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The Japanese Battleship Fusō: Japan’s Venerable Dreadnought

The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Fusō serves as a powerful symbol within World War II Pacific Theater history by representing both the majesty and outdated nature of early 20th-century naval power. The Imperial Japanese Navy launched Fusō in 1915 as the flagship of her class using her name from an ancient designation for Japan as a dreadnought battleship intended to demonstrate naval strength during the time when battleships dominated maritime power. The Battle of Surigao Strait in 1944 at the Battle of Leyte Gulf marked Fusō’s end when her outdated design relegated her to secondary roles during World War II as she served Japan’s naval forces. Fusō stood out because of her towering stature combined with thorough interwar improvements and her legacy as Japan’s final battleship to participate in conventional surface combat. The article investigates the technical aspects of Fusō while examining her service during wartime battles and the characteristics that set her apart as an iconic naval vessel until she met her end against Allied bombardment.

A Design Rooted in Dreadnought Supremacy

Early 20th-century Japanese ambitions to become a global naval power produced the Fusō-class battleships which included Fusō and her sister ship Yamashiro. The construction of Fusō began at Kure Naval Arsenal on March 11, 1912 and she launched as a vessel on March 28, 1914 before entering active service on November 8, 1915 with Captain Kōzō Satō in command. Under naval architect Yuzuru Hiraga’s design, the ship embodied the dreadnought revolution initiated by HMS Dreadnought in 1906 through its emphasis on heavy guns and steam turbine propulsion instead of mixed armaments. At 205.13 meters (673 feet) long with a beam of 30.6 meters (100 feet), Fusō had a standard displacement of 29,330 tons which increased to 39,154 tons following modernization work. Six twin turrets housed her twelve 14-inch (356 mm) /45 caliber guns with three positioned forward and three aft while sixteen 6-inch guns and four initial 3-inch anti-aircraft guns completed her armament. The vessel was powered by four-shaft Brown-Curtis turbines and 24 Miyahara boilers which generated 40,000 shaft horsepower to achieve a top speed of 23 knots before enhancements increased her speed to 24.7 knots. The ship had robust armor consisting of a 12-inch (305 mm) belt and 12-inch turret faces along with a 3-inch (76 mm) deck but these features were obsolete by 1940s standards. She could travel 8,000 nautical miles at 14 knots which made her well-suited for Pacific control while her towering pagoda mast became an iconic silhouette.

Modernizations for a New Era

Fusō remained relevant because of her comprehensive interwar upgrades despite being an older vessel. She received two major overhauls at Yokosuka and Kure between 1930 and 1935. During the initial refit from 1930 to 1933 she upgraded to six oil-fired Kampon boilers which elevated her power to 75,000 horsepower and speed to 24.7 knots while she received anti-torpedo bulges and 4-inch deck armor. The second refit period (1934–1935) improved fire control systems with Type 94 directors and installed eight 12.7 cm (5-inch) dual-purpose guns while anti-aircraft defenses expanded from 20 to 118 25 mm guns by 1944 yet remained inferior to U.S. aerial attacks. The rebuilt 40-meter pagoda mast accommodated sophisticated rangefinders which illustrated Japan’s dedication to precise artillery accuracy. Despite extensive modernization turning Fusō from a World War I dreadnought into a battleship with advanced features she still possessed outdated 14-inch guns and armor compared to modern ships like Yamato with 18-inch guns and 16-inch belts. The ship's 1,396 crew members served on a vessel from 1944 which combined historic and modern elements to become a floating fortress repurposed for World War II. Fusō served as a transitional ship between naval eras because necessity created her resilience which led to her exceptional longevity and adaptability.

Early War Years: A Supporting Giant

Fusō started her World War II service in a quiet manner because her age forced her into secondary positions while Japan's newer battleships and carriers took the main roles. She was stationed at Hashirajima with Battleship Division 2 consisting of Yamashiro, Ise, and Hyūga under Captain Mitsuo Kinoshita in 1941. While Japan launched its attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Fusō continued operations in Japanese waters by conducting training exercises and patrols. During early 1942 she participated in Pacific campaign support duties through convoy escort missions to the Bonin Islands and naval exercises within the Inland Sea. The vessel's initial operational deployment took place in May 1942 at the Aleutian Islands diversion during the Battle of Midway where she remained combat-free while U.S. forces decimated Japan's carriers. Between June and August 1942 she conducted patrols in the area from Japan to Truk while her 14-inch guns remained untested in battle. Her service on these missions confirmed her status as a backup vessel—too sluggish for fast carrier groups yet too important to deploy lightly. The massive battle fleet silhouette and heavy weaponry of Fusō elevated soldiers' spirits serving as a strategic psychological advantage during Japan's colonial expansion. The initial period of World War II showed Fusō's veteran dreadnought status as she remained ready for the time when she would unleash her firepower.

