Career
Ordered:	1911
Laid down:	January 17, 1911
Launched:	May 18, 1912
Commissioned:	August 16, 1913
Fate:	Sunk on 21 November 1944 in the Formosa Strait
Removed from the Navy list:	20 January 1945
General characteristics
Displacement:	36,600 tons
Length:	222 m (728 feet 4 inches)
Beam:	31 m (101 feet 8 inches)
Draught:	9.7 m (31 feet 9 inches)
Propulsion:	steam turbines, 4 shafts
Speed:	30 knots
Range:	10,000 nm at 14 kt
Complement:	1360
Armament:	Eight 14 inch guns, sixteen 6 inch guns, eight 5 inch DP, up to 118 × 25 mm AA

Kongo (金剛) was the Imperial Japanese Navy's first super-dreadnought type battlecruiser, and the name-ship of its class, which also included the Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna. She was upgraded to a battleship rating in the 1930s and served several major naval operations during World War II before being sunk by enemy action in 1944. Japanese battleship Kongo This image was scanned from a public domain text by the Great War Primary Documents Archive and is made available by them for any purpose provided that they are credited and a link is given to the Photos of the Great War page; see the conditions of... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Japan. ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Categories: China geography stubs ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) or sometimes referred to as the Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan (Dai Nippon Teikoku) from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling... HMS Victory in 1884. ... HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... The Kongo class battlecruisers were designed for the Imperial Japanese Navy by the British designer Sir George Thurston and the first ship, Kongo, was built in Britain by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness in 1913. ... Hiei (比叡), named for Mount Hiei north-east of Kyoto, was a Kongo-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Kirishima (霧島) was the Imperial Japanese Navys fourth Kongo class battlecruiser, and was laid down by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki on March 17, 1912, launched on December 1, 1913 and commissioned on April 19, 1915. ... 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. ... HMS Victory in 1884. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

Design and build

In 1908, the commissioning of the 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 passed the 1911 Naval Emergency Expansion bill, funding the design and construction of one battleship and four armored cruisers. The battleship was to be the Fuso and the first of the cruisers was the Kongo. Six ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Invincible. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (: 大日本帝國海軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国海軍 or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) or sometimes referred to as the Combined Fleet was the Navy of Empire of Japan (Dai Nippon Teikoku) from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japans constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling... Diet may mean: In nutrition: Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group. ... HMS Victory in 1884. ... Fuso (Japanese: 扶桑, an old name for Japan), was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. ...

Kongo was the last major Japanese warship to be built abroad, being built by Vickers-Armstrong in England. Kongo was the creation of Vickers's chief designer, Sir George Thurston. Freed from the Royal Navy's tight design specifications, he came up with what was immediately recognised to be a fine and superbly-balanced warship, mounting eight 14 inch main guns. The key feature of the Kongo-class was that it had its main gun turrets all either aft or fore, eliminating the amidship turret which had a poor firing arc. Thurston's design was so influential that the Royal Navy stopped work on their HMS Tiger, the second of the Lion class battlecruisers, and had her built on a design very similar to that of Kongo. Vickers Armstrong (Aircraft) company logo Vickers, founded as the Vickers Company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment, traditionally based in Barrow-in-Furness. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... Diagrams of first and third rate warships, England, 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... HMS Tiger was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, launched in 1913, the most heavily armoured battlecruiser of the Royal Navy in World War I. A sister ship, Leopard, was planned but not completed. ... The Lion class were a three-ship class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy. ...

Kongo 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 Kongo in Osaka Prefecture, Kongo was the first battleship in the world to carry 14 inch main armament (Jane's Battleships of the 20th Century). January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Mount Kongo (1125 meters) is a mountain in the Senshu region of the Osaka Prefecture, Kansai, Japan. ... Osaka Prefecture (大阪府 ÅŒsaka-fu) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. ... HMS Victory in 1884. ...

