Difference between revisions of "Kongō (1912)"

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<div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=''Kongō'' (1912)|fate2=
|align="center" colspan="2"|'''''Kongō'''''
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|comm=16 Aug, 1913
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|fatedate=21 Nov, 1944
!style="color: white; height: 30px; background: orange;"| Career
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|order=1911
!style="color: white; height: 30px; background: orange;"| Details
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|name=Kongō
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|launch=18 May, 1912
|Ordered:
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|builder=[[Vickers-Armstrongs]]
|1911
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|laid=1911
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|fate=Sunk
|Built By:
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|pend=
|[[Vickers, Son & Maxim, Limited|Vickers, Barrow]]
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|fg=white|bg=orange}}</div name=fredbot:career>
|-
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|Laid Down:
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'''''Kongō''''' (金剛, "Vajra" or "Indestructible") was the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]'s first [[dreadnought]] [[battlecruiser]], and the name-ship of [[Kongō Class Battlecruiser (1912)|her class]].  ''Kongō'' was the last major Japanese warship to be built in Great Britain.  She was upgraded to a [[battleship]] rating in the 1930s following reconstruction and served in several major naval operations during the Second World War before being sunk by enemy action in 1944.
|17 January, 1911
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|-
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|Launched:
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|18 May, 1912
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|-
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|Commissioned:
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|16 August, 1913
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|-
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|Sunk:
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|21 November, 1944
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|-
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|Struck:
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|20 January, 1945
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!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: orange no-repeat scroll top left;"|General Characteristics
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|-
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|Displacement:
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|27,500 tons
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|Length:
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|653 feet
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|-
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|Beam:
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|92 feet
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|-
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|Draught:
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|27 feet 6 inches
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|-
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|Propulsion:
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|4-shaft Parsons turbines<br>64,000 ihp<br>36 Yarrow boilers
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|-
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|Speed:
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|27 knots
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|-
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|Range:
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|10,000 nautical miles at 14 Knots
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|-
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|Complement:
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|1,221
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|-
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|Armament:
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|Eight × 14-inch 45 calibre guns<br>Sixteen × 6-inch 50 calibre guns<br>Sixteen × 14-pdr guns
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|}
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'''''Kongō''''' (金剛, "Vajra" or "Indestructible") was the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]'s first [[dreadnought]] [[battlecruiser]], and the name-ship of [[Kongō Class (1912)|her class]].  ''Kongō'' was the last major Japanese warship to be built in Great Britain.  She was upgraded to a [[battleship]] rating in the 1930s following reconstruction and served in several major naval operations during the Second World War before being sunk by enemy action in 1944.
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==Design and Build==
 
==Design and Build==
In 1908, the commissioning of the battlecruiser [[HMS Invincible (1907)|HMS ''Invincible'']] armed with eight 12-inch guns, into the [[Royal Navy]] rendered all of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]'s warships obsolete, including those under design.  In response, the Japanese [[Diet of Japan|Diet]] passed the 1911 Naval Emergency Expansion bill, funding the design and construction of one [[battleship]] and four [[armored cruiser]]s.  The battleship was to be the [[Japanese battleship Fusō|''Fusō'']] and the first of the cruisers was the ''Kongō''.
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In 1908, the commissioning of the battlecruiser [[H.M.S. Invincible (1907)|H.M.S. ''Invincible'']] armed with eight 12-inch guns, into the [[Royal Navy]] rendered all of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]'s warships obsolete, including those under design.  In response, the Japanese [[Diet of Japan|Diet]] passed the 1911 Naval Emergency Expansion bill, funding the design and construction of one [[battleship]] and four [[Armoured Cruiser|armoured cruisers]].  The battleship was to be the {{JP-Fuso}} and the first of the cruisers was the ''Kongō''.
  
''Kongō'' was the last major Japanese warship to be built abroad, being built by [[Vickers]] in [[England]]. ''Kongō'' was the creation of Vickers' chief designer, Sir [[George Thurston]]. Freed from the [[Admiralty]]'s tight design specifications, he came up with what was immediately recognised to be a fine and superbly-balanced [[warship]], mounting eight {{convert|14|in|mm|0|sing=on}} main guns. The key feature of the ''Kongō''-class was that it had its main gun turrets all either aft or fore, eliminating the amidship turret which had a poor firing arc.
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''Kongō'' was the last major Japanese warship to be built abroad, being built by [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] in [[England]]. ''Kongō'' was the creation of Vickers' chief designer, Sir [[George Thurston]]. Freed from the Admiralty's tight design specifications, he came up with what was immediately recognized to be a fine and superbly-balanced warship, mounting eight 14-in main guns. The key feature of the ''Kongō''-class was that it had its main gun turrets all either aft or fore, eliminating the amidships turret which had a poor firing arc.
  
''Kongō'' was laid down on [[January 17]], [[1911]], launched on [[May 18]], [[1912]] and completed and sent to Japan on [[August 16]], [[1913]]. Named after [[Mount Kongō]] in [[Osaka Prefecture]], ''Kongō'' was the first [[battleship]] in the world to carry 14&nbsp;inch main armament (Jane's ''Battleships of the 20th Century'').  
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''Kongō'' was laid down on 17 January, 1911, launched on 18 May, 1912 and completed and sent to Japan on 16 August, 1913. Named after Mount Kongō, ''Kongō'' was the first battleship in the world to carry 14&nbsp;in main armament.
  
