Fuso-class Battleship


FusoYamashiro

(Model kits manufactured by Aoshima)

These two were pretty old and slow by the time WWII broke out. What do I find interesting about them? That's easy; just check out those superstructures! They are the epitome of maritime cool! I've just always loved the way those superstructures looked. They're so... tall. Where the Japanese naval architects got their battleship superstructure fetish, I dunno, but personally I am grooving on it. Geez, I wish our superstructures had been that tall...
The crowning achievement of these two probably was managing to get themselves sunk in Surigao Strait at the hands of a number of U.S. battleships who had been at Pearl Harbor, thus providing the U.S. Navy's surface forces with some measure of revenge for December 7th (if shooting fish in a barrel can be considered satisfying, that is).

Year CompletedFuso: 1915
Yamashiro: 1917
Displacement39,154 tons
Dimensions698'0" x 100'5" x 31'9"
Speed25 knots
Armament 12 x 14"/45
16 (later 14) x 6"/50
8 x 5"/40 DP
up to 37 x 25mm AA
Armor 12" belt
2" (later 3.8") deck
12" bulkhead
12" turret face
13.75" conning tower
Crewc. 1400

Additional Info
Fuso Tabular Record of Movement (TROM)
Yamashiro Tabular Record of Movement (TROM)

Links From Related Partner Sites
Fuso-class Battleship
  * Fuso
  * Yamashiro

See all photos of Fuso-class Battleship on WW2DB






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