Story
This battle cruiser (kongo-class) was built in 1915 by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding & Engineering Co..
Historical Notes
In July 1918 this vessel carried HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught to Vancouver on his travel to return home after delivering the Order of the Garter to the Emperor of Japan. On November 15, 1942 this vessel was sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal by the U.S.S. Washington. Kirishima's wreck was discovered by Robert Ballard during an expedition to map the wrecks from the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1992.
She lies upside down, with her bow section missing from the bridge forward due to a magazine explosion.
Owners & Masters
In 1915-1942 she was owned by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Armament
8 × 356 mm (14 in) guns (4×2);
16 × 152 mm (6 in) guns (16×1);
8 × 127 mm (5.0 in) (8×1; after reconstruction);
Name Significance
The Kirishima Mountains are a 1700 meter high active volcano group in Kagoshima Prefecture and Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.
References
- Longstaff, Major F.V. (1941)
- en.wikipedia.org ↗ (website viewed 21/10/2025)
