Japanese Battleship Fuso Country: Japan Type: Battleship Service: 1915 - 1944 Laid down: 11 March 1912 Launched: 28 March 1914 Commissioned: 18 November 1915 Struck: 31 August 1945 Fate: Sunk 25 October 1944

The two Fuso class battleships served the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. The battleships were designed before the First World War. Their 14-inch (356 mm) main gun turrets were placed in an unorthodox 2-1-1-2 style and with a funnel separating the middle turret placement. This placement was not entirely successful.

Between the wars, Fusô and Yamashiro received major modifications, in common with all of the Japanese battleships in service. The improvements included heavier armour belting over the midships machinery spaces and the addition of a torpedo bulge. The Fuso class also received new boilers which improved their speed substantially.

Fuso was the lead ship of her class of battleship. She was laid down by the Kure Kaigun Kosho on 11 March 1912, launched on 28 March 1914 and completed on 18 November 1915. Fuso took part in no major action during World War I. the Imperial Navy considered the Fuso inadequately protected and too slow to be of any great use at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. Even so, Fuso was active during the Second World War. In the battle of Surigao Strait on 25 October 1944 she was hit by one or two torpedoes and sank shortly thereafter.