Kirishima (ship)

Kirishima (ship)
Name	Kirishima
Caption	Kirishima at anchor, 1930s.
Country	Empire of Japan
Class	Kongō-class battlecruiser
Builder	Mitsubishi Shipyard, Nagasaki
Laid down	17 March 1912
Launched	1 December 1913
Commissioned	19 April 1915
Fate	Sunk, 15 November 1942

Kirishima (ship). The Kirishima was a Kongō-class battlecruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, originally ordered from the United Kingdom and constructed at the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki. Commissioned during World War I, she underwent extensive modernization in the 1930s to be reclassified as a fast battleship, serving with distinction in the early campaigns of the Pacific War. Her career culminated in a fierce night-time naval battle during the Guadalcanal campaign, where she was ultimately sunk by American naval forces.

Design and construction

Ordered as part of the 1910 Naval Expansion Act, Kirishima was the third of four Kongō-class battlecruisers, designed by the British naval architect George Thurston of Vickers Limited. Her construction at the Mitsubishi Shipyard marked a significant step in Japanese warship construction capability, transitioning from foreign-built to domestically produced capital ships. The design featured eight 14-inch/45 caliber guns in four twin turrets and a high speed of over 27 knots, blending heavy firepower with the mobility characteristic of the battlecruiser concept. Laid down in March 1912 and launched in December 1913, she was commissioned in April 1915, joining her sister ships ''Hiei'', ''Haruna'', and ''Kongō'' in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Service history

Following her commissioning, Kirishima saw limited activity during the latter stages of World War I. During the interwar period, she was assigned to various duties, including patrols off the coast of Siberia during the Japanese intervention in Siberia. She underwent two major reconstructions, first in 1927-1930 and again in 1934-1936 at the Kure Naval Arsenal, which involved replacing her propulsion plant, adding extensive belt armor and deck armor, and installing new anti-aircraft guns. These modifications transformed her into a fast battleship, capable of operating with the Imperial Japanese Navy's growing carrier fleet. By the outbreak of the Pacific War, she was assigned to the 3rd Battleship Division under Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa.

Battle of the Java Sea

In the early months of the Pacific War, Kirishima served as a distant covering force for the Invasion of Malaya and the Dutch East Indies campaign. During the Battle of the Java Sea in February 1942, she was part of the powerful main body under Admiral Nobutake Kondō, which provided strategic support to the invasion convoy but did not directly engage the Allied ABDA Command strike force. Her presence helped ensure Japanese control of the seas around Java, leading to the successful landings and the subsequent fall of the Dutch East Indies. Following this operation, she returned to Japan for brief maintenance before being deployed for the pivotal Battle of Midway.

Battle of Midway

During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Kirishima was part of the Main Body under Admiral Kondō, which also included the aircraft carrier ''Hōshō'' and was tasked with supporting the Midway invasion force. This group operated well behind the doomed First Air Fleet of Admiral Chūichi Nagumo. As a result, Kirishima saw no combat during the battle and was unable to intervene as the carriers ''Akagi'', ''Kaga'', ''Sōryū'', and ''Hiryū'' were destroyed by United States Navy dive bombers. Following the catastrophic defeat, she withdrew with the surviving Japanese forces to Truk Lagoon.

Final battle and sinking

Kirishima’s final action came during the intense naval struggles for Guadalcanal. On the night of 13 November 1942, she heavily damaged the American cruisers USS ''San Francisco'' and USS ''Portland'' during the First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Two nights later, on 15 November, she formed the core of a powerful bombardment group under Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō intended to shell Henderson Field. She was engaged by the American battleships USS ''Washington'' and USS ''South Dakota'' during the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Hit by at least nine 16-inch shells from Washington at close range, Kirishima suffered catastrophic damage to her steering gear and superstructure, and was scuttled by her crew in the early hours of 15 November northwest of Savo Island.

Legacy

The sinking of Kirishima represented a significant tactical victory for the United States Navy and helped secure the maritime supply line to Guadalcanal. Her wreck was discovered in 1992 by the research vessel RV Petrel and rests upright in over 1,200 meters of water. As one of the four iconic Kongō-class battlecruisers, Kirishima symbolizes both the peak of Japanese battlecruiser design and the brutal, close-quarters night battles that characterized the Solomon Islands campaign. Her career is studied as part of the broader history of capital ship evolution and the decisive surface engagements of the Pacific War.

Category:Battleships of Japan Category:World War II battleships Category:Ships sunk in the Solomon Islands