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Line drawing of Fusō in her 1944 Configuration
Line drawing of Fusō in her 1944 configuration
Class overview
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded byKongō-class battlecruiser
Succeeded byIse-class battleship
Built1912–1917
In service1915–1944
In commission1915–1944
Planned2
Completed2
Lost2
General characteristics
TypeBattleship
Displacementlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915: 29,330 long tons (29,800 t) standard.[1]
1944: 34,700 long tons (35,300 t) standard.[2]
Lengthlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915: 202.7 m (665 ft 0 in)[2]
1944: 210.3 m (690 ft 0 in)[1]
Beamlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915: 28.7 m (94 ft 2 in)[2]
1944: 33.1 m (108 ft 7 in)[1]
Draught9.68 m (31 ft 9 in)[2]
Propulsionlist error: <br /> list (help)
4 shaft; Brown-Curtis turbines; 24/8 boilers;
1915: 40,000 shp (30,000 kW)[3]
1944: 75,000 shp (56,000 kW)
Speedlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915: 23 knots (26 mph; 43 km/h).[3]
1944: 25 kn (29 mph; 46 km/h) [4]
Range8,000 nmi (15,000 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)[2]
Complementlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915: 1,193.[1]
1944: 1,900.[5]
Armamentlist error: <br /> list (help)
1915:

12 × 356 mm (14 in) guns
16 × 152 mm (6 in) guns
8 × 76 mm (3 in) guns

1944:
12 × 356 mm (14 in) guns
14 × 152 mm (6 in) guns
8 × 127 mm (5 in) DP guns

95 × 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
Armorlist error: <br /> list (help)
Belt:305-102mm

Turrets: 305mm (face)
Conning Tower: 351mm

Barbettes: 204mm

The Fusō-class battleships (Japanese: 扶桑) were two battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) constructed during World War I. Displacing 29,330 long tons (29,800 t) upon completion, Fusō and Yamashiro, the vessels of this class, were the first super-dreadnoughts of the IJN. They were completed from 1915 to 1917, both in Japanese shipyards. When launched, they outclassed all battleships of both the Royal Navy and the United States Navy in terms of speed and firepower. Both patrolled briefly off the coast of China in the last year of World War I before being placed in reserve at the war's end. In 1922, Yamashiro became the first battleship in the IJN to successfully launch aircraft.

During the 1930s, both ships underwent a series of modernizations and reconstructions to defer obsolescence. Fusō underwent her modernization in two phases (1930–33, 1937–41), while Yamashiro was reconstructed from 1930 to 1935. The modernization increased their armor, replaced and upgraded their machinery, and rebuilt their superstructure into their distinctive Pagoda mast style. When they emerged from their reconstruction, they were capable of speeds of 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) and displaced 39,154 long tons (39,782 t).

By the eve of World War II, the Fusō class was considered obsolete in comparison to more modern battleships of both the United States and Imperial Japanese Navies. As a result, neither vessel saw significant action in the early years of the war. Fusō served as a troop transport in 1943, while Yamashiro was relegated to training duty in the Inland Sea. Both underwent upgrades to their antiaircraft suite in 1944, before embarking to Singapore in August 1944. Fusō and Yamashiro sailed as part of the Southern Force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Both battleships were lost in the early hours of 25 October 1944 to American torpedoes and naval gunfire during the Battle of Surigao Strait.

Background

The design of the Fusō-class battleships was shaped both by the international naval arms race and a desire among Japanese naval planners to maintain a fleet of capital ships powerful enough to defeat the United States Navy in a "decisive battle" in Japanese territorial waters.[6]

