Why does Japanese use of the Kongos with carriers support calling them fast battleships while Royal Navy surface use leaves Hood and Renown as battlecruisers?
Short answerThe Kongos were reconstructed for a protective carrier-group role, while Hood and Renown retained battlecruiser priorities and were sometimes forced into battleship work by scarcity.
NotesReconstruction priorities matter more than an emergency wartime assignment. Renown's modernization preserved an offensive, globally mobile battlecruiser role, including carrier cooperation against surface raiders. The Kongos were rebuilt to defend carrier groups and cover their withdrawal, a protective role more closely associated here with battleships. Hood's use against Bismarck reflects scarcity rather than a successful conversion into a fast battleship.