Japanese battleship Kirishima

Japanese battleship Kirishima was a Kongō-class battlecruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), the third of her class. Laid down in 1912, she was extensively modernized twice during the Interwar period, transforming her into a fast battleship. *Kirishima* saw significant action during World War II, participating in major operations including the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway, before being sunk in a close-range night engagement with American battleships during the Guadalcanal Campaign.

Design and description

Originally designed as a battlecruiser by the British naval architect George Thurston of Vickers, the *Kongō* class represented a synthesis of British and Japanese naval philosophy. *Kirishima*'s initial design featured eight 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four twin turrets and a top speed of 27.5 knots, prioritizing firepower and speed over heavy armor. Following the Washington Naval Treaty, the IJN initiated a series of major reconstructions to counter new naval rivals like the United States Navy and the Royal Navy. Her first reconstruction in 1927–1930 added anti-torpedo bulges and increased horizontal armor. A second, more radical reconstruction from 1934–1936 at the Kure Naval Arsenal replaced her powerplant with new Kampon boilers and geared steam turbines, boosting her output to 136,000 shp. This increased her speed to over 30 knots, while additional deck armor and modernized fire-control systems, including for her secondary battery of Type 89 127 mm dual-purpose guns, reclassified her as a fast battleship. Her final displacement exceeded 32,000 tons.

Construction and career

*Kirishima* was laid down at the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki on 17 March 1912, launched on 1 December 1913, and commissioned on 19 April 1915. She served with the 3rd Battleship Division during World War I. During the Interwar period, she patrolled off the coast of Siberia during the Japanese intervention in Siberia and was modernized twice. At the start of the Pacific War, she was part of the distant support force for the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. She subsequently provided cover for numerous major operations, including the Indian Ocean raid against British forces, the Battle of Midway as part of Admiral Yamamoto's Main Body, and the carrier battles of the Solomon Islands campaign, such as the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.

Battle of Guadalcanal and loss

*Kirishima*'s final action was the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on the night of 14–15 November 1942. As part of a bombardment group under Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō, she was tasked with shelling Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. She encountered an American task force centered on the fast battleships USS *Washington* and USS *South Dakota*. In the ensuing chaotic night battle, *Kirishima* and her escorts, including the *Atago* and *Takao*, concentrated fire on *South Dakota*, inflicting significant damage. However, *Washington* approached undetected and opened fire at point-blank range, hitting *Kirishima* with at least nine 16-inch and over forty 5-inch shells. The devastating salvoes jammed her rudder, disabled her main battery turrets, and caused severe flooding. Unable to steer and listing heavily, she was scuttled by torpedoes from the escorting destroyer *Asagumo* in the early hours of 15 November, sinking northwest of Savo Island with the loss of 212 crewmen.

Wreck discovery

The wreck of *Kirishima* was discovered in August 1992 by a research team led by Robert Ballard, famous for locating the wreck of RMS *Titanic*. The battleship rests upside down in approximately 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) of water near Ironbottom Sound. The inverted position suggests she capsized during her final descent. The discovery provided tangible evidence of the battle's ferocity, with the wreckage showing significant damage consistent with the historical accounts of the engagement with *Washington*.

Legacy

*Kirishima*'s sinking marked a pivotal moment in the Guadalcanal Campaign, effectively ending Japanese attempts to bombard Henderson Field with heavy surface ships and contributing to the Allied victory in the grueling six-month struggle for the island. Her loss, along with that of her sister ship *Hiei* days earlier, demonstrated the growing dominance of American naval radar and tactics in night surface warfare. The ship is remembered in Japan as a symbol of the fierce naval combat in the Solomons, and her story is detailed in numerous historical works, including those by historians John B. Lundstrom and James D. Hornfischer. The battle is also commemorated at the National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C..

Category:Kongō-class battlecruisers Category:World War II battleships of Japan Category:Ships sunk in the Solomon Islands