View source for Ise-class battleship

{{short description|Class of dreadnought battleship}}
{{good article}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Ise02cropped.jpg
|Ship caption=''Ise'' at speed, shortly after completion
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Ise'' class
|Builders=*[[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki]], [[Kobe]]
*[[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries|Mitsubishi]], [[Nagasaki]]
|Operators={{navy|Empire of Japan}}
|Class before={{sclass|Fusō|battleship|4}} 
|Class after={{sclass|Nagato|battleship|4}} 
|Cost=
|Built range=1915–1918
|In service range= 1917–1945  
|In commission range=  
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships scrapped=
|Total ships lost=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship type=[[Dreadnought battleship]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|31260|LT|t|0|lk=on}} (normal)
|Ship length={{convert|208.18|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship beam={{convert|28.65|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|8.93|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=*24 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|40000|-|45000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 × shafts; 2 × [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|9680|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,360
|Ship armament=*6 × twin [[Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun|{{cvt|35.6|cm|0}} guns]]
*20 × single [[14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{cvt|14|cm|1}} guns]]
*4 × single [[8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{cvt|7.62|cm|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
*6 × {{convert|53.3|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{convert|299|mm|in|abbr=on|1}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|85|mm|in|abbr=on|1}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{convert|254|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{convert|305|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|305|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{convert|199|-|224|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (after first reconstruction)
|Ship displacement={{convert|42001|LT|t}} (deep load)
|Ship length={{convert|216|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|31.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|9.45|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship power=*8 × water-tube boilers
*{{convert|80000|shp|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=4 × steam turbines
|Ship speed={{convert|25|kn}}
|Ship range={{convert|7870|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,376
|Ship armament=*6 × twin 35.6&nbsp;cm guns
*16 × single 14&nbsp;cm guns
*4 × twin [[12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun|{{cvt|12.7|cm|in|0}}]] [[DP gun]]s
*10 × twin [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{convert|25|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}]] AA guns 
|Ship armour=Decks: {{convert|51|-|152|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship aircraft=3 
|Ship aircraft facilities=1 [[aircraft catapult|catapult]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (as hybrid carriers, 1945)
|Ship displacement={{convert|42675|LT|t}} (deep load)
|Ship length={{convert|219.62|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|31.71|m|ft|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|9.03|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=1,463
|Ship range={{convert|9500|nmi|abbr=on}} at 16 knots
|Ship sensors=*1 × [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar 2|Type 21]] air-search [[radar]]
*2 × [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar 2|Type 13]] [[early warning radar]]s
*2 × [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar 2|Type 22]] surface-search radars
|Ship armament=*4 × twin 35.6&nbsp;cm guns
*8 × twin 12.7&nbsp;cm DP guns
*31 × triple, 11 × single 25&nbsp;mm AA guns
* 6 × 30-round AA rocket launchers
|Ship aircraft=22 
|Ship aircraft facilities=2 catapults
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The {{nihongo|'''''Ise''-class battleships'''|伊勢型戦艦|Ise-gata senkan}} were a pair of [[dreadnought battleship]]s built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) during [[World War I]]. Both ships carried supplies for the survivors of the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]] in 1923. They were modernized in 1934–1937 with improvements to their armour and machinery and a rebuilt [[superstructure]] in the [[pagoda mast]] style. Afterwards they played a minor role in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].

Despite the expensive reconstructions, both vessels were considered obsolete by the eve of the [[Pacific War]], and neither saw significant action in the early years of the war. Following the loss of most of the IJN's large [[aircraft carrier]]s during the [[Battle of Midway]] in mid-1942, they were rebuilt with a [[flight deck]] replacing the rear pair of [[gun turret]]s to give them the ability to operate an air group of [[floatplane]]s. A lack of aircraft and qualified pilots, however, meant that they never actually operated their aircraft in combat. While awaiting their air group, the [[sister ship]]s were occasionally used to ferry troops and material to Japanese bases. They participated in the [[Battle off Cape Engaño]] in late 1944, where they decoyed the American carrier fleet supporting the [[Battle of Leyte|invasion of Leyte]] away from the landing beaches. Afterwards both ships were transferred to [[Southeast Asia]]; in early 1945 they participated in [[Operation Kita]], where they transported [[petrol]] and other strategic materials to Japan. The sisters were then reduced to [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] until they were sunk during American airstrikes in July. After the war they were [[ship breaking|scrapped]] in 1946–1947.

==Background==
[[File:ONI-Ise-classDrawing.jpg|thumb|left|[[Office of Naval Intelligence]] recognition drawing]]
The design of the ''Ise''-class battleships was shaped both by the ongoing international naval arms race and a desire among Japanese naval planners to maintain a fleet of capital ships powerful enough to defeat the [[United States Navy]] in an encounter in Japanese territorial waters.<ref name=stille4>Stille, p. 4</ref> The IJN's fleet of battleships had proven highly successful in 1905, the last year of the [[Russo-Japanese War]], which culminated in the destruction of the Russian Second and Third Pacific Squadrons at the [[Battle of Tsushima]].<ref>Evans & Peattie, p. 124</ref>

In the aftermath, the Japanese Empire immediately turned its focus to the two remaining rivals for imperial dominance in the Pacific Ocean: Britain and the United States.<ref name="stille4"/> [[Satō Tetsutarō]], a Japanese Navy admiral and military theorist, speculated that conflict would inevitably arise between Japan and at least one of its two main rivals. To that end, he called for the Japanese Navy to maintain a fleet with at least 70% as many capital ships as the US Navy.<ref name=kaigun143>Evans & Peattie, p. 143</ref> This ratio, Satō theorized, would enable the Imperial Japanese Navy to defeat the US Navy in one major battle in Japanese waters in any eventual conflict.<ref name=kaigun143/> Accordingly, the 1907 Imperial Defence Policy called for the construction of a battle fleet of eight modern battleships, {{convert|20000|LT|t|0}} each, and eight modern [[armoured cruiser]]s, {{convert|18000|LT|t|0}} each.<ref name=kaigun150>Evans & Peattie, p. 150</ref> This was the genesis of the [[Eight-Eight Fleet Program]], the development of a cohesive battle line of sixteen capital ships.<ref name=stille7>Stille, p. 7</ref>

