Laid down on 10 May 1915 and launched on 12 November 1916, Ise was the lead ship of her two-ship class of dreadnoughts. Although commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 10 December 1917, she did not participate in the First World War. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, Ise was modernised in two stages, which added aviation facilities, upgraded her anti-aircraft armament and her superstructure was enlarged to a pagoda mast.
From 1 August 1935 until 23 March 1937, Ise underwent a major reconstruction to improve her machinery and armor. Despite this, she was considered obsolete at the start of the Second World War, and played no significant part in the early stages. However, with the loss of four fleet carriers at the Battle of Midway, Ise and her sister Hyuga were rebuilt as partial aircraft carriers. This entailed the removal of the rear two turrets and the installation of a flight deck. A complement of 22 to 24 aircraft could be carried, although due to a lack of trained pilots, she never operated aircraft in combat.
She participated in the Battle off Cape Engaño in late 1944, where she was one of the ships that decoyed the American carrier fleet supporting the invasion of Leyte away from the landing beaches. Afterwards the ship was transferred to Southeast Asia. In early 1945 Ise participated in Operation Kita, where she transported petrol and other strategic materials to Japan. The ship was then reduced to reserve until American airstrikes in July sank her. After the war Ise was scrapped in 1946–1947.
Under Construction
Ise being launchedIse shortly after being launched
Ise in Service
Ise in 1917Ise late 1920sIse after 1921Ise in 1931Ise in 1933Ise in 1933 with an aircraft catapult on turret 5Ise in 1936 after reconstruction with pagoda mast in placeIse after modernisation in 1931Ise after conversion running full power trial on Aug 24, 1943Ise in 1943IseIseIse forward 14″ turretsIseMutsu (left), Ise (center), and Fuso (right) in Line-of-Battle, prior to World War II
Battle off Cape Engano
Ise firing her main guns during the Battle off Cape Engaño, 25 October 1944Ise underway during the Battle off Cape Engano 25 October 1944Ise underway during the Battle off Cape Engano 25 October 1944
Under Attack at Kure
Ise burning at Kure 28 July 1945Ise under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft at the Kure Naval Arsenal on 28 July 1945Ise under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft at the Kure Naval Arsenal on 28 July 1945
The Wreck of Ise Post-War
Wreck of Ise October1945Ise sunk off Kure, 8 October 1945Wreck of Ise October1945Ise sunk off Kure, 8 October 1945Ise sunk at Kure, 8 October 1945Superstructure of the wreck of Ise October1945Ise sunk off Kure, 8 October 1945Ise, which settles on the coast of Tsuboi, Ondo Town. January 1948
Laid down on 7 December 1942 and launched on 14 October 1943, USS Franklin CV-13 was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the US Navy. Commissioned into the navy on 31 January 1944 she then undertook a work-up phase before moving to the Pacific.
From the end of June 1944, Franklin took part in the Mariana and Palau Islands campaigns which lasted until early August. She then supported the Leyte Landings, where on the 15th of September, she was hit by a bomb on the after outboard corner of the deck edge elevator, killing three men and wounding 22.
On the morning of 24 October, in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, her planes formed part of the waves that attacked the Japanese First Raiding Force (under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita), helping to sink Musashi south of Luzon, damage Fusō and Yamashiro, and sink Wakaba. Franklin’s strike groups combined with those from the other carriers on 25 October in the Battle off Cape Engaño to damage Chiyoda (she would be sunk by American cruiser gunfire subsequently) and sink Zuihō.
On 30 October 1944, Franklin was struck by a Japanese kamikaze attack that hit the flight deck and crashed through to the gallery deck, killing 56 men and wounding 60. A second attacker missed Franklin with two bombs before flying into the stern of Belleau Wood. Repairs took until 2 February 1945.
While undertaking strikes against the Japanese mainland on 19 March 1945, Franklin was hit by two semi-armour piercing bombs dropped by a Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” dive bomber. One bomb struck the flight deck centerline, penetrating to the hangar deck, causing destruction and igniting fires through the second and third decks, and knocking out the combat information center and air plot. The second hit aft, tearing through two decks.