Between the wars, Kongo 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. Kongo and her sisters were therefore given heavier horizontal armour and torpedo bulges, as well as equipped to carry three Model 90 type 0 floatplanes. All 36 Yarrow-type boilers were removed and replaced with ten new boilers. On 31 March 1931 the reconstruction was completed and Kongo was rerated a battleship. The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories: the United States, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, the French Third Republic, and Italy. ... A Water-tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes which are heated externally by the fire. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ...

Japan withdrew from the Washington Naval Treaty in 1933, and in 1935 began rebuilding the Kongo class again. Their sterns were lengthened by 25 feet. Kongo was upgraded with oil-fired Kampon boilers and Parsons-geared turbines. A catapult and rails for three Nakajima E8N1 Type 95 ("Dave") and Kawanishi E7K1 Type 94 ("Alf") floatplanes was installed. The 1935 rebuild saw their maximum speed increased to 30 knots, and they were reclassified as "fast battleships". The reconstruction was finished on 8 January 1937. Sir Charles Algernon Parsons (June 13, 1854 – February 11, 1931) was a Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. ... The Nakajima Aircraft Company (Japanese:中島飛行機株式会社) was a prominent Japanese aircraft manufacturer throughout World War II. It was founded in 1917 by Nakajima Chikuhei and took the name Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1931. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Since Kongo and her sisters were originally battlecruisers, built for speed, they were initially the only battleships that could keep up with the fast fleet carriers. This made them the perfect heavy escorts for the aircraft carriers that were beginning to serve as the key offensive elements of the Japanese Navy. HMS Victory in 1884. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ...

Service during the Second World War^[1]

Kongo after her second rebuild

Kongo entered the Second World War 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 Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna. On 29 November 1941 the second section of BatDiv 3 (BatDiv3/2), composed of Kongo and Haruna, was attached to Admiral Kondo Nobutake's Second Fleet, Southern (Malay) Force's Main Body, along with cruiser division (CruDiv) 4's Atago, Maya and Takao, as well as eight destroyers, and departed for Makung, Pescadores. On 2 December, the Main Body arrived at Makung and was notified that hostilities would commence on 8 December. Image File history File links Kongo_after_her_1936-37_modernization. ... Image File history File links Kongo_after_her_1936-37_modernization. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Hashirajima (Japanese: Hashira Island) is an island in southern Hiroshima Bay, Inland Sea, Japan. ... Hiei (比叡), named for Mount Hiei north-east of Kyoto, was a Kongo-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Kirishima (霧島) was the Imperial Japanese Navys fourth Kongo class battlecruiser, and was laid down by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki on March 17, 1912, launched on December 1, 1913 and commissioned on April 19, 1915. ... 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. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Nobutake Kondo Nobutake Kondo (è¿‘è—¤ 信竹 Kondō Nobutake, September 25, 1886 - February 19, 1953) was a Vice Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Kondo graduated from the Japanese Naval Academy in 1907. ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ship MAYA, was one of four TAKAO Class Heavy Cruisers, which were the largest of the heavy cruisers built for the Japanese Navy. ... World War II United States Navy recognition drawings of Takao and Atago Takao was a heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after Mount Takao(高雄山), a mountain in kyoto, Japan. ... Makung (馬公 Pinyin: Mǎgōng) is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Republic of China. ... The Pescadores Islands (Traditional Chinese: 澎湖群島; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Peng-hu; Taiwanese POJ: Phêⁿ-ô·-kōan, from Portuguese, fishermen, pron. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 I-65 sighted a British force steaming northwest. This was Force Z under Admiral Sir Tom S. V. Phillips, sortied out of Singapore to intercept the Japanese landings on Malaya. 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 of each other. Later that day, the Main Body and other ships that had joined the search departed after receiving word that the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse had been overwhelmed and sunk by 88 torpedo-bombers out of Saigon and Thu Dau Mot in French Indochina. December 4 is the 338th day (339th on leap years) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding countries and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea south of China. ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. ... Con Son Island (Vietnamese Côn Sơn) is the largest island of the Con Dao archipelago, off the coast of southern Vietnam. ... Two World War II military groups were called Force Z An Allied force attached to General Sir Archibald Wavells Middle East Command in 1941, consisting of Nos. ... Acting Admiral Tom Phillips Admiral Sir Thomas Tom Spencer Vaughan Phillips KCB (1888-1941) had a successful career in the Royal Navy. ... Map of Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. ... HMS Prince of Wales was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, built at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, England. ... HMS Repulse was a Renown-class battlecruiser, the second to last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. ... The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against naval forces that were not protected by air cover and the resulting importance of including an aircraft carrier in any major fleet action. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... Thu Dau Mot is a capital city of Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. ... French Indochina was a federation of protectorates in Southeast Asia, part of the French colonial empire. ...

