Japanese Kongo-class
An item referred that the British battle cruiser HMS Queen Mary (1) was compared with the just two months later launched Japanese battle cruiser Kongo.(2) On the latter ship was the aft funnel and mast such positioned that the third turret could fire straight aft. The weight distribution seemed to be better handled on board of the Kongo if the figures were correct.
The Queen Mary had an armament of 4x2-34,3cm/13.5” L/45 guns, 16x1-10,1cm/4” L/50 guns and 2 submerged 53cm torpedo tubes against the 4x2-35,6cm/14” L/45 guns, 16x1-15,2cm/6” L/50 guns and 8 submerged 53cm torpedo tubes of the Kongo. Was the Queen Mary armoured on the waterline 10,1-22,8cm, turrets 22,8-254cm and 5cm gun shields, the figures for the Kongo were far more impressive with respectively 15,2-25cm, 25,4cm and 12,7-15,2cm (for the casemate.
Notes
1. Ordered under the 1910-1911 Naval Programme. Laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, England on 6 March 1911, launched on 20 March 1912, completed in August 1913, commissioned on 4 September 1913 and sunk at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 during a fight with the German SMS Derfflinger and Seydlitz.
2. Of the Kongo-class consisting of the Kongo, Haruna, Hiei and Kirishima. Laid down at Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom on 17 January 1911, launched on 18 May 1912, completed on 16 August 1913, In 1924, 1927-1928 modernized and reconstructed September 1929-31 March 1931 reconstructed into a battleship, after modernizing 1 June 1935-8 January 1937 was she a classified as a fast battleship and torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine USS Sealion around 55 nautical miles north west of Keelung after entering Formosa Strait 1 day earlier on 21 November 1944. Designed by the British naval engineer George Thurston