The Imperial Japanese Navy's fleet of battleships had proven highly successful in 1905—the last year of the Russo-Japanese War—culminating in the destruction of the Russian Baltic Fleet at the Battle of Tsushima.[7] In the aftermath, the Japanese Empire immediately turned her focus to the two remaining rivals for imperial dominance in the Pacific Ocean: Britain and the United States.[6] Satō Tetsutarō, a Japanese Navy admiral and military theorist, speculated that conflict would inevitably arise between Japan and at least one of their two main rivals. To that end, he called for the Japanese Navy to maintain a fleet with at least 70% as many capital ships as the US Navy.[8] This ratio, Satō theorized, would enable the Imperial Japanese Navy to defeat the US Navy in a decisive battle in Japanese waters in any eventual conflict.[8] To that end, the 1907 Imperial Defense Policy called for the construction of a battle fleet of eight modern battleships—20,000 long tons (20,000 t) each—and eight modern armored cruisers—18,000 long tons (18,000 t) each—to match the US Navy.[9] This was the genesis of the Eight-Eight Fleet Program, the development of a cohesive battle line of sixteen capital ships.[10]

The launch of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 by the Royal Navy "revolutionized capital ship design",[11] and complicated Japan's plans. Displacing 17,900 long tons (18,200 t) and armed with ten 12-inch (30 cm) guns, Dreadnought rendered all existing battleships obsolete by comparison.[12] The launch of the battlecruiser HMS Invincible the following year was a further setback for Japan quest for parity.[13] When Japan's two new Satsuma-class battleships and two Tsukuba-class armored cruisers, launched by 1911, were outclassed by their British counterparts, the Eight-Eight Fleet Program was restarted.[14]

The first battleships built for the Eight-Eight Fleet Program were the two dreadnoughts of the Kawachi class, ordered in 1907 and laid down in 1908.[15] In 1910, the Navy put forward a request to the Diet of Japan (parliament) to secure funding for the entirety of the program at once.[15] Because of economic constraints, the proposal was cut first by the Navy Ministry to seven battleships and three battlecruisers, then by the cabinet to what became the Japanese Naval Emergency Expansion bill, authorizing the construction of four battlecruisers (the Kongō class) and one battleship,[15] later named Fusō.[3]

Design

The Emergency Naval Expansion Bill stipulated the construction of four battlecruisers of the Kongō class and one member of the Fusō class; as a result the latter was designed to work in conjunction with the four battlecruisers.[16] The design drew heavily on George Thurston's design of the Kongō class and was considered to be the battleship equivalent.[16] After coordination with the British on the Kongō class, Japanese designers had access to the latest British project studies in naval architecture.[1] In an effort to outmatch foreign designs, planners called for a ship armed with twelve 14-inch (36 cm) guns.[3] Vickers files show that the Japanese had access to the designs for double and triple turrets, yet opted for six double turrets over four triple turrets.[2][N 1] The final design—designated A-64 by the Japanese Navy—called for a displacement of 29,000 long tons (29,000 t) with twelve 14-inch (36 cm) guns in six double turrets (two forward, two aft, two separated amidships).[3][17] The design also called for a top speed of 23 knots (26 mph; 43 km/h).[17] This design was superior to its American counterparts in armament, armor and speed, thus following the Japanese doctrine of compensating for quantitative inferiority with quality.[18]

Ships

Yamashiro, Fusō and the fast-battleship Haruna in the late 1930's.

The two vessels of the Fusō class were completed from 1912 to 1917. The first, Fusō, was constructed in the shipyard at Kure Naval Arsenal, while Yamashiro was built at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.[2] Two advanced versions of the class were subsequently planned, but the final design differed so markedly from Fusō's that they became the Ise class.[17] When she was completed in 1915, Fusō was considered the first modern battleship of the Japanese Navy. She outclassed her American counterparts of the New York class in terms of firepower and speed, and was considered the "most powerfully armed battleship in the world".[17] Despite extensive modernization in the 1930s, both battleships were considered obsolete by the commencement of World War II.[19] As a result, both ships spent the early years of the war in the home islands, acting as training ships and transports.[19] Following the loss of much of Japan's aircraft carrier fleet by 1943, a proposal was floated that would have converted both vessels into hybrid battleship-carriers. Work was scheduled to commence in June 1943, but the plan was cancelled and the two Ise-class battleships converted instead.[20]

Fusō

Main article: Japanese battleship Fusō
Fusō (foreground) and Yamashiro operating off the coast of Japan in 1935.