Between the wars, ''Kongō'' was heavily rebuilt twice by the Imperial Japanese Navy. In 1929, the Navy was unable to build more battleships as a result of the 5:5:3 limitation of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]]. ''Kongō'' and her sisters were therefore given heavier horizontal armour and torpedo bulges, as well as equipped to carry three Type 90 model 0 floatplanes.  All 36 [[water-tube boiler|Yarrow-type boilers]] were removed and replaced with ten new boilers. On [[31 March]] [[1931]] the reconstruction was completed and ''Kongō'' was rerated a battleship.
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''Kongō'' arrived at [[Simonstown]] on 22 September 1913, and proceeded onward to [[Singapore]] after a visit of perhaps a week.{{MoS|Friday, October 3, 1913, Issue 40333, p.3}}
  
Japan withdrew from the Washington Naval Treaty in 1933, and in 1935 began rebuilding the ''Kongō'' class again. Their sterns were lengthened by {{convert|25|ft|m|0}}. ''Kongō'' was upgraded with oil-fired [[Kampon]] boilers and [[Charles Algernon Parsons|Parsons]]-geared turbines. A catapult and rails for three [[Nakajima E8N]]1 Type 95 ("Dave") and [[Kawanishi E7K]]1 Type 94 ("Alf") floatplanes was installed.  The 1935 rebuild saw their maximum speed increased to {{convert|30|knot|km:h|-1}}, and they were reclassified as "fast battleships".  The reconstruction was finished on [[8 January]] [[1937]].
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==Captains==
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Dates of appointment are provided when known.
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<div name=fredbot:officeCapt otitle="Captain of ''Kongō''">
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{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Nakano Naoe|nick=Nakano Naoe|appt=16 August, 1913|end=1 December, 1913}}
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{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Yamanaka Shibakichi|nick=Yamanaka Shibakichi|appt=1 December, 1913|end=1 December, 1914}}
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{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Matsuoka Shuzo|nick=Matsuoka Shuzo|appt=1 December, 1914|end=1 December, 1916}}
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{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Yoshioka Hansaku|nick=Yoshioka Hansaku|appt=1 December, 1916|end=1 December, 1917}}
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{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Kanemaru Kiyotsugu|nick=Kanemaru Kiyotsugu|appt=1 December, 1917|end=9 April, 1918}}
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</div name=fredbot:officeCapt>
  
Since ''Kongō'' and her sisters were originally battlecruisers, built for speed, they were initially the only [[battleship]]s that could keep up with the fast fleet carriers. This made them the perfect heavy escorts for the [[aircraft carrier]]s that were beginning to serve as the key offensive elements of the Japanese Navy.
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==See Also==
 
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{{refbegin}}
==Service during World War II==
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{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Kongo}}
:''The majority of information on movement and surface actions described below is taken from the [http://www.combinedfleet.com/kongo.htm tabular record of movement] from combinedfleet.com.''
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{{refend}}
 
