IJN Kongo
Contents
Description
The Kongo-class, IJN Kongo, 1944 (金剛, namesake: Mount 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 be sunk by a submarine while in transit.
IJN Kongo was introduced in Update "Wind of Change". Being a sidegrade to the other capital ships Japan offers, the Kongō offers speed over total amount of guns and armour, this gives her more opportune reaction times in regards of angling her armour, and getting to desired locations faster than other battleships. Being in her last refit of 1944, she provides a large suite of 25 mm anti-air cannons to fend off medium-close range aerial targets.
General info
Survivability and armour
Kongo's armour truly reflects her legacy as a battlecruiser, even though she has been uparmoured 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 armour, 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 unarmoured. Her turrets have 254 mm of armour, 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 armour.
Within the ship, all four magazines are protected by a turtleback armour 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 armoured by an enormous concrete block.
Overall, her armour 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 armour 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
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) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 65 | 29 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 56 | 25 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
The 36 cm/45 Type 41, also seen on IJN Hyuga, is an exceptional 356 mm 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 armour, 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 armour. 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 |
| Common Type 0 | 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 | 11.66 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Common Type 0 | HE | 805 | 621 | 0 | 0.1 | 31 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Secondary armament
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 (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| Type 0 HE | HE | 850 | 45.26 | 0 | 0.1 | 3.17 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Type 4 SAP | SAP | 850 | 45.26 | 0.01 | 7 | 2.92 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
Anti-aircraft armament
The IJN Kongo's AA armament sets her apart from other battleships. It includes six 127 mm (5 inch/40 Type 89) twin cannons, as well as a total of 100 25 mm cannons. The 127 mm 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.
Scout plane
Located between the aft main turrets is a deck area and catapult for one Aichi E13A1 scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The E13A1 is equipped with a 7.7 mm Type 97 defensive machine gun and a formidable load of 4 x 60 kg bombs. It also has the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilize the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new! Carrying a heavier bomb load than most other scout planes, this unit has a very good chance to sink enemy boats or even a destroyer.
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 lacklustre armour, 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 armour is good enough to let her speed and firepower do the rest.
Specific enemies worth noting
- Heavy 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 armour 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 356 mm 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.
- Kronshtadt - This Soviet battlecruiser is another key rival, possessing a total of nine highly lethal 305 mm cannons in three triple turrets. This ship has a very effective armour layout that can significantly reduce damage when angled, especially at longer ranges, whilst the anti-frag armour and lack of deck clutter renders the vessel quite resistant to fragmentation damage from explosions. It's best to face these ships by focusing on the frontal turrets and taking them out before they can cripple or destroy you first. Ignoring fire coming from this ship is a great way to get blown up.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Exceptional 356 mm guns with the most potent SAP round in the game and comfortable gun arcs
- Relatively fast for her size
- Good AA protection, 25 mm AA guns don't cost crew count (the animated crew models don't affect the gameplay)
- Workable armour above waterline; turtleback around the magazines
- Access to floatplanes
Cons:
- Extremely weak underwater protection, vulnerable to large calibre diving shots from heavy cruiser or above
- Subject to flooding and capsizing in addition due to aforementioned weakness
- 25 mm guns don't have good range - may fire on a target too late, or not at all if at high altitude
- 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
- Skins
See also
External links
| 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 |
