比叡は金剛型戦艦の2番艦で、イギリスのヴィッカース社で建造された1番艦金剛の技術を導入し、横須賀工廠で建造されました。本艦は初の国産超ド級巡洋戦艦として竣工し、後に改造により戦艦となりました。第一次世界大戦後ロンドン海軍軍縮条約により練習艦となり、観艦式などで昭和天皇の御召艦となる栄誉も受けました。 軍縮条約失効後の改装時に大和型戦艦のテスト艦として新技術が導入され、他の姉妹艦とは異なる外観的特徴を持つことになったのは有名です。大東亜戦争では、南雲機動部隊構成艦として行動。昭和17（1942）年11月12日、第三次ソロモン海戦第1夜戦で損害を受け、日中の空襲により自沈。大東亜戦争で帝国海軍が初めて喪失した戦艦になりました。
本作品は、南雲機動部隊が長躯セイロン島襲撃に向かう途中のワンシーンをイメージしたものです。スマトラ島南方洋上で横陣から一斉に面舵を取り単縦陣に展開中の金剛型4隻の有名な写真を参考に、異なる艦隊行動の様子を描きました。絵では、単縦陣から更に取舵を取り、比叡と金剛を先頭にした複縦陣を形成中の様子です。比叡に後続するのは霧島。殿で金剛に後続するのは榛名です。比叡と並ぶように航行する金剛が、比叡と発光信号でやり取りをしています。
Battleship HIJMS Hiei
“Poseidon’s swift horse -Battleship HIJMS Hiei 1942-”
Hiei was the second ship of the Kongo class, she was built at Yokosuka Arsenal with technology gained from the construction of the first ship, Kongo, the Vickers Yard in Great Britain. She was the first large Dreadnought type battle cruiser built in Japan, after refitting she was classed as a battleship. Due to the stipulations of the post WWI London Naval treaty she became a training ship, and in a Naval review she had the honor off serving as the personal vessel of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Showa. After the expiration of the disarmament treaty, she was modified and used to test new technology for use in the Yamato class, she was famous for having a different appearance than her sisters in her class. In the Greater East Asian War (Pacific War) she was part of Admiral Nagumo’s Mobile Strike Force. On Showa 17 (1942) November 12th, in the 3rd battle of the Solomons, she was damaged in the night battle, the next she was sunk in an air attack. She became the first battleship to be lost in The Great Pacific war by the Imperial Navy.
This drawing shows her as part of Admiral Nagumo’s attack on Sri Lanka, (then Ceylon) with the Mobile Strike Force. Passing Sumatra Island to the south, the four Kongo class ships are shown with island off to starboard, an unusual formation. In the drawing, drawn from the port side, Hiei and Kongo are leading double columns. After Hiei is the Kirishima. And the Haruna is following Kongo. Steaming abreast of each other, Kongo and Hiei are exchanging light signals.
