While the previous Kurama class were still under construction the Japanese spies in England (oops I meant Naval Attaches) found out about the Invincible lie. They were not to be armed with 9.2" guns but 12". With 9.2" the Japanese had felt that the Kurama type would have been superior with their 12" and 8" armament. A ship with 8x12" would seriously outclass the two Japanese ships who laid down one ship with the same armament and started the production process that produced the four Kongo class ships.
1914 and the Taiheiyou is flagship of the First Battlecruiser Squadron, with the two Kurama and Ikoma class semi-dreadnought cruisers, they spend the first months of the war trying to intercept the German Pacific cruiser squadron. But Admiral von Spee eludes them and is caught at the Falkland Islands by Admiral Doveton-Sturdee's battlecruisers. That was the highlight of Taiheiyou's war. The rest of 1914 was spent visiting all of the German Pacific Islands to ensure they surrendered to the Allies. 1916 and four 3" AA guns were fitted, and that was about it till 1922.
1922 was the Washington Treaty. Japan felt slighted by being capped at 60% of the US and British Fleet numbers. It also meant that the 12" Japanese ships would not be able to be retained as front line units. This would affect about a dozen ships. Some would have to be scrapped, others would be retained as training ships and Area Defence Vessels. Two were converted to aircraft carriers. Taiheiyou was one of those two, Settsu was the other. It had the right size, lines and speed to become an aircraft carrier. The ship was retained till 1927 as a battlecruiser and was taken in hand for conversion on the completion of Akagi and Kaga (Kii Class in my Japan). Lessons had been learnt with the building and operation of the first Japanese carriers and these lessons were applied to the Taiheiyou.
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That turned out very nicely. Surprising what you can end up with when you have quality drawings to work with. While these drawings may not be strictly 'cruiser' material, some of those bigger 8" cruisers in here are at least as big, if not bigger. Had to put it somewhere.
The Taiheiyou alternated with the Hosho as training carrier and working with the Fleet. It was unlucky for the Taiheiyou to be working around the Solomon Islands when the ship was attacked and sunk by aircraft from the 3rd Fleet.