Fusō was laid down at Kure Naval Arsenal 11 March 1912, launched 28 March 1914, commissioned 8 November 1915 and attached to the 1st Battleship Division of the First Fleet.[21] After conducting patrols off the coast of China in the closing years of World War I, Fusō was placed in reserve in December 1918. Fusō assisted in rescue operations following the Great Kantō Earthquake, before her superstructure was rebuilt in 1924.[21] She underwent two main modernizations throughout her career, the first beginning on 12 April 1930. In the first phase at Yokosuka Naval Yard, torpedo bulges were fitted and her internal machinery upgraded. In the second phase, started at Kure in September 1932, 127 mm (5.0 in) dual-purpose guns and additional shell-rooms were fitted.[21] This reconstruction resulted in an increased speed and an armor weight nearly 42% that of the entire displacement of the ship.[4] The second major modernization consisted of two phases from 26 February 1937 to 15 September 1941. This reconstruction fitted antiaircraft guns, lengthened her stern, fitted emergency damage-control systems, added rangefinders and reconfigured her secondary armament.[5]

On the eve of World War II, Fusō departed Japan as part of a support task-force for the fleet attacking Pearl Harbor, yet returned to anchorage when no US counterattack materialized.[22] On 29 May 1942, she deployed as part of a distant screening force for the Battle of Midway. After the disastrous loss of four Japanese fast carriers, Fusō returned to Japan.[19] She would remain in the Japanese home islands for the next fourteen months, undergoing radar and antiaircraft refits in July 1943 before deploying to Truk Lagoon in the Caroline Islands (now Micronesia) in August.[19] She took part in an unsuccessful attempt to reinforce Biak Island in May 1944 before returning to Japan in July. In October 1944, Fusō arrived at Lingga in preparation for Operation Sho-go, the Imperial Navy's planned counterattack to the American invasion of the Philippines.[23] Fusō sailed with Yamashiro and the cruiser Mogami as part of Admiral Shōji Nishimura's Southern Force. On 24 October, Fusō was attacked by American carrier aircraft in the Sulu Sea, with her aircraft catapult destroyed by a bomb hit to her stern.[23] In the early morning of 25 October, the Southern Force entered Surigao Strait, where Admiral Jesse Oldendorf's Seventh Fleet waited with six battleships, five cruisers and nine destroyers.[24] Hit by two torpedoes, Fusō was exposed to the concentrated shellfire of Oldendorf's battleships. She blew up, capsized and sank at 04:21 on the morning of 25 October, taking her entire crew with her.[23][25]

Yamashiro

Main article: Japanese battleship Yamashiro
Yamashiro running trials following her reconstruction, 24 December 1934.

Yamashiro was laid down 20 November 1913, launched 3 November 1915, and commissioned 31 March 1917.[26] She differed from Fusō in that her No. 3 turret's stowed position was the reverse of her sister's.[N 2] In 1917 she was also fitted with a flying-off platform. She operated briefly off the coast of China in 1918 before being placed in reserve at the war's end. In March 1922, Yamashiro became the first Japanese battleship to launch aircraft, with British Sparrow Hawk and Sopwith Camel fighters taking off from the platform fitted to her No. 2 gun turret.[27] In 1923, Yamashiro joined the other battleships of the Imperial Navy in rescue work after the Kanto Earthquake, and afterward was placed in reserve. Unlike her sister, Yamashiro only underwent one major reconstruction during her life. It was from 18 December 1930 to 30 March 1935, and completely replaced her internal machinery, lengthened the stern, rebuilt her superstructure as a Pagoda Mast, added torpedo-bulges and additional horizontal armor (the armored deck), and reconfigured her secondary armament.[26] The result featured a few external differences from her sister's modifications, notably a pagoda-mast that extended further aft and was of a heavier appearance.[4] On the eve of war, Yamashiro was part of the Second Battleship Division, and deployed as part of the support force for the Attack on Pearl Harbor. In April 1942, Yamashiro and the Second Battleship Division deployed to counterattack the American carrier task force that had bombed Tokyo.[22] She was part of the screening force during the Battle of Midway, and was placed in training reserve with the rest of the Second Division in August.[26] In September 1943, Yamashiro was designated a midshipmen training ship, and served in that capacity until July 1944.[19] In October 1944, Yamashiro sortied with the Southern Force as Admiral Nishimura's flagship during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Yamashiro was sunk by American torpedoes in Surigao Strait sometime between 03:23 and 03:53 on the morning of 25 October 1944.[25] Admiral Nishimura and all but ten of her crew were lost.[23]