At the time, Franklin was preparing a raid an consequently numerous plane were fueled and armed on deck and in the hanger. This added significantly to the damage caused and the intensity of the fires. Casualty figures vary from 724 killed and 265 wounded to 807 killed and at least 487 wounded. This appears to be caused by the inclusion or not of passengers, civilians on board, air group casualties and marines.
USS Franklin was repaired in New York and returned to active duty after the war finished. She was placed in reserve on 17 February 1947. Due to the significant wartime damage, she was never reactivated or upgraded. While in reserve she was redesignated as an attack aircraft carrier CVA-13 on 1 October 1952, an antisubmarine warfare support carrier CVS-13 on 8 August 1953 and, ultimately, as an aircraft transport AVT-8 on 15 May 1959.
USS Franklin (CV-13) under constructionUSS Franklin (CV-13) under constructionUSS Franklin (CV-13) under construction May 1943USS Franklin (CV-13) under construction May 1943USS Franklin (CV-13) under construction May 1943USS Franklin (CV-13) under construction May 1943USS Franklin (CV-13) was christened at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Virginia, on Thursday, 14 October 1943USS Franklin (CV-13) is floated out of her building dock immediately after christening
USS Franklin CV-13 in Service
USS Franklin (CV-13). Stern, looking forward. Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. 6 January 1944.USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Elizabeth River, off Norfolk, Virginia, 21 February 1944USS Franklin (CV-13) in the Elizabeth River, off Norfolk, Virginia, 21 February 1944USS Franklin CV-13 In the Elizabeth River, off Norfolk, Virginia, 21 February 1944USS Franklin CV-13 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. May 4, 1944 USS Franklin (CV-13), port quarter, Norfolk Navy Yard, May 4, 1944USS Franklin CV-13 seen off the Mariana Islands. August 1, 1944 August 1, 1944 USS Franklin CV-13 seen off the Mariana Islands.USS Franklin (CV-13) in January 1945, after repairsUSS Franklin (CV-13), Puget Sound Navy Yard, 31 January 1945. Stern view, port sideUSS Franklin (CV-13), Puget Sound Navy Yard, 31 January 1945USS Franklin (CV-13), Puget Sound Navy Yard, 31 January 1945. Broadside view, starboard side
USS Franklin CV-13 Aircraft Operations
Pilots of VT-13 in their ready room aboard USS Franklin (CV-13), 24 October 1944, just before the Battle of the Sibuyan SeaGrumman F6F-3 and-5 Hellcat and Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver CVG-13 on deck of USS Franklin (CV-13) in October 1944Vought F4U-1D Corsairs and Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldivers of (CVG-5) spotted on USS Franklin (CV-13)Vought F4U-1D Corsairs of Fighting Squadron (VF) 5 Fighting Hellcats on the flight deck of USS Franklin (CV-13), March 1945
USS Franklin CV-13 at Leyte Gulf
A Japanese dive bomber (encircled) plunges downward USS Franklin (CV-13) the kamikaze that hit USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)A Japanese kamikaze hits the flight deck of USS Franklin (CV-13), October 30, 1944.USS Franklin (CV-13), at right, and USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) afire after being hit by Japanese kamikaze suicide planes,USS Franklin (CV-13) underway in Task Group (TG) 38.4 after being hit by a Zero kamikazeUSS Franklin (CV-13) underway in Task Group (TG) 38.4 after being hit by a Zero kamikazeUSS Franklin (CV-13) underway in Task Group (TG) 38.4 after being hit by a Zero kamikazeUSS Franklin (CV-13) underway in Task Group (TG) 38.4 after being hit by a Zero kamikazeUSS Franklin (CV-13) afire after kamikaze hit, 30 October 1944.View showing work progress on 3 November 1944
USS Franklin CV-13 Under Attack March 1945
March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 on fire after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off Honshu, Japan.March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off HonshuUSS Franklin (CV-13) on fire and listing after a Japanese air attack, off the coast of JapanUSS Santa Fe (CL-60) assisting the bombed aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) on 19 March 1945March 19, 1945 USS Santa Fe CL-60 assisting the damaged USS Franklin CV-13.Church service on the ruined hangar deck of USS Franklin (CV-13), taken upon her return to the US
