Hiei

Hiei. The second of the four Kongō-class battlecruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, *Hiei* was constructed at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and commissioned in 1914. Initially designed as a battlecruiser, she was extensively reconstructed twice, first into a fast battleship and later for a role as a flagship, serving throughout the Pacific War. Her final engagement was the intense Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, where she was crippled by sustained gunfire and aerial attack before being scuttled by her crew.

History

The construction of *Hiei* was authorized under the 1911 Naval Expansion Act, part of Japan's response to the global Anglo-German naval arms race and its own strategic rivalry with the United States Navy. Her design was heavily influenced by British naval technology, with the lead ship Kongō being built in the United Kingdom at Vickers and the plans transferred to Japan. As the first major warship built at a Japanese naval yard using such advanced foreign designs, her completion marked a significant milestone for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the domestic Japanese shipbuilding industry. Her name, derived from Mount Hiei near Kyoto, connected the vessel to a site of great historical and spiritual importance in Japan.

Design and description

Originally laid down as a battlecruiser, *Hiei* displaced 27,384 long tons and was armed with eight 14-inch guns arranged in four twin gun turrets. Her propulsion system, featuring Brown-Curtis steam turbines and Yarrow boilers, could propel her at 27.5 knots. Following the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, she was demilitarized in 1929 and converted into a training ship, having her armor and some boilers removed. A massive reconstruction from 1937 to 1940 at Kure Naval Arsenal completely transformed her into a fast battleship; her hull was lengthened, new Kanpon boilers and geared steam turbines were installed, and her armor protection was dramatically increased, particularly against aerial bombs and naval mines. Her final armament included the original main battery, sixteen 6-inch guns, and an extensive suite of Type 96 25mm AT/AA Guns for anti-aircraft defense.

Service history

After commissioning, *Hiei* served during World War I and later escorted Japanese invasion fleets during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Following her reconstruction, she was part of the 1st Battleship Division and served as the flagship for Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during the opening stages of the Pacific War. She participated in major operations including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Indian Ocean raid, and the Battle of Midway. During the Guadalcanal Campaign, she was deployed to bombard Henderson Field and provide cover for Tokyo Express reinforcement convoys. On the night of 12–13 November 1942, she engaged United States Navy forces in the chaotic first phase of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In a close-range night action, she was severely damaged by gunfire from the USS San Francisco (CA-38) and the USS Laffey (DD-459), which disabled her steering and set her superstructure ablaze.

Wreck discovery

The wreck of *Hiei* was discovered in January 2019 by the research vessel RV Petrel, an expedition funded by the late Paul G. Allen. The ship rests upright on the seabed northwest of Savo Island in the Solomon Islands, at a depth of approximately 3,000 feet. The expedition's remotely operated vehicle captured detailed imagery showing significant battle damage, including a large hole in the stern consistent with a torpedo hit from Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft. The discovery provided new insights into the final moments of the vessel and confirmed historical accounts of her scuttling. The site is considered a war grave for the 188 crewmen lost during the battle and is protected under international conventions.