japanese cruiser second class armored cruiser built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships ship built britain participated naval battles russo japanese war ship moderately damaged battle played minor role world war began training cruises naval cadets task end ship continued conduct training home waters pacific war sunk american carrier aircraft attack july wreck refloated scrapped background description naval expansion plan sino japanese war included armored cruisers addition battleships ordered british shipyards japan lacked capability build consideration russian building program caused believe battleships ordered original plan sufficient counter imperial_russian_navy budgetary limitations prevented ordering battleships decided expand number affordable armored cruisers ordered ships revised plan commonly known fleet unlike contemporaries designed commerce raiding defend colonies trade routes half sisters intended fleet scouts employed ship meters long overall meters perpendiculars beam meters average draft meters displaced metric tons long tons normal load metric tons long tons deep load ship metacentric height meters crew consisted officers enlisted men cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving single propeller shaft steam engines provided belleville boilers engines rated total indicated horsepower ship designed speed knots mph reached knots mph sea trials ihp carried long tons coal steam nautical miles speed knots mph main armament fleet armored cruisers inch guns twin gun turrets fore aft superstructure secondary armament consisted ordnance company pattern quick firing inch guns guns mounted armored casemates main upper decks mounts upper deck protected gun shields equipped dozen pounder cwt guns pounder guns close range defense torpedo boats ship equipped submerged torpedo tubes broadside fleet armored cruisers armor scheme minor differences waterline belt krupp cemented armor ran length ship thickness varied millimeters amidships millimeters bow stern height meters meters normally underwater upper belt armor millimeters thick extended upper edge waterline belt main deck extended meters forward rear barbette class oblique armored bulkheads closed ends central armored citadel barbettes gun turrets casemates inches thick sides rear casemates protected millimeters armor deck millimeters thick armor protecting conning tower millimeters thickness construction career contract named eponymous signed july ship laid shipyard november launched march completed march departed japan following day command captain appointed supervise construction bring japan arrived relieved captain july russo japanese war start russo japanese war flagship rear admiral commander 2nd division 2nd fleet participated february vice admiral led combined fleet attack russian ships anchored outside port arthur expected surprise night attack destroyers successful anticipating russians badly disorganized weakened recovered surprise ready attack japanese ships spotted protected cruiser patrolling offshore alerted russians chose attack russian coastal defenses main armament engage ships secondary guns splitting fire proved poor decision japanese inch guns inflicted little damage russian ships concentrated fire japanese ships effect ships sides hit russian casualties numbered japanese suffered roughly killed wounded fact considerably damaged engagement early march tasked reinforced north diversion scouting russian ships area japanese cruisers bombarded harbor defenses march little effect return japan days later ordered escort transports korea join ships blockading port arthur ordered north mid april cover defend attempt command rear admiral break unite units narrowly missed 24th heavy fog japanese proceeded laid minefields arriving 30th division failed intercept russian squadron attacked transports south june heavy rain fog russians sortied june finally able intercept day near light failing spotted russians able darkness ships sortied july headed eastern coast japan act diversion pull japanese forces russian ships passed days later began capturing ships bound japan arrival russians tokyo bay 24th caused naval general staff order sail cape fearing japan reach port arthur days later ordered north tokyo bay 28th general staff finally ordered 30th later day received word ships passed early morning reached august battle august ships port arthur attempted breakout turned battle ordered rendezvous order delayed armored cruisers raise steam sortie evening august dawn reached turned failed ships port arthur squadron miles north island encountered squadron consisted modern armored cruisers squadrons passed night spotting reversed course light japanese ships russian route ordered ships turn northeast spotted japanese followed suit albeit slightly course sides opened fire range meters japanese ships concentrated fire rear ship russian formation hit fairly quickly began fall astern ships turned southeast attempt open range blinded russian gunners rising sun prevented broadside guns bearing japanese turned starboard attempt reach korean coast allow rejoin squadron followed suit turned port opened range squadrons developed engine problems japanese squadron slowed conform best speed firing hit times stern flooding steering compartment steered