View source for Japanese battleship Ise

{{short description|Ise-class battleship}}
{{other ships|Japanese ship Ise}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=File:Ise03cropped.jpg
|Ship caption=''Ise'', late 1920s
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Ise''
|Ship namesake=[[Ise Province]]
|Ship ordered=11 April 1913
|Ship builder=[[Kawasaki Heavy Industries|Kawasaki]], [[Kobe]]
|Ship laid down=10 May 1915
|Ship launched=12 November 1916
|Ship completed=15 December 1917
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=20 November 1945
|Ship fate=Sunk by air attack, 28 July 1945, and subsequently [[ship breaking|scrapped]]
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class={{sclass|Ise|battleship}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|29980|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])
* {{convert|36500|LT|t}} ([[deep load]])
|Ship length={{cvt|208.18|m|ft|0}} ([[Length overall|o.a.]])
|Ship beam={{cvt|28.65|m|ft|0}}
|Ship draught={{cvt|8.93|m|ftin}}
|Ship power=*24 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
* {{cvt|45000|shp|lk=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|in|0}} guns]]
* 20 × single [[14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{cvt|14|cm|in|1}} guns]]
* 4 × single [[8&nbsp;cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|7.62&nbsp;cm (3&nbsp;in)]] [[AA gun]]s
* 6 × {{cvt|53.3|cm|in|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|299|mm|in|1|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|85|mm|in|abbr=on|1}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|254|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= (after first reconstruction)
|Ship displacement={{convert|42001|LT|t}} (full load)
|Ship length={{cvt|215.8|m|ft|0}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|31.75|m|ftin}}
|Ship draught= {{cvt|9.45|m|ft|0}}
|Ship power=*8 × [[water-tube boiler]]s
* {{cvt|80000|shp}}
|Ship propulsion=4 × steam turbine sets
|Ship speed={{convert|24.5|kn}}
|Ship range={{convert|7870|nmi|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn}}
|Ship complement=1,376
|Ship armament=*6 × twin {{convert|35.6|cm|0|abbr=on}} guns
* 16 × single {{convert|14|cm|1|abbr=on}} guns
* 4 × twin [[12.7&nbsp;cm/40 Type 89 naval gun|{{convert|12.7|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}]] [[DP gun]]s
* 10 × twin [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|{{convert|2.5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
|Ship armour=Decks: {{convert|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 carrier, 1945)
|Ship displacement={{convert|40444|t|LT|disp=flip}} (full load)
|Ship length={{convert|219.62|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|31.71|m|ft|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|Type 21]] air-search [[radar]]
* 2 × [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar|Type 13]] [[early-warning radar]]s
* 2 × [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar|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 2.5&nbsp;cm AA guns
* 6 × 30-round 12.7&nbsp;cm AA [[rocket launcher]]s
|Ship aircraft=22–24
|Ship aircraft facilities=2 catapults
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
{{Nihongo|'''''Ise'''''|伊勢|lead=yes||named after the ancient [[Ise Province]]}} was the [[lead ship]] of [[Ise-class battleship|her class]] of two [[dreadnought battleship]]s built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN) during the 1910s. Although completed in 1917, she played no role in [[World War I]]. ''Ise'' supported Japanese forces in the early 1920s during the [[Siberian Intervention]] in the [[Russian Civil War]]. In 1923, she assisted survivors of the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]]. The ship was partially modernised in two stages in 1928–1929 and 1931–1932, during which her forward [[superstructure]] was rebuilt in the [[pagoda mast]] style. ''Ise'' was reconstructed in 1934–1937, with improvements to her armour and her propulsion machinery. Afterwards she played a minor role in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]].