The launch of {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} in 1906 by the Royal Navy raised the stakes,<ref>Evans & Peattie, p. 152</ref> and complicated Japan's plans. Displacing {{convert|17900|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} and armed with ten {{convert|12|in|cm|adj=on|1}} guns, ''Dreadnought'' rendered all existing battleships obsolete by comparison.<ref>Sandler, p. 90</ref> The launch of the [[battlecruiser]] {{HMS|Invincible|1907|6}} the following year was a further setback for Japan's quest for parity.<ref>Evans & Peattie, p. 154</ref> When the two new {{sclass|Satsuma|battleship|2}}s and two {{sclass|Tsukuba|cruiser|0}} armoured cruisers, launched by 1911, were outclassed by their British counterparts, the Eight-Eight Fleet Program was restarted.<ref>Evans & Peattie, p. 159</ref>

The first battleships built for the renewed Eight-Eight Fleet Program were the two dreadnoughts of the {{sclass|Kawachi|battleship|4}}, ordered in 1907 and laid down in 1908. In 1910, the Navy put forward a request to the [[National Diet|Diet]] (parliament) to secure funding for the entirety of the program at once. Because of economic constraints, only four battlecruisers and a single battleship of the ''Fusō'' class were ultimately approved by the Diet. Three more ''Fusō''-class ships ({{ship|Japanese battleship|Yamashiro||2}}, {{ship|Japanese battleship|Ise||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese battleship|Hyūga||2}}) were approved<ref>Evans & Peattie, pp. 159, 166</ref> and all three were ordered in April 1913. While ''Yamashiro'' was laid down later that year, the IJN lacked the funding to proceed with the construction of ''Ise'' and ''Hyūga'' until the Diet authorized additional funding for the ships in July 1914.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 13, 19</ref>

==Design and description==
[[File:Ise03cropped.jpg|thumb|left|''Ise'' underway during the 1920s]]
The progress of ''Fusō''{{'}}s construction, while the IJN waited for the funding to be released and foreign developments, caused the IJN to reassess the ''Fusō''-class design. The distribution of the midships gun turrets was the most obvious flaw as they complicated the protection of the midships [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]] and exposed more of the ship to the blast effects of the guns when they fired. Another issue was that Japanese sailors had problems maintaining a high rate of fire with the {{convert|45.36|kg|adj=on|0}} shells used in the manually loaded {{convert|152|mm|adj=on|0}} secondary guns used in the ''Fusō'' class and earlier designs. To resolve this issue, the IJN designed a smaller {{convert|140|mm|adj=on|1}} gun that offset its lighter shell weight with a higher rate of fire. It also decided that the barbette armour of the earlier ships was too thin and wanted a modest increase in speed to partially counter the higher speeds of the latest foreign ships like the British {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|2}}s and Russian {{sclass|Borodino|battlecruiser|2}}s. For financial reasons more powerful engines could not be ordered so the new design was lengthened slightly and the boiler rooms enlarged to increase speed by {{convert|0.5|kn|lk=in}} to {{convert|23|kn}}. To save weight the forecastle deck was shortened so that the lower midships gun turret was lower than in the ''Fusō'' class. This reduced the crew's accommodations despite a significant increase in the crew's numbers and naval historian [[Fukui Shizuo]] believed that these ships had the worst habitability of any Japanese [[capital ship]]. The final design was designated A-92 by the IJN.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 16–17, 19–20, 33–34</ref>

The ships had a length of {{convert|208.18|m|ft|0}} [[length overall|overall]], a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|28.65|m|ft|0}} and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|8.93|m|ftin}} at [[deep load]].<ref name=l79>Lengerer March 2007, p. 9</ref> They [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|31260|LT|t|0|lk=on}} at normal load and {{convert|36500|LT|t|0}} at deep load, roughly {{convert|650|LT|t|0}} more than the preceding class. Their crew consisted of 1,360 officers and enlisted men.<ref>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, pp. 25–26</ref> They had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|1.74|m|ftin}} at deep load.<ref>Lengerer 2011, p. 40</ref>

During the ships' modernization during the 1930s, their forward superstructures were enlarged with multiple platforms added to their tripod [[foremast]]s. Both ships were also given [[torpedo bulge]]s to improve their underwater protection and to compensate for the weight of the additional armour. In addition, their sterns were lengthened by {{convert|7.62|m|ft|0}}. These changes increased their overall length to {{convert|213.8|m|ft|0}}, their beam to {{convert|31.75|m|ftin}} and their draft to {{convert|9.45|m|ft|0}}.<ref>Chesneau, p. 171</ref> Their displacement increased over {{convert|5000|LT|t}} to {{convert|42675|t|LT|order=flip}} at deep load.<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 51</ref> The crew now numbered 1,376 officers and enlisted men.<ref name=j6/>

===Propulsion===
The ''Ise''-class ships had two sets of direct-drive [[steam turbine]]s, each of which drove two propeller shafts with {{convert|3.43|m|ftin|0|adj=on}} propellers. The high-pressure turbines drove the wing shafts while the low-pressure turbines drove the inner shafts. The turbines were designed to produce a total of {{convert|40000|or|45000|shp|lk=on}} (''Hyūga'' and ''Ise'' respectively), using steam provided by 24 [[Kampon]] Ro Gō [[water-tube boiler]]s at working pressures of {{convert|13|-|16.9|kg/cm2|kPa psi|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}. Both ships comfortably exceeded their designed speed of {{convert|23|knots}} during their [[sea trial]]s; ''Ise'' reached {{convert|23.6|kn}} from {{convert|56498|shp|abbr=on}} and ''Hyūga'' exceeded that with {{convert|24|kn}} from {{convert|63211|shp|abbr=on}}.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 21–22</ref> Each of the boilers consumed a mixture of coal and oil and the ships had a stowage capacity of {{convert|4607|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} of coal and {{convert|1411|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} of [[fuel oil]], which gave them a range of {{convert|9680|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|14|kn}}.<ref name=j6>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 26</ref> ''Ise'' and ''Hyūga'' had three [[Engine-generator|generators]] of {{convert|150|kW}} capacity and two {{convert|250|kW|adj=on}} [[turbo generator]]s at 225 volts.<ref>Lengerer March 2007, p. 8</ref>