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, Celebes and met up with the Carrier Striking Force under Vice Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, fresh from their 19 February strike on 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, BatDiv 3/2 bombarded Christmas Island, 190 miles 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 Kongo and her three sister ships are put on standby alert and allowed their first rest and relaxation after three months of continuous operations. The Natuna Islands are a 272-island archipelago of Indonesia, located in the Natuna Sea between east and west Malaysia and Kalimantan. ... The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines. ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands-Indië) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Staring-baai (Dutch for Staring Bay) is a bay off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. ... Kendari is the capital of the Indonesian province of South East Sulawesi. ... Sulawesi (formerly Celebes ) is a large island in Indonesia. ... Categories: People stubs | 1887 births | 1944 deaths | Japanese military leaders | Japanese World War II people | Imperial Japanese Navy admirals | Suicides ... Combatants Australia; United States Japan Commanders David V. J. Blake Chuichi Nagumo Strength 30 planes 242 planes Casualties At least 243 killed; (possibly 1,100 dead in total) 23 planes destroyed 10 ships sunk 1 killed  ? missing; 6 POW Four planes destroyed in Australian airspace; ? failed to return. ... Darwin is the territorial capital and most populous city of Australias Northern Territory. ... Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... March 7 is the 66th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (67th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in leap years). ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ...

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 Hiryu and Soryu, CarDiv 5's Shokaku 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, Kongo was attacked by nine Bristol Blenheim bombers of the Royal Air Force’s No. 11 Squadron. The Bristols scored no hits and lost five to the Zeros of the Japanese' Combat Air Patrol. At the end of the Indian Ocean operations, Kongo returned to Japan and was drydocked at Sasebo Navy Yard for an anti-aircraft gun refitting from 23 April to 2 May. March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... The Timor Sea (Indonesian: Laut Timor; Portugeuse: Mar Timor) is an arm of the Indian Ocean situated between the island of Timor, now split between the states of Indonesia and East Timor, and the Northern Territory of Australia. ... The Akagi (Japanese: 赤城, meaning red castle, a volcano in the Kanto region of Japan) was an aircraft carrier serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Akagi was laid down as an Amagi class battlecruiser at Kure, Japan. ... Hiryu (Japanese: 飛龍, meaning flying dragon) was a Soryu-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Soryu (Japanese: 蒼龍 sōryū, meaning blue (or green) dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Shokaku (Japanese: 翔鶴 shōkaku meaning flying crane) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. ... Zuikaku (Japanese: ずいかく Kanji: 瑞鶴 fortunate crane) was a Shokaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: District Colombo Division, Colombo District Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Independent Group) Area    - City 248 mi²/ 642 km²  - Land / km²  - Water / km² Population    - City (2001) 377,396 (Colombo metropolitan area 2001 census)  - Density 3,305/km²  - Metro 2,234,289 (Colombo District) Time... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... Bay of Trincomalee (View from Temple) Trincomalee North East city of Sri Lanka. ... The Bristol Type 142M Blenheim was a high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of World War II, built by Bristol Aeroplane Company. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... No. ... Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Model 21 on the flight deck of carrier Shokaku , 26 October 1942, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a light-weight carrier-based fighter aircraft employed by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. ... Map showing location of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture (as of 2006). ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ...

