warship Archives - Page 6 of 17 - Destination's Journey

Japanese Battleship Ise

Ise after conversion running full power trial on Aug 24, 1943

Japanese Battleship Ise

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 shortly after being launched — Ise being launched

Ise in Service

Battle off Cape Engano

Ise firing her main guns during the Battle off Cape Engaño, 25 October 1944

Under Attack at Kure

Ise under attack by U.S. Navy aircraft at the Kure Naval Arsenal on 28 July 1945 — Ise burning at Kure 28 July 1945

The Wreck of Ise Post-War

Ise sunk off Kure, 8 October 1945 — Wreck of Ise October1945

US Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin CV-13

USS Franklin CV-13 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia. May 4, 1944

US Aircraft Carrier USS Franklin CV-13

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 was sold for scrap on 27 July 1966.

USS Franklin CV-13 Under Construction

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 1944 — USS Franklin (CV-13). Stern, looking forward. Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. 6 January 1944.

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 Sea

Grumman F6F-3 and-5 Hellcat and Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver CVG-13 on deck of USS Franklin (CV-13) in October 1944 — Pilots of VT-13 in their ready room aboard USS Franklin (CV-13), 24 October 1944, just before the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

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. — A Japanese dive bomber (encircled) plunges downward USS Franklin (CV-13) the kamikaze that hit USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)

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 Honshu — March 19, 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 on fire after being bombed by Japanese aircraft off Honshu, Japan.

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 1945 — April 1945 USS Franklin CV-13 approaching New York for repairs.

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. — 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.

Japanese Battlecruiser Hiei

Japanese Battlecruiser Hiei

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.