During their 1930s modernization, the boilers on each ship were replaced by eight new Kampon oil-fired boilers, fitted into the former aft [[Fire room|boiler room]], and the forward [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] was removed.<ref name=j6/> The turbines were replaced by four geared Kampon turbines with a designed output of {{convert|80000|shp|abbr=on}} intended to increase their speed to {{convert|24.5|kn}}. On her trials, ''Ise'' reached a top speed of {{convert|25.26|kn}} from {{convert|81050|shp|abbr=on}}.<ref name=l79/> The fuel storage of the ships was increased to a total of {{convert|5113|LT|t}} of fuel oil that gave them a range of {{convert|7870|nmi}} at a speed of {{convert|16|kn}}.<ref name=j6/>

===Armament===
The twelve 45-[[caliber (artillery)|calibre]] [[Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun|{{convert|35.6|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} Type 41]] guns of the ''Ise'' class were mounted in three pairs of twin-gun, [[superfire|superfiring]] turrets. Numbered one through six from front to rear, each turret weighed {{convert|655|LT|t}}. The hydraulically powered turrets had an elevation capability of −5/+20 degrees. The guns had a rate of fire of 1.5–2 rounds per minute and could be loaded at any angle between −3 and +20 degrees. In 1921 the elevation was increased to +30 degrees and then to +43 degrees during their mid-1930s modernization,<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 24–26, 30</ref> except for No. 6 turret as its supporting structure could not be lowered. The recoil mechanism of the guns was also changed from a hydraulic to a pneumatic system, which allowed for a faster firing cycle of the main guns.<ref>Lengerer March 2007, pp. 15–17</ref>

By World War II, the guns used Type 91 [[Armour-piercing capped#Armor-piercing|armour-piercing, capped shells]]. Each of these shells weighed {{convert|673.5|kg|lb}} and was fired at a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|770|-|775|m/s|ft/s}}. They had a maximum range of {{convert|25000|m|yd}} at +20 degrees of elevation and {{convert|35450|m|yd|sp=us}} at +43 degrees after modernization. Also available was a {{convert|625|kg|lb|adj=on}} [[Shell (projectile)#High-explosive shells|high-explosive shell]] that had a muzzle velocity of {{convert|805|m/s|ft/s}}. A special Type 3 ''[[San Shiki (anti-aircraft shell)|Sanshikidan]]'' incendiary [[shrapnel shell]] was developed in the 1930s for anti-aircraft use.<ref>Campbell, pp. 175, 183</ref>

The ships' [[secondary armament]] consisted of twenty 50-calibre [[14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{convert|14|cm|adj=on|1}} Type 3 guns]]. Eighteen of these were mounted in [[casemate]]s in the [[forecastle]] and superstructure and the remaining pair were mounted on the deck above them and protected by [[gun shield]]s. They had a maximum elevation of +20 degrees which gave them a range of {{convert|16300|m|yd}}.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 33–34</ref> Each gun had a rate of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, p. 190</ref> [[Anti-aircraft defence]] was provided by four 40-calibre [[8&nbsp;cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|3rd Year Type 8-centimetre]]{{#tag:ref|These guns were license-built British [[quick-firing gun|quick-firing (QF)]] [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|QF 12-pounder guns]]. While the Japanese designated them as 8&nbsp;cm, their actual calibre was 76.2&nbsp;mm.<ref name=c8/>|group=Note}} [[AA gun]]s in single mounts. The {{convert|7.62|cm|adj=on|0}} high-angle guns had a maximum elevation of +75 degrees, and had a rate of fire of 13 to 20 rounds per minute. They fired a {{convert|6|kg|lb|abbr=on}} projectile with a muzzle velocity of {{convert|680|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} to a maximum height of {{convert|7500|m|ft}}.<ref name=c8>Campbell, p. 198</ref> The ships were also fitted with six submerged {{convert|53.3|cm|in|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s, three on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]].<ref>Gardiner & Gray, p. 230</ref> They carried twelve to eighteen [[6th Year Type torpedo]]es<ref>Lengerer 2011, p. 35</ref> which had a {{convert|200|kg|adj=on}} [[warhead]]. They had three settings for range and speed: {{convert|15000|m|yd}} at {{convert|26|kn}}, {{convert|10000|m|yd}} at {{convert|32|kn}}, or {{convert|7000|m|yd}} at {{convert|37|kn}}.<ref>Campbell, p. 204</ref>

[[File:Nagato-class battleship.jpg|thumb|right|A twin-gun 127 mm mount on board the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Nagato||2}}. The mounts used on board the ''Ise'' class were the same model.]]
In 1931–1933 the AA guns were replaced with eight 40-calibre [[12.7 cm/40 Type 89 naval gun|{{convert|12.7|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} Type 89]] [[dual-purpose gun]]s, fitted on both sides of the forward superstructures in four twin-gun mounts.<ref name=l7>Lengerer March 2007, p. 12</ref> When firing at surface targets, the guns had a range of {{convert|14700|m|yd}}; they had a [[ceiling (aircraft)|ceiling]] of {{convert|9440|m|ft}} at their maximum elevation of +90 degrees. Their maximum rate of fire was 14 rounds a minute, but their sustained rate of fire was around eight rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, pp. 192–93</ref> Two twin-gun mounts for license-built [[Vickers]] [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|two-pounder ({{convert|4|cm|adj=on|1}})]] light AA guns were also added.<ref name=both>Hackett, Kingsepp & Ahlberg, ''Ise'' and Hackett & Kingsepp, ''Hyūga''</ref> These guns had a maximum elevation of +80 degrees and a rate of fire of 200 rounds per minute.<ref>Campbell, p. 74</ref> The pair of 14&nbsp;cm guns on the upper deck were removed at this time.<ref name=both/>

