Japan - Kongo Class Battlecruiser/Fast Battleship

[erik_t]

Obviously an armor belt can't have portholes through it. So what do we see aft, just aft of the aftmost main battery turret? Is that the outer plating of a bulge, not an external armor belt?

[BB1987]

Obviously an armor belt can't have portholes through it. So what do we see aft, just aft of the aftmost main battery turret? Is that the outer plating of a bulge, not an external armor belt?

That's the torpedo bulge added during the 1924-1928 refit with pre-existing portholes drilled in it. The actual armor belt (now covered by the bulge) ends just forward of those four portholes.


Finished 1930 Haruna as well. Compared to 1928 rain caps were added to both funnels, aircraft facilities had been fitted between turret 3 and 4, the addition of 2,8m rangefinders on the pagoda bridge and some small platform modification on both the forward and aft superstructure.

[emperor_andreas]

Very nice work, my friend!

[BB1987]

Haruna in 1933:

Between May 1932 and May 1933 Haruna underwent an anti-air suite upgrade. All 76mm single AA guns were replaced by four twin 127mm ones and two twin 40mm Vickers machine guns with all the needed fire control equipment. The aircraft handling deck was extended to accommodate an aircraft catapult to the port side aft of turret n°3. Both forward and aft superstructure were slightly modified, and a new set of searchlights was added aft of the forefunnel.

[emperor_andreas]

Awesome work!

[reytuerto]

Lots of thanks for the Kongo class! The most detailed evolution of the bridge in this BCs: this is a clear example when a hobby (of our fellow artist: his series are a fantastic piece of pixel art!, BB1987 is one of our crack artists!) becomes a learning tool (it is a solid source of visual information for me)!

[BB1987]

Initially I had not planned for this drawing, but got a few more infos thank to emperor_andreas, so here is Haruna as she appaeared in 1943 as well:

Between late February and early April 1943 Haruna was fitted with a Type21 radar and the top of the pagoda bridge lowered by one level by deleting the spotting top and enlarging the anti-aircraft command post. Aircraft complement is upgraded to one Aichi E13 and two Mitsubishi F1M. Two secondary guns are landed and Two triple 25mm machine gun mounts added. Most portholes and scuttles below the middle deck level were plated over.

[eswube]

Fantastic drawings.

[emperor_andreas]

Very nice work, my friend!

[BB1987]

Haruna in 1915 with her weird camouflage scheme: