Sgt Stripes Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 My friend found this photograph in his shed. Can anyone identify its name or class of ship. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butler Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 I'm no expert. It's Japanese, I would say either the Kongo or the Hiei Sorry, could also be the Haruna or the Kirisma, there were 4 ships in the class, laid down 1911-12, completed 194-15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 13 minutes ago, butler said: I'm no expert. It's Japanese, I would say either the Kongo or the Hiei Sorry, could also be the Haruna or the Kirisma, there were 4 ships in the class, laid down 1911-12, completed 194-15 Certainly a Kongo class battlecruiser. They can be distinguished by the shape of the turrets and (at least when built) by the grouping of the funnels but I can't rmember how. I will look at my books, but I am sure that someone will be able to identify the ship before I find it. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 Kongo, the first of the class, was built in Barrow-in-Furness, and looks to me like the photo was taken prior to its conversion into a battleship sometime during the thirties. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallace2 Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 A J Watts book, Japanese Warships WW2, Ian Allan shows three pictures of Kongo class Battleships, the earliest dated 1934. All have a Tripod Mainmast reduced in height and no Foremast. So, agree Kongo class before 1934 is a safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 I think not Kongo, as Kongo's funnels were more evenly spaced. There were two major rebuidings. I think this was taken between the end of WW1 and the first rebuildings which started from 1925 onwards (depending which ship). RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Treasurer Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 (edited) Both Kongo and Hiei got the 'shoehorn' on the fore funnel. I don't believe the other two got this before the fore-funnel removed, but sources to hand simply say nothing about any changes before fore-funnel removal on them. Agree with rolt968, so this looks more like Hiei. Either way mid to late 1920s. Edited 7 July , 2021 by The Treasurer sentence garble! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Stripes Posted 7 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 7 July , 2021 Thank you all for your replies. To find the class and country is a real bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knotty Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 And this is IJN Kongo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 7 July , 2021 Share Posted 7 July , 2021 Somewhere I read that there was a "knuckle" in the shape of the main turrets of two of them and not in the others. Unforunately I can't find where I read that nor do I remmeber which pair had the "knuckle" RM 3 minutes ago, Knotty said: And this is IJN Kongo Excellent! I don't think I have seen a photo of Kongo at that stage. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 10 July , 2021 Share Posted 10 July , 2021 I thought I had the answer. According to Sturton's All the World's Battleships, the spotting top was removed from the main mast of Hiei when the smoke hood was added. However looking at the picture of Kongo, the main mast spotting top has also been removed which makes me wonder if it was removed from all of the class. (The period in question seems something of a problem in the book as Sturton himself wrote the the section covering Japanese battleships from 1922 onwards while some one else wrote the section up to 1922.) Having said all that. I think it most probably is Hiei. RM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolt968 Posted 11 July , 2021 Share Posted 11 July , 2021 (edited) Final confirmation!? The two ships with the "knuckle" in the main turrets were Kongo and Hiei. So if the main turrets are the same shape in the original picture and the picture of Kongo, it means that the original picture is Hiei. (Which I think it is.) RM Edited 11 July , 2021 by rolt968 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Stripes Posted 11 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 11 July , 2021 Great information. Many thanks for looking and taking the time to post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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