Despite the expensive reconstruction, the ship was considered obsolete by the eve of the [[Pacific War]], and did not see 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, she was rebuilt with a [[flight deck]] replacing the rear pair of [[gun turret]]s to give her the ability to operate an air group of [[floatplane]]s; lack of aircraft and qualified pilots meant that ''Ise'' never actually operated aircraft in combat. She participated in the [[Battle off Cape Engaño]] in late 1944, where she was one of the ships that decoyed the American carrier fleet supporting the [[Battle of Leyte|invasion of Leyte]] away from the landing beaches. Afterwards the ship was transferred to [[Southeast Asia]]. In early 1945 ''Ise'' participated in [[Operation Kita]], where she transported [[petrol]] and other strategic materials to Japan. The ship was then reduced to [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] until American airstrikes in July sank her. After the war ''Ise'' was [[ship breaking|scrapped]] in 1946–1947.

==Design and description==
[[File:ONI-Ise-classDrawing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|American ship-recognition drawing of the ''Ise''-class battleships before their conversion]]
The ''Ise'' class was designed as an improved version of the preceding {{sclass|Fusō|battleship|4}}. 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 displaced {{convert|29980|LT|t|lk=on}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] load and {{convert|36500|LT|t}} at deep load, roughly {{convert|650|LT|t}} more than the earlier ships. Their crew consisted of 1,360 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]].<ref name="j6"/>

During the ships' modernisation in the 1930s, their forward [[superstructure]] was enlarged with multiple platforms added to their [[tripod mast]]s to create a pagoda mast. Both ships were also given [[torpedo bulge]]s to improve their underwater protection and to compensate for the weight of the extra armour. These changes increased their overall length to {{convert|215.8|m|ft|0}},<ref>Chesneau, p. 171</ref> their beam to {{convert|31.75|m|ftin}} and their draught to {{convert|9.45|m|ft|0}}. Their displacement increased by over {{convert|5000|LT|t}} to {{convert|42675|t|LT|disp=flip}} at deep load.<ref name=l51>Lengerer 2009, pp. 50–51</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 shaft]]s, using steam provided by 24 [[Kampon]] Ro Gō [[water-tube boiler]]s. The turbines were designed to produce a total of {{convert|45000|shp|lk=on}} and give the ships a speed of {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}. ''Ise'' reached {{convert|23.6|kn}} from {{convert|56498|shp|abbr=on}} during her [[sea trial]]s.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 21–22</ref> Each of the boilers consumed a mixture of coal and oil, and the ships carried enough of both to give 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>

During their 1930s modernisation, the boilers on each ship were replaced by eight new Kampon oil-fired boilers.<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|25.3|kn}} from {{convert|81050|shp|abbr=on}}.<ref name=l79/> The fuel storage of the ships was increased, which gave them a range of {{convert|7870|nmi}} at a speed of {{convert|16|kn}}, despite the additional weight.<ref name=j6/>

===Armament===
The twelve [[Vickers 14 inch/45 naval gun|{{convert|35.6|cm|in|0|adj=on}} Type 41]] guns of the ''Ise'' class were mounted in three pairs of twin-gun, [[superfire|superfiring]] turrets that were numbered one through six from front to rear. The first pair was forward of the main superstructure, the second pair was [[amidships]], and the last ones were aft of the rear superstructure.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 24–26, 30</ref> The ships' [[secondary armament]] consisted of twenty [[14 cm/50 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{convert|14|cm|adj=on|1}} Type 3 guns]] in single mounts. 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.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 33–34</ref>{{refn|Jentschura, Jung & Mickel also credit the ships with a dozen 8&nbsp;cm 3rd Year Type guns,<ref name=j6/> but these were actually shorter and lighter 8&nbsp;cm Type 41 saluting guns that could be used by the ships' boats and landing parties ashore.<ref>Lengerer 2011, p. 35</ref>|group=Note}} [[Anti-aircraft defence]] was provided by four [[8&nbsp;cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|3rd Year Type 8-centimetre (3&nbsp;in)]]{{#tag:ref|These guns were licence-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>Campbell, p. 198</ref>|group=Note}} [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]] in single mounts. 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>

