IJN Kongo

IJN Kongo

IJN Ikoma

IJN Mutsu

IJN Kongo

IJN Ikoma

IJN Mutsu

Japan

VI Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.0	7.0	7.0

Class:

Battleship

Research:390 000

Purchase:1 050 000

Show in game

Description

The Kongo-class, IJN Kongo, 1944 (金剛, namesake: Mount Kongō) is a rank VI Japanese battleship with a battle rating of 7.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Wind of Change".

The Kongō was the lead ship of the Kongō-class and would be the last Japanese capital ship built outside Japan. Designed by the British naval engineer George Thurston and laid down in 1911 initially as a battlecruiser she would see 2 major refits that would reclassify her as a fast battleship.

First commissioned in 1913, patrolling the Chinese coast during WWI, she would see many major naval actions in the Pacific War until November 1944 when she would sink while in transit by a submarine.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Citadel279 / 203 / 127 mm

Main fire tower254 / 254 / 254 mm

Hull25 mm (steel)

Superstructure16 mm (steel)

Number of section9

Displacement38 767 t

Crew1 437 people

Kongo's armor truly reflects her legacy as a battlecruiser, even though she has been uparmored from her original design. Her 203 mm main belt is the second weakest capital ship belt in the game - only HMS Invincible's 152 mm belt is worse, and it's enough to stop cruiser shells, but will stand no chance against battleships. The rest of her amidships hull is protected by 152 mm armor, which greatly improves her survivability against splash damage and weaker shells, but is not very effective against enemy AP. Her bow has a 76 mm belt that extends from the waterline, but as with most battleships, the majority of the bow is left unarmored. Her turrets have 254 mm of armor, while her barbettes have 229 mm. This is reasonable by battleship standards, but still leaves her turrets vulnerable to even cruiser AP. Her conning tower, nestled behind turret B, is surrounded by 254 mm of armor.

Within the ship, all four magazines are protected by a turtleback armor scheme, which greatly improves her protection against ammunition detonations, especially at close range. In addition to this, the steering at the stern of the ship is armored by an enormous concrete block.

Overall, her armor is certainly enough to give her protection against most cruisers and some battleships, especially when angled, but given her design and playstyle, it will never be her strength. At the end of the day, she is a battlecruiser at her core, and you should not expect her armor to make you impervious to battleship fire.

The IJN Kongo's crew consists of 1,437 personnel, which is respectable. It is far more than any World War One-era dreadnought, although it's less than the Scharnhorst's complement, and is smaller than the crews of even some World War Two cruisers.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB65 / 29 km/h

RB56 / 25 km/h

The Kongo's nature as a battlecruiser reflects in her speed, which is a very good 56 km/h. This is only slightly less than most cruisers, and is leaps and bounds ahead of the speed of dreadnoughts. However, her acceleration and deceleration is still unexceptional, and her turning is not very good.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	65	29
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	56	25

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB26 458 → 34 448

RB32 079 → 41 766

Total cost of modifications299 000

462 000

Talisman cost2 400

Crew training300 000

Experts1 050 000

Aces2 200

Research Aces890 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

450 / 600 / 100 %

214 / 214 / 214 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 280 Rudder Replacement Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 390 Propeller Replacement Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Engine Maintenance Research: 24 000 Cost: 37 000 560	Damage Control Division Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 280 Fire Division Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 390 Shrapnel Protection Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Ventilation Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 New Pumps Research: 24 000 Cost: 37 000 560 Ammo Wetting Research: 24 000 Cost: 37 000 560	Anti-Air Armament Targeting Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 280 356mm_jp_type91_navy_apc_ammo_pack Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 280 152mm_jp_common_type4_navy_sap_ammo_pack Research: 12 000 Cost: 19 000 280 Auxiliary Armament Targeting Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 390 356mm_jp_ordinary_type0_navy_sap_ammo_pack Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 390 Primary Armament Targeting Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Improved Rangefinder Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 350 Hydroplane Research: 24 000 Cost: 37 000 560

Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret2 x 36 cm/45 Type 41 cannon