Midway

On 27 May 1942, Kongo 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, Soryu, and Hiryu in the Battle of Midway, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto order BatDiv 3 and other vessels to detach from the Second Fleet and go north to meet up with the Second Mobile Force's carriers Junyo and Ryujo, then attacking the Aleutian Island. Later reinforced by Zuikaku, this force patrolled 700 miles south of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack that did not materialize. May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... This is the order of battle for the World War II Battle of Midway. ... Orthographic projection centred over Midway Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands, Hawaiian: Pihemanu) is a 6. ... June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, Seven battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... Isoroku Yamamoto ) (4 April 1884 – 18 April 1943) was an Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the first four years of World War II, and was alumnus of Harvard University, having attended from 1919 to 1921. ... Junyo (Japanese: 隼鷹 junyō meaning peregrine falcon) was a Hiyo-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Ryujo (Japanese: 龍驤, prancing dragon) was a light aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Combatants United States, Canada Japan Commanders Thomas C. Kinkaid (navy) Francis W. Rockwell (landings) Albert E. Brown (army) Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr. ... Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at 52. ...

By mid-July, Kongo 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, Kongo came under attack from eight heavy bombers but was undamaged. The fleets were ordered back to Truk on 20 September, but BatDiv 3, the light cruiser Isuzu and nine destroyers were assigned to the Emergency Bombardment Force. Kongo and Haruna bombarded Henderson Field on Lunga Point, Guadacanal 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. Kongo fired 104 1,378 lb high-explosive Type 3 "Sanshikidan" 14 inch shells, 331 1,485 lb. Type 1 armor-piercing 14 inch shells, and 27 6 inch shells. This was the first time she fired the Type 3s. More than 40 American aircraft were lost on the ground in the bombardment and the airfield rendered temporarily unusable. An attack by four PT boats of the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three was driven off by the destroyer screen. The bombardment ended at 0230. September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Map of Chuuk State Map of Chuuk Islands Chuuk islands A view of Chuuk Chuuk, formerly known by following names; Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus; is an island group that comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and... Operation Watchtower On August 7, 1942, the 1st Marine Division performed an amphibious landing east of the Tenaru River. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... The B-52 Stratofortress, a heavy bomber. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... Isuzu was a Nagara-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Isuzu River. ... See also: Henderson Field Honiara International Airport (IATA: HIR, ICAO: AGGH), formerly known as Henderson Field, is an airport located on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands. ... Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field. ... Guadalcanal, position (inset) and main towns Guadalcanal is a 2,510 square mile (6 500 km²) island in the Pacific Ocean and a province of the Solomon Islands. ... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... PT boats in line A PT boat was a motor torpedo boat (hull classification symbol PT, for Patrol Torpedo), a small, fast vessel used by the United States Navy in World War II to attack larger surface ships. ... Flagship pennant of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3, flown on PT 41 Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three was a U.S. Navy squadron based at Cavite, Philippines, in late 1941. ...

On 25 October 1942, the Advanced Force was 525 miles northwest of Espiritu Santo when it was spotted by a B-17 of the land-based 11th Bombardment Group, Heavy. During the following day's Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, Kongo came under attack by four Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers from the USS Enterprise but was undamaged. She returned to Chuuk and, on November 1, Captain Koyanagi was promoted to Rear Admiral. October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Espiritu Santo (Spanish: Holy Ghost) is is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu. ... A B_17 nicknamed Sally B in England in 2001 The B_17 Flying Fortress was the first mass_produced, four_engine heavy bomber. ... Combatants United States (U.S.) Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr. ... The Grumman logo The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading producer of military and civilian aircraft of the 20th century. ... Grumman TBF Avengers in 1942 The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was an American torpedo bomber, developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps and used by a large number of air forces around the world. ... A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. ... USS Enterprise (CV-6) was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh US Navy ship of that name. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ...