During the mid-1930s reconstruction, the torpedo tubes were removed and the Vickers two-pounders were replaced by twenty license-built [[25 mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun|Hotchkiss]] [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{convert|2.5|cm|adj=on|0}} Type 96]] light AA guns in 10 twin-gun mounts.<ref name=both/> This was the standard Japanese light AA gun during World War II, but it suffered from severe design shortcomings that rendered it a largely ineffective weapon. According to historian Mark Stille, the twin and triple mounts "lacked sufficient speed in train or elevation; the gun sights were unable to handle fast targets; the gun exhibited excessive vibration; the magazine was too small, and, finally, the gun produced excessive muzzle blast".<ref name=stille11>Stille, p. 11</ref> These guns had an effective range of {{convert|1500|-|3000|m|yd}}, and an effective ceiling of {{convert|5500|m|ft}} at an elevation of 85 degrees. The maximum effective rate of fire was only between 110 and 120 rounds per minute because of the frequent need to change the fifteen-round magazines.<ref>Campbell, p. 200</ref> In addition the forward pair of 14&nbsp;cm guns in the forecastle were removed at this time and the maximum elevation of the remaining guns was increased to +30 degrees.<ref name=both/>

===Protection===
The ''Ise''-class ships' [[waterline]] [[belt armor|protective belt]] had a maximum thickness of {{convert|299|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} of [[Vickers cemented armour]] amidships; below it was a [[strake]] of {{convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} armour. The upper armoured [[deck (ship)|deck]] consisted of two layers of high-tensile steel {{convert|55|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick and the lower armoured deck also consisted of two layers of high-tensile steel, but only {{convert|30|mm|in|abbr=on|1}} thick. The sides of this deck sloped downwards to meet the bottom of the lower strake of the belt armour. The ends of the belt armour were closed off by [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]]s that ranged in thickness from {{convert|203|to|102|mm|in|abbr=on|0}}.<ref name=l306>Lengerer 2006, pp. 28–30; Lengerer 2011, p. 36</ref> The turrets were protected with an armour thickness of {{convert|254|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} on the face and 76&nbsp;mm on the roof.<ref>Lengerer March 2007, p. 16</ref> The casemate armour was {{convert|149|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} thick and that of the [[barbette]]s was 299&nbsp;mm thick rather than the originally planned 305&nbsp;mm. The sides of the [[conning tower]] were 305&nbsp;mm thick.<ref>Lengerer 2006, pp. 28–30</ref>{{#tag:ref|Sources contradict each other regarding the armour scheme of these ships. Lengerer, the most recent researcher using Japanese sources, has been followed rather than older sources.|group=Note}}

The ''Ise'' class were the only Japanese battleships to place the powder magazine above the shell magazine as the IJN wished to put as much space as possible between the highly flammable [[propellant]] and [[naval mine|mine]] and torpedo detonations. The danger from plunging shells at long distances was not appreciated until the fatal magazine explosions of three British battlecruisers during the 1916 [[Battle of Jutland]] graphically demonstrated the point. To further protect the magazines the depth of the [[double bottom]] was increased to a total of {{convert|3.58|m|ftin}} underneath the barbettes and magazines. Additionally, the vessels contained 660 watertight compartments to preserve buoyancy in the event of battle damage.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 36, 38</ref> In addition to the torpedo bulge added when the ships were modernized, the deck armour over the machinery and magazines was increased to a total thickness of 140&nbsp;mm. Inside the original skin of the ships, two [[torpedo bulkhead]]s were also added<ref>Whitley, pp. 194–95</ref> and the turret roofs were increased to a total of {{convert|152|mm|0}} of armour.<ref>Lengerer March 2007, p. 17</ref>

===Fire control and sensors===
While the details of the ships' fire-control instruments are not fully available, it is known that the ships were fitted with a [[fire-control director]] after completion. No computer was fitted at that time and data from the rangefinders had to be processed manually. Turrets 2, 3, and 5 were built with imported {{convert|6|m|ftin|adj=on}} [[Bausch & Lomb]] [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]s. These were felt to be inferior to the British [[Barr & Stroud]] instruments used on other ships and were removed in 1920. They were replaced by either the British rangefinders or domestically built instruments of {{convert|6|or|8|m|ftin}} length. In the late 1920s the fire-control systems were upgraded and additional platforms were added to the foremast to accommodate them. A pair of directors for the 12.7&nbsp;cm AA guns were added, one on each side of the forward superstructure, in the early 1930s. The fire-control systems were again upgraded in the mid-1930s and directors were added for the 25&nbsp;mm AA guns.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 28, 30–31, 41</ref> Both ships had {{convert|10|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinders installed at the top of the pagoda mast at that time. [[List of Japanese World War II radars#Shipborne radar 2|Type 21]] air-search [[radar]]s were installed aboard the sisters in mid-1942.<ref name=both/>

===Aircraft===
''Ise'' was briefly fitted with an aircraft [[flight deck|flying-off platform]] for a [[Mitsubishi 1MF]]3 fighter on Turret No. 2 in 1927. It was replaced by a platform on Turret No. 5 for a [[Yokosuka E1Y]] [[reconnaissance aircraft|reconnaissance]] [[floatplane]] in 1928–1929.<ref name=Ise>Hackett, Kingsepp & Ahlberg</ref> A [[aircraft catapult|catapult]] and a collapsible {{convert|4|t|LT|adj=on}} [[crane (machine)|crane]] were fitted on the stern during the mid-1930s modernization, and the ships were equipped to operate three floatplanes, although no [[hangar]] was provided. The initial [[Nakajima E4N|Nakajima E4N2]] biplanes were replaced by [[Nakajima E8N|Nakajima E8N2]] biplanes in 1938.<ref name=both/>