Specifications

Armament

Main Battery

Admiral Ibo Takahashi and the rear 14-inch turrets of Yamashiro in 1934.

The primary armament of the Fusō class was twelve 14-inch/45-caliber naval guns.[3] Each gun was 648.4 inches (16.47 m) in length,[28] and weighed 86 metric tons (85 long tons).[28] The shells fired by the main guns varied throughout the lifespan of the class. During World War I, Armour-Piercing Type 3 shells were used, each of which weighed 1,400 pounds (640 kg). In 1925, APC Type 5 shells replaced the previous ammunition, with APC No.6/Type 88 shells replacing these in 1928.[28] During World War II, APC Type 91 shells were used. Each of these shells weighed 1,485 pounds (674 kg), and was fired at an initial muzzle velocity of 2,543 feet per second (2,790 km/h).[28]

The main guns of the Fusō class were mounted in six double turrets, each of which weighed 615 long tons (625 t).[28] Originally, the turrets had an elevation capability of −5/+20 degrees.[29] This configuration enabled the Fusō battleships to outclass all of her contemporaries, the most powerful of which were armed with ten 14-inch or eight 15-inch guns. However, the location of the third and fourth turrets proved particularly problematic to the design of the class.[3] Mounted amidships along the centreline of the ship (separated by a funnel), they had highly restricted arcs of fire, and their positioning affected the internal layout of the battleships.[3] The shell rooms for each of the mountings had to be positioned separately, which decreased the available space for other machinery and hampered the armor configuration.[28] The resultant ammunition magazines amidships also necessitated a longer hull than Fusō's contemporaries.[17]

The main battery of the Fusō class underwent various modernizations throughout the ships' careers. During the first reconstruction of both vessels, the elevation of the main guns was increased to −5/+43 degrees, giving a maximum firing range of 35,450 yards (20.14 mi; 32.42 km).[29] The recoil mechanism of the guns was also changed from a hydraulic to pneumatic system, which allowed for a faster firing cycle of the main guns.[29] The purchase of French gun design patents in 1924 also enabled the 14-inch guns of the Fusō class to be heavily modified and upgraded.[29]

Secondary Armament

a twin-127mm gun mount on board the Japanese battleship Nagato. The mounts used on board the Fusō were the same model.

As built, the Fusō class was fitted with a secondary armament of sixteen 152-millimetre (6.0 in)/50 caliber guns, four 76-millimetre (3.0 in)/40 caliber guns, and six submerged 533-millimetre (21.0 in) torpedo tubes.[3] The 152 mm guns were mounted in single casemates along the upper deck of the hull.[30] Eight guns were mounted per side, and had a horizontal angle of rotation of 130 degrees and a maximum vertical elevation of +15 degrees.[30] Each gun could fire a 45.36 kg (100.0 lb) high-explosive projectile a maximum distance of 22,970 yards (13.05 mi; 21.00 km) at a rate of between four and six shots per minute.[30] During their reconstruction in the 1930s, the maximum elevation of the guns was increased to +30 degrees, which increased the maximum range by approximately 900 metres.[30] While the same guns mounted on other Japanese warships were considered dual-purpose (antiship and antiaircraft), their restricted firing arcs and training speed in casemates aboard Fusō and Yamashiro made them unsuitable as antiaircraft weapons.[31] The 76 mm high-angle guns were in single mounts on both sides of the forward and aft superstructures, both sides of the second funnel, as well as in two other (unspecified) locations.[29] Each of these guns had a maximum vertical elevation of 75 degrees, and could fire a 6 kg (13 lb) projectile at a vertical speed of 680 m/s (1,500 mph; 2,400 km/h) with a maximum vertical ceiling of 7,500 m (24,600 ft).[29]

