IJN Haruna

IJN Haruna Story

Haruna served in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). She was designed with British assistance and formed the fourth of the four-strong King Kong-class battlecruisers.

The ships were in service from 1913 to 1915 and enjoyed a healthy long service career from 1913 to 1945. At the end of the sea voyage, all but one of the ships survived the war, which was scrapped and the berths she sunk along the way were World War II.

As battlecruisers, these ships were designed to act as capital ships, carrying large-caliber main guns. Unlike battleships, however, armor protection was sacrificed for speed.

Haruna was ordered in 1911 and Kawasaki Shipyard was contracted to build her. Her keel was laid on March 16, 1912, and launched on December 14, 1913. The ship was officially commissioned on April 19, 1915.

The Haruna has a displacement of 36,600 long tons, a length of 728.3 feet, a beam of 101.7 feet, and a draft of 31.9 feet. Her propulsion machinery consisted of 36 Yarrow boilers, which helped generate 64,000 hp on four shafts under the stern.

The maximum speed under ideal conditions reaches 26 knots. Her shape kept pace with the times, with the superstructure stacked amidships, surrounded by two main masts and a few pipes.

A very pointed bow ensures that speed can be maintained in relatively calm seas, and there is room on board to carry a crew of 1,360. Armor protection includes 230mm on the turret, 200mm on the belt and 70mm on the deck.

1943 was a relatively quiet period for the ship, and her last significant combat action took place in 1944, when she took part in the Battle of the Philippine Seaanother major American victorywhere She was hit by an American bomb. This forced her to go to Wu for the necessary repairs, and another major overhaul was done there. In October, she joined the assault force at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which ended with the liberation of Leyte Island by the Allies and led to another major defeat for Japan.

Haruna managed to survive the operation and was withdrawn for repairs. She ran aground near Linga on November 22, 1944, severely damaging her hull, which kept her out of service until early December, and was commissioned at Wugang in January 1945.

In 1945 her armament was modified to 8 x 14", 16 x 6" and 12 x 5" guns and 108 x 25mm anti-aircraft (AA) guns. The latter installation used existing torpedoes Launch tubes, abolished in the original design, where survivability is now a priority, IJN authorities reassigned Haruna to the 1st Battleship Division (2nd Fleet) in January and placed her at Kure to defend with a single bomb The American bomber attack on the key naval base, it hit Haruna's starboard, but she remained a viable battleship for the time being.

A further attack on the Kure naval area was followed by the Americans completely destroying the Japanese navy for the remainder of the war Haruna was hit again, but with minimal damage. In a follow-up attack in late July, she captured eight bombs that sank her in port and officially ended their tenure at sea.

When the war ended in August 1945 and Japan signed the surrender document in September of that year, Haruna was submerged until she was salvaged in 1946. She was stripped of her usefulness, her hull was scrapped - she became the only "survivor". "The war of the four-person King Kong class.

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