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''Kongō'' entered [[World War II]] under the command of Captain Koyanagi Tomiji.  On [[1 August]] [[1941]] she was assigned to the Third Battleship Division (BatDiv 3) of the First Fleet at [[Hashirajima]] in [[Hiroshima Bay]], along with ''[[Japanese battleship Hiei|Hiei]],'' ''[[Japanese battleship Kirishima|Kirishima]],'' and ''[[Japanese battleship Haruna|Haruna]].''  On [[29 November]] [[1941]] the second section of BatDiv 3 (BatDiv3/2), composed of ''Kongō'' and ''Haruna'', was attached to Admiral [[Kondo Nobutake]]'s Second Fleet, Southern (Malay) Force's Main Body, along with Cruiser Division 4 (CruDiv 4) —[[Japanese cruiser Atago|''Atago'']], [[Japanese cruiser Maya|''Maya'']] and [[Japanese cruiser Takao|''Takao'']]—as well as eight destroyers, and departed for [[Makung]], [[Pescadores Islands|Pescadores]].  On [[2 December]], the Main Body arrived at Makung and was notified that hostilities would commence on [[8 December]]. 
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On [[4 December]] [[1941]], the Main Body set sail for the [[South China Sea]] to provide distant support to the invasion forces.  On the afternoon of [[9 December]], the Main Body was sailing southeast of [[Indochina]] near the [[Poulo Condore Islands]] when the submarine [[Japanese submarine I-65|''I-65'']] sighted a British force steaming northwest.  This was [[Force Z]] under Admiral Sir [[Thomas Phillips (Naval officer)|Tom S. V. Phillips]], sortied out of [[Singapore]] to intercept the Japanese landings on [[Malaya]]. Force Z comprised two capital ships—the modern battleship [[HMS Prince of Wales (1939)|HMS ''Prince of Wales'']] and the refitted First World War–era battlecruiser [[HMS Repulse (1916)|HMS ''Repulse'']]—and a destroyer escort. 
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The Main Body sortied for a night engagement with Force Z but was unable to make contact, despite the two forces coming within five miles (8 km) of each other.  Later that day, the Main Body and other ships that had joined the search departed after receiving word that the big British ships had been overwhelmed and sunk by air attack by 88 bombers and torpedo-bombers out of [[Saigon]] and Thu Dau Mot in French Indochina. 
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The Main Body spent the next two months covering a number of invasions: supporting the second Malaya convoy while northeast of [[Natuna Besar Island]]; covering the landings at [[Lingayen Gulf]], [[Philippines]]; and providing distance cover from around [[Palau]] for air strikes on [[Ambon Island]] in the [[Dutch East Indies]].  On [[21 February]] [[1942]], the Main Body arrived at [[Staring Bay]] near [[Kendari]], [[Sulawesi|Celebes]] and met up with the Carrier Striking Force under Vice Admiral [[Nagumo Chuichi]], fresh from their [[bombing of Darwin, February 19, 1942|19 February strike]] on [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]].  Four days later, BatDiv 3/2, ''Atago'', ''Takao'' and two destroyers were detached from the Main Body under Vice Admiral Kondo at the start of [[Operation J]], the invasion of the Dutch East Indies.  Tasked with hunting shipping attempting to escape [[Java (island)|Java]], BatDiv 3/2 bombarded [[Christmas Island]], {{convert|190|mi|km|-1}} south of Java, on [[7 March]] [[1942]].  By its return to Staring Bay on [[9 March]], following surrender of the Dutch East Indies, Kondo's force had sunk eight British, American and Dutch ships.  From [[10 March]] to [[25 March]], the crews of the ''Kongō'' and her three sister ships are put on standby alert and allowed their first rest and relaxation after three months of continuous operations.
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On [[26 March]], [[1942]], BatDiv 3 sortied out of Staring Bay through the [[Timor Sea]] into the [[Indian Ocean]] with the Carrier Striking Force: Carrier Division (CarDiv) 1's ''Akagi'', CarDiv 2's ''Hiryū'' and ''Sōryū'', CarDiv 5's ''Shōkaku'' and the ''Zuikaku''.  During the following Indian Ocean raid, the Japanese attacked the British forces at Colombo, Ceylon on [[5 April]] and at [[Trincomalee]] four days later.  During the fighting around Trincomalee, ''Kongō'' was attacked by nine [[Bristol Blenheim]] bombers of the No. XI Squadron, Royal Air Force.  The Bristols scored no hits and five were lost to the Zeros of the Japanese Combat Air Patrol.  At the end of the Indian Ocean operations, ''Kongō'' returned to Japan and entered dry dock at [[Sasebo Navy Yard]] for refitting of her anti-aircraft guns from [[23 April]] to [[2 May]]. 
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===Midway===
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On [[27 May]], [[1942]], ''Kongō'' and ''Hiei'' departed Hashirajima, having been reassigned into Bat Div 3, section 1 of the Second Fleet's Strike Force, Support Force, Main Body, also composed of five cruisers and seven destroyers for the strike at Midway Atoll.  On [[6 June]], two days after the stunning loss of the carriers ''Kaga'', ''Akagi'', ''Sōryū'', and ''Hiryū'' in the [[Battle of Midway]], Admiral [[Isoroku Yamamoto]] ordered BatDiv 3 and other vessels to detach from the Second Fleet and go north to meet up with the Second Mobile Force's carriers [[Japanese aircraft carrier Junyō|''Junyō'']] and [[Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō|''Ryūjō'']], then [[Battle of the Aleutian Islands|attacking the Aleutian Islands]].  Later reinforced by ''Zuikaku'', this force patrolled {{convert|700|mi|km|-2}} south of [[Kiska]] in anticipation of an American counter-attack that did not materialize. 
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By mid-July, ''Kongō'' had been reassigned to the Second Fleet, Advanced Force, Vanguard Group, BatDiv 3, along with ''Haruna''.  On [[11 September]] [[1942]], BatDiv 3 sortied out of [[Chuuk]] towards the [[Solomon Islands]] as the Second Fleet accompanied the carriers of the Third Fleet towards the [[Battle of Guadalcanal]] that had begun with the American landing on [[7 August]].  Three days later, ''Kongō'' came under attack from eight [[heavy bomber]]s but was undamaged.  The fleets were ordered back to [[Truk]] on [[20 September]], but BatDiv 3, the light cruiser [[Japanese cruiser Isuzu|''Isuzu'']] and nine destroyers were assigned to the Emergency Bombardment Force. ''Kongō'' and ''Haruna'' bombarded [[Honiara International Airport|Henderson Field]] on [[Lunga Point]], [[Guadalcanal]] beginning at 0127 on [[13 October]] [[1942]].  BatDiv 3 passed Lunga Point on an easterly course, firing their main armament to the starboard before a 180-degree turn and firing to the port while returning.  Six-inch shore batteries responded, but did not have the range to hit the battleships. ''Kongō'' fired 104 1,378&nbsp;lb high-explosive Type 3 "Sanshikidan" 14&nbsp;inch shells, 331 1,485&nbsp;lb. Type 1 [[armour-piercing shell|armor-piercing 14&nbsp;inch shells]], and 27 6&nbsp;inch shells.  This was the first time she fired the Type 3 shells.  More than 40 American aircraft were lost on the ground in the bombardment, and the airfield rendered temporarily unusable.  An attack by four [[PT boat]]s of the [[Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three]] was driven off by the destroyer screen.  The bombardment ended at 0230.