The configuration of the Fusō class's secondary armament changed significantly over the course of the vessels' lives. During the main modernization of the early 1930s, all eight 76 mm guns were removed and replaced with eight 127 mm (5.0 in)/40 caliber Dual-Purpose (DP) guns. These guns were fitted on both sides of the forward and aft superstructures, and had the greatest variance in shell type among the guns on Fusō. They could fire high-explosive antiaircraft shells, Shiki Sankaidan ("Beehive") incendiary shells, illumination shells and training shells.[28] During reconstruction, the two foremost 152 mm guns were also removed.[5]

The light antiaircraft armament of the Fusō class changed dramatically during the years 1933–1944. During her first reconstruction, Fusō was fitted with four 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine-guns, while Yamashiro was fitted with eight twin mounts of 25 mm (0.98 in) antiaircraft guns.[4][32] The 13.2 mm machine-guns were based on the French Hotchkiss Machine Gun,[32] and were considered to be a relatively poor design.[33] The 25 mm was mounted on the Fusō class in single, double and triple mounts. It was the standard Japanese light-antiaircraft gun during World War II, but suffered from severe design shortcomings that rendered it a largely ineffective weapon. The twin and triple mounts "lacked sufficient speed in train or elevation; the gun sights were unable to handle fast targets; the gun exhibited excessive vibration; the magazine was too small, and, finally, the gun produced excessive muzzle blast".[33] The configuration of the antiaircraft guns varied significantly; By the end of their final reconstruction, the Fusō class mounted eight twin mounts. In 1943, seventeen single and two twin-mounts were added for a total of 37.[19] In August 1944, both were fitted with another twenty-three single, six twin and eight triple-mounts, for a total of 95 antiaircraft guns in their final configuration.[34]

Armor

Yamashiro as she appeared in 1944.

When the Fusō class was completed, the ships' armor was "typical for a pre-Jutland battleship".[25] As built, the armor accounted for a displacement of 8,588 long tons (8,726 t), approximately 29% of the class's total displacement.[3] The main armored belt was 305 millimetres (12.0 in) thick, while the underwater belt had a varying thickness of 102–152 mm (4.0–6.0 in).[25] The horizontal armor was considered light by World War I standards, with a thickness range from 32 to 51 mm (1.3 to 2.0 in).[3] The turrets were more heavily armored than those of the Kongō class, with an thickness of 305 mm (12.0 in) on the face, 203 mm (8.0 in) on the sides, and 115 mm (4.5 in) on the roof.[35] The barbettes of the turrets were protected by 205 millimetres (8.1 in) of armor, while the casemates of the 152 mm guns were covered by 152 mm (6.0 in) of armor.[35] The conning tower was very heavily armored with variations of Krupp Cemented Armor up to 351 millimetres (13.8 in) thick.[35] Additionally, the vessels contained 737 watertight compartments (574 underneath the armor deck, 163 above) to preserve buoyancy in the event of battle damage.[25]

During their reconstruction in the 1930s, the armor of the Fusō class was substantially upgraded. The horizontal armor was increased to a maximum thickness of 98 mm (3.9 in), while an additional 17 mm (0.67 in) of armor plating was added aft of the conning tower.[35] Torpedo bulges were also added, both to compensate for the increase in weight and to add underwater protection, increasing the beam of the ship to by 4.43 metres (14.5 ft).[25] A longitudinal bulkhead of 76 mm (3.0 in) was created to improve the underwater protection, and extra plates were added to cover the original hull.[25] 102 millimetres (4.0 in) of plating were added to protect the ammunition magazines and machinery. This brought the total armor tonnage up to 12,199 long tons (12,395 t),[35] approximately 31% of the total displacement of the Fusō class.[25] Even after these improvements, the armor was still incapable of withstanding 14-inch shells.[25]

Propulsion

Fusō running full power trials following her first reconstruction, 10 May 1933.