In 1931–1933 the AA guns were replaced with eight [[12.7&nbsp;cm/40 Type 89 naval gun|{{convert|12.7|cm|in|adj=on|0}} Type 89]] [[dual-purpose gun]]s, placed beside the forward superstructure in four twin-gun mounts.<ref name=l7>Lengerer March 2007, p. 12</ref> Two twin-gun mounts for licence-built [[Vickers]] [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|two-pounder ({{convert|4|cm|adj=on|1}})]] light AA guns were also added, while the pair of 14&nbsp;cm guns on the upper deck were removed.<ref name=hack>Hackett, Kingsepp & Ahlberg</ref>

During the mid-1930s reconstruction, the torpedo tubes were removed and the Vickers two-pounders were replaced by 20 licence-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=hack/> This was the standard Japanese light AA gun during World War II, but it suffered from serious design shortcomings that heavily reduced its effectiveness. 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> During the reconstruction the forward pair of 14-centimetre guns in the forecastle were removed and the maximum elevation of the remaining guns was increased to +30 degrees.<ref name=hack/>

===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]] totaling {{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 in total.<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.<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}}

===Fire control and sensors===
While the details of the ship's fire-control instruments are not fully available, ''Ise'' was fitted with a [[Director (military)|gunnery director]] after completion. In the late 1920s the [[fire-control system]]s 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 in the early 1930s, one on each side of the forward superstructure. The fire-control systems were again upgraded in the mid-1930s and directors were added for the 2.5&nbsp;cm AA guns.<ref>Lengerer 2011, pp. 28, 30–31, 41</ref> The ship had a {{convert|10|m|ftin|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] installed at the top of the pagoda mast at that time. [[List of Japanese World War II radar#Shipborne radar|Type 21]] air-search [[radar]]s were installed aboard the ship in mid-1942.<ref name=hack/>

===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. A [[aircraft catapult|catapult]] and a collapsible [[crane (machine)|crane]] were fitted on the stern during the mid-1930s modernisation, and the ship was equipped to operate three floatplanes, although no [[hangar]] was provided. The initial [[Nakajima E4N]]2 biplanes were replaced by [[Nakajima E8N]]2 biplanes in 1938.<ref name=hack/>

==Construction and career==
[[File:Ise02cropped.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' underway, shortly after completion]]
[[File:Ise04cropped.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' at anchor, before her 1935 reconstruction]]
''Ise'', [[Japanese ship-naming conventions|named]] after [[Ise Province]], one of the traditional provinces of Japan, was [[laid down]] at the [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries]] shipyard in [[Kobe]] on 5 May 1915 and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 12 November 1916.<ref name=s1/> [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[Akizawa Yoshima]] assumed command on 1 December<ref name=hack/> and the ship was completed on 15 December 1917, too late for service in World War I.<ref name=s1>Silverstone, p. 331</ref> ''Ise'' was assigned to the 1st [[Division (naval)|Division]] of the [[1st Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Fleet]] in 1917–1918. Captain [[Kuwashima Shozo]] relieved Akizawa on 1 December 1918 and he was relieved in his turn by Captain [[Furukawa Hiroshi]] on 20 November 1919. On 29 August 1920, the ship began the first of numerous patrols off the [[Siberian]] coast and in northern waters in support of Japan's [[Siberian Intervention]] against the [[Bolshevik]] [[Red Army]]. Captain [[Yokoo Hisashi]] replaced Furukawa on 20 November and he was replaced by Captain Nagasawa Naotaro in his turn on 1 December 1921.<ref name=hack/>

On 12 April 1922, while at [[Yokohama]], ''Ise'' hosted a delegation which included the [[Prince of Wales]] (the future [[King Edward VIII]]), and his [[second cousin]], the future [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Mountbatten of Burma]]. Captain Kanna Norikazu relieved Nagasawa on 1 December. The ship aided survivors of the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kantō earthquake]] in September 1923. From the early 1920s through the late 1930s, ''Ise'' mostly cruised off the coast of [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]]. Little detailed information is available about her activities during the 1920s, although she helped sink the obsolete [[destroyer]] {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yayoi|1905|2}} during gunnery training on 10 August 1926. The ship was [[wikt:overhaul|overhauled]] in 1928–1929, during which her forward superstructure was enlarged and her aviation facilities improved.<ref name=hack/>

