Kongo 1944

Kongō (1944) Class Battleships (金剛) were built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the years of 1911 to 1915. The first, IJN Kongō was built by the British, the remaining 3 Haruna, Kirishima & Hiei were built in Japan.

Kongō (1944) Class Battleships served between the years of 1913 to 1945.

Preceded by:  Ibuki class

Succeeded by: Amagi class

Kongō (1944) Class Battleships were the most active capital ships of the Japanese Navy during World War II, participating in almost all major engagements of the war. Hiei and Kirishima were escorts for the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Kongō and Haruna supported the invasion of Singapore. All four participated in the battles of Midway & Guadalcanal. Hiei and Kirishima were both sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, while Haruna and Kongō jointly bombarded the American Henderson Field airbase on Guadalcanal. Haruna and Kongō engaged American surface vessels during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Kongō was torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Sealion in November 1944, while Haruna was sunk at her moorings by an air attack in Kure Naval Base in late July 1945.