Originally intended as sister ships of the preceding Fusō-class, the Ise-class battleships (伊勢型戦艦 Ise-gata senkan?) of the Imperial Japanese Navy were considered sufficiently different to warrant separate classification.
Among the differences were a shorter foredeck, a more closely grouped secondary armament (with the majority of the forward guns set further astern than in the Fusōs), a different arrangement of the primary turrets (though the cumbersome six-twin arrangement was retained), more closely spaced funnels and uptakes.
Like most if not all battleships of their era, they retained the soon-to-be outmoded casemated secondary armament, the forward guns of which often proved useless in any kind of seaway, and like all Japanese warships of the period, these vessels still relied on mixed (i.e. coal and oil) firing for their boilers.
They were reconstructed in the 1930s, receiving improved powerplants, armor, fire control, and internal protection. Nonetheless, during World War II, like their cousins of the Fusō class, the Ises took part in no significant action, due to their age and slow speed.
Specifications
Original Configuration
- Type: Battleship
- Service Period: 1917-194X
- Characteristics:
- Length: 683 feet (208.18 meters)
- Beam: 94 feet (28.65 meters)
- Draft: 28.7 feet (8.75 meters)
- Displacement: 33,488 tons (Standard)
- Crew: 1,360
- Fuel Capacity:
- Coal: 1,000 tons (normal), 4,000 tons (maximum)
- Fuel Oil: 1,000 tons
- Propulsion: 4 × Parsons turbines, 24 × Kansei boilers, 4 x shafts
- Speed: 23 knots (42.6 km/h)
- Armament:
- 12 × 356 mm (14 in)/45 cal guns
- 20 × 140 mm (5.5 in)/50 cal guns
- 16 × 12-pounder (76 mm (3 in)) guns
- 4 × 12-pounder (76 mm (3 in)) AA guns
- 6 × submerged 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
- Armour:
- Belt: 305 to 203 mm (12 to 8 in); 127 to 76 mm (5 to 3 in) (ends)
- Deck: 31.75 to 63.5 mm (1.25 to 2.50 in)
- Turrets: 305 to 203 mm (12 to 8 in)
- Battery: 152 mm (6 in)
- Conning Tower: 305 to 152 mm (12 to 6 in)
1930s Rebuild Configuration
- Type: Battleship
- Service Period: 1917-194X
- Characteristics:
- Length: 720 feet 6 inches (219.61 meters)
- Beam: 110 ft 11 in (33.81 meters)
- Draft: 30 feet (9.14 meters)
- Displacement: 43,536.64 tons
- Crew: 1,463
- Fuel Capacity: 4,500 tons of fuel oil
- Propulsion: 4 × Parsons turbines, 24 × Kampon boilers, 4 × shafts
- Range:
- Speed: 25 knots (46.3 km/h)
- Armament:
- 12 × 356 mm (14 in)/45 cal guns
- 16 × 140 mm (5.5 in)/50 cal guns
- 8 × 127 mm (5 in)/50 cal DP guns
- 20 × 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
- 4 x 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
- Armour:
- Belt: 228.6 to 305 mm (9 to 12 in) (amidships); 76 to 127 mm (3 to 5 in) (ends)
- Deck: 31.75 to 63.5 mm (1.25 to 2.50 in)
- Turrets: 203 to 305 mm (8 to 12 in)
- Conning Tower: 152 to 305 mm (6 to 12 in)
Unit Run
- IJN Ise
- IJN Hyuuga