engines speed continued decrease exposing japanese fire steering jammed port turn attempt ships japanese ship suddenly turn starboard increased speed passed ships japanese turned squadrons heading southeast parallel courses quickly turn headed opposing courses time inch shell struck roof starboard forward upper inch ignited ready use ammunition fire killed wounded knocked inch gun aft addition pounder rendered russians reversed course time attempt support fire fires extinguished minutes later south allowed russian ships north gave route despite turned ordered way turning north maximum speed knots mph time elderly protected cruisers approaching south arrival allowed pursue armored cruisers new arrivals dealt fought running battle russians hour half scoring hits force speed knots mph japanese closed minimum meters opened range meters gunnery officer erroneously informed expended quarters ammunition turned minute rapid fire barrage wish leave thought use remaining ammunition time sunk sunk receive message shortly japanese turned forced repairs seriously damaged japanese ship suffered total killed wounded mid september transferred 1st division early december cruiser sent home refit mid february guarding remained mid april russian 2nd approached japan having sailed baltic_sea spotted patrolling japanese ships early morning visibility limited radio reception poor preliminary reports cause order ships sea 2nd division spotted russian ships command vice admiral closed range meters fire join battleships flagship rear admiral 2nd division opened fire 2nd pacific squadron like ships division engaged battleship forced fall formation sank minutes later cruiser fired battleship protected cruiser attempted torpedo attack driven fire armored cruisers battleship suddenly appeared mist range meters ships engaged minutes armored cruiser firing torpedoes russian ship effect led division fruitless pursuit russian cruisers leaving battleships devices abandoned chase turned northwards rejoin ships spotted rear russian opened fire range closed meters known effect russians ceased fire rejoined night falling surviving russian ships spotted morning japanese ships opened fire staying range russian ships effectively reply rear admiral decided surrender ships return fire close range meantime coast defense ship admiral fallen ships spotted protected cruiser early morning japanese intent locating main body russian fleet attacking single isolated ship admiral spotted surrender received permission pursue caught russian ship demanded surrender admiral attempted close range bring japanese cruisers range guns fast range open russian ship hit half hour admiral listing heavily guns elevate bear commander ordered crew abandon ship charges detonated ship sank minutes officers crewmen rescued japanese fired inch shells engagement struck times course entire battle including hits burst water alongside lightly damaged hits caused compartments lower deck flood hits inch inch inch unidentified shells preparing invade early july reduced tasked defend escorted troops amphibious landing northeastern korea mid august division covered landing closer russian border war briefly commanded captain february november relieved captain subsequent service ship participated early stages battle returning october following month assigned south seas squadron based fiji later september assigned training squadron conducted long distance oceanic navigation officer training cadets began training cruises april visited australia southeast_asia returning home august ship relieved assignment month rejoined training squadron year later preparation training cruise departed march bound central_america hawaii returned july years later ship began training cruise august visiting south_america returning april september designated 1st class coast defense ship june accompanied began world took hawaii los_angeles california panama canal rio_de_janeiro cadets viewed commemorating brazilian independence ships visited buenos_aires argentina heading home indian_ocean arrived february pounder guns removed pounder guns single 3rd year type anti aircraft gun added refitted torpedo tubes removed main deck inch guns casemates carried pounders 3rd year type guns addition boilers replaced yarrow boilers output ihp reduced speed knots mph carried metric tons long tons coal metric tons long tons fuel oil crew numbered officers enlisted men ship continued training cruises usually year intervals rest decade took mediterranean_sea places cadets cruise december ship escorted emperor imperial fleet review training annual events exception ceased end assigned 12th squadron february despite age briefly classified 1st class cruiser july reclassified training ship march attacked american carrier aircraft killing failed inflict significant damage shortly inch guns replaced type dual purpose guns twin mounts remaining inch guns removed light anti aircraft armament significantly reinforced addition license built hotchkiss millimeter type light guns triple twin single gun mounts millimeter hotchkiss machine guns single mounts ship bombed american aerial attack july hit bombs near misses sprang ship resulting flooding caused sink shallow water coordinates following day removed navy list november hulk raised scrapped
Japanese cruiser Iwate