When the Fusō-class battleships were constructed, their machinery produced more power than other contemporary battleships, whose design focused on armor at the expense of speed. During trials, these power plants could produce 40,000 shaft horsepower (30,000 kW), driving the ships through the water at a speed of 22.5 to 23.0 knots (25.9 to 26.5 mph; 41.7 to 42.6 km/h).[3][36] The power was generated by eight double-ended and sixteen single-ended Miyahara-type boilers, all of which consumed a mixture of coal and oil.[36] The boilers themselves were located in four separate rooms.[36] Both Fusō and Yamashiro were given two sets of Brown-Curtis turbines. Originally, the Fusō-class battleships had a stowage capacity for 4,000 long tons (4,100 t) of coal and 1,000 long tons (1,000 t) of oil, giving the battleships a 8,000-nautical-mile (9,200 mi; 15,000 km) radius of operation.[36] During their modernization, the machinery of the Fusō class was replaced. The Miyahara boilers were removed and the battleships fitted with six new Kampon oil-fired boilers, while the main engine plant was replaced by four Kampon Turbines with an increased output of 75,000 to 76,889 horsepower (55,927 to 57,336 kW).[36] This enabled Fusō and Yamashiro to achieve a top speed of 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) with a radius of action of 11,800 nmi (13,600 mi; 21,900 km).[36]

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ Postwar Japanese accounts suggest that the system of four-triples was superior for defensive combat, while six-doubles were superior for offensive combat, meaning that six double-turrets could engage more targets at once than four triple-turrets.[2]
  2. ^ The #3 turret on Fuso pointed forward when stowed, while Yamashiro's pointed after.[4]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Skulski, p. 11
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Gardiner & Gray, p. 229
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stille, p. 21
  4. ^ a b c d e Stille, p. 22
  5. ^ a b c Skulski, p. 30
  6. ^ a b Stille, p. 4
  7. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 124
  8. ^ a b Evans & Peattie, p. 143
  9. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 150
  10. ^ Stille, p. 7
  11. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 152
  12. ^ Jackson, p. 42
  13. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 154
  14. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 159
  15. ^ a b c Evans & Peattie, p. 160
  16. ^ a b Evans & Peattie, p. 165
  17. ^ a b c d e Evans & Peattie, p. 166
  18. ^ Stille, p. 36
  19. ^ a b c d e f Stille, p. 23
  20. ^ Stille, pp. 22, 26
  21. ^ a b c Skulski, p. 12
  22. ^ a b Skulski, p. 13
  23. ^ a b c d Stille, p. 24
  24. ^ Skulski, p. 15
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i Skulski, p. 16
  26. ^ a b c Bob Hackett (2010). Parshall, Jon; Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt (ed.). "IJN Yamashiro: Tabular Record of Movement". Senkan! Stories and Battle Histories of the IJN's Battleships Online: Imperial Japanese Navy Page. www.combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 9 November 2010. Revision 10 (9 November 2010).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  27. ^ Skulski, p. 25
  28. ^ a b c d e f g Skulski, p. 19
  29. ^ a b c d e f Skulski, p. 18
  30. ^ a b c d Skulski, p. 20
  31. ^ Jackson, p. 27
  32. ^ a b Skulski, p. 21
  33. ^ a b Stille, p. 11
  34. ^ Skulski, p. 22
  35. ^ a b c d e Breyer, p. 341
  36. ^ a b c d e f Skulski, p. 17

References

  • Breyer, Siegfried (1978). Battleships and Battlecruisers 1905–1970. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc. ISBN 03850724703. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  • Evans, David C.; Peattie, Mark R. (1997). Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-192-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870219073.
  • Jackson, Robert (2000). The World's Great Battleships. London: Brown Books. ISBN 1-89788-460-5.
  • Skulski, Janusz (1998). The Battleship Fusō: Anatomy of a Ship. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85117-665-5. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  • Stille, Cdr Mark (2008). Imperial Japanese Navy Battleships 1941–1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-280-6.

See also

Media related to Fusō class battleship at Wikimedia Commons

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