Fuso (middle), with Yamashiro (foregound) and Haruna (more distant), Tokyo Bay, 1930s.
Career
Ordered:
Laid down:	11 March 1912
Launched:	28 March 1914
Commissioned:	18 November 1915
Fate:	Sunk in the Surigao Strait on 25 October 1944
Stricken:	31 August 1945
General Characteristics
Displacement:	39,154 tons
Length:	698 feet
Beam:	100 feet 5 inches
Draught:	31 feet 9 inches
Propulsion:
Speed:	25 knots
Range:
Complement:	1400
Armament:	Twelve 14-inch guns, sixteen 6-inch, eight 5-inch DP, up to 37 × 25 mm AA

Fuso (Japanese: 扶桑, an old name for Japan), was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was laid down by the Kure Kaigun Kosho on 11 March 1912, launched on 28 March 1914 and completed on 18 November 1915. Her 14-inch main gun turrets were placed in an unorthodox 2-1-1-2 style (with Yamashiro having her third turret reversed when compared to Fuso) and with a funnel separating the middle turret placement. This placement was not entirely successful as the armored section was needlessly lengthened and the middle guns had trouble targeting. However, Fuso's relatively fine hull form allowed her to obtain a speed of 23 knots as completed. Japanese battleship Yamashiro with Fuso and Haruna (more distant), Tokyo Bay, 1930s. ... The Yamashiro (山城) was the Imperial Japanese Navys second Fuso-class battleship, and was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 20, 1913, launched on November 3, 1915, and commissioned on March 31, 1917. ... Haruna (榛名) was a Kongo class battleship laid down by the Kawasaki Shipbuilding Company at Kobe on 16 March 1912, launched on 14 December 1913 and completed on 19 April 1915. ... Map of Tokyo Bay, 1917 Tokyo Bay (東京湾; Tōkyō-wan) is a bay in the southern Kanto region of Japan, surrounded by the Boso Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture) and the Miura Peninsula (Kanagawa Prefecture). ... Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to... Japanese naval ensign adapted from Flags of the World. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years), with 43 remaining. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Surigao Strait is a body of water in the Philippines located between the islands of Mindanao and Leyte. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... The Japanese language is a spoken and written language used mainly in Japan. ... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ... This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (大日本帝國海軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) was the navy of Japan before 1945. ... The lead ship is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. ... Kure (呉市; -shi) is a city located in Hiroshima, Japan. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years), with 43 remaining. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Fusos took part in no major action during World War One, as the majority of the IJN was engaged in escort duties and various other work which did not require the use of the battle line. Between the wars, Fuso and Yamashiro received major modifications, in common with all of the Japanese battleships in service. In the Fusos, the ships' hulls were lengthened by an additional 25 feet, the twin funnels trunked together, the original boilers (numbering more than twenty) replaced by six new Kampon boilers (though mixed-firing was still retained) and the ships' control tops dramatically improved. In addition, the characteristic IJN "pagoda" foremast was constructed on both ships. Armour protection was both increased in quantity and improved in quality on both ships, especially over the machinery spaces and below the waterline, a response to British capital ships' experiences against torpedoes (for example, [[HMS Iron Duke]] was almost sunk by a single German torpedo just after the battle of Jutland). Battle of Jutland Conflict World War I Date 31 May 1916– 1 June 1916 Place Near Denmark, in the North Sea Result German tactical victory, British strategic victory The Battle of Jutland, known in Germany as the Battle of the Skagerrak (Skagerrakschlacht), was the largest naval battle of World War...

Despite these modifications, the IJN considered that the Fusos were inadequately protected and too slow to be of any great use, and thus Fuso and Yamashiro were both kept in the Inland Sea as a strategic reserve force (which, as it turned out, was unnecessary) at the time of the Pearl Harbour attack and for some time afterwards, mainly being employed on training duties. The Inland Sea and its major straits with the bay of Osaka (dashed) Formally named the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海 Seto Naikai), the Inland Sea is the body of water separating Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, three of the main islands of Japan. ... Youre probably looking for Pearl Harbor, the famous naval facility in Hawaii. ...

However, Fuso was called to action before too long had elapsed. She pursued but did not catch the American carrier force that had launched the Doolittle Raid on 18 April 1942, sortied as a screen for the Aleutian Force during the battle of Midway in May 1942, rescued 353 survivors of Mutsu when that ship exploded at Hashirajima on 8 June 1943, and took part in the reinforcements of Truk in August 1943 and Biak in June 1944. Doolittle Raid Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date April 18, 1942 Place Tokyo, Japan Result United States propaganda victory The Doolittle Raid was a bomber raid launched on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... Battle of Midway Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date June 4– June 6, 1942 Place Vicinity of Midway Island Result US Strategic and Tactical Victory The Battle of Midway, fought in World War II, took place on June 5, 1942 ( June 4 in US time zones). ... Mutsu (陸奥) named after Mutsu Province, was the Imperial Japanese Navys second Nagato class battleship, laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on June 1, 1918, launched on May 31, 1920, and completed on October 24, 1921. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... A view of Chuuk Chuuk is an island group that comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. ... Biak is a small island. ...

In October 1944, commanded by Rear Admiral Ban Masami, Fuso was part of Admiral Shoji Nishimura's Southern Force at the battle of Leyte Gulf. In the battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October 1944 at 03:09 she was hit by one or two torpedoes fired by the American destroyer Melvin and set on fire. She withdrew from the action but at 03:45 her magazines exploded and she broke into two sections. The bow section was sunk by gunfire from the cruiser Louisville while the stern section sank off Kanihaan Island. Survivors in the water refused rescue so there were few, if any, of her 1,400 crew saved. She was removed from the Navy List on 31 August 1945. Shoji Nishimura ( - 1944) was a Japanese Vice Admiral who died in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. ... Battle of Leyte Gulf Conflict World War II, Pacific Campaign Date 23 October 1944 – 26 October 1944 Place The Philippines Result Decisive Allied victory The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte... Battle of Leyte Gulf Conflict World War II, Pacific Campaign Date 23 October 1944 – 26 October 1944 Place The Philippines Result Decisive Allied victory The Battle of Leyte Gulf was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, fought in the seas around the island of Leyte... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... This article is about the warship. ... The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... The third USS Louisville (CA-28) was a Northampton-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy active throughout the Pacific War. ... The Naval Vessel Register (NVR), official inventory of ships and service craft in custody or titled by the United States Navy, traces its origin back to the 1880s. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ...

External links

• Tabular record of movement (http://www.combinedfleet.com/Fuso.html) from combinedfleet.com