The ''Kongō''-class Battlecruisers (金剛型巡洋戦艦) were built before World War I. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, the lead ship of the class was the last Japanese capital ship constructed outside Japan, by Vickers. The design of the Kongō-class battlecruisers came about as a result of the IJN's modernization programs, as well as the perceived need to compete with the British Royal Navy. | The ''Kongō''-class Battlecruisers (金剛型巡洋戦艦) were built before World War I. Designed by British naval architect George Thurston, the lead ship of the class was the last Japanese capital ship constructed outside Japan, by Vickers. The design of the Kongō-class battlecruisers came about as a result of the IJN's modernization programs, as well as the perceived need to compete with the British Royal Navy. |