Between 20 November 1931 and 10 February 1932, ''Ise'' had her anti-aircraft armament entirely replaced, her forward superstructure was further enlarged so that it became a [[pagoda mast]], and her stern was modified in preparation for a catapult and crane at [[Kure Naval Arsenal]]. These were installed between 14 May and 6 June 1933. On 15 November, she became a training ship. ''Ise''{{'}}s crew participated in the state funeral of [[Gensui (Imperial Japanese Navy)|Marshal-Admiral]] The [[Marquis]] [[Tōgō Heihachirō]], victor of the 1905 [[Battle of Tsushima]], on 15 June 1934.<ref name=hack/>

[[File:Ise05cropped.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' after her 1935–1937 reconstruction]]
Beginning on 1 August 1935, ''Ise'' was [[drydock]]ed at Kure Naval Arsenal and underwent an extensive reconstruction and modernisation that lasted until 23 March 1937. On 9 April 1938, the ship began the first of her patrols off the southern Chinese coast during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] that lasted until early 1941. She was transferred to the 2nd Division of the 1st Fleet on 15 November 1940 and became its flagship on 15 November 1941. Captain [[Takeda Isamu]] assumed command of ''Ise'' on 25 September 1941.<ref name=hack/>

===Start of the Pacific War===
To provide distant support for the [[1st Air Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Air Fleet]] attacking [[Pearl Harbor]] 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 division, reinforced by the battleships {{ship|Japanese battleship|Nagato||2}} and {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mutsu||2}} and the [[light carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hōshō||2}}, [[sortie]]d from [[Hashirajima]] to the [[Bonin Islands]] and returned six days later. ''Ise'' had a minor refit at the Kure Naval Arsenal in 19–25 February 1942. Together with the rest of the division, she pursued, but did not catch, the American carrier force that had launched the [[Doolittle Raid]] on 18 April. On 11 May ''Ise'' had an accident which flooded her No. 2 [[engine room]]. While under repair, the ship was fitted with one of the first experimental Type 21 [[early-warning radar]] sets in the IJN, but it was removed shortly afterwards.<ref name=hack/>

''Ise'' and the rest of the 2nd Battleship Division set sail on 28 May with the Aleutian Support Group at the same time most of the Imperial Fleet began an attack on [[Midway Island]] ([[Operation MI]]).<ref>Rohwer, pp. 168–169</ref><ref>Parshall & Tully, p. 454</ref> Commanded by [[Vice-Admiral]] [[Shirō Takasu]], the division was composed of Japan's four oldest battleships, including ''Ise'', accompanied by two [[light cruiser]]s, 12 destroyers, and two [[oiler (ship)|oilers]]. Official records do not show the division as part of the larger Midway operation, known as [[Operation AL]]; they were to accompany the fleet under Admiral [[Isoroku Yamamoto]], but were only to provide support to the Aleutian task force if needed.<ref>Parshall & Tully, p. 46</ref>

===Conversion to a hybrid carrier===
[[File:Ise1944.png|thumb|upright=1.2|''Ise'' after 1944 reconstruction]]
The loss of four Japanese aircraft carriers during the [[Battle of Midway]] in June severely limited the ability of the IJN to conduct operations and alternatives were sought. Plans for full conversions of battleships into aircraft carriers were rejected on the grounds of expense and, more critically, time, so the IJN settled on removing the rear pair of turrets from the ''Ise''-class ships and replacing them with a flight deck equipped with two rotating catapults.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 39–40</ref> ''Ise'' began her conversion on 23 February 1943 and Takeda was relieved by Captain Hase Shinzaburo on 25 April.<ref name=hack/> The ship's No. 5 and No. 6 turrets were replaced by a hangar surmounted by a flight deck. This was not long enough to permit the launch of aircraft or their recovery. Two catapults were installed and the existing crane was moved to the flight deck. The deck was fitted with an extensive system of rails to link each catapult, the storage positions on the deck and the T-shaped aircraft [[elevator|lift]] that moved aircraft between the flight deck and the hangar. It had a capacity of nine aircraft, the remainder being stowed on deck and one on each catapult for a total of 22–24. The ship's air group was intended to consist of a dozen each [[Yokosuka D4Y]] ''Suisei'' [[dive bomber]]s ([[World War II Allied names for Japanese aircraft|Allied reporting name]] "Judy"), modified for catapult launching, and [[Aichi E16A]] reconnaissance aircraft (Allied reporting name "Paul"). The former had to land either on a conventional carrier or on land bases, whereas the E16A could be hoisted back aboard using a crane, after landing on the water near the ship.<ref>Lengerer 2009, pp. 45–49, 51–53</ref>