The Road to Leyte: Defensive Operations

With Japan losing ground in 1943, Fusō began operating defensively as the Imperial Navy withdrew from advancing Allied forces. While stationed at Kure and Singapore, she protected supply convoys heading to resource-rich areas such as the Dutch East Indies while avoiding American submarines that destroyed her sister ship Mutsu (not Yamashiro) from an internal explosion in June 1943. During February 1943 she transported troops to Truk while her 80 25 mm anti-aircraft guns successfully defended against intermittent air attacks. When the Battle of the Philippine Sea took place in June 1944 Fusō served as a reserve ship at Okinawa screening transports while Japan lost three carriers and 600 planes to the U.S. "Turkey Shoot." Fusō’s role as a reserve ship during key fleet actions kept her available for later operations but underscored her outdated design against carrier-led naval strategies. Captain Masami Ban took charge by mid-1944 and led his crew to train intensely for surface battles while they specialized their night-fighting techniques in preparation for an upcoming decisive battle. Fusō maintained operational status at thirty years old through her modernizations which allowed her to remain useful while newer Japanese ships were destroyed by air and submarine assaults.

The Battle of Leyte Gulf and the Surigao Strait Gauntlet engagement

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf from October 23–26, 1944, Fusō reached its defining moment which also marked its final combat engagement in history's largest naval battle. The force consisting of Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura’s battleship Yamashiro, heavy cruiser Mogami and destroyers Michishio, Asagumo, Yamagumo and Shigure departed Brunei on October 22 to attack U.S. forces landing at Leyte through the Surigao Strait. Operation Shō-Gō was Japan’s strategy to disturb Allied beachheads while using Nishimura’s force as bait to shift U.S. focus from Kurita’s Center Force. While Fusō had 1,000 14-inch shells that included Type 3 incendiary rounds for shore bombardment, intelligence about an impending trap redirected her mission towards engaging U.S. naval forces.

On October 24 U.S. aircraft discovered Nishimura’s force which led Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf to position Task Force 77 with six battleships, eight cruisers and 26 destroyers in an ambush position in Surigao Strait. At 2: U.S. PT boats began their attack at 2:30 AM on October 25 resulting in damage to Michishio. By 3: The U.S. destroyers named McGowan, Melvin, and Remey, along with other vessels, initiated torpedo attacks. At 3: At 3:09 AM Fusō sustained damage from one or two USS Melvin torpedoes that struck her starboard flank close to the No. 2 turret or boiler rooms. 2 turret or boiler rooms. The fires started and she reduced speed while breaking away from her assigned position. At 3: A catastrophic explosion at 3:20 AM, which may have involved her magazines, divided Fusō into two drifting halves. By 3: The ships sank at 10°22’N, 125°24’E at 45 AM claiming 1,368 of their 1,396 crewmen while 10 survivors were picked up by U.S. ships who later died while in captivity.

Oldendorf’s battleships executed a crossing-the-T maneuver to sink Yamashiro and Mogami while leaving Shigure as the sole survivor. The Surigao Strait battle resulted in a decisive American triumph marking the final historical battleship-versus-battleship confrontation. Despite her tragic end after her 14-inch guns fired for only a short time, Fusō played an essential role by diverting enemy fire towards herself and supporting Nishimura's diversion. Her value came from her last stand in which an outdated dreadnought faced modern warfare techniques in a typical surface battle.

What Made Fusō Special

Fusō stood out because of her extended lifespan combined with symbolic significance and outdated bravery. As Japan's pioneering dreadnought class battleship she featured twelve 14-inch guns which set a 1915 record and her six-turret design later inspired battleships like Nagato. The combination of new boilers along with stronger armor and a pagoda mast during her interwar updates prolonged Fusō's operational period allowing her to endure as one of the few remaining ships from before the Washington Naval Treaty. She served as a floating museum by 1944 but her massive 39,154-ton displacement and heavy weaponry still presented a formidable psychological force for Japan’s struggling navy. The crew's unwavering commitment ensured her continued service through convoy escorts and Surigao’s doomed battle as they upheld bushido values in the era of mechanized warfare. Fusō distinguished herself through her outdated status by fighting when advanced ships faltered, demonstrating her ultimate sacrifice as proof of commitment. The ship known as Fusō represented Japan’s naval rise and fall as she served beyond her intended purpose until meeting her end during combat which appropriately concluded her journey as a vessel named after her country.

Legacy of a Fallen Titan

The sinking of Fusō on November 25, 1944 removed her from naval records while Surigao Strait became the final battle involving battleships. When Yamashiro sank alongside her sister Fusō they became Japan's last two battleships until Yamato and Nagato were also destroyed in 1945. U.S. Iowa-class battleships proved superior to the Fusō-class design with their 16-inch guns and 33 knots speed but the durability of Fusō continued to impress people. The wreck of Fusō identified at 180 meters depth in 2019 stands as a silent memorial with its two halves serving as a grim testament to its explosive demise. Fusō represents Japan’s early naval ambitions when she was launched in 1915 but remains a symbol of resilience when she battled against superior forces until her defeat in 1944. As a timeless entity in maritime history Fusō remained an exceptional battleship until wartime destruction overtook her.

Final Thoughts: Fusō’s Last Stand

Fusō did not stand out as the most advanced or successful vessel of World War II yet her narrative continues to capture strong interest. From the era of dreadnoughts to the conclusion of the Pacific War Fusō embodied Japan’s naval aspirations as she discharged her final ineffective barrage at Surigao Strait. Despite her modern upgrades she remained outdated yet she battled with honor until her final fight demonstrated the battleship’s obsolescence. The battleship Fusō displayed extraordinary strength and selflessness while journeying from Japan to its demise at Leyte Gulf, serving as a monumental symbol that highlights the harsh progression of the Pacific War.