IJN Kirishima was a Japanese Kongō-class battlecruiser (later battleship) launched in 1913 and commissioned in 1915. She served in both World Wars, participating in major Pacific battles like Pearl Harbor, Midway, and Guadalcanal. Kirishima was heavily damaged and sunk by the US battleship Washington in November 1942. Key History and Operational Roles Construction: Built by Mitsubishi in Nagasaki, she was the third of her class. Interwar Period: Primarily operated as a training ship, saw patrols