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 Kongo and Rear Admiral Koyanagi was reassigned as Commander of the 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. The Ontong Java Plateau is a huge undersea plateau located in the Pacific Ocean, lying north of the Solomon Islands. ... Combatants United States, Australia, New Zealand Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Isoroku Yamamoto Strength 1 carrier, 2 battleships, 5 cruisers, 12 destroyers 2 battleships, 8 cruisers, 16 destroyers Casualties 2 light cruisers, 7 destroyers sunk, 26 aircraft destroyed, 1,732 killed[1] 2 battleships, 1 heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, 11... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... DESRON is the USN abbreviation for Destroyer Squadron. ... Space Radar Image of Rabaul Volcano Rabaul was the capital of East New Britain province, on New Britain Island, Papua New Guinea until 1994. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

From 27 February to 13 March 1943, Kongo was drydocked while concrete protection was added around the steering mechanism, new watertight bulkheads and emergency fuel pumps were installed, and several 6 inch secondary guns were replaced with antiaircraft guns. These measures were taken after the loss of Hiei and 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 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. February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Bulkhead may refer to the following Bulkhead (partition), a wall within the hull of a ship, vehicle or container Bulkhead (barrier) Bulkhead line This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Hiei (比叡), named for Mount Hiei north-east of Kyoto, was a Kongo-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Kirishima (霧島) was the Imperial Japanese Navys fourth Kongo class battlecruiser, and was laid down by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki on March 17, 1912, launched on December 1, 1913 and commissioned on April 19, 1915. ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Attu Island Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. ... Tokyo Bay from space, October 1993 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). ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ...

Battle of the Philippine Sea, 20 June 1944: The battleship in the lower center is either Kongo or Haruna, while the carrier making evasive maneuvers to the right is Chiyoda.

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 outside the anchorage. The fleet arrived in Guimaras the next day and left Guimaras on the 15th through the Visayan Sea, spotted again by Flying Fish and two days later by Cavalla in the Philippine Sea. On 20 June, BatDiv 3 and the carrier Chiyoda came under attack by Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bombers and Avenger torpedo-bombers from the carriers Bunker Hill, Monterey and Cabot. Kongo was again untouched though Haruna and Chiyoda were damaged in the disastrous battle. The fleet retired to Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (740x604, 256 KB) Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 1944 Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by Task Force 38 planes, 20 June 1944. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (740x604, 256 KB) Battle of the Philippine Sea, June 1944 Japanese Carrier Division Three under attack by Task Force 38 planes, 20 June 1944. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Raymond A. Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes destroyed (about... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Port of Jago on the northern coast of Singkep, close to the island of Lingga. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... Combatants United States Japan Commanders Raymond A. Spruance Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 7 heavy carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 79 other ships, 28 submarines, 956 planes 6 heavy carriers, 3 light carriers, 5 battleships, 43 other ships, 450 carrier-based planes, 300 land-based planes Casualties 123 planes destroyed (about... USS Redfin (SS/SSR/AGSS-272), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the redfin, any of several North American fishes with reddish fins. ... Guimaras is an island province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. ... The Visayan Sea is a small sea within the Philippine archipelago, surrounded on three sides by the islands of the Visayas. ... USS Flying Fish (SS/AGSS-229), a Gato-class submarine, was the first submarine and second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the flying fish, a family of fishes of tropic and warm temperate seas whose long winglike fins make it possible for them to move... USS Cavalla (SS/SSK/AGSS-244), a Gato-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the cavalla, a salt water fish of the pompano family inhabiting waters off the eastern coast of the Americas from Cape Cod to Rio de la Plata. ... The Philippine Sea is a part of the western Pacific Ocean bordered by the Philippines and Taiwan to the west, Japan to the north, the Marianas to the east and Palau to the south. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was once a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, controls, valves, and metal treatment. ... The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was an aircraft carrier-based dive bomber produced for the United States Navy during World War II. It replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless in US Navy service, and was initially strongly disliked by aircrews because it was much bigger and heavier than the SBD, and had... A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ... USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, nicknamed Holiday Express for her many attacks launched around the end of the year. ... The USS Monterey (CVL-26) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, in service during World War II and used in training for several years thereafter. ... It has been suggested that Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo be merged into this article or section. ... Nakagusuku Bay is a bay off the southern coast of Okinawa in Japan. ... This article is about the prefecture. ...