During the conversion, all the 14&nbsp;cm guns were removed and the ship's anti-aircraft suite was heavily reinforced. The eight 12.7&nbsp;cm Type 89 guns were supplemented with four additional twin mounts and the existing 2.5&nbsp;cm Type 96 AA twin-gun mounts were replaced by 19 triple-gun mounts for a total of 57 weapons.<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 43</ref>

These changes increased the ship's overall length to {{convert|219.62|m|ftin}} and the removal of the heavy gun turrets and their barbettes reduced her displacement to {{convert|40444|t|LT|disp=flip}} at deep load, despite the addition of more [[fuel oil]] storage. The extra fuel increased ''Ise''{{'}}s range to {{convert|9500|nmi}}. The weight reductions decreased her draught to {{convert|9.03|m|ftin}}. The crew now numbered 1,463 officers and enlisted men.<ref name=l51/>

[[File:Battleship-carrier Ise.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' on her sea trials after reconstruction, 24 August 1943]]
The rebuild was officially completed on 8 October 1943 and ''Ise'' made a sortie to [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] later that month, conveying a detachment of the [[52nd Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|52nd Division]] and supplies. Hase was promoted to [[rear admiral]] on 1 November and the ship began formally [[Glossary of nautical terms (M-Z)#working up|working up]] 10 days later. Captain Nakase Noboru relieved Hase on 25 December.<ref name=hack/>

On 25 February 1944, Battleship Division 2 was assigned to the direct control of the [[Combined Fleet]]. ''Ise'' and her [[sister ship]] {{ship|Japanese battleship|Hyūga||2}} were transferred to the [[Third Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|Third Fleet]] and assigned to the newly reformed [[Fourth Carrier Division]] on 1 May, commanded by Rear Admiral [[Chiaki Matsuda]]. That same day the [[634th Naval Air Group]] was formed and assigned to the Fourth Carrier Division. On 24 May, a pair of [[Type 22 radar|Type 22]] surface-search radars were installed aboard the ship. From 31 May to 7 June, ''Ise''{{'}}s light anti-aircraft armament was reinforced with 47 additional Type 96 AA guns in 12 triple and 11 single mounts, which brought her total to 104 guns. Two [[Identification friend or foe|Type 2 IFF]] units were also installed.<ref name=hack/>

On 23 June, the sisters conducted their first catapult training, each with four D4Ys and six E16As aboard; subsequent sessions were conducted on 21 July and 31 August.<ref>Lengerer September 2007, p. 22</ref> A pair of [[Type 13 radar|Type 13]] early-warning radars and an E27 [[radar detector]] were installed from 22 to 26 July. From 28 September to 10 October, six racks of 30-tube 12.7&nbsp;cm anti-aircraft [[rocket launcher]]s were added.<ref name=hack/> Training of the D4Y and E16A aircrew was slowed by technical problems and was generally conducted from land bases. By 1 October the 634th had on strength 17 D4Ys, of which 6 were serviceable, and 18 E16As, of which 16 were operable.<ref>Lengerer September 2007, p. 23</ref>

