USS Constitution (CC-1)

* 1914
* 1944

The ***USS Constitution (CC-1)*** was a *Constitution*-class battlecruiser originally ordered as the lead ship of the *Kongō*-class, IJN *Kongō*. However, delays in her construction led to the Japanese canceling their order, upon which she would be purchased by the United States as a type of legal espionage. She would see no action during World War I, only being a member of the fleet interning the German fleet at Scapa Flow during the waning days of the war. During the 1930s, she would receive an extensive six year long rebuild from 1934-1940, which removed many of her British systems and replaced them with their American counterparts. Prior to American involvement in World War II, she would be transferred to the Pacific Fleet. She would not be at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack, which allowed her to act as a carrier escort in 1942. She would see heavy action during the war, until ultimately being decommissioned and used as a target ship during Operation: Crossroads.

## Construction to Late 1930s

**Construction**

Originally laid down as *Kongō* for the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Japanese would cancel the order for the vessel due to delays in construction because of worker strikes. During an inspection of British shipyards, then Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt would call upon the workers to continue their work for twice their previous pay. The ship would be completed two months ahead of the revised schedule with the newly named *USS Constitution* being commissioned on August 14, 1914.

**World War I**

*Constitution* would not see any combat during World War I, due to the late entry of the United States into the conflict. She would be among the internment fleet at Scapa Flow during the surrender of Imperial Germany. She would then go on several port visits to allied nations across Europe.

**Inter-War Years**

Due to the Great Depression and her large amount of British systems, Constitution condition would heavily degrade during late 1920s and early 1930s. In 1934, she would begin a six year long reconstruction which involved replacing her power plant and weapons with their American counterparts, including replacing the 14-inch/45 calibre barrels with 14-inch/50 calibre to increase shell velocity and replacing her entire secondary battery with eight twin 5-inch/38 calibre mounts, along with a completely rebuilt superstructure and torpedo bulges to both add extra underwater protection and balance out for the added top weight. She would also be among one of the first American ships equipped with radar.

This refit would finally be completed in September of 1940. After which she would be immediately deployed to the Pacific fleet to provide a deterrent against Japanese aggression.

## World War II

*Constitution* was at sea when the Pacific War began on December 7, 1941, escorting *USS Lexington* whom was ferrying fighter aircraft to Midway Island. After the attack on Pearl Harbor this mission was canceled and she returned to Pearl. She would escort the *Lexington* and the carrier *USS Yorktown* up to the Battle of the Coral Sea where *Lexington* would be sunk and *Yorktown* severely damaged.

During the Battle of Midway, she would sortie as a member of Task Force 16, which included the carriers *USS Enterprise* and *USS Hornet*. While the battle would end in a decisive American victory, Constitution would not see any action as TF16 was not discovered by the Japanese force.

She would later participate in the Guadalcanal Campaign, where she would once again escort *Enterprise* and *Hornet* during the Battle of Santa Cruz. After *Hornet* was disabled by several bomb hits, *Constitution* attempted to tow the crippled carrier to a friendly port, but was prevented by another wave of B5N Kate torpedo bombers attacking the force, one of which hit managed to hit Hornet destroying the ships electrical system, while another accidentally snapped the tow line connecting the vessels. She switched to escorting the also damaged *Enterprise* back to port while US destroyers attempted to finish *Hornet* off, though the carrier would only be finished off later by a Japanese surface group.

Later on, after several crippling engagements with the Japanese fleet left the US Navy with very little undamaged vessels, *Constitution*, along with the battleships *USS Washington* and *USS South Dakota* and four destroyers were sent to protect Henderson field on Guadalcanal. During the late hours of November 14, they would encounter Admiral Kondo’s force of Constitution’s sister ship *Kirishima*, two heavy cruisers, two light cruisers and nine destroyers. While three US destroyers would be sunk and another damaged, as well as *South Dakota* being targeted by the entire Japanese force after being silhouetted by the sinking destroyers fires whilst suffering an electrical failure, *Washington* and *Constitution* would remain undetected. They would engage *Kirishima* at a range of only 9,000 yards, quickly setting the ship aflame and disabling her rudder and her main battery. She would capsize the next morning. Though the Japanese destroyers would launch torpedos in retaliation, all would miss with all four remaining American ships vacating the area in order to lure the their enemy away from Henderson Field. Believing that the way was clear for the transport convoy he was clearing the area for to proceed to Guadalcanal, Kondo ordered his remaining ships to break contact and retire from the area at about 01:04 on the 15th, which most of the Japanese warships complied with by 01:30 in the morning.

