#kongo class

Japanese Battleship Kongō (金剛, Mount Kongō) is bracketed by 1,000 lb. bombs during an air strike on the Japanese task force off Panay Island, Philippines.

Photographed on October 26, 1944.

"Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 11th Bombardment Group based at Espiritu Santo bomb the damaged Japanese Battleship Hiei (比叡, Mount Hiei) north of Savo Island on November 13, 1942. Hiei, which was damaged in the 1st engagement of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal hours earlier, appears to be trailing fuel."

"A Kongo-class battleship (possibly Kongo herself, based on the searchlight positions) illuminates the night sky from a variety of tower, stack, and mast-mounted searchlight positions in this 1930s postcard. Searchlights were crucial for fighting at night before the advent of radar, and as a result the massive lamps could also, in some cases, be director controlled to stay on target. The unfortunate drawback of searchlights was that they provided a brilliant point of aim for the opponent, and their operation - plus the flashes from gun muzzles - tended to blind the operators temporarily. Nevertheless, Japan relied heavily on them well into the 2nd World War."

Battleships and Battlecruisers classes of WWII.