==Conversion to hybrid carriers==
[[File:Ise class battleship drawing.png|thumb|An American late-war drawing of the ''Ise'' class, showing variations in the reported configuration of the catapults]]

The [[Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse|sinking of the British capital ships ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse'']] by Japanese land-based aircraft on 10 December 1941 led the IJN to realize that battleships could not operate in the face of enemy aircraft and required friendly air support to protect them. The loss of four Japanese aircraft carriers during the Battle of Midway in June 1942 severely limited the ability of the IJN to provide any air cover and alternatives were sought. Earlier proposals to convert one or more battleships into carriers had been made and rejected at the beginning of the war, but they were revived after Midway. Plans for more elaborate conversions were rejected on the grounds of expense and - more critically - time, and the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets and replacing them with a flight deck equipped with two catapults to launch floatplanes. The ''Ise''-class ships were selected for the conversion because ''Hyūga'' had suffered an explosion in Turret No. 5 in early May that virtually destroyed the turret and Turret No. 6 could not elevate to the full +43 degrees deemed necessary for the long-range engagement anticipated by the IJN. The ''Fusō''s were scheduled to follow once the first two were completed.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 39–40</ref>

===Armament changes===
The rear turrets, the barbettes and their supporting structures were removed beginning in early 1943 and the openings in the middle deck were covered by 152&nbsp;mm plates salvaged from the turret armour. All of the 14&nbsp;cm guns were removed and the casemate openings sealed off. Four additional twin 12.7&nbsp;cm mounts were added, one pair abreast the funnel and the other abreast the conning tower. The original ten twin 25&nbsp;mm gun mounts were replaced by triple mounts and nine new triple mounts were added, a total of 57 guns. Two each Type 94 and Type 95 AA directors were added to control the additional guns. The ammunition for these new guns was stored in the magazines originally used for the 14&nbsp;cm guns and for Turret No. 5.<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 43</ref> During 1944, the ships' AA defences were reinforced with an additional dozen triple and eleven single 25&nbsp;mm gun mounts, for a total of 104 barrels, and a pair of [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar 2|Type 13]] [[early warning radar]]s were added. In September six 30-round AA rocket launchers were added on the sides of the flight deck.<ref name=both/>

===Flight deck arrangements===
A {{convert|70|m|ftin|adj=mid|-long}} flight deck was built above the stern and stretched forward to the rebuilt aft superstructure. The flight deck was {{convert|29|m|ftin}} wide at its forward end and {{convert|13|m|ftin}} at the stern. It overhung the stern and increased the overall length of the ships to {{convert|219.62|m|ftin}}. A pair of rotating gunpowder-propelled catapults were fitted on the sides of the hull, forward of the aft superstructure where they partially restricted the arc of fire of the two amidships turrets. They could launch aircraft up to {{convert|4600|kg}} in weight and required 30 seconds to launch each aircraft. The flight deck had eight permanent storage positions connected by rails to the catapults and the hydraulically operated [[Elevator#Aircraft elevators|aircraft lift]] that brought the aircraft up from the hangar below on the trolleys used to move the floatplanes about. Two aircraft were intended to be stowed on the catapults and three more in temporary positions on the flight deck for a total of thirteen.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 43–44, 50</ref>

The {{convert|40|m|ftin|adj=mid|-long}} hangar was {{convert|20|m|ftin}} wide forward and {{convert|11|m|ftin}} at the rear. It was {{convert|6|m|ftin}} high and designed to stow nine aircraft. It was fitted with [[fire fighting foam]] and [[carbon dioxide]] dispensers as a result of wartime experience. The T-shaped lift was {{convert|12.1|m|ftin}} wide at its forward end and {{convert|6.6|m|ftin}} wide at its aft end. It was also 12.1 metres long and had a capacity of {{convert|6|t|LT}}. [[Petrol]] storage tanks with a capacity of {{convert|76|t|LT}} were installed in the former magazine of Turret No. 6 to provide each aircraft with enough fuel for three [[sortie]]s. To recover the aircraft the collapsible crane formerly on the stern was moved up to the port side of the flight deck. Another crane was intended on the starboard side, but it was never fitted.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 45–49</ref>

The ships had an air group of 11 each of [[Yokosuka D4Y]] [[dive bomber]]s ([[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Judy") and [[Aichi E16A]] reconnaissance aircraft (Allied reporting name "Paul"). Both aircraft had development problems and neither air group ever had all of its intended aircraft. Coupled with a shortage of trained pilots, neither ship ever used its aircraft during combat.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 51–53</ref>

===Other changes===
[[File:Battleship-carrier Ise.jpg|thumb|left|''Hyūga'' running her sea trials on 23 August 1943]]
After the loss of the [[fast battleship]] {{ship|Japanese battleship|Hiei||2}} at the [[Naval Battle of Guadalcanal]] in late 1942 to rudder damage, the IJN decided to reinforce the protection of the steering compartment and to create an auxiliary steering compartment. The protection of the former was strengthened by the addition of a [[concrete]] wall at least {{convert|1|m|ftin}} in thickness and some of the armour removed from the turrets was used to protect the latter. The double bottom below the former positions of aft turrets was converted to hold fuel oil; this increased the ships' endurance to {{convert|9500|nmi}} at a speed of 16 knots.<ref name=l51/> A pair of [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar 2|Type 22]] surface-search radars were also fitted during the conversion.<ref name=both/>

The removal of the secondary armament, the rear turrets and their supporting structures was generally compensated by the addition of the flight deck, hangar, AA guns and more fuel, and the metacentric height increased {{convert|0.23|m|ftin}} to {{convert|2.81|m|ftin}} at full load as a result of the reduction in the displacement by over {{convert|2000|t|LT}} to {{convert|40444|t|LT}}. This also reduced the draught to {{convert|9.03|m|ftin}}. The overhang of the flight deck at the stern increased the overall length to {{convert|219.62|m|ftin}} and the beam was slightly reduced to {{convert|31.71|m|ftin}}.<ref name=l51>Lengerer 2009, pp. 43, 49–51</ref>