Months later on January 29, *Constitution* would being acting as an escort once again to *Enterprise* when a force of over thirty Japanese bombers attacked the force. While many would be shot down, two would manage to hit the heavy cruiser *USS Chicago* with two torpedoes disabling the ship. By the next day, *Constitution* had been quickly hooked in to tow the disabled cruiser, successfully managing to get her out of the battle area despite another wave of twenty-two attacking bombers with her speed and anti-air armament, alongside a Combat Air Patrol by the *Enterprise*, being considered the most contributing factors to the survival of the *Chicago*. However as the engagement was ending, one Japanese plane would smash into *Constitution’s* bridge killing several of its command crew, including Admiral Callaghan. He would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his valiant defense of the *Chicago*.

After Guadalcanal, with several newer battleships and aircraft carriers entering the theatre, *Constitution* was recalled to the United States to receive a major refit and overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where she would arrive on February 17, 1943. This refit would replace her 1.1 inch mounts with a large number of 40mm and 20mm anti-aircraft guns and enhance her radar. The refit would be completed on July 18, after which she would be deployed to Task Group 58, which consisted of several fleet carriers and battleships.

She would assist in the bombardment of serval Japanese held islands across the Pacific including Tarawa, Truk, and Saipan. After receiving another small refit in early 1944, she was deployed to assist in the upcoming Battle of the Philippine Sea. During the battle, she would claim 14 aircraft shot down, and another 5 damaged.

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf in late October, she would be deployed alongside TF 34 in pursuit of Japanese carriers used as decoys for a large surface force approaching the Surigao and San Bernardino Straits. While the ships would turn around as quickly as possible to assist, it would be for not as the forces of Taffy 3 had already beaten off the Japanese force during the Battle off Samar, and the TF 34’s battleships would not be able to cut off the enemy force.

In February of 1945, she would assist in the bombardment of Iwo Jima, though Marine casualties would still be rather extensive given the bombardments early cancellation. During the battle whilst escorting *USS Saratoga*, her massive anti-aircraft battery would prove essential in forcing a kamikaze to crash away from the *Saratoga* potentially saving the ship from catastrophe. She would also later assist in the bombardment of Okinawa alongside almost twenty battleships and two dozen aircraft carriers. On May 14, while escorting the *USS Enterprise*, a kamikaze attempted to strike the fleet. While originally intending to hit the carrier she was escorting, the kamikaze was forced to divert via *Constitution’s* enormous outpouring of flak, instead crashing into her second starboard 5/38 mount, knocking it out of action, though the ship herself would remain combat effective.

On July 28th, *Constitution* would be detached from the Fast Carrier Force alongside a pair of destroyers to undergo a small repair of damage in the Philippines. Along the way on July 31st, she would retrieve the over 900 survivors of the *USS Indianapolis*, which had been torpedoed by a Japanese submarine the previous day. She would rejoin the Carrier Force on August 11th.

*Constitution* would later be present during Surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, and would later participate in Operation Magic Carpet. Deemed surplus with several modern fast battleships now in the US inventory, She would be decommissioned on January 12, 1946. She would be one of five remaining Allied battlecruisers, alongside USS Constellation*HMS Repulse*, *HMS Renown* and *HMS Hood* to survive World War II.

## Post-Decommissioning

*Constitution* would later serve as a target during Operation: Crossroads nuclear tests, whilst renamed *USS New Ironsides*, as to not disgrace her previous name with a nuclear test. Placed near the carrier Saratoga, she would survive the first air burst test, Able, but would be sunk by the second underwater test, Baker.

**Legacy**

*Constitution* would be remembered as the first and most decorated battlecruiser of the United States Navy, with her wreck remaining a popular diving location after radiation levels subsided. Her name would be continued by the later *Repulse*-class battlecruiser, *TSS Constitution (CC-2)* of the Terran Systems Alliance Navy during the late Clone Wars.

## Trivia

* Based on the Kantai Collection fanfiction New Ironsides by Sheo Darren on Sufficentvelocity.com. Used with permission.

## Appearances

* *The Greatest Generation* (first appearance)
* *Return of the Relic*
* *Book Two: Deception and Darkness*  (mentioned)