Battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy Quiz

Answer: Great Britain

The "Fuji" and "Yashima" were both built in Britain, as Japanese shipyards did not yet have the capacity to produce large capital ships. Both ships were commissioned in 1897, and took part in the Russo-Japanese War. "Yashima" sank in May 1904, after striking a mine.

"Fuji" survived the Battle of Tsushima, and was eventually disarmed and turned into an accommodation ship in 1922. She was sunk by American planes in 1945, raised, and scrapped in 1948.

Answer: Satsuma class

The "Satsuma" and her sister ship, "Aki", were the first capital ships to be designed and built in Japan. They were originally to have been the first "all big gun" battleships, mounting twelve 12-inch guns each, but material shortages meant that they were armed like other pre-dreadnought ships, with four 12-inch guns. Both ships served through World War I, and were sunk as targets in 1924.

Answer: Battle of Tsushima

In the first major battle fought between fleets of steel warships, the Japanese Navy defeated a Russian force that had sailed from the Baltic Sea. Fought on May 27-28, 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War, the battle was a decisive victory for the Japanese, who sank or captured virtually the entire Russian fleet for the loss of only three torpedo boats.

Answer: Kawachi class

The "Kawachi" and "Settsu" were laid down in 1909, and commissioned in 1911 and 1912. Both units served in World War I. "Kawachi" sank after a magazine explosion in 1918. "Settsu" was disarmed per the Washington Naval Treaty in 1922 and became a target ship. She was broken up in 1948 after being damaged by American air strikes during World War II.

Answer: Two

Five ships of the "Yamato" class were projected, four were laid down, but only two were completed as battleships. The "Yamatos" were the largest battleships ever built, displacing over 60,000 tons and carrying nine 18-inch guns. Both "Yamato" and "Musashi" were sunk by American air attack, while the third ship of the class, "Shinano", was completed as an aircraft carrier, and was sunk by a U.S. submarine while on her way to complete fitting out.

The fourth, an unnamed ship, was never completed.

Answer: Three

The projected battleships of the "Kii" and "Number 13" classes, totaling eight ships, were cancelled outright by the terms of the agreement, while the "Tosa" class ship "Kaga" was completed as an aircraft carrier. "Kaga" served until she was sunk at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The "Tosa" was scrapped before completion.

Answer: None

Extensively modernized prior to World War II, the four "Kongo" class ships saw much action during the war. "Kongo" was sunk by a U.S. submarine in 1944, the only Japanese battleship sunk by a submarine during the war. "Hiei" was damaged by air attack off Guadalcanal and scuttled on 13 November, 1942, while "Kirishima" was sunk by the battleship USS "Washington" in the same area two days later. "Haruna" was sunk in Kure Naval Base in Japan by U.S. planes in July 1945.

Answer: Ise class

Owing to the devastating losses in both planes and pilots since the Battle of Midway, the Japanese fitted the "Ise" and "Hyuga" with short flight decks in order to carry a group of floatplanes. With pilots and aircraft still in short supply, neither ship ever operated their air group in action. Both ships were sunk in port by air strikes and raised and scrapped after the war.

Answer: Two

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, Japanese forces attempted to attack the American forces landing troops in the Philippines. At Surigao Strait, a Japanese force of two battleships, "Fuso" and "Yamashiro", a heavy cruiser, and four destroyers was intercepted by an American force of six battleships, four heavy and four light cruisers, and 28 destroyers.

The superior US fleet completely destroyed the Japanese force and the landings continued unhindered.

Answer: Mikasa

Built in England and commissioned in 1902, "Mikasa" was Admiral Togo's flagship during the Russo-Japanese War. She sank in the port of Sasebo in September 1905 after a magazine explosion. She was raised and repaired and served until 1923, when she became a museum ship in Yokosuka. The "Mikasa" is the last surviving example of a pre-dreadnought battleship in the world.