A Kongo class battlecruiser designed by British naval architectGeorge T, during Japanese Emergency Naval Expansion Bill of ‘10. Among the most heavily armed ships in any navy then,Hiei was formally commissioned in ’14 on the line of capitol ships unlike HMS Erin. On Aug’14, Japan declared war on the Germany and occupied the former German colonies in Palau , Marshall and Mariana Islands, retained supremacy over German Pacific Colonies as per the Treaty of Versailles. Hiei was converted to a gunnery training ship to avoid being scrapped under the terms of theWashington Naval Treaty in ‘22. She engaged in evaquation during the great Kantō quake in ‘23. She served as Emperor 's transport during ‘30 and another attempt for its reconstruction was halted due to the signing of the London Naval Treaty. But in ‘37, she underwent a full-scale reconstruction that completely upgraded her powerplant, her upper deck refurbished with catapults. Now She fast enough to accompany Japan's growing fleet of carriers,as reclassified a fast battleship. As the spread of War 2, she sailed with Vice-Admiral Chuichi’s Combined Fleet, escorting the six carriers that attacked Pearl Harbor on 7th Dec ‘41. IJN's early actions in ‘42, providing support for the invasion of the Dutch East Indies as well as theIndian Ocean raid. During the Battle of Midway, she sailed in the Invasion Force under Admiral Kondō. She escorted Japanese carrier forces during the battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands. In Nov’42, Hiei departed Truk alongwith Kirishima and a fleet of eleven destroyers in preparation to attack Henderson Air Field . Unfortunately(!!) the force was spotted by US Navy reconnaissance aircraft . A force of two heavy cruisers, three light cruisers and eight destroyers was deployed under the command of R Adm Callaghan in Savo Sound. By 01:24,light cruiser USS Helena detected Hiei in a distance of some 25 km.Meanwhile,by 01:50,Hiei activated her searchlights and opened fire on another light cruiser USS Atlanta[of the Sullivan’s Brothers] and the 1st Naval Battle of Guadalcanal //3rd Battle of the Solomon Sea, started there. Though she sank on the evening[Friday the 13th] near some 11 miles from Savo Islands summit,but Marine Corps and Navy TBF Avengers’ combat proved,the necessity of Torpedo bomber. Controversy is there,still,how she SANK ……??…@….!!
It was the Navy and Marine Corps TBF, led by Lt Col Moret [VMSB 131] engaged there in morning 6:00 with dive/torpedo bombers from Henderson [TBF 1 Avengers] ,to strike.Hiei survived the night–long encounter ,hence shell-shocked enough.Her super structure endured some 70 attack sorties when she intend to quit. Some 30 (8 inch) shell hits from the cruisers USS San Francisco and USS Portland and a good number of 5 inch shell hits from anti-aircraft cruisers and destroyers,made her super structure les miserables.Her power and manual,both the steering/maneuvering control systems were damaged. Again an hour later Hiei charged by torpedo.Moret’s Marine Corps TBF’s visited twice to ensure the complete destruction of Hiei’s super structure.By 10:00 they put another torpedo.Meanwhile 15 Grumann TBF’s under Lt Coffin from Enterprise ,engaged for the same.By 11:00 ,sky above the Hiei was dark with overwhelming thick black cloud,tracer fire and the buzz of dive bomber.At this point,Hiei fired back desperately with almost every possible things what she had, alongwith incendiary 14 inch shells. Commander Crommelin had no idea of returning his boys,though the Henderson Field[where the boys had to returned] was under US control by morning,which was unknown to him.Anyway,his boys were sent for single-run and from a good distance,saw the tremendous fire-works resumed by Hiei.They reached with full throttle and charged at least 3 torpedoes and found those made Her no difference..! Another 8[6+2] torpedoes from Moret’s Avengers hit Hiei.The rest of the day long the dive bombers and F4F’s went by every possible means to kill ,until by the dusk, Adm Abe ordered to scuttle her. **Hiei,the First Battleship from IJN, destryed at Guadalcanal. **TBF’s First kill at Guadalcanal. **The Greatest mistake done by Hiei by using her search-lights. ** Five VMSB-142 SBDs and four VMSB-131 TBFs from Henderson Field made possible the final blow. /**/...... For more information ,some direct links added ........ /**/
