Kongō

Ballistics

Armor Model

Overview

When the British battlecruiser Lion was laid down, Japan began developing its own ship of this class. However, due to a lack of experience in building large ships, it was decided to turn to Great Britain. In October 1910, a contract was signed with the firm Vickers for the design and construction of a new battlecruiser based on the Lion design, with Japanese engineers also participating in the development. Kongō was built in Barrow-in-Furness. During the First World War, the ship supported Japanese troops during the Siege of Qingdao and later participated in patrol operations. In the interwar period, the ship underwent extensive modernization. During the Second World War, the ship covered landings in Malaya and the Philippines, and participated in the battles of Midway, the Santa Cruz Islands, Guadalcanal, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf. Kongō suffered two torpedo hits from the submarine USS Sealion on November 21, 1944. A few hours later, the battlecruiser sank.