Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

Kongō Class Battlecruiser Kirishima pictured in refit at Sasebo Naval Arsenal on May 4th 1921.

Kongō Class Dreadnought Battleship Kirishima pictured post her second reconstruction refit at Sakumo Bay on May 10th 1937.

Kongō Class Dreadnought Battlecruiser Haruna pictured off Tateyama on May 25th 1928, undergoing sea trials post her reconstruction refit.

Here is the modernized HIEI in a drydock, Nov. '41......... DFO

Lead Ship, Battlecruiser Kongō pictured during her first major reconstruction refit, in Dry Dock No 5 at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on July 18th 1931.

Kongō Class Dreadnought Battleship Hiei pictured at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on July 25th 1933, post her conversion to a Training ship..To avoid having to scrap Hiei under the terms of the Washington Treaty, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to convert her into a demilitarized training ship. On October 15th 1929, she went into drydock at Kure Naval Arsenal. Her No. 4 gun turret was removed, and she was stripped of all eight of her submerged torpedo tubes, as well as her 6-inch guns and armour belt. All but nine of her boilers were taken out, reducing her speed to 18 knots and one of her three funnels was removed. She was reclassified as a reserve ship at the end of November 1929. On April 24th 1930, reconstruction was halted due to the signing of the London Naval Treaty, which further restricted Battleship construction and possession amongst the great naval powers, and preservation work was begun at Sasebo. Reconstruction would not resume until July 1931. In September 1931, Japanese army units invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria, transforming it into the puppet state of Manchukuo. In December 1932, Hiei was reassigned to the Imperial Japanese Navy's training squadron. On February 25th, the League of Nations ruled that Japan had violated Chinese sovereignty and international law in her invasion of Manchuria. Refusing to accept the League's judgment, the Empire of Japan withdrew from the League the same day. This also signaled its exit from the Washington and London Naval Treaties, which removed all restrictions on the Imperial Japanese Navy's construction of capital ships. From the end of May 1933 to August 13th, Hiei received upgrades that allowed her to perform regular duties for the Emperor, and she served as the Emperor's observation ship for the Imperial Naval Review three days later. From January to March 1934, her No. 4 turret and ammunition magazine were refitted. No longer bound by the restrictions of the Washington and London Treaties, the Imperial Japanese Navy proceeded to reconstruct Hiei along the same lines as her sisters. She was sunk following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13th 1942.

Lead Ship, Battlecruiser Kongō pictured on sea trials off Tateyama on August 4th 1931.

Kongō class, Battlecruiser Haruna pictured on sea trials following her second major reconstruction refit, Sukumo Bay on August 28th 1934.

Kongō Class Battlecruiser Haruna pictured at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 3rd 1931.

Kongō Class Battlecruiser Hiei pictured on No 2 Slipway at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on November 14th 1912.