Japanese battleship Hyūga

Hyūga: The Last of the Ise-Class Battleships

Imagine a battleship that could have been obsolete, yet found new life as a hybrid carrier in World War II. That’s exactly what happened with Hyūga, the second and last ship of the Ise-class built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the 1910s.

Hyūga was laid down on May 6, 1915, launched on January 27, 1917, and completed on April 30, 1917. She played a minor role during World War I but was reassigned to the 1st Fleet after completion. Can you imagine how Hyūga must have felt, transitioning from a warship to a support vessel?

Design and Description

The Ise class had a length of 208.18 meters, a beam of 28.65 meters, and a draught of 8.93 meters. They displaced 29,980 tons at standard load and 36,500 tons at deep load. The ships had two sets of direct-drive steam turbines, using 24 Kampon Ro Gō water-tube boilers.

Propulsion was a key aspect of Hyūga’s design. She used two sets of direct-drive steam turbines, each driving two propeller shafts. The Ise-class ships were designed to produce 45,000 shaft horsepower and reach speeds of up to 23 knots. The ships had a range of 9,680 nautical miles at a speed of 14 knots.

Reconstruction and Modernization

In the mid-1930s, Hyūga underwent reconstruction and modernization that lasted until 1936. This included the removal of torpedo tubes and the addition of license-built Hotchkiss light AA guns. The ship’s maximum waterline protective belt thickness was 299 mm, with additional armour plating below it.

During World War II, Hyūga saw action in various battles, including the Battle off Cape Engaño in late 1944. She transported petrol and strategic materials back to Japan as part of Operation Kita in early 1945. After the war, she was scrapped in 1946-1947.

Conversion to a Hybrid Carrier

The loss of four Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway in June 1942 severely limited the IJN’s ability to conduct operations. Plans for full conversions of battleships into aircraft carriers were rejected, so the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets from the Ise-class ships and replacing them with a flight deck equipped with two rotating catapults.

The rebuild was officially completed on 18 November, and Captain Tomekichi Nomura assumed command on 5 December. Hyūga served as a training ship for most of the first half of 1944. On 23 June, the sisters conducted their first catapult training with four D4Ys and six E16As aboard.

Final Days

The Fourth Carrier Division was disbanded on March 1, and Hyūga was reduced to first-class reserve. More than 240 American carrier-based aircraft attacked Kure on March 19, hitting Hyūga with three bombs, killing 37 and wounding 52 crewmen.

Re-designated as a fourth-class reserve ship on April 20, Hyūga was towed to a new position within Hiroshima Bay and heavily camouflaged. She was later attacked during the bombing of Kure on July 24, struck by 10 bombs that blew off part of her stem, destroyed her bridge, and started major fires.

Over 200 sailors were killed, including Kusakawa, and 600 wounded by the attack. Progressive flooding caused the ship to sink in shallow water over the next several days. Hyūga was removed from the Navy List on November 20, 1945.

Hyūga’s journey from a battleship to a hybrid carrier is a testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of naval warfare during World War II. Her story serves as a reminder that even in the face of technological advancements, creativity can find new ways to keep ships relevant on the battlefield.