USS Franklin CV-13 in New York for Repair
April 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 approaching New York for repairs.USS Franklin (CV-13) arriving at New York City (USA) on 28 April 1945April 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 approaching New York for repairsUSS Franklin (CV-13) in New York for repairs on April 28th, 1945USS Franklin (CV-13) in New York for repairs on April 28th, 1945USS Franklin (CV-13) in New York for repairs on April 28th, 1945USS Franklin (CV-13) in New York for repairs on April 28th, 1945
USS Franklin CV-13 in Reserve
The two large ships at right on the near side of the peninsula are Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2). The next two ships astern are North Carolina (BB-55) and Washington (BB-56). Further astern are (from outboard to inboard) Fargo (CL-106), Albemarle (AV-5) and Wakefield (AP-21). The carriers Enterprise (CV-6) and Franklin (CV-13) are at the far left.The decommissioned USS Franklin (AVT-8) being moved at Bayonne, New Jersey (USA), in 1964.USS Franklin (AVT-8) at Bayonne, N.J., August 1960USS Franklin (AVT-8) at Bayonne, N.J., August 1960; with Wisconsin (BB-64).Ex-USS Franklin awaiting her fate, April 1967.Ex-USS Franklin at Jacobson Salvage in Chesapeake, VA prior to scrap, August 1967.Ex-USS Franklin being scrappedEx-USS Franklin being scrappedEx-USS Franklin being scrapped
Laid down on the 4th of November 1911 and launched on the 21st of November 1912, Hiei was the second of the four-ship Kongō-class battlecruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her three sisters were Kongō, Kirishima and Haruna. Commissioned into the fleet on the 19th of April 1915, she saw no action during the First World War, although she undertook patrols off the Chinese coast.
From 1929, Hiei was converted into a gunnery training ship, so that she would not be scrapped under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. During the 1930s she also acted as a transport for Emperor Hirohito.
When the treaty was not renewed in 1937, she underwent a full-scale reconstruction. Her superstructure was completely rebuilt, her machinery upgraded, and launch catapults for floatplanes added. Now fast enough to accompany Japan’s aircraft carriers, she was reclassified as a fast battleship.
During the early stages of the Second World War, she escorted Japan’s aircraft carriers. Later she was deployed to the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal. She escorted Japanese carrier forces during the battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands, before sailing as part of a bombardment force under Admiral Kondō during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In the early hours of 13 November 1942, Hiei engaged American cruisers and destroyers alongside her sister ship Kirishima. After inflicting heavy damage on American cruisers and destroyers, Hiei was crippled by shell hits from the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco that jammed her rudder. Subjected to a daylight air attack from the USS Enterprise, she was scuttled on the evening of 13 November 1942.
Hiei Yokosuka 1914Hiei fitting out at Yokosuka, JapanHiei departs Yokosuka for Kure, Japan 1914Hiei March 18 1915Hiei Sasebo 1915Hiei Sasebo 1926Hiei Oshima 1927Hiei in 1930Hiei in 1930Kaga, Hiei, and Nagato during the annual naval review at Yokohama, Japan, 25 Aug 1933HieiHieiPostcard of HieiHiei (as a training ship) in August 1933Hiei 26 September 1935Hiei as demilitarizedHiei underway during the 1930sHiei October 25 1936Kaga, Hiei, Kasuga, and a Takao-class cruiser in harbor, 1937Hiei at Yokosuka after reconstructionHiei undergoing full power speed trials December 1940Hiei gunnery excercises 31 January 1940Hiei in drydock November 1941Hiei 11 July 1942Hiei 11 July 1942B-17s of the 11th Bombardment Group bomb the damaged Japanese battleship Hiei north of Savo Island on November 13, 1942View from the bridge of Mogami over the damaged bow during refueling from the tanker Nichiei Maru after the Battle of Midway.HieiHiei’s aircraft handling facilitiesImperial chamber of Battleship Hiei