==Ships==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
!scope="col"|Ship
!scope="col"|Kanji
!scope="col"|Builder <ref name=s7>Whitley, p. 193</ref>
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]<ref name=s7/>
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]<ref name=s7/>
!scope="col"|Completed <ref name=s7/>
!scope="col"|Fate
|-
!scope="row"|{{ship|Japanese battleship|Ise||2}}
|{{lang|ja|伊勢}}
|[[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation|Kawasaki]], [[Kobe]]
|10 May 1915
|2 November 1916
|15 December 1917
| [[ship breaking|Scrapped]] in place, 9 October 1946 – 4 July 1947<ref name=Ise/>
|-
!scope="row"|{{ship|Japanese battleship|Hyūga||2}}
|{{lang|ja|日向}}
|[[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries|Mitsubishi]], [[Nagasaki]]
|6 May 1915
|27 January 1917
|30 April 1918
| Scrapped, 2 July 1946 – 4 July 1947<ref name="Hyūga">Hackett & Kingsepp</ref>
|}

==Service==
Upon commissioning, the [[sister ship]]s were assigned to the 1st Battleship Division of the [[1st Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Fleet]]. ''Hyūga'' had an explosion in one of her main gun turrets that killed 11 men and injured 25 in 1919; the following year she accidentally collided with and sank a [[schooner]], losing two crewmen. Before the start of the Pacific War, both ships frequently exercised off the coasts of the Soviet Union, Korea and China in addition to training in Japanese waters. ''Ise'' hosted [[Edward VIII|Edward]], [[Prince of Wales]], and his [[aide-de-camp]] Lieutenant [[Louis Mountbatten]] in 1922 during the prince's visit to Japan. In [[Korea Bay]] when the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake struck, they sailed to [[Kyushu]] where they loaded supplies for the victims on 4 September. Together with two other battleships and a pair of [[light cruiser]]s, ''Ise'' sank the [[destroyer]] {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yayoi|1905|2}} in 1926 during gunnery practice. ''Ise''{{'}}s AA armament was upgraded in 1931 and ''Hyūga''{{'}}s two years later. The latter ship was modernized in 1934–36 and ''Ise'' in 1935–37, both at [[Kure Naval Arsenal]]. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the sisters frequently patrolled the Chinese coast in support of the blockade imposed by Japan. In August 1937 ''Hyūga'' ferried two [[battalion]]s of [[Special Naval Landing Force]]s to [[Lüshunkou District|Port Arthur]]. Three years later, she served as the [[flagship]]  for the Emperor of the puppet state of [[Manchukuo]], [[Henry Pu-yi]], during his state visit to Japan in June 1940. On 15 November the ships were transferred to the 2nd Battleship Division of the 1st Fleet. The sisters were refitted in late 1940 in preparation for war, which included the fitting of external [[degaussing]] coils and additional AA directors.<ref name=both/>

===World War II===
[[File:Ise05cropped.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' underway after her modernization]]
When Japan began the Pacific War on 8 December,<ref group=Note>[[Japan Standard Time]] is 19 hours ahead of [[Hawaiian Standard Time]], so in Japan, the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] happened on 8 December.</ref> the sisters sortied for the [[Bonin Islands]] with four other battleships and the [[light carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hōshō||2}} as distant cover for the fleet attacking [[Pearl Harbor]], and returned six days later.<ref name=both/> On 11 March 1942 ''Ise'' and ''Hyūga'' sortied from their anchorage at [[Hashirajima]] to join the unsuccessful search for the American carrier force that had attacked [[Marcus Island]] a week earlier. Similarly they pursued but did not catch the American carriers that had launched the [[Doolittle Raid]] on 18 April.<ref>Whitley, pp. 197, 199</ref>

During gunnery training on 5 May, there was a premature detonation in the left gun of ''Hyūga''{{'}}s Turret No. 5 that disabled both guns and killed 51 crewmen. Both aft magazines were flooded to douse the resulting fire and save the ship. She received temporary repairs during which the turret was removed and replaced by a circular armour plate on which three triple 25&nbsp;mm gun mounts were positioned. On 11 May a valve in ''Ise''{{'}}s No. 2 engine room stuck in the open position and flooded the engine room. While under repair at Kure, both ships received prototype Type 21 radars.<ref name=both/> Commanded by Vice-Admiral [[Shirō Takasu]], the 2nd Battleship Division set sail with the Aleutian Support Group on 28 May, at the same time that most of the Imperial Fleet began an attack on [[Midway Island]] ([[Operation MI]]).<ref>Rohwer, pp. 168–69</ref><ref>Parshall & Tully, pp. 46, 454</ref>

They returned home on 14 June and the IJN began preliminary planning to replace the lost carriers with hybrid carriers converted from battleships. The sisters were selected for conversion and detached from the division on 14 July in preparation. They remained on "standby alert" until the actual conversions began.<ref name=both/> ''Ise'' was converted at Kure Naval Arsenal from 23 February to 5 September 1943 and ''Hyūga'' at [[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]] from 2 May to 30 November.<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 42</ref>

After completing her sea trials, ''Ise'' was attached to the [[Imperial Japanese Naval Academy]] at [[Etajima]] and ferried troops and munitions to the naval base at [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] in October. In November the ship began [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#W|working up]], joined by the newly completed ''Hyūga'' the following month, and both rejoined the 2nd Battleship Division. On 1 May 1944, the sisters were transferred to [[Rear Admiral]] [[Matsuda Chiaki]]'s reformed [[Fourth Carrier Division]] of the [[3rd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|3rd Fleet]].<ref name=both/> The division's [[634th Naval Air Group]] was formed that same day and conducted its first catapult launches in late June.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 51–52</ref>

