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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
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KONGO armoured corvettes (1878)


Photo



Kongo 1878 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
金剛 [Kongo]   306 Earle, Hull, UK 24.9.1875 17.4.1877 1.1878 TS 1896, stricken 1909
比叡 [Hiei]     Milford Haven SB, Pembroke, UK 9.1875 12.6.1877 23.3.1878 discarded 4.1911


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

2248

Displacement full, t3718
Length, m

70.5 wl 67.1 pp

Breadth, m

12.5

Draught, m

5.49

No of shafts

1

Machinery

1 2-cyl HC, 6 cylindrical boilers

Power, h. p.

Kongo: 2450

Hiei: 2490

Max speed, kts

Kongo: 13.7

Hiei: 14

Fuel, t

coal 280

Endurance, nm(kts)3100(10)
Armour, mmcompound - belt: 114 - 76
Armament

3 x 1 - 173/17 RKL/20 C/67, 6 x 1 - 149/22 RKL/25 C/74, 2 x 1 - 75/11 KL/11

Complement

314



Standard scale images


<i>Hiei</i> 1885
Hiei 1885


Graphics


<i>Kongo</i><i> </i>1878 <i>Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.</i>
Kongo 1878 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.


Project history

The design of these armoured corvettes was prepared by Sir Edward Reed, and was based on the Russian General Admiral and the British Gem class cruisers. The composite-hulled Kongo and iron-hulled Hiei were ordered under the 1875 Programme. They were barque-rigged but the topmasts were subsequently removed during a refit in 1895.

Ship protection

Hull was protected by full length, thickness of the belt was 114mm abreast machinery and 76mm at ship ends.

Modernizations

1880s, both: + 4 x 4 - 25/60 Nordenfelt Mk I, 2 x 5 - 11.9/94, 2 - 350 TT (bow)

1889, Hiei: was reboilered with 2 double-ended cylindrical boilers.

1897, both: + 2 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I

Naval service

Hiei was present at the Battle of the Yalu and was severely damaged by the Chinese battleships. The Kongo was involved in the Hawaiian Revolution in 1898, after which both ships were removed from the operational fleet and used as survey vessels.

1878

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.