Ise class battleship
Encyclopedia
Originally intended as sister ships of the preceding Fusō class
, the of the Imperial Japanese Navy
were considered sufficiently different to warrant separate classification.
Among the differences were a shorter foredeck, a more closely grouped secondary armament (with the majority of the forward guns set further astern than in the Fusōs), a different arrangement of the primary turrets (though the cumbersome six-twin arrangement was retained), more closely spaced funnels and uptakes, and eventually rear flightdecks.
Like most if not all battleships of their era, they retained the soon-to-be outmoded casemated secondary armament, the forward guns of which often proved useless in any kind of seaway, and like all Japanese warships of the period, these vessels still relied on mixed (i.e. coal and oil) firing for their boilers.
They were reconstructed in the 1930s, receiving improved powerplants, armor, fire control
, and internal protection. Nonetheless, during World War II
, like their cousins of the Fusō class, the Ises took part in no significant action, due to their age and slow speed. Being largely surplus to the Imperial Japanese Navy's duties, following Midway
they were rebuilt with the ability to operate a small flight wing, but spent most of their time in training duties near the Inland Sea as part of Battleship Division 2.
, to partially compensate for the loss of carrier strength at the Battle of Midway
, both battleships were partially converted to aircraft carrier
s in 1943. The Ises had a slight speed advantage, so they were chosen over the Fusōs for the conversion; also the Hyūga had a turret explosion which was not repaired.
Their aft turrets were replaced with a hangar surmounted by a flight deck, and anti-aircraft guns were added. Hyūga, for example, mounted a complement of 14 Yokosuka D4Y
dive-bombers and 8 Aichi E16A
seaplanes. However, the lack of planes and pilots meant that neither ship was involved in combat in her carrier role.
Fuso class battleship
The Fusō-class battleships were two battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed during World War I. Displacing upon completion, and , the vessels of this class, were the first super-dreadnoughts of the IJN. They were completed from 1915 to 1917, both in Japanese shipyards...
, the of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
were considered sufficiently different to warrant separate classification.
Among the differences were a shorter foredeck, a more closely grouped secondary armament (with the majority of the forward guns set further astern than in the Fusōs), a different arrangement of the primary turrets (though the cumbersome six-twin arrangement was retained), more closely spaced funnels and uptakes, and eventually rear flightdecks.
Like most if not all battleships of their era, they retained the soon-to-be outmoded casemated secondary armament, the forward guns of which often proved useless in any kind of seaway, and like all Japanese warships of the period, these vessels still relied on mixed (i.e. coal and oil) firing for their boilers.
They were reconstructed in the 1930s, receiving improved powerplants, armor, fire control
Fire control
control of fire 'control of fire' is the practice of reducing the heat output of a fire, or reducing the area over which the fire exists, or suppressing or extinguishing the fire by depriving a fire of fuel, oxygen or heat ....
, and internal protection. Nonetheless, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, like their cousins of the Fusō class, the Ises took part in no significant action, due to their age and slow speed. Being largely surplus to the Imperial Japanese Navy's duties, following Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
they were rebuilt with the ability to operate a small flight wing, but spent most of their time in training duties near the Inland Sea as part of Battleship Division 2.
Conversion to aircraft carriers
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, to partially compensate for the loss of carrier strength at the Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...
, both battleships were partially converted to aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s in 1943. The Ises had a slight speed advantage, so they were chosen over the Fusōs for the conversion; also the Hyūga had a turret explosion which was not repaired.
Their aft turrets were replaced with a hangar surmounted by a flight deck, and anti-aircraft guns were added. Hyūga, for example, mounted a complement of 14 Yokosuka D4Y
Yokosuka D4Y
The D4Y Navy Type 2 Carrier Dive bomber was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its Allied reporting name was "Judy". The D4Y was one of the fastest dive-bombers of the war, and only the delays in its development hindered its service, while its predecessor, the slower fixed gear Aichi D3A...
dive-bombers and 8 Aichi E16A
Aichi E16A
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
seaplanes. However, the lack of planes and pilots meant that neither ship was involved in combat in her carrier role.
Ships of the class
| Battleship | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|
| Ise Japanese battleship Ise , was the lead ship of the two-vessel Ise-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which saw combat service during the Pacific War. Ise was named after Ise Province, one of the traditional provinces of Japan, now part of Mie Prefecture.... (伊勢) |
1916-11-12 | Scrapped in place in 9 October 1946 - 4 July 1947 |
| Hyūga Japanese battleship Hyuga Hyūga , named for Hyūga Province in Kyūshū, was an of the Imperial Japanese Navy laid down by Mitsubishi on 6 May 1915, launched on 27 January 1917 and completed on 30 April 1918. She was initially designed as the fourth ship of the , but was heavily redesigned to fix shortcomings... (日向) |
1917-01-27 | Scrapped in place in 2 July 1946-4 July 1947 |