class battleship class ship class pre dreadnought battleships built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships designed built ships participated russo japanese war including second day war sank striking mines port arthur fought battles lightly damaged action shells prematurely exploded barrels main guns battle ship reclassified coast defence ship served training ship rest career disarmed finally broken scrap design description combat experience sino japanese war convinced imperial_japanese_navy weaknesses naval philosophy japan embarked program expand fleet earlier class battleships japan lacked technology capability construct battleships turned united_kingdom ordered year naval expansion programme paid paid china losing sino japanese war design class modified improved version majestic class battleships royal_navy armament similar machinery class intended allow work group class ships overall length feet beam feet normal draught feet displaced long tons normal load hull double subdivided watertight compartments crew numbered officers enlisted men increased serving flagship propulsion ships powered vertical triple expansion steam engines driving propeller steam generated belleville boilers engines rated indicated horsepower forced draught designed reach speed knots mph proved faster sea trials reached speed knots mph indicated horsepower ships carried maximum tonnes long tons coal allowed steam nautical miles speed knots mph armament main battery class consisted ordnance company calibre inch guns class mounted twin gun barbettes fore aft superstructure armoured protect guns usually called gun turrets powered loaded angles traverse guns loaded fixed angle fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity secondary armament class consisted fourteen calibre type inch quick firing guns mounted casemates guns positioned main deck ship hull guns placed superstructure fired pound shells muzzle velocity protection torpedo boat attacks provided pounder cwt guns millimetre pounder hotchkiss guns pounders fired inch pound projectiles muzzle velocity ships equipped submerged inch torpedo tubes broadside armour waterline main belt class vessels consisted harvey armour feet high feet inches waterline normal load maximum thickness inches middle feet ship inches inches thick ends ship inch armor ran barbettes feet barbettes inches thick reduced inches level lower deck armour barbette maximum thickness inches roofs inches thick diagonal bulkheads inches thick connected barbettes armor bulkheads inches thick lower deck level casemates protecting secondary armament inches thick flat portion deck armour inches thick inches thick sloped armour belt significantly improved ships protection shell penetrated vertical armour penetrate sloping deck reach machinery compartments magazines outside central armoured citadel sloped deck thickness inches forward conning tower protected inches armour aft conning tower inches armour ships start russo japanese war assigned 1st division 1st fleet participated february admiral led 1st fleet attack russian ships anchored outside port arthur chose attack russian coastal defences main armament engage russian ships secondary guns splitting fire proved bad idea japanese inch inch guns inflicted little damage russian ships concentrated fire japanese ships effect hit twice battle men killed wounded hit men wounded ships participated action april successfully lured battleships russians spotted battleships 1st division turned port arthur battleship struck minefield laid japanese previous night sank minutes magazines exploded success resumed long range bombardment missions prompted russians lay minefields battleship protected cruiser dispatch boat sea relieve japanese blockading force port arthur following morning squadron encountered newly laid russian minefield struck disabled steering struck moving assist struck drifting half hour later detonated magazines ship sank little minute claimed crewmen escorting ships able rescue men hit battle yellow sea august shell exploded prematurely inch guns hit times penetrated beneath inch gun killing wounding entire gun crew ship inch shell prematurely detonate forward guns completely reclassified class coast defence ship september training duties capacities disarmed reclassified transport hulk continued training ship scrapped
Shikishima-class battleship