====Battle off Cape Engaño====
[[File:Battleship Ise underway at Letyte Gulf 1944.jpeg|thumb|left|''Ise'' photographed by American aircraft during the Battle off Cape Engaño]]
In October 1944, the two ships were involved in the [[Battle off Cape Engaño]]. Shortages of aircraft and serviceability problems greatly retarded pilot training and the ships only had a total of 17 D4Ys and 18 E16As on hand on 1 October; of these, only 6 and 16 were operational, respectively.<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 52</ref> The Japanese plan for the defence of the Philippines envisioned that the surviving carriers would be used to lure the American carrier forces away from the invasion area to a position where the carriers could be attacked by land-based aircraft, while the transports would be attacked by the rest of the IJN.<ref>Polmar & Genda, p. 415</ref> The other carrier air groups were not in much better shape and the Japanese decided to retain the aircraft ashore for use against the American carriers. The Fourth Carrier Division, including the sisters, fleet carrier {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuikaku||2}} and the light carriers {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuihō||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Chitose||2}}, and {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Chiyoda||2}}, was assigned to the Northern Force under the command of [[Vice Admiral]] [[Jisaburō Ozawa]]. The ''Ise''-class sisters sailed from [[Yashima, Kagawa|Yashima]] on 20 October. Ozawa's carrier group was a decoy force, divested of all but 108 aircraft, intended to lure the American fleet away from protecting the transports at the landing beaches. On the morning of 24 October, the group  was facing a United States Navy force that included ten carriers containing 600–1,000 aircraft.{{sfn|Morison|1958|pp=191, 193}} Ozawa launched the bulk of his few aircraft to attack the American carriers as a distraction. They inflicted no damage and caused the Americans to search in the direction from which they had attacked. The Americans finally spotted the Japanese carriers at 16:40, some {{convert|200|mi}} east of [[Cape Engaño (Luzon)|Cape Engaño]], the northeastern tip of [[Luzon]]. The American carriers were spread out and it was very late in the day to launch an [[airstrike]], so Admiral [[William Halsey]], commander of the [[United States Third Fleet|Third Fleet]] decided to mass his carriers in a position to attack the following morning. Ozawa reversed course during the night, correctly believing that the Americans would follow him north.<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 427–428</ref>

Although they had lost contact during the night, the Americans did find the Japanese carriers at 07:35. They had already launched an airstrike of 180 aircraft that was orbiting {{convert|50|mi}} ahead of the American carriers while waiting for the Japanese ships to be located.<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 428–429</ref> This was just the first of a total of five airstrikes that the Americans launched that day. The sisters were not heavily engaged by the early airstrikes, which instead focused on Ozawa's fleet and light carriers, sinking carriers ''Zuikaku'', ''Chitose'' and ''Zuihō'', and the destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Akizuki|1941|2}}, while the carrier ''Chiyoda'' and the cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Tama||2}} were crippled. ''Ise'' claimed to have shot down five attacking dive bombers from the second wave and one small bomb detonated on Turret No. 2. ''Hyūga'' was lightly damaged by near misses that ruptured some hull plating in her bulge and peppered her superstructure with splinters. She took on a 5-degree [[list (watercraft)|list]] that was quickly corrected before she was ordered to tow ''Chiyoda'' to safety. Her attempt was unsuccessful and ''Chiyoda'' had to be abandoned,<ref name=both/> eventually sunk by additional USN cruiser shellfire and destroyer-launched torpedoes.<ref>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 57</ref>

''Ise'' was attacked by 80-odd aircraft from the fourth wave, but they failed to inflict any serious damage. She dodged 11 torpedoes and was only hit by a bomb once, on the bulge outboard of the port catapult. Some 34 other bombs near missed her, spraying her with splinters and ruptured some hull plates that contaminated some fuel oil and caused leaks in her port boiler rooms. While an exact total of her casualties is not available, it has been estimated that 5 men were killed and some 111–121 crewmen were wounded during this attack.<ref name=Ise/> ''Hyūga'' was unsuccessfully attacked by an American submarine at 18:43. Around 19:00 Ozawa learned about a force of destroyers and cruisers that drove off the Japanese destroyers rescuing survivors from some of the carriers lost earlier in the day and sank ''Chiyoda''. He ordered the Fourth Carrier Division to reverse course and engage the Americans, but the battleships were unable to find them, and Ozawa ordered them to reverse course and head for [[Amami Ōshima]]. When they arrived on 27 October, Ozawa transferred to ''Hyūga'' and hoisted his flag aboard her. While en route for Kure, the division was unsuccessfully attacked by another submarine.<ref name=both/>

===Late war===
[[File:Japanese battleship Ise burning at Kure 28 July 1945.jpeg|thumb|''Ise'' on fire during the attack on 28 July]]

In early November the catapults were removed from both ships, and they loaded troops and munitions later that month. While en route they were diverted to the Spratly Islands upon reports of heavy air raids at [[Manila]]. After off-loading their cargo, they sailed for [[Lingga Island]], near Singapore, on 20 November. They transferred to [[Cam Ranh Bay]], [[French Indochina]], and ''Hyūga'' became flagship of the [[5th Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|5th Fleet]] there on 14 December. The division sailed for Singapore on 30 December and Vice Admiral [[Kiyohide Shima]] transferred his flag to the light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Ōyodo||2}} on arrival there the following day. The division continued onwards to Lingga. Its planned return to Japan was delayed by attacks by the American Third Fleet on targets in Indochina and southern China that sank two [[oil tanker]]s that were intended to refuel the division.<ref name=both/>

The IJN then decided to use the sisters and their escorts to bring a load of petrol, rubber, tin and other strategic minerals back to Japan after the American carriers departed the [[South China Sea]] ([[Operation Kita]]). They loaded their cargoes beginning on 6 February at Singapore and departed four days later. Also carrying some 1,150 oilfield workers, they were escorted by ''Ōyodo'' and three destroyers.<ref name=both/> Decrypted Japanese radio signals revealed the Japanese plan to the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]], and 15 submarines were positioned along their anticipated route in an attempt to intercept and sink the ships. An additional 11 were moved into position while the group was en route, but only three were ultimately able to attack. None of them were successful<ref>Blair, pp. 846–49</ref> before the Japanese reached Kure on 20 February. The Fourth Carrier Division was disbanded on 1 March and the sisters were reduced to 1st rank reserve ships. On 19 March Kure was attacked by aircraft from [[Task Force 58]] and ''Hyūga'' was hit three times by bombs that killed 37 men and wounded 52. Her gunners claimed to have shot down one American dive bomber during the attack. ''Ise'' was hit twice during the attack, but her casualties, if any, are unknown.<ref name=both/>

