The battleship built on a foundation of international bribery and kickbacks

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Japanese battleship Kongō was a marvel of naval engineering, but its very existence sparked a political firestorm. Behind its massive 14-inch guns lay a web of secret payments and corporate greed that eventually toppled a Japanese government.

Commissioned in 1913, Kongō was the first of her class of battlecruisers. Designed by British engineer George Thurston and built by Vickers Shipbuilding in Barrow-in-Furness, she was the last Japanese capital ship constructed outside of Japan. While she was among the most heavily armed ships in any navy at the time, her construction was mired in scandal. A leaked telegram in 1914 revealed that German and English armaments corporations were paying secret kickbacks to senior Japanese officials. Specifically, Vickers had paid 210,000 yen to Admiral Fuji and 40,000 yen to Vice Admiral Matsumoto Kazu to secure the contract. The scandal was so severe that it led to the resignation of Prime Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe's government in March 1914.

Technologically, Kongō was a pioneer. Despite the Japanese initially intending for 12-inch weaponry, her manufacturers insisted on 14-inch (356 mm) guns, making her the inaugural ship globally to feature such armament. Her main battery could fire high explosive or armor-piercing shells up to 38,770 yards at a rate of two rounds per minute. However, as a battlecruiser, she traded protection for speed, featuring a relatively thin 6- to 8-inch main belt. To keep pace with evolving warfare, she underwent two major reconstructions: one in 1929 to transform her into a battleship with strengthened armor, and another in 1935 to increase her speed and equip her with launch catapults for floatplanes.

During World War II, Kongō served as a versatile workhorse for the Imperial Japanese Navy. She participated in major actions including the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where she helped cripple the destroyer USS Heermann. While navigating the Formosa Strait on 21 November 1944, the USS Sealion submarine struck her with a torpedo, resulting in her destruction. She stands out as the sole Japanese battleship lost to submarine fire throughout the Second World War.

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