朝日は、敷島型戦艦の2番艦。明治33（1900）年7月31日にイギリスのクライド・バンクのジョン・ブラウン社で竣工しました。日露戦争では主力艦として、黄海海戦や日本海海戦に参加しました。大正10（1921）年に海防艦に類別変更。大正12（1923）年、ワシントン海軍軍縮条約に伴い練習特務艦となり、その後、潜水艦救難艦に改造されました。大東亜戦争には工作艦として参加。昭和17（1942）年5月26日、シンガポールから日本本土へ帰投中にアメリカ軍の潜水艦から魚雷攻撃を受け、沈没しました。
作品は、明治37（1904）年に日本海で哨戒行動中の朝日をイメージして描いたものです。日本初の軍神として崇敬を集めた廣瀬武夫中佐は、日露戦争時に朝日に水雷長として乗組んでおり、杉野兵曹とはこの時に親交を深めました。

First-class Battleship HIJMS Asahi 1904
The Asahi was the second ship of the Shikishima class. She was completed in Meiji 33 (1900) July 31st by John Brown company at Clydebank in Great Britain. She served in the Russo-Japanese war, at the Battle of the Yellow sea and the Battle of Tsushima. In Tasho 10 (1921) she was reclassified as a coast defense ship. In Taisho 12 (1923) with the stipulations of the Washington Naval Treaty she was reclassified as a training ship, and later modified as a submarine rescue ship. During the Greater East Asian War (Pacific War) she served as a repair ship. On Showa 17 (1942) May 26th on her way back to Japan from Singapore, she was torpedoed by an American submarine and sunk.
This work shows her in Meiji 37 (1904) on patrol in the Japan Sea. The first person to be venerated as a War God in Japan, Lieutenant Commander Hirose Takeo, served on her as a torpedo officer, at this time petty officer Sugino was his close friend.

敷島は、イギリスのテムズ鉄工造船所で建造された敷島型戦艦の１番艦です。日露戦争では主力艦として旅順口攻撃、旅順港閉塞作戦、黄海海戦、日本海海戦と主な作戦に参加しました。
旧式化により大正10（1921）年9月1日附で海防艦に類別変更。第一次世界大戦後のワシントン軍縮会議により兵装、装甲の全てを撤去されて練習特務艦となり、佐世保港に繋留されて使用されていました。大東亜戦争終結時は推進器が撤去され、佐世保海兵団所属の練習艦として相ノ浦に無傷で繋留されていました。
作品は、明治38（1905）年5月27日の日本海海戦のワンシーンをイメージしたものです。三笠に続いて回頭中で、後方に続くのは富士。艦首側背景に見えるのは第二艦隊旗艦の出雲です。

First-class Battleship HIJMS Shikishima 1905
The Shikishima was built at Great Britain’s Thames Ironworks and shipbuilding company and was the first ship of the Shikishima class. She participated in the attack on Port Arthur, the attempted harbor mouth blockade of Port Arthur, the Battle of the Yellow Sea and the Battle of Tsushima. Due to her age, on Taisho 10 (1921) September 1st she was reclassified as a coastal defense ship. With stipulations of the post WWI Washington Naval treaty she was disarmed and had her armor removed, and became a training ship at Sasebo. After WWII, her propellers were removed and she was moored as a training ship at Ainoura in Sasebo.
This picture shows one scene from the Meiji 38 (1905) May 27th battle of Tsushima. She is turning after the Mikasa, followed by the Battleship Fuji. Off the bow, the flagship of the 2nd fleet, Izumo is visible.

富士こそ、まさに日本の近代戦艦の先駆けと呼ぶべき存在です。大日本帝国海軍初の本格的な1万ｔ超えの戦艦です。帝国海軍は清の巨艦 定遠、鎮遠に対抗できる戦艦を、当時世界最大の海軍力を誇り、建造技術も世界随一であったイギリスに発注することを計画しました。しかし、艦の購入予算案が高すぎたため、幾度も却下されてしまいました。究極的には、明治天皇が自ら率先して宮中の歳費節約を呼びかけ、そのことに感銘を受けた国会議員たちが各々の歳費を返上したことで、遂に購入にこぎつけることができました。その時発注された2 艦は富士、八島と命名され、いずれも明治30（1897）年に竣工しました。　短命に終わった八島とは対照的に、日露戦争で主力部隊の一翼を担い活躍した富士は、大東亜戦争が終結するまでの48年間にわたり海軍に在籍していました。

First-class Battleship HIJMS Fuji
The Fuji was called a pioneer of modern Japanese battleships. She was the first ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy to exceed 10,000 tons. The Japanese Imperial Navy planned to order two battleships from Great Britain that would be fully capable of taking on the largest Chinese ships of the Qing dynasty’s Navy, the Dingyuan or Zhenyuan, and possess the most modern technology, and fighting power in the world at that time. However due to budgetary constraints, the purchase of two battleships was put off several times. Ultimately, the Meiji Emperor took the initiative to call for reducing the yearly expenses of the Imperial Court. Parliamentarians who were impressed by this action cut back on their expenditures, allowing Japan to finally purchase the two battleships. Two ships of this class, the Fuji and the Yashima, were completed in Meiji 30 (1897). In contrast to Yashima, which had a short career, the Fuji played a major part in the Russo-Japanese War, and was still on the fleet list at the end of the Greater East Asian War (the Pacific War), serving 48 years in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

三笠は、ロシアとの戦争を意識した六六艦隊計画（戦艦6隻、装甲巡洋艦6隻を稼働保有する計画）でイギリスに発注された、当時世界最大かつ最新鋭の戦艦でした。当初より連合艦隊旗艦となることを想定していたため、敷島 型の他の同型艦より防御力は格段に向上していました。
日本海海戦では連合艦隊旗艦として東郷平八郎長官が座乗し、第一艦隊第一戦隊の先頭に立ち、バルチック艦隊と壮絶な砲撃戦を繰り広げました。この時「丁字戦法」でバルチック艦隊を殲滅したことは、有名なエピソードとして国内外に語られています。
武勲艦として知られる一方で、実は3度も着底するという不運に付きまとわれた艦でもありました。関東大震災で罹災後、修復と保存を望む国民の声を受けて、様々な困難を克服し、記念艦となりました。大東亜戦争後の荒廃を乗り越え、再び復元され今に至っています。

First-class Battleship HIJMS Mikasa
The Mikasa was ordered from Great Britain as part of the 6-6 (six battleships, six armored cruisers) plan to prepare for war with Russia, and was the most modern warship in the world at that time. Since it was planned from the beginning to use her as a flagship, her protection was greatly upgraded compared to the Shikishima and other ships. In the Battle of Tsushima, she was the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet with Admiral Togo Heihachiro on board, was the lead ship of the 1st Squadron of the 1st Fleet, and courageously exchanged fire with the Baltic Fleet. It was at this time that Admiral Togo achieved the famous “Crossing the T” maneuver, which resulted in the annihilation of the Baltic Fleet, and which is still renowned today in Japan and overseas. While Mikasa was known as a ship with excellent military service, she had the misfortune to experience sinking or stranding three times.
After the massive destruction and suffering of The Great Kanto Earthquake, people called for her restoration and preservation, and after overcoming various difficulties, the ship was preserved as a memorial. Having survived the destruction of the Greater East Asian War (the Pacific War), she has been restored to her original condition, and is on display to this day.

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.