 Two advanced versions of the class were planned , but the final design differed so markedly from Fusō 's that they became the Ise class . When she was completed in 1915 , Fusō was considered the first modern battleship of the Japanese Navy . She outclassed her American counterparts of the New York class in firepower and speed , and was considered the " most powerfully armed battleship in the world " . Despite extensive modernization in the 1930s , both battleships were considered obsolescent by the commencement of World War II . Following the loss of much of Japan 's aircraft carrier fleet by 1943 , a proposal was floated that would have converted both vessels into hybrid battleship @-@ carriers . Work was scheduled to commence in June 1943 , but the plan was cancelled and the two Ise @-@ class battleships were converted instead . 
