IJN
Kongo Class Battlecruiser
Tons
26,230
June 20, 1944
July 28, 1945
October 1945
Ship History
Built at Kobe, Japan. Completed in April 1915. Named after Mount Haruna, an active volcano.
World War I Service
she operated in the Pacific during the First World War. While in the south Pacific in 1917, she was damaged by a mine laid by the German auxiliary cruiser Wolf. In 1927-28, she was modernized at Yokosuka Dockyard, emerging with only two smokestacks and a new forward superstructure, as well as with improved armament and protection. Reclassified thereafter as a battleship, Haruna was again modernized in 1933-34, this time at Kure Dockyard, raising her standard displacement to over 32,000 tons and giving her a quite up-to-date appearance. More powerful machinery and a lengthened hull gave the reconstructed ship a speed of thirty knots, making her a very useful battleship, though relatively lightly armed and armored.
World War II Service
In December 1941, she covered the invasion of Malaya. The first four months of 1942 saw her supporting the conquest of the Dutch East Indies, participating in a bombardment of Christmas Island, and participating in the Indian Ocean Raid. In June, she was part of the ill-fated Japanese carrier force during the Battle of Midway and was lightly damaged when a bomb nearly hit her stern.
Guadalcanal Campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign that began in August 1942 also brought Haruna into action. With her sister ship, Kongo, she delivered a devastating bombardment of Henderson Field on October 14, 1942. Later in the month, she was present during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands and in mid-November operated with the Japanese aircraft carrier force during the climactic Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.
She steamed north to Japan in May 1943 in response to the American landings on Attu and was in the central Pacific later in the year during the invasions of the Gilbert Islands and Bougainville.
Battle of the Philippine Sea
In mid-June 1944, however, the Japanese fleet was sent to counterattack the U.S. forces then assaulting Saipan. As part of the heavily-defended van carrier group, she took an active role in the ensuing Battle of the Philippine Sea and was hit by a bomb on June 20, 1944.
Battle of Leyte Gulf & Samar
Haruna also participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was damaged by bomb near-misses in the Sibuyan Sea on October 24, 1944, but steamed on to engage U.S. escort carriers and destroyers in the next day's Battle off Samar.
Sinking History
Stationed in Japanese waters by the beginning of 1945, Haruna was damaged at Kure during the U.S. carrier plane raids on March 19, 1945. Still moored near Kure four months later, she was sunk by Task Force 38 aircraft on July 28, 1945.
Wreckage
Haruna's wreck, settled in shallow water was scrapped after the war.
Tabular Movement