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On [[25 October]] [[1942]], the Advanced Force was {{convert|525|mi|km|0}} northwest of [[Espiritu Santo]] when it was spotted by a [[B-17 Flying Fortress]] of the land-based [[11th Bombardment Group, Heavy]].  During the following day's [[Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands]], ''Kongō'' came under attack by four [[Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation|Grumman]] [[TBF Avenger]] [[torpedo bomber]]s from the [[USS Enterprise (CV-6)|USS ''Enterprise'']] but was undamaged.  She returned to Chuuk and, on [[November 1]], Captain Koyanagi was promoted to [[Rear Admiral]].
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Eight days later BatDiv 3 departed Chuuk for the [[Ontong Java Plateau]] north of the Solomons as part of the screen for the Main Body.  The attempt to locate and sink ''Enterprise'' with air attacks failed.  During the [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] that began on [[12 November]], BatDiv 3 provided distant cover for the bombardment force that was to shell Henderson Field before withdrawing on the 15th.  On [[16 December]] [[1942]], Captain [[Ijuin Matsuji]] took command of ''Kongō'' and Rear Admiral Koyanagi was reassigned as Commander of the [[DESRON|destroyer squadron]] (ComDesRon) at [[Rabaul]].  On [[30 January]] [[1943]], a task force of ships from the Second and Third Fleets steamed north of the Solomons as a feint while destroyers from Rabaul evacuated the 12,000 troops off of Guadacanal before returning to Sasebo.
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From [[27 February]] to [[13 March]] [[1943]], ''Kongō'' was drydocked while concrete protection was added around the steering mechanism, new watertight [[bulkhead]]s and emergency fuel pumps were installed, and several 6&nbsp;inch secondary guns were replaced with antiaircraft guns.  These measures were taken after the loss of ''[[Japanese battleship Hiei|Hiei]]'' and ''[[Japanese battleship Kirishima|Kirishima]]'' in the Guadalcanal naval battle.  Back in Chuuk on [[12 May]] [[1943]], BatDiv 3 and others were reassigned to the Attu Task Force in response to the American invasion of [[Attu Island]].  A powerful force including three carriers had formed up in [[Tokyo Bay]] when word came on [[22 May]] that Attu had fallen, and the task force was disbanded.  Captain [[Shimazaki Toshio]] took command on [[17 July]], while Ijuin, promoted to Rear Admiral, was reassigned ComDesRon&nbsp;3, Second Fleet.  In late October 1943, a fleet including BatDiv 3 sortied out of Chuuk to intercept a predicted second raid on [[Wake Island]] by the six carriers under Rear Admiral [[Alfred Montgomery]] but no contact was made. 
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[[Image:Kongo under attack.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Battle of the Philippine Sea]], [[20 June]] [[1944]]: The battleship in the lower center is either ''Kongō'' or ''Haruna'', while the carrier making evasive maneuvers to the right is ''Chiyoda''.]]
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From [[30 January]] to [[14 February]] [[1944]], BatDiv 3 was drydocked at Sasebo again as her AA guns were reconfigured.  In early March, BatDiv 3 disembarked troops on the [[Lingga Islands]], south of Singapore, before beginning several months of training.  On [[11 May]], BatDiv 3 steamed with the Mobile Fleet from Lingga to [[Tawi-Tawi]] in the far south of the [[Philippines]].  On [[13 June]], the signal was given to start Operation A-Go, which became known as the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]], and the Mobile Fleet left Tawi-Tawi, being spotted by the [[USS Redfin (SS-272)|USS ''Redfin'']] outside the anchorage.  The fleet arrived in [[Guimaras]] the next day and left Guimaras on the 15th through the [[Visayan Sea]], spotted again by [[USS Flying Fish (SS-229)|''Flying Fish'']] and two days later by [[USS Cavalla (SS-244)|''Cavalla'']] in the [[Philippine Sea]].  On [[20 June]], BatDiv 3 and the carrier ''Chiyoda'' came under attack by [[Curtiss-Wright|Curtiss]] [[SB2C Helldiver]] [[dive bomber]]s and Avenger torpedo-bombers from the carriers [[USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)|''Bunker Hill'']], [[USS Monterey (CVL-26)|''Monterey'']] and [[USS Cabot (CVL-28)|''Cabot'']].  ''Kongō'' was again untouched though ''Haruna'' and ''Chiyoda'' were damaged in the disastrous battle.  The fleet retired to [[Nakagusuku Bay]], [[Okinawa]]
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From [[30 June]] to [[7 July]] [[1944]], ''Kongō'' was drydocked at Kure Naval Yard as her radar and gunnery control was upgraded and 12 triple- and 40 single-mounted 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were installed.  As a result of the sequence of modifications, her secondary armament consisted at this time of 8 six-inch and 6 dual five-inch (127 mm) guns with a total of 100 25 mm AA.  Following her undocking, ''Kongō'' ferried arms and [[Imperial Japanese Army|Army]] troops to Nakagusuku Bay before returning to Lingga, where she was rejoined by ''Haruna''.  She received a final refit in September when 18 more 25 mm AA guns were added, bringing the total to 118.
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===Battle of Leyte Gulf===
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On [[22 October]] [[1944]], ''Kongō'' departed Brunei Bay, Borneo as the flagship of the Second Section of Force "A" of Vice Admiral [[Takeo Kurita]]'s First Striking Force, situated behind the First Section in ''Operation Shō-1''.  The Second Section consisted of BatDiv 3, four cruisers of CruDiv 7, two cruisers of CruDiv 5 and DesRon 2's ten destroyers headed by the [[Japanese cruiser Noshiro|light cruiser ''Noshiro'']].  The resulting series of clashes is known in English as the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]], in which the Japanese force was greatly outnumbered
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The following day, Force "A" came under attack by two submarines in the Battle of the Palawan Passage. Two cruisers were sunk, though ''Kongō'' was unharmed.  On the 24th, Force "A" came under attack by over 250 carrier based aircraft in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea.  The [[Japanese battleship Musashi|battleship ''Musashi'']] was sunk and ''Haruna'' was damaged.  Kurita ordered Force "A" to back out of the [[Sibuyan Sea]] before re-advancing through [[San Bernardino Strait]]. 
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[[Image:Samar.jpg|right|thumbnail|300px|The battle off Samar on [[25 October]] [[1944]]]]
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At 0030 on [[25 October]] [[1944]], Force "A" exited San Bernadino Strait and turned south toward [[Leyte Gulf]].  Five hours later, Japanese lookouts spot three carriers, three cruisers and three destroyers at a range of {{convert|23|mi|km|0}} bearing 60 degrees to port.  BatDiv 3 was ordered east to cut off escape but ''Haruna'', her propellers still damaged from the Battle of the Philippine Sea, soon fell behind.  At 0558, Force "A" opened fire on "Taffy 3" (Task Group 38.3), composed of the [[escort carrier]]s [[USS St. Lo (CVE-63)|USS ''St. Lo'']], [[USS White Plains (CVE-66)|''White Plains'']], [[USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68)|''Kalinin Bay'']], [[USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70)|''Fanshaw Bay'']], [[USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71)|''Kitkun Bay'']] and [[USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73)|''Gambier Bay'']] with a screen of three destroyers and five destroyer escorts. 
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Two minutes later, ''Kongō'' began firing her main guns at a range of {{convert|15|mi|km|0}}.  At 0622, the continuous strafing by [[F4F Wildcat]]s damaged the rangefinder for the main guns.  Three minutes after that, ''Kongō'' was taken under fire by the destroyer [[USS Hoel (DD-533)|USS ''Hoel'']] at {{convert|14000|yd|m|-3}}.  ''Hoel'' took a 14-inch shell on her bridge but, in return, launched torpedoes at a range {{convert|9000|yd|m|-3}}.  Around this time, ''Kongō'' switched to her secondary guns as the distance rangefinder was not set for such close engagements.  At 0630, ''Kongō'''s lookouts spotted four torpedoes from ''Hoel'' in the water; she turned hard to port and all torpedoes missed.  At 0654, the destroyer [[USS Heermann (DD-532)|USS ''Heermann'']] fired three torpedoes at ''Kongō''.  These torpedoes went past but forced the battleships [[Japanese battleship Yamato|''Yamato'']] and [[Japanese battleship Nagato|''Nagato'']] to flee ten miles (16 km) northward until the torpedoes ran out of fuel.  Meanwhile, at 0655 ''Kongō'' scored multiple hits against ''Gambier Bay''. 
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At about 0800, ''Kongō'''s rangefinder was repaired and she brought under fire destroyer escort [[USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413)|''Samuel B. Roberts'']].  ''Roberts'', already hit by 8-inch shells, was devastated by a salvo of 14-inch shells and sank at 0912.  At 0813, ''Kongō'' evaded two more torpedo tracks.  Between 0755 and 0910, Force "A" together sank ''Gambier Bay'', destroyers ''Hoel'' and [[USS Johnston (DD-557)|''Johnston'']] and ''Samuel B. Roberts''. 
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At 0825, Kurita ordered Force "A" north, but at 1020 reversed course and headed for Leyte Gulf once again.  Between 1030 and 1320, the cruisers [[Japanese cruiser Chōkai|''Chōkai'']], [[Japanese cruiser Chikuma|''Chikuma'']], and [[Japanese cruiser Suzuya|''Suzuya'']] were disabled and subsequently lost.  During this time, from 1228 to 1248, ''Kongō'' came under attack by about 20 ''Helldiver'' dive bombers off of "Taffy 1" and had five near misses.  One near miss starboard amidships dented the side plating and torpedo bulges, causing sea water to contaminate the fuel tanks there.  Another near miss slightly bent both starboard propeller blades.  The attacks killed 12 crewmen and injured another 36.  One historian notes that ''Kongō'' was "heretofore charmed".<ref name=woes>[http://www.combinedfleet.com/eclipkong.html The Loss of Battleship KONGO: As told in Chapter "November Woes" of "Total Eclipse: The Last Battles of the IJN - Leyte to Kure 1944 to 1945"], 1998</ref>
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With the force heavily bloodied and lacking tactical control, Kurita ordered Force "A" to reverse course again and at 2100 sailed back through the San Bernardino Strait.  Over the course of the day, ''Kongō'' expended 310 14-inch rounds (99 Type 3 and 211 Type 1), 347 6-inch rounds (170 Type 0 and 177 Mark 4), as well as 2,128 5-inch and 50,230 25 mm AA rounds. 
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The next day at about 0800, while in the [[Tablas Strait]], Force "A" was attacked by 30 Avengers off of [[USS Wasp (CV-18)|USS ''Wasp'']] and [[USS Cowpens (CVL-25)|''Cowpens'']].  This was followed by another wave of about 50 Helldivers and Avengers off of [[USS Hornet (CV-12)|USS ''Hornet'']], that scored two hits on ''Yamato'', the only battleship not be damaged in the previous battles.  At 1040, about 30 [[B-24 Liberator]]s of the 13th Army Air Force Far Eastern Air Force out of [[Morotai]] attacked.  Twenty minutes later, 60 aircraft off of Task Groups 38.2 and 38.4 attacked, sinking ''Noshiro''.  ''Kongō'' was not further damaged and the remnants of Force "A" returned to Brunei Bay without further incident.
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=== Sinking ===
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''Kongō'' remained based in Brunei Bay until after a raid by 40 USAAF B-24 bombers and 15 [[P-38 Lightning]] fighters on [[16 November]] [[1944]].  Much of the fleet used the intervening time for emergency repairs.  At 1830, a task force consisting of BatDiv 1's ''Yamato''  BatDiv 3's ''Kongō'' and newly reassigned ''Nagato'', all damaged in the Leyte Gulf fighting, with a light cruiser and four destroyers for screen, departed for repairs at Kure.  ''Haruna'', as the only battleship in fighting trim, was separated to center the Southern Fleet.  The crews of both ''Kongō'' and ''Haruna'' viewed their separation with some unease; the two ships had never been separated while in a war zone.<ref name=woes/>  BatDiv 3 CO Vice Admiral Yoshio Suzuki maintained his flag on ''Kongō''.
