| “ | I'm Hiei, Big sister Kongou's sister. I'm looking forward to gaining experience and getting closer to my sister's brilliance. | „ |
| ~ Hiei |
Hiei (比叡?) was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, she was the second launched of four Kongou-class battlecruisers, among the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Laid down in 1911 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Hiei was formally commissioned in 1914. She patrolled off the Chinese coast on several occasions during World War I, and helped with rescue efforts following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
Starting in 1929, Hiei was converted to a gunnery training ship to avoid being scrapped under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. She served as Emperor Hirohito's transport in the mid-1930s. Starting in 1937, she underwent a full-scale reconstruction that completely rebuilt her superstructure, upgraded her powerplant, and equipped her with launch catapults for floatplanes. Now fast enough to accompany Japan's growing fleet of aircraft carriers, she was reclassified as a fast battleship. On the eve of World War II, she sailed as part of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's Combined Fleet, escorting the six carriers that attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.
As part of the Third Battleship Division, Hiei participated in many of the Imperial Japanese Navy's early actions in 1942, providing support for the invasion of the Dutch East Indies as well as the Indian Ocean raid of April 1942. During the Battle of Midway, she sailed in the Invasion Force under Admiral Nobutake Kondō, before being redeployed to the Solomon Islands during the Battle of Guadalcanal. She escorted Japanese carrier forces during the battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz Islands, before sailing as part of a bombardment force under Admiral Kondō during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. On the evening of 13 November 1942, Hiei engaged American cruisers and destroyers alongside her sister ship Kirishima. After inflicting heavy damage on American cruisers and destroyers, Hiei was crippled by enemy vessels. Subjected to continuous air attack, she sank on the evening of 14 November 1942.
She is voiced by Nao Tōyama in the Japanese version, and by Dawn M. Bennett in the English version.
Appearance[]
All of the Kongou-class wear a modified miko uniform with differently colored skirts and thighhighs. They also wear the same signature winged hairband.
Hiei herself has short feathered brown hair and wears a green plaid skirt. She uses a spider-like rig.
Another of a few who has a second remodeling, this new form gives her the same modifications as Kongou, replaces her spider rig with a ship-like rigused by Kongou as well as a shorter haircut.
Personality[]
She idealizes her big sister Kongou and wants to be as strong as her. She usually seen worshipping her big sister. Has poor culinary skills as evidenced with her "Hiei Curry".
Trivia[]
- Hiei is the only one of the Kongou sisters having to have her superstructure mast reconstructed into a similar prototype that might be used on the Yamato class. That might have symbolized her "tough" personality.
- Named from Mount Hiei
- Sunk following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 14, 1942; the first IJN battleship ever to be lost in WWII.
- Received her Kai Ni on 20/11/2013
- Wreck possibly found by Dr. Robert Ballard in 1993. There is discussion whether or not the wreck is her or Kirishima.
- She appeared in the first Kancolle Drama CD, also dubbed One Nao show, along with other characters in a mini skit. She also appeared in the anime with Kongou, Haruna and Kirishima.
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