[[File:Aerial photo of battleship Hyuga after being sunk at Kure.jpeg|thumb|left|The wreck of ''Hyūga'' after the July attacks]]
The ships were turned into [[floating battery|floating AA batteries]] over the next several months although it availed them little when they were attacked again by [[Bombing of Kure (July 1945)|American carrier aircraft in July]]. On the 24th ''Ise'' was struck by five bombs and near missed multiple times; all told she lost 50 crewmen killed and many others wounded. The bombs started numerous leaks and ''Ise'' began to settle by the bow, although she was returned to an even [[keel]] after three days pumping. ''Hyūga'' was a primary focus of the attack and she received 10 direct hits and up to 30 near misses. She was badly damaged with some 200-odd crewmen killed and 600 wounded during the attack. She slowly foundered over the next two days and was not attacked when the Americans returned four days later. This time it was ''Ise''{{'}}s turn and she was struck 11 or more times with many near misses that put her on the bottom in shallow water with a 15 degree list. The sisters were struck off the [[Navy List]] in November and their wrecks were scrapped after the war.<ref name=both/>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|27em}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Blair|first=Clay|author-link=Clay Blair|title=Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japan| publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2001|isbn=978-1-55750-217-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1980|isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Evans
  | first1 = David| first2 = Mark R. |last2=Peattie
  | year = 1997
  | title = Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887–1941
  | publisher =Naval Institute Press
  | location =Annapolis, Maryland
  | isbn = 0-87021-192-7|name-list-style=amp | author-link2 = Mark Peattie
}}
*{{cite book |editor1-last=Gardiner |editor1-first=Robert |editor2-last=Gray |editor2-first=Randal |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |year=1985 |location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=0-87021-907-3|name-list-style=amp }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Hyuga.htm|title=IJN Hyuga: Tabular Record of Movement|last1=Hackett|first1=Bob|last2=Kingsepp|first2=Sander|year=2011|publisher=Combinedfleet.com|access-date=15 June 2013|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Ise.htm|title=IJN Ise: Tabular Record of Movement |last1=Hackett |first1=Bob|last2=Kingsepp|first2=Sander|last3=Ahlberg|first3=Lars|year=2012|publisher=Combinedfleet.com|access-date=15 May 2013|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |first1=Hansgeorg |last1=Jentschura |first2=Dieter |last2=Jung |first3=Peter |last3=Mickel |year=1977 |title=Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 |location=Annapolis, Maryland |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute#Naval Institute Press|Naval Institute Press]] |isbn=0-87021-893-X|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite book |last1=Layman |first1=R. D. |last2=McLaughlin |first2=Stephen |title=The Hybrid Warship: The Amalgamation of Big Guns and Aircraft|year=1991 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-374-5|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite journal
  | last1        = Lengerer
  | first1       = Hans
  | editor1-last = Ahlberg
  | editor1-first= Lars
  | title        = Battleships Ise and Hyûga – Part I
  | date         = September 2006
  | pages        = 4–30
  | journal      = Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships
  | issue        = Paper I}}{{subscription required}}(contact the editor at lars.ahlberg@halmstad.mail.postnet.se for subscription information)
* {{cite journal
  | last1        = Lengerer
  | first1       = Hans
  | editor1-last = Ahlberg
  | editor1-first= Lars
  | title        = Battleships Ise and Hyûga – Part II
  | date         = March 2007
  | pages        = 4–17
  | journal      = Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships
  | issue        = Paper II}}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite book|last=Lengerer| first=Hans|chapter=Ise and Hyûga: The IJN's Hybrid Battleship-Carriers| editor=Jordan, John| publisher=Conway| location=London| year=2009|title=Warship 2009| pages=39–54| isbn=978-1-84486-089-0}}
* {{cite journal
  | last1        = Lengerer
  | first1       = Hans
  | editor1-last = Ahlberg
  | editor1-first= Lars
  | title        = The Japanese 14"-Gunned Battleships: An Abstract of the Fusō and Ise Classes – Part I
  | date         = March 2011
  | pages        = 5–42
  | journal      = Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships
  | issue        = Paper X}}{{subscription required}}
* {{cite book |last= Morison |first= Samuel Eliot |date= 1958 |title= Leyte: June 1944 – January 1945 |volume= XII |series= [[History of United States Naval Operations in World War II]] |publisher= Little, Brown and Company |location= Boston |url= https://archive.org/details/historyofuniteds00mori |url-access= registration |oclc= 1035611842 |ol= 24388559M}}
* {{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|last2=Genda |first2=Minoru |author-link2=Minoru Genda|title=Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events|publisher=Potomac Books|location=Washington, D.C.|year=2006|volume=1, 1909–1945|isbn=1-57488-663-0|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |author=Rohwer, Jurgen |title=Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=2005 |isbn=1-59114-119-2 }}
* {{cite book|last=Sandler|first=Stanley|title=Battleships: An Illustrated History of their Impact|series=Weapons and Warfare|year=2004|publisher=ABC Clio|location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=1-85109-410-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Stille |first=Mark |title=Imperial Japanese Navy Battleships 1941–45| series =New Vanguard|volume=146 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Botley, Oxford, UK |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84603-280-6 }}
* {{cite book |last=Whitley|first=M. J.|title=Battleships of World War II|year=1998|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=1-55750-184-X}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ise class battleship}}
* [http://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=B467 Ise class on World War 2 Database]

{{Ise class battleship}}
{{WWI Japanese ships}}
{{WWII Japanese ships}}

[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Ise-class battleships| Ise class battleship]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of Japan| Ise class battleship]]