Ammunition180 rounds

Vertical guidance-5° / 43°

The 36 cm/45 Type 41, also seen on IJN Hyuga, is an exceptional 14-inch battleship cannon. Compared to the Hyuga, the IJN Kongo gets only 8 guns, but she features a new selection of shells. Her stock shell, Ordinary SAP, is identical to the shell on Hyuga, and certainly gets the job done. With the equivalent of 68.64 kg of TNT, her SAP is still a head and shoulders over even the HE on most other battleships. These shells will smash cruisers whenever they hit, and against battleships, while they will rarely penetrate the hull armor, the splash damage from the detonation will frequently destroy guns and turrets. Type 91 APC is an improvement over the Hyuga's equivalent AP shell, with extra penetration. This shell is mostly used against battleships, where the extra penetration is needed to penetrate the belt armor. The last shell is Type 0 Common, an HE shell. This shell is very poor, possessing only half the explosive filler of SAP. It may find some utility when it comes to sniping patrol boats or stray floatplanes, but overall, it isn't very good.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		1,000 m	2,500 m	5,000 m	7,500 m	10,000 m	15,000 m
Ordinary SAP	SAPCBC	301	280	248	222	199	168
Type 91 APC	APCBC	635	593	529	476	431	366
Type 0 Common	HE	67	67	67	67	67	67

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (s)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Ordinary SAP	SAPCBC	780	635.58	0.01	26	68.64	48°	63°	71°
Type 91 APC	APCBC	771	671.3	0.05	26	12.21	48°	63°	71°
Type 0 Common Type 0	HE	805	621	0	0.1	32.45	79°	80°	81°

Secondary armament

8 х Turret15 cm/50 Type 41 cannon

Ammunition150 rounds

The Kongo's secondaries consist of eight 15 cm/50 Type 41 cannons, four per side. Comparable guns can be found on the IJN Agano, although these guns can maintain a sustained rate of fire of 10 RPM. While they are 6-inch secondaries, they are nothing to write home about, as the best shell only has 81 mm of penetration at point blank range. That being said, the exceptionally high explosive mass of the SAP round - nearly as good as HE - makes it very well suited for fighting destroyers.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		1,000 m	2,500 m	5,000 m	7,500 m	10,000 m	15,000 m
Type 0 HE	HE	35	35	35	35	35	35
Type 4 SAP	SAP	81	68	52	40	34	34

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
Type 0 HE	HE	850	45.26	0	0.1	3,170	79°	80°	81°
Type 4 SAP	SAP	850	45.26	8	7	2,920	47°	60°	65°

Anti-aircraft armament

6 х Turret2 x 5 inch/40 Type 89 cannon

Ammunition400 rounds

18 х Turret3 x 25 mm/60 Type 96 automatic cannon

Ammunition4500 rounds

Belt capacity15 rounds

Fire rate261 shots/min

30 х Turret25 mm/60 Type 96 automatic cannon

Ammunition1500 rounds

Belt capacity15 rounds

Fire rate261 shots/min

8 х Turret2 x 25 mm/60 Type 96 automatic cannon

Ammunition3000 rounds

Belt capacity15 rounds

Fire rate261 shots/min

The IJN Kongo's AA armament sets her apart from other battleships. It includes six 5 inch/40 Type 89 twin cannons, as well as a total of 100 25 mm cannons. The 5" guns, which behave more like secondaries, are automatically loaded with HE-VT, with no alternate ammunition choice, which makes them pretty useless against surface targets, as the shells will always detonate early, but decent against aircraft. Meanwhile, the 25 mm cannons provide the Kongo with exceptional close-range AA firepower, being able to put up a hail of fire in any direction. However, note the stopping power of the 25 mm is not very good, and these cannons are only really suitable for self-defence.

Usage in battles

Aside from perhaps the Scharnhorst, there is no better ship when it comes to aggressive capital ship gameplay. While the IJN Kongo has the ability to snipe passively, the Hyuga simply is more specialized in that role over the Kongo. It is best to lean into the IJN Kongo's advantages, and play like the battlecruiser that she was originally designed as. Her speed allows her to keep pace with friendly cruisers, while her exceptional gun arcs on the rear turrets (±150°) allow her to make the most of her somewhat lackluster armor, as well as maintaining the ability to deliver full broadsides while sailing into combat. In addition, her AA is an extremely useful asset, as it allows her to be self-sufficient in combat, instead of relying on teammates for AA support.

Overall, the Kongo is the most efficient ship in the game when it comes to delivering devastating firepower to the enemy. Don't sit passively - put your ship on the line and don't be too afraid to engage in brawls, despite her light protection. While she isn't exactly a very well protected capital ship, her armor is good enough to let her speed and firepower do the rest.