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On [[20 November]] [[1944]], the task force entered the [[Taiwan Strait|Formosa Strait]] without incident, making a steady {{convert|16|knot|km:h|0}} to save fuel.  The center line of the formation was composed of the light cruiser [[Japanese cruiser Yahagi|''Yahagi'']], followed by battleships ''Kongō'', ''Nagato'' and then ''Yamato''.  The destroyers [[Japanese destroyer Isokaze|''Isokaze'']] and [[Japanese destroyer Yamakaze|''Yamakaze'']] patrolled to port, while [[Japanese destroyer Urakaze|''Urakaze'']] and [[Japanese destroyer Yukikaze|''Yukikaze'']] were to starboard.  As night fell, the sky became overcast with {{convert|1500|yd|m|-2}} visibility and fairly calm seas with rising winds.  Shortly before midnight, Vice-Admiral [[Matome Ugaki]] was called to the bridge of ''Yamato'' after enemy radar was detected between 0 and 70 degrees.  Without knowing whether the radar was from an enemy plane or submarine, ''Yamato'' CO Morishita ordered a course of 050 degrees with minimal zigzagging in order to get past the unknown source. The column shifted to the new course as midnight passed and Tuesday, [[21 November]] [[1944]] began.  The unknown radar contact appeared to go to port and astern as the fleet moved on.  By 0230, it appeared that the contact was an aircraft, rather than a submarine, in which case the radar would have been expected to stop suddenly as it dived to attack.
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The radar contact was in fact the submarine ''Sealion II'', under Lieutenant Commander Eli Reich.  While on patrol off the northern tip of Formosa, radar picked up a three radar pips at the incredibly long range of {{convert|44000|yd|m|-3}}, though he had already been detected by ''Yamato''.  Reich was at first convinced that ''Sealion'' was somehow bouncing radar off the island itself, but at 0048 radar reported the range at 32,000, stating "Two targets of battleship proportions and two of large cruiser size! Course 060 True! Speed {{convert|16|knot|km:h|0}}! Not zigging!  (The second "cruiser" was in fact a battleship.)  After sending off a contact report to [[Pearl Harbor]], Reich decided to chase and attack on the surface, an unusual decision given the danger of a massive salvo from the battleships if discovered. 
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''Sealion'' went to full speed to get into attack position and by 0146 was to the port of the Japanese force in increasing winds and rougher seas.  Radar showed a column of cruiser–battleship–battleship–cruiser (actually ''Yamato'').  The force was still not zigzagging on course 057 and ''Sealion'' edged out front to perfect attack position by 0245.  Choosing the first battleship as the first target, ''Sealion'' came in.  Noting that the enemy destroyer contacts were overlapping with the others, Reich set the torpedoes to run at eight feet on the off chance that he might hit a destroyer as well. 
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At 0256, ''Sealion'' came about to heading 168 and fired six torpedoes at ''Kongō'' at a range of {{convert|3000|yd|m|-3}} before coming about to fire three torpedoes from the stern tubes at the second battleship, ''Nagato'', at 0259:30 at {{convert|3100|yd|m|-2}}.  ''Sealion'' then escaped due west.  At 0301, ''Yamato'' saw two hits on ''Kongō'', though ''Sealion'' reported hearing three.  ''Nagato'' turned hard to port to avoid any other torpedoes and the second salvo went by, only to hit ''Urakaze''.  At 0304, the third torpedo hit ''Urakaze'' either in a magazine or torpedo tube, causing massive secondary explosions.  Blown apart, ''Urakaze'' sank within two minutes with the loss of all her crew.  The loss of ''Urakaze'' to the starboard of ''Kongō'' was misinterpreted in the confusion to mean that the attack had come from the east and ''Yurikaze'' charged there to drop depth charges. 
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''Kongō'' had been hit by two torpedoes: in the port bow chain locker and just aft of port amidships.  The second hit had flooded boiler rooms 6 and 8, but she had enough steam pressure to maintain fleet speed of 16 knot.  However, ''Kongō'' began to assume a slight list to port.  The situation regarding ''Urakaze'' was confused; so fast had she disappeared that at least some of the fleet did not appear to realize that she was missing.  However, the situation on ''Kongō'' appeared under control.  Once ''Kongō'' reported that she could maintain speed, the decision was made to continue and try to escape the submarine.  Some of the crew even returned their bunks to sleep. 
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At 0405, the fleet began to detect radar from ''Sealion''.  ''Sealion'' had also not realized that ''Urakaze'' had been sunk and Reich thought that his low depth torpedoes had perhaps only dented the battleships.  He pushed ''Sealion'' at {{convert|17|knot|km:h|0}} to get back into attack position in worsening seas that were at Force 5 or 6.  The fleet could detect ''Sealion'' and began to zigzag at about 0405.  ''Yamato'' was tracking ''Sealion'' and could attack if necessary, but the low risk option was simply to lose the pursuer. 
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However, ''Kongō'' was having its own problems.  The decision to continue at cruising speed had led to an inrush of water that continued to crush [[bulkhead]]s.  The charge into high seas also progressively widened the hole in the bow.  Despite divers doing perilous repairs in the flooded and torn compartments, ''Kongō'' was forced to stop zigzagging and then slow to {{convert|12|knot|km:h|0}}.  As she did, she assumed the last position in the column with ''Sealion'' still in pursuit.  However, the list to port had been checked at 12 degrees and the fleet was guardedly optimistic that damage control was holding its own against the onrushing water.  Nevertheless, reports soon came in of leaks causing progressive flooding and the list continued to 14 degrees before checking again. Unsettled, Capt. Shimazaki requested permission to leave the fleet and make for port at [[Keelung]], 65 [[nautical mile]]s away.  ''Hamakaze'' and ''Isokaze'' were detached to provide protection and the fleet split at 0440, with ''Kongō'' listing at 15 degrees and making 10 knots. 
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The crew seemed unaware that the ship was critically damaged, with the Chief Navigator predicting that they would make port in six hours.  Soon after leaving the fleet, the list grew to more than 20 degrees and Shimazaki ordered all hands to move to starboard as the list was causing difficulty in maintaining a heading.  To make matters worse, the radar contact  of ''Sealion'' radar contact showed that it was following ''Kongō'' rather than the main force.  Regardless, ''Sealion'' was not the main danger.  Fifteen minutes after separating, ''Kongō'' was leaning at 45 degrees.  The engine rooms began to flood and by 0518 the ship was going dead in the water.  Confirmation that ''Kongō'' was in fact sinking, if any was needed at this point, came with word that the Deputy Damage Control Officer had committed [[suicide]] over his failure.  Shimazaki ordered all hands to the deck and to prepare to Abandon Ship.  The [[ensign]] was lowered as all hands saluted and an orderly was sent to get the Imperial Portrait of [[Hirohito]]. 
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At 0522, Shimazaki gave the order to Abandon Ship and the crew began to go over the side.  ''Hamakaze'' and ''Isokaze'', ignoring the imminent danger of the approaching ''Sealion'', approached ''Kongō'' from the high starboard side to gather as many crew before they went into the high dark seas.  Submariners on ''Sealion'' looked on in amazement as the radar contacts stopped moving.  The crew of ''Kongō'' scrambled off the side as she began to roll and the list grew to more than 60 degrees.  Calamity then struck at 0524 as the forward 14-inch shell magazines ignited in four massive explosions throwing parts of ship and men into the sky.  Reich wrote "sky brilliantly illuminated—it looked like a sunset at night".<ref name=woes/>  The two destroyers were saved from the fragmentation by the high side of the ''Kongō'', but the explosion sent the remains of the battleship under the waves immediately.  The destroyers set about rescuing survivors, unaware that Reich had set off in pursuit of the other battleships rather than try for the lesser destroyers.  Helped by the dawn that arrived an hour later, 13 officers and 224 petty officers and men survived from ''Kongō''. About 1250 had died, including Vice Admiral Suzuki and the CO, Rear Admiral Shimazaki.  The Imperial Portrait was not recovered.
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''Kongō'' was the only battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy to be sunk by a submarine, and the last battleship ever sunk by a submarine.  Unusually, a crewmember of the ''Sealion'' had placed a portable film optical recording machine by the intercom of the [[conning tower]] when ordered to battle stations.  The result is thought to be the only surviving sound recording of a submarine attack upon warships during World War II.
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==In Command==
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*Chief Equipping Officer - Captain Naoe Nakano - 1 December 1912 - 16 August 1913
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*Captain Naoe Nakano - 16 August 1913 - 1 December 1913
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*Captain Shibakichi Yamanaka - 1 December 1913 - 1 December 1914
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*Captain Shuzo Matsuoka - 1 December 1914 - 13 December 1915
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*Captain Chugo Arakawa - 13 December 1915 - 1 December 1916
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*Captain Hansaku Yoshioka - 1 December 1916 - 1 December 1917
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*Captain Kanamaru Kiyotsugu - 1 December 1917 - 9 April 1918
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*Captain Kojuro Nozaki - 9 April 1918 - 20 November 1919
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*Captain Tadatsugu Taijiri - 20 November 1919 - 12 November 1920
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*Captain Kametaro Muta - 12 November 1920 - 20 November 1921
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*Captain Kazu Takemitsu - 20 November 1921 - 1 December 1922
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*Captain Tachiki Seki - 1 December 1922 - 20 November 1923
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*Captain Koichi Kishii - 20 November 1923 - 1 November 1924
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*Captain Saburo Yasumi - 1 November 1924 - 1 December 1925
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*Captain Hajime Matsushita - 1 December 1925 - 1 December 1927
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*Captain Zengo Yoshida - 1 December 1927 - 10 December 1928
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*Captain Kenichi Ikenaka - 10 December 1928 - 1 December 1930
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*Captain Keinosuke Ikeda - 1 December 1930 - 1 December 1931
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*Captain Toshiu Higurashi - 1 December 1931 - 1 December 1932
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*Captain Nobutake Kondo - 1 December 1932 - 15 November 1933
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*Captain Taichi Miki - 15 November 1933 - 15 November 1934
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*Captain Kaneji Kishimoto - 15 November 1934 - 15 November 1935
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*Captain Tamazo Sugikara - 15 November 1935 - 1 December 1936
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*Captain Eijiro Matsuura - 1 December 1936 - 1 December 1937
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*Captain Takeo Kurita - 1 December 1937 - 15 November 1938
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*Captain Yoshio Suzuki - 15 November 1938 - 20 October 1939
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*Captain Shoji Nishimura - 20 October 1939 - 15 November 1939
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*Captain Raizo Tanaka - 15 November 1939 - 15 April 1941
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*Captain Morikazu Osugi - 15 April 1941 - 20 August 1941
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*Captain Tomiji Koyanagi - 20 August 1941 - 16 December 1942 (Promoted to Rear-Admiral on 1 November 1942.)
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*Captain Baron Matsuji Ijuin - 16 December 1942 - 17 July 1943
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*Captain Toshio Shimazaki - 17 July 1943 - 21 November 1944 (KIA; promoted to Rear-Admiral on 1 May 1944; posthumous promotion to Vice-Admiral.)
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==Footnotes==
 