===Battle off Cape Engaño and afterwards===
{{main|Battle off Cape Engaño}}

[[file:Battleship Ise underway at Letyte Gulf 1944.jpeg|thumb|left|''Ise'' in anti-aircraft combat]]

[[file:Ise in action-Oct1944.jpg|thumb|left|''Ise'' fires her main guns during the Battle off Cape Engaño, a phase of the Battle of Leyte Gulf]]
After the Americans began attacking Japanese installations in the Bonin Islands on 10 October 1944, the aircraft of the Fourth Carrier Division were ordered to prepare for combat by the commander of the Combined Fleet, Admiral [[Soemu Toyoda]]. Two days later, the 634th Naval Air Group was reassigned to the [[Second Air Fleet]] and began flying to bases in southern [[Kyushu]], among these were nine D4Ys and a dozen E16As assigned to ''Ise'' and ''Hyūga''. On 14 October they attacked the aircraft carriers of [[Task Force 38]] [[Formosa Air Battle|near Formosa with little effect and heavy losses]].<ref>Lengerer 2009, p. 53</ref> The following day Nakase was promoted to rear admiral.<ref name=hack/>

The ships of the Fourth Carrier Division were assigned to the Main Body of the [[1st Mobile Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Mobile Fleet]], commanded by Vice-Admiral [[Jisaburō Ozawa]]. The Main Body's role was to act as a decoy to attract attention away from the two other forces approaching from the south and west. All forces were to converge on [[Leyte Gulf]] on 25 October and the Main Body left Japan on 20 October. By the morning of 24 October, the Main Body was within range of the northernmost American carriers of Task Force 38 and Ozawa ordered an air strike launched by the [[Third Carrier Division]] (''Ise'' and ''Hyūga'' had no aircraft aboard) to attract the attention of the Americans. This accomplished little else as the Japanese aircraft failed to penetrate past the defending fighters; the survivors landed at airfields on the Philippine island of [[Luzon]]. The Americans were preoccupied dealing with the other Japanese naval forces and defending themselves from air attacks launched from Luzon and Leyte and could not spare any aircraft to search for the Japanese carriers until the afternoon. They finally found them, but Admiral [[William Halsey, Jr.]], commander of Task Force 38, decided that it was too late in the day to mount an effective strike. He did, however, turn all his ships north to position himself for a dawn attack on the Japanese carriers the next day.<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 420, 422, 428</ref>

[[File:Japanese destroyer Akizuki in 1944.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' (centre left) during the Battle off Cape Engaño]]
On the morning of 25 October, ''Ise'' was positioned astern of the carriers {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuikaku||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Zuihō||2}} to protect them with her anti-aircraft guns. Her radar picked up American aircraft at a range of {{convert|125|nmi}} at 07:39. The first attack began at 08:20, with the old battleship engaging enemy aircraft with [[San Shiki (anti-aircraft shell)|San Shiki anti-aircraft shells]] from her main guns with unknown effect. She was not heavily attacked, but two bombs fell nearby. The second wave of aircraft attacked at 10:05 and the ship's gunners claimed to have shot down five of the ten dive bombers. ''Ise'' was near missed eight times, although one small bomb struck No. 2 turret. The third wave was detected by her radar at 12:28, but it did not attack the battleship, sinking the damaged ''Zuikaku'' and ''Zuihō'' instead. ''Ise'' rescued 98 survivors from ''Zuihō'' before the next attack began around 17:26. She was the primary focus of this wave and was attacked by about 85 dive bombers and at least 11 [[torpedo bomber]]s.<ref name=hack/> Saved by heavy anti-aircraft fire and expert manoeuvring,<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 430</ref> the battleship dodged all the torpedoes, and was struck by only one bomb, near the port catapult. Roughly 34 near misses damaged her hull plating near the waterline and started a small leak that contaminated a small oil tank and caused minor damage to the port boiler rooms. Splinters from the near misses and the single hit killed 5 crewmen and wounded 71.<ref name=hack/>