From 30 June to 7 July 1944, Kongo was drydocked at Kure Naval Yard as her radar and gunnery control was upgraded and 12 triple- and 40 single-mounted 25mm 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 guns with a total of 100 25 mm AA. Following her undocking, Kongo ferried arms and 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. June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Imperial Japanese Army (: 大日本帝國陸軍 Shinjitai: 大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official ground based armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945 when it was Imperial Japan. ...

Battle of Leyte Gulf

See also: Battle of Leyte Gulf

On 22 October 1944, Kongo 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 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 Combatants Allies Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts Many PT boats, submarines and fleet auxiliaries About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About 200 planes... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Borneo (left) and Sulawesi. ... A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... Categories: People stubs | 1889 births | 1977 deaths | Imperial Japanese Navy admirals | Japanese World War II people ... The Noshiro was an Agano class light cruiser which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Description Displacement: 6650 tons Speed: 35 knots Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns (100 pound shell; 600 pound broadside; 23,000 yard range... Combatants Allies Empire of Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers and destroyer escorts Many PT boats, submarines and fleet auxiliaries About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About 200 planes...

The following day, Force "A" came under attack by two submarines in the Battle of the Palawan Passage. Two cruisers were sunk, though Kongo was unharmed. On the 24th, Force "A" came under attack by over 250 carrier based aircraft in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea. The 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. Musashi (武蔵), named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province, was a battleship belonging to the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was the second and final ship of the Yamato class to be completed as a battleship. ... The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon. ... The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. ...

The battle off Samar on 25 October 1944

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 23 miles bearing 60 degrees to port. BatDiv 3 is ordered east to cut off escape but Haruna, her propellers still damaged from the Battle of the Philippine Sea, soon falls behind. At 0558, Force "A" opened fire on "Taffy 3" (Task Group 38.3), composed of the escort carriers USS St. Lo, White Plains, Kalinin Bay, Fanshaw Bay, Kitkun Bay and Gambier Bay with a screen of three destroyers and five destroyer escorts. Download high resolution version (1000x1455, 173 KB)Battle off Samar. ... Download high resolution version (1000x1455, 173 KB)Battle off Samar. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Leyte Gulf is the body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean. ... The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, was a small aircraft carrier developed by the U.S. Navy in the early part of World War II to deal with the U-boat crisis of the Battle of the Atlantic. ... USS (CVE‑63) was laid down as Chapin Bay 23 January 1943; renamed Midway 3 April 1943; launched 17 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. ... USS White Plains (CVE-66) was laid down on 11 February 1943 at Vancouver, Wash. ... USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68), originally designated an AVG, was classified ACV-68 on 20 August 1942; laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 26 April 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co. ... USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70) was a Casablanca-class United States Navy escort aircraft carrier, launched 1 November 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Wash, sponsored by Mrs. ... USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was a US Navy Casablanca class escort carrier launched on 8 November 1943. ... The USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) was a U.S. aircraft carrier. ...