==Footnotes==
Line 182: Line 42:
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
 
{{refbegin}}
 
{{refbegin}}
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*  Alan Payne, MRINA.  ''Battlecruiser Kongo'' in [[Warship (Journal)|Warship]], Issue 19.
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* Hans Lengerer. ''The Battlecruisers of the Kongô Class'' in Warship 2012.
 
{{refend}}
 
{{refend}}
  
{{Template:HIJMS Kongō Class (1912)}}
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{{Footer Kongō Class Battlecruiser (1912)}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kongō}}
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{{CatShipBattlecruiser|JP}}

Latest revision as of 08:45, 6 June 2019

Kongō (1912)
Builder: Vickers-Armstrongs
Ordered: 1911
Laid down: 1911
Launched: 18 May, 1912
Commissioned: 16 Aug, 1913
Sunk: 21 Nov, 1944

Kongō (金剛, "Vajra" or "Indestructible") was the Imperial Japanese Navy's first dreadnought battlecruiser, and the name-ship of her class. Kongō was the last major Japanese warship to be built in Great Britain. She was upgraded to a battleship rating in the 1930s following reconstruction and served in several major naval operations during the Second World War before being sunk by enemy action in 1944.

Design and Build

In 1908, the commissioning of the battlecruiser H.M.S. Invincible armed with eight 12-inch guns, into the Royal Navy rendered all of the Imperial Japanese Navy's warships obsolete, including those under design. In response, the Japanese Diet passed the 1911 Naval Emergency Expansion bill, funding the design and construction of one battleship and four armoured cruisers. The battleship was to be the Fusō and the first of the cruisers was the Kongō.

Kongō was the last major Japanese warship to be built abroad, being built by Vickers-Armstrongs in England. Kongō was the creation of Vickers' chief designer, Sir George Thurston. Freed from the Admiralty's tight design specifications, he came up with what was immediately recognized to be a fine and superbly-balanced warship, mounting eight 14-in main guns. The key feature of the Kongō-class was that it had its main gun turrets all either aft or fore, eliminating the amidships turret which had a poor firing arc.

Kongō was laid down on 17 January, 1911, launched on 18 May, 1912 and completed and sent to Japan on 16 August, 1913. Named after Mount Kongō, Kongō was the first battleship in the world to carry 14 in main armament.

Kongō arrived at Simonstown on 22 September 1913, and proceeded onward to Singapore after a visit of perhaps a week.[1]

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

See Also

Footnotes

  1. "Movements of Ships." The Times (London, England), Friday, October 3, 1913, Issue 40333, p.3.

Bibliography

  • Alan Payne, MRINA. Battlecruiser Kongo in Warship, Issue 19.
  • Hans Lengerer. The Battlecruisers of the Kongô Class in Warship 2012.


Kongō Class Battlecruiser
  Haruna Hiei Kirishima Kongō  
  Major Cruisers (JP)