Specific enemies worth noting

• Cruisers
  • Most cruisers are completely incapable of doing significant damage to you, but if left to their own devices they will eventually chip away at you. Learn their ammunition locations, and dispose of them quickly with SAP. Also, keep in mind which enemy cruisers are armed with torpedoes, and keep them at arms length.
• Scharnhorst
  • The Scharnhorst is the Kongo's biggest rival, boasting heavier armor and a lower profile hull, while having weaker but more rapid firing armament. Approach them with caution, aiming to disable turrets, and preferably have backup from your team. Never brawl them, as the Scharnhorst's torpedoes will be decisive.
• USS Arizona
  • The USS Arizona is extremely durable, and their broadside of twelve 14" guns is very imposing. However, her Achilles' heel is her reload. Knocking out turrets and dodging incoming fire from an Arizona will cripple their damage output, while you can bombard them until they eventually explode.
• IJN Hyuga
  • Essentially having your guns, but four more of them, the Hyuga has the deadliest broadside in the game. Chip away from them at long range, and make sure you do not get hit in return. If the Hyuga is playing passively, use your speed to flank and attack from an unexpected direction.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Exceptional 14" guns with the most potent SAP round in the game and comfortable gun arcs
• Very fast for her size
• Good AA protection, 25mm AA guns don't cost crew count (the animated crew models don't affect the gameplay)
• Workable armor above waterline; turtleback around the magazines
• Access to floatplanes

Cons:

• Extremely weak underwater protection, vulnerable to large caliber diving shots from heavy cruiser or above
• Subject to flooding and capsizing in addition due to aforementioned weakness
• 127mm batteries are categorized into AAA group and hence no combined manual control or ammo options

History

Devblog

After the Royal Navy commissioned the battlecruiser HMS Invincible into service in 1908, the IJN was quick to react with a plan to expand its fighting force with modern warships being approved already by the end of the decade. However, the problem persisted that Japanese shipyards simply lacked the technological know-how to build such warships at the time. As a result, taking advantage of the existing naval cooperation agreement with Great Britain, Japan sought assistance from the Vickers company, who besides helping design a matching warship, also agreed to manufacture the lead ship, to be named Kongō, while the remaining ones would be built in Japan.

IJN Kongō was laid down in January 1911 as the lead ship of its class of modern battlecruisers to be built for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was launched in May 1912 and completed in April 1913, subsequently entering service in August as the most advanced Japanese warship of its time. During WWI, IJN Kongō took part in minor operations but was quickly placed in reserve after the conflict. With international agreements limiting naval power after WWI, Japan was forced to upgrade existing warships in order to maintain its fighting power. As a result, Kongō was extensively upgraded on two occasions in the interwar period, not only vastly improving its characteristics but also noticeably changing its visual appearance.

During WWII however, Kongō had a rather illustrious service record. It took part in several major operations, including the Invasion of the Dutch East Indies, the Battle of Midway and also supported Japanese forces at Guadalcanal. After taking part in the famous Battle of Leyte Gulf, Kongō would serve until November 1944 when it was sunk by a successful torpedo attack by the American submarine USS Sealion.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• Kongo (Family)

External links

• Kongō battleship: The Imperial Jewel

Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
Ships
Tribal-class	HMS Eskimo · HMCS Haida
Invincible-class	HMS Invincible*
Kongō-class	IJN Kongo**
Tanks
Light Tanks	VFM5*** · Vickers Mk.11***
Light Tank Mk VI	Light AA Mk I
Light Tank Mk VII	Tetrarch I
Light Tank Mk VIII	Alecto I
Tank, Infantry, Valentine	Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI · Archer
Vickers MBT	Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7***
Heavy Tanks	Independent****
Export	▂МК-IX "Valentine" · Vickers Mk.E****
See also	Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft Limited
	*Previously Armstrong Whitworth
	**Built for Japan
	***Vickers Defence Systems
	****Previously Vickers Limited

Japan battleships
Kawachi-class	IJN Settsu
Fusō-class	IJN Fuso · IJN Yamashiro
Ise-class	IJN Ise · IJN Hyuga
Kongō-class	IJN Kongo · IJN Haruna
Nagato-class	IJN Mutsu