Two minutes later, Kongo began firing her main guns at a range of 15 miles. At 0622, the continous strafing by F4F Wildcats damaged the rangefinder for the main guns. Three minutes after that, Kongo was taken under fire by the destroyer USS Hoel at 14,000 yards. Hoel took a 14-inch shell on her bridge but, in return, launched torpedoes at a range 9,000 yards. Around this time, Kongo switched to her secondary guns as the distance rangefinder was not set for such close engagements. At 0630, Kongo'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 fired three torpedoes at Kongo. These torpedoes went past but forced the battleships Yamato and Nagato to flee ten miles northward until the torpedoes ran out of fuel. Meanwhile, at 0655 Kongo scored multiple hits against Gambier Bay. The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the standard carrier-based fighter of the United States Navy for the first year and a half of World War II. An improved version built by General Motors (the General Motors FM Wildcat) remained in service throughout the war, on escort carriers where newer, larger... USS Hoel (DD-533) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant Commander William R. Hoel. ... USS Heermann (DD-532) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Fleet Surgeon Lewis Heermann. ... Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Nagato (Japanese: 長門, named after Nagato province) was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. ...

At about 0800, Kongo's rangefinder was repaired and she brought under fire destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts. Roberts, already hit by 8-inch shells, was devasted by a salvo of 14-inch shells and sank at 0912. At 0813, Kongo evaded two more torpedo tracks. Between 0755 and 0910, Force "A" together sank Gambier Bay, destroyers Hoel and Johnston and Samuel B. Roberts. USS (DE-413) was a World War II-era -class destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy, named after Coxswain Samuel B. Roberts. ... USS Johnston (DD-557) was a World War II-era Fletcher-class destroyer in the service of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant John Vincent Johnston. ...

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 Chokai, Chikuma, and Suzuya were disabled and subsequently lost. During this time, from 1228 to 1248, Kongo came under attack by about 20 Helldiver dive bombers off of "Taffy 1" and has five near misses. One near miss starboard amindships 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 Kongo was "heretofore charmed".^[2] Chokai was a Takao-class heavy cruiser, armed with ten 8 guns, four 4. ... Chikuma was a Tone-class heavy cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II until sunk at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944. ... Suzuya was a Mogami-class heavy cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy. ...

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, Kongo 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.

The next day at about 0800, while in the Tablas Strait, Force "A" was attacked by 30 Avengers off of USS Wasp and Cowpens. This was followed by another wave of about 50 Helldivers and Avengers off of USS Hornet, that scored two hits on Yamato, the only battleship not be be damaged in the previous battles. At 1040, about 30 B-24 Liberators 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. Kongo was not further damaged and the remnants of Force "A" returned to Brunei Bay without further incident. Tablas Strait is a strait in the Philippines, at . ... The ninth USS Wasp (CV-18) of the United States Navy was an Essex-class aircraft carrier. ... USS Cowpens (CV-25) was an 11,000-ton Independence-class aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 - 1947. ... The eighth USS Hornet (CV/CVA/CVS-12) was originally named USS Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of the CV-8, which was lost in October of 1942. ... A B-24 Liberator photographed from above while in flight The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and was used by most of the Allied air forces during the war. ... Morotai Island (695 sq mi/1,800 km²) is an island located in the Halmahera group of eastern Indonesias Maluku Islands (Moluccas). ...

Sinking

Kongo 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 Kongo 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 Kongo and Haruna viewed their separation with some unease; the two ships had never been separated while in a war zone.^[2] BatDiv 3 CO Vice Admiral Yoshio Suzuki maintained his flag on Kongo. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was one of the most important American fighters of the Second World War. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

On 20 November 1944, the task force entered the Formosa Strait without incident, making a steady 16 knots to save fuel. The center line of the formation was composed of the heavy cruiser Yahagi, followed by battleships Kongo, Nagato and then Yamato. The destroyers Isokaze and Yamakaze patrolled to port, while Urakaze and Yukikaze were to starboard. As night fell, the sky became overcast with 1500 yards 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. November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Taiwan Strait Area The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180km-wide Strait between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. ... The Yahagi under attack by US planes The Yahagi sinking The Yahagi (矢矧) was an Agano class light cruiser which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. // Description Displacement: 6650 tons Speed: 35 knots Range: 6300 nm at 18 knots Main armament: six 6 inch (50 calibers) guns... Isokaze Wind on the Beach) was a Kagero-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Yamakaze was a Shiratsuyu-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Urakaze Wind on the Sea) was a Kagero-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Yukikaze was a Kagero-class destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. ... Matome Ugaki (1890-August 14, 1945?) was a Japanese admiral during World War II, most notably serving at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

The radar contact was in fact the submarine Sealion II, under Lt. Cmdr. Eli Reich. While on patrol off the northern tip of Formosa, radar picked up a three radar pips at the incredibly long range of 44,000 yards, 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 16 knots! Not zigging!"^[2] (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. USS Sealion (SS/SSP/APSS/LPSS-315), a Balao-class submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sea lion, any of several large, eared seals native to the Pacific. ... Launching of USS Sealion, October 31, 1943 (L to R) Mr. ... Satellite image of Pearl Harbor. ...

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.

At 0256, Sealion came about to heading 168 and fired six torpedoes at Kongo at a range of 3000 yards before coming about to fire three torpedoes from the stern tubes at the second battleship, Nagato, at 0259:30 at 3100 yards. Sealion then escaped due west. At 0301, Yamato saw two hits on Kongo, though Sealion reported hearing three. Nagato turned hard to port to avoid any other torpedos 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 Kongo was misinterpreted in the confusion to mean that the attack had come from the east and Yurikaze charged there to drop depth charges. Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ...

Kongo had been hit by two torpedos: 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 knots. However, Kongo 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 Kongo appeared under control. Once Kongo 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.

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 torpedos had perhaps only dented the battleships. He pushed Sealion at 17 knots 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.

However, Kongo was having its own problems. The decision to continue at cruising speed had led to a inrush of water that continued to crush bulkheads. The charge into high seas also progressively widened the hole in the bow. Despite divers doing perilous repairs in the flooded and torn compartments, Kongo was forced to stop zigzagging and then slow to 12 knots. 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. However, 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 miles away. Hamazake and Isozake were detached to provide protection and the fleet split at 0440, with Kongo listing at 15 degrees and making 10 knots. Bulkhead may refer to the following Bulkhead (partition), a wall within the hull of a ship, vehicle or container Bulkhead (barrier) Bulkhead line This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Keelung (基隆 Pinyin: Jīlóng, Wade-Giles: Chi-lung) is a county-level city of Taiwan Province, Republic of China. ... A nautical mile is a unit of length. ...

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 Kongo rather than the main force. Regardless, Sealion was not the main danger. Fifteen minutes after separating, Kongo was leaning at 45 degrees. The engine rooms began to flood and by 0518 the ship was going dead in the water. Confirmation that Kongo 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. Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... Ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Emperor Hirohito of Japan (Japanese: 裕仁) (April 29, 1901 – January 7, 1989) was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1926 to 1989. ...

At 0522, Shimazaki gave the order to Abandon Ship and the crew began to go over the side. Hamazake and Isozake, ignoring the imminent danger of the approaching Sealion, approached Kongo 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 Kongo 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".^[2] The two destroyers were saved from the fragmentation by the high side of the Kongo, 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 Kongo. About 1250 had died, including Vice Admiral Suzuki and the CO, Rear Admiral Shimazaki. The Imperial Portrait was not recovered.

Kongo 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 the Second World War.^[3] A conning tower was an armoured observation post on a warship from where the vessel was controlled during a battle. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Other

• The battleship was preceded by the 1877 Japanese corvette Kongo.
• A current Japanese class of destroyers shares the name Kongo.
• A fictional Constitution-class starship in the Star Trek multiverse, NCC-1710, was named after Kongo.

The Kongo was a 1878 armored corvette of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Myoko (DDG-175) in port at Akita, 2003 Kongo class destroyers are fourth generation destroyers and an improvement upon the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class (Flight I) which serve in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotillas. ... The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), a Constitution class starship in 2271 The Constitution class was a series of Starfleet vessel in the Star Trek fictional universe, first put into service in the mid-23rd century. ... The fictional starship Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) from Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... Parallel universe (fiction) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Notes and references

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