort carrier. Congo was sunk on November 21, 1944 as a result of a torpedo attack by the American submarine USS Sealion.
Shiratsuyu (Japanese: Shining Rosa) was a Japanese destroyer whose keel was laid in 1933, launched in April 1935, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in September 1936. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 107.5 m, width 9.9 m, and the actual full displacement - 1,700 tons. Destroyer Shiratsuyu's top speed was up to 34 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 5 127 mm guns in two twin and one single turret, and the secondary armament was two 13 mm machine guns, depth charge launchers and eight 610 mm torpedo tubes. with eight spare torpedoes.
Shiratsuyu was the first type destroyer with the same name - ie Shiratsuyu. Units of this type were created respecting the displacement limits imposed on the government in Tokyo by international disarmament treaties, especially the London Treaty of 1930. This type of ships was in fact a modification of the Hatsuharu-class ships - at the same time, it meant the temporary withdrawal of the Japanese fleet from building large destroyers like the Fubuki class. Compared to the Hatsuharu type, the Shiratsuyu type units differed in significantly improved stability, narrower hull and lower displacement. The same artillery armament was retained, but the torpedo armament was reinforced. The Achilles heel turned out to be very weak anti-aircraft weapons, which were constantly modernized and strengthened during the war in the Pacific. The destroyer Shiratsuyu started its combat route during World War II in an unimpressive way: in December 1941 it served as a cover for Japanese cable ships in the home waters, and in early 1942, it escorted convoys between Japan and Taiwan. However, already in May of this year - 1942 - he took part in the Battle of the Coral Sea, and in June - in the Battle of Midway. In both cases, it was part of the protection of Japanese aircraft carriers. Then, in the period from August 1942 to February 1943, he took part in the fighting in the Guadalcanal area, being part of the so-called Tokyo Express. In November 1943, he fought in the Battle of the Gulf of Empress Augusta, where he was damaged in a collision with the destroyer Samidare. Shiratsuyu sank on June 15, 1944 as a result of a collision with the supplier "Seiyo Maru".
Haruna was a Japanese battlecruiser, the keel of which was laid in 1912, launched in December 1913, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in April 1915. The total length of the ship was 222 meters, width 31 meters, and a full displacement of 36,000 tons. Harun's top speed was around 30-31 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 8 356 mm guns in four turrets, two guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 14 152 mm guns.
Haruna was the fourth and final Congo-class battleship. In the interwar period, Haruna was intensively modernized, which led to: a significant improvement in the armor of the ship, the reconstruction of the front superstructure, which took the shape of a Japanese pagoda, and an increase in power and modernization of the engine room. Haruna also received catapults enabling the operation of seaplanes. Haruna's combat career in World War II began with her participation in supporting the invasion of British territory in Indochina. In April 1942, the ship also took part in the famous raid of the Japanese fleet to the Indian Ocean, and later - in June this year - took part in the Battle of Midway, where, despite many air attacks, it suffered only minor damage. Haruna also took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942. In 1944, he fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 and in the Battle of Leyte in October of the same year. In 1945, due to a lack of fuel, Haruna did not take any combat actions, and in July of that year it was severely damaged and later sunk by American on-board planes at the naval base in Kure. The wreckage of the Haruna battlecruiser was scrapped in 1948.