Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:18:00-4:22:57

Kongo was not simply a faster copy of Tiger

Kongo's design was fixed before Tiger and responded more to Japanese Pacific requirements and American ships than to a later British battlecruiser.

BattlecruisersHMS Tiger (1913)Japanese NavyKongo Class BattlecruisersOrion Class BattleshipsWarship Speed
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Question

If alternate Orions make 23 knots and Tigers 30 knots, how fast would the Kongo class be?

Short answer

Possibly faster, although Kongo was an earlier design and the result depends on what Japan would pay for speed.

Notes

Kongo was laid down in January 1911, while Tiger followed in June 1912. All four Kongo-class ships were laid down before Tiger, and Kongo herself had already been launched. The discussion corrects an initial speed figure to 27½ knots as built and treats the Japanese ships as a distinct design despite shared influences with British battlecruisers. Japan's concern about American ships across the Pacific also shaped the speed requirement. Faster hypothetical British Orions could affect the comparison, but greater Japanese speed would still depend on willingness to pay for it.