Japanese battleships under construction in 1941

An item reported that is was believed that three, possible even four, Japanese batteships were under construction but official information was still not available. It was quite certain to assume that the ships were over 40,000 tons and armed with 40.46cm/16” guns.(10 Regarded the Japanese shipbuilding facilities it was presumed that the ships were to be built by the navy shipyards at Kure and Yokosuka and further more by the private shipyards of Mitsubishi and Kawasaki at Nagasaki and Kobe. There were three ships launched in 1939 which could be identified although with doubt as being one of the battleships namely the Nisshin (2) launched at Kure on 30 November, the Zuikaku (3) launched at Kobe on 27 November 1939 and the Kadekuru (4) launched at Yokosuka on 1 June 1939. A French report however suggested that the Kadekuru was a 16,000 tons battle cruiser and not a battleship but this could also be doubted. A third possibility identified the Kadekuru as an aircraft carrier.

Notes

1. Under construction were the Shinano laid down by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 4 May 1940, completed as an aircraft carrier and the No. 111 laid down by Kure Naval Arsenal on 7 July 1940, both of the Yamato-class with a main armament of 3x3-46cm/18.1” guns and a displacement of 71,111 (trials)-72,809 (full load) tons.

2. In 1942 identified as possible being the seaplane carrier/tender Nisshin of the Nisshin-class, ordered in 1937, laid down by Kure Naval Arsenal on 2 November 1938, launched on 30 November 1939, commissioned on 27 February 1942, lost on an American air attack 40 nautical miles south west of Buin, Papua New Guinea and stricken on 10 September 1943.

3. A Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier, laid down by Kawasaki Shipyards on 20 May 1939, launched on 27 November 1939, commissioned on 25 September 1941, sunk in an American air attack during the Battle of Leyte Gulf on 25 October 1944 and stricken on 26 August 1945.

4. Not existing, also called a pocket battleship, in 1942 identified as destroyer Kurukaze?

Source

Brassey’s Naval Annuals 1940-1942