The American submarine {{USS|Halibut|SS-232|6}} spotted the Fourth Carrier Division at 17:42 and manoeuvred to attack, missing with six torpedoes at 18:43. At 19:00 Ozawa ordered Matsuda to take his ships south to defend the light cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Isuzu||2}} and her escorting destroyers that were attempting to rescue survivors of the crippled light carrier {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Chiyoda||2}} despite gunfire from a group of four American [[cruiser]]s. Unable to locate either group of ships, Ozawa ordered Matsuda to reverse course at 23:30 and head for [[Amami Ōshima]] to refuel. Despite being spotted by American submarines en route, the division arrived safely on 27 October. After leaving the island the following day, they were unsuccessfully attacked by the submarine {{USS|Sea Dog|SS-401|6}} before their arrival at [[Kure, Hiroshima|Kure]] on the 29th.<ref name=hack/>

Between 29 October and 8 November, the catapults were removed to improve the firing arcs of No. 3 and No. 4 turrets. ''Ise'' and ''Hyūga'' departed on 11 November, loaded with troops and munitions for [[Manila]], capital of the Philippines, but news was received of heavy American air attacks on Manila and they were diverted to the [[Spratly Islands]]. They arrived on 14 November and their cargo was unloaded so it could be transferred to the Philippines. The 4th Carrier Division was transferred to the [[2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|2nd Fleet]] the following day. Reinforced by the battleship {{ship|Japanese battleship|Haruna||2}} and three cruisers, the sisters proceeded on to [[Lingga Island]], near [[Singapore]], on 20 November. They arrived two days later and remained there until 12 December when they departed for [[Cam Ranh Bay]], [[French Indochina]], where they were on standby for an attack on an American supply convoy bound for the island of [[Mindanao]] in the Philippines. The attack was cancelled on the 30th and the ships sailed for Singapore where they arrived on 1 January 1945 before continuing on to Lingga. That same day the Fourth Carrier Division was transferred to the [[Southwest Area Fleet]].<ref name=hack/>

===Final role===
On 6 February, the division sailed for Singapore to participate in [[Operation Kita]]. While approaching Singapore, ''Ise'' was slightly damaged by a [[naval mine|mine]]. Given temporary repairs at the former British naval base there, ''Ise'', ''Hyūga'', and the light cruiser {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Ōyodo||2}} were loaded with critically needed strategic war supplies (oil, [[rubber]], [[tin]], [[zinc]], and [[Mercury (element)|mercury]]) and 1,150 surplus [[Roughneck|oil workers]] to be ferried back to Japan.<ref name=hack/>

[[file:Japanese battleship Ise burning at Kure 28 July 1945.jpeg|thumb|right| ''Ise'' burning during the Kure air raid, 28 July 1945]]
The division sailed from Singapore on 10 February and was spotted by the British submarine {{HMS|Tantalus|P318|6}} the following day. It was forced to submerge by a [[maritime patrol aircraft]] and was unable to attack. On 13 February the submarine {{USS|Bergall|SS-320|6}} unsuccessfully attacked the ships as did the submarine {{USS|Blower|SS-325|6}}. One of ''Ise''{{'}}s AA guns caused one of ''Blower''{{'}}s torpedoes to detonate prematurely. Later that afternoon, ''Ōyodo'' launched one of her floatplanes which spotted the submarine {{USS|Bashaw|SS-241|6}} on the surface about {{cvt|22|km}} ahead of the convoy. ''Hyūga'' opened fire with her main guns and forced ''Bashaw'' to submerge when one of her shells landed within {{cvt|1.6|km|mi}} of the submarine. The convoy reached the [[Matsu Islands]], off the Chinese coast, on the 15th and was unsuccessfully attacked by the submarine {{USS|Rasher|SS-269|6}} before they reached [[Zhoushan Island]], near [[Shanghai]] that night. The convoy reached Kure on 20 February, having evaded or escaped pursuit by 23 [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] submarines along the way. Nakase was relieved by Captain Mutaguchi Kakuro five days later.<ref name=hack/>

[[File:Wreck of the Japanese battleship Ise, in October 1945 (80-G-351361).jpg|thumb|right|The wreck of ''Ise'', October 1945]]
[[File:480107 battleship Ise.jpg|thumb|''Ise'' being scrapped, with the main guns already removed]]
The 4th Carrier Division was disbanded on 1 March and ''Ise'' was reduced to first-class reserve. From this time until the [[surrender of Japan]], ''Ise'' remained docked at Kure, without fuel or aircraft, and repainted in an olive green [[camouflage]] with vari-coloured splotches. The camouflage was not effective against American carrier-based aircraft from [[Task Force 58]] (TF 58) on 19 March, when more than 240 aircraft [[Attack on Kure (March 1945)|attacked Kure]] and ''Ise'' was hit by two bombs. Re-designated as a fourth-class reserve ship on 20 April, ''Ise'' was towed to the island of Ondo Seto (between Kure and [[Kurahashijima]]) to serve as a floating anti-aircraft battery. She was [[Bombing of Kure (July 1945)|attacked again on 24 July]] by 60 carrier-based aircraft, whose bombs hit the starboard bow, flight deck, main deck, No. 3 turret and [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]], killing Mutaguchi, other bridge personnel, and around 50 crewmen; many other crewmen were wounded. The ship settled by the bow; it took three days to pump her dry. The IJN planned to drydock her for repairs but she was struck by five {{convert|1000|lb|abbr=on|disp=flip}} bombs dropped by [[F4U Corsair]] fighters from {{USS|Hancock|CV-19|6}}, and eleven more bombs dropped by other aircraft from TF 58 on 28 July. Later that day an attack by 18 [[USAAF]] [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]] [[heavy bomber]]s was unsuccessful. ''Ise'' took on a 15° [[list (watercraft)|list]] to starboard and sank in shallow water. [[Marine salvage|Salvage]] efforts were abandoned that same day, although some AA guns were stripped from her wreck. The ship was struck from the [[Navy Directory]] on 20 November. The underwater portion of ''Ise''{{'}}s wreck was ignored until the following year and she was scrapped in place by the Kure Dockyard of the [[IHI Corporation|Harima Zōsen Corporation]] from 9 October 1946 to 4 July 1947.<ref name=hack/>

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

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{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 |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/Ise.htm|title=IJN Ise: Tabular Record of Movement |last1=Hackett |first1=Bob|last2=Kingsepp|first2=Sander|last3=Ahlberg |first3=Lars|year=2016|publisher=Combinedfleet.com|access-date=15 January 2018|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book| last = Jentschura| first = Hansgeorg| first2 = Dieter |last2=Jung|first3=Peter |last3=Mickel| year = 1977| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945| publisher = United States Naval Institute| location = Annapolis, Maryland| isbn = 0-87021-893-X|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 journal
  | last1 = Lengerer
  | first1 = Hans
  | editor1-last = Ahlberg
  | editor1-first= Lars
  | title= Battleships Ise and Hyûga – Part III
  | date = September 2007
  | pages = 4–24
  | journal = Contributions to the History of Imperial Japanese Warships
  | issue = Paper III}}{{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 |last1=Parshall |first1=Jonathan |last2=Tully |first2=Anthony |title=Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway |publisher=Potomac Books |location=Washington, DC |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-57488-924-6 |name-list-style=amp |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/shatteredswordun0000pars }}
* {{cite book|last1=Polmar|first1=Norman|author-link1=Norman Polmar|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, DC|year=2006|volume=1, 1909–1945|isbn=1-57488-663-0|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |author=Rohwer, Jürgen |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|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
* {{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 }}

==Further reading==
* {{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 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 (ship, 1917)|Ise}}
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/japan/battleships/ise_page_1.htm Maritimequest.com: ''Ise'' photo gallery]

{{Ise class battleship}}
{{July 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ise}}
[[Category:Ise-class battleships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries]]
[[Category:1916 ships]]
[[Category:Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of Japan]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Inland Sea]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Battleships sunk by aircraft]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in July 1945]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft]]