japanese cruiser armored cruiser built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships ship built france participated naval battles russo japanese war lightly damaged battle began training cruises saw combat world war formally reclassified training ship exclusively served role disarmed badly damaged american carrier raid subsequently scrapped background design naval expansion plan sino japanese war included armored cruisers addition battleships ordered overseas 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 believing recent introduction tougher krupp cemented armor allow stand line battle revised plan commonly known fleet ships built united_kingdom ships built germany france ensure ammunition compatibility required builders use british guns ships general provided sketch design specifications builder comply builder free build ships saw fit unlike contemporaries designed commerce raiding defend colonies trade routes half sisters intended fleet scouts employed description 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 double hull subdivided watertight compartments 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 carried metric tons long tons short tons coal steam nautical miles speed knots mph armament main armament fleet armored cruisers built caliber inch guns twin gun turrets fore aft superstructure electrically operated turrets capable rotation left right guns elevated depressed turret accommodated shells doors turret floor ship deck allowed electric turret shells shell room deep hull guns manually loaded rate fire rounds minute millimeter gun fired kilogram armor piercing projectiles muzzle velocity meters second range meters secondary armament consisted dozen ordnance company pattern quick firing caliber inch guns guns mounted armored casemates main upper decks mounts upper deck protected gun shields kilogram shells fired muzzle velocity meters second equipped dozen caliber pounder cwt guns pounder guns close range defense torpedo boats gun fired millimeter kilogram projectiles muzzle velocity meters second equipped torpedo tubes water bow submerged tubes broadside type torpedo kilogram range speed settings meters knots mph meters knots mph meters knots mph armor fleet armored cruisers armor scheme minor differences later ships krupp cemented armor waterline belt 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 single transverse armored bulkhead closed forward end central armored citadel barbettes gun turrets casemates millimeters thick sides rear casemates protected millimeters armor deck millimeters thick armor protecting conning tower millimeters thickness construction career contract named region signed october ship laid shipyard february launched june completed july left japan day arrived october captain assumed command start russo japanese war february relieved january captain russo japanese war start russo japanese war assigned 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 early march vice admiral 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 turned starboard increased speed passed ships japanese turned squadrons heading southeast parallel courses quickly turn headed opposing courses 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 engines broke chase replaced line 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 closed meters order finish sunk receive message shortly japanese turned forced repairs japanese ships seriously damaged suffered men wounded battle december armored cruiser ordered patrol prevent blockade runners reaching mid february relieved refitted russian 2nd approached japan having sailed baltic_sea assigned 2nd fleet russians 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 second opened fire 2nd pacific squadron unlike ships division initially engaged battleship inch shell knocked aft right inch gun russian formation disorder 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 course entire battle struck seven large shells inch millimeter shells inflicted minor damage destroying inch pounder gun mounts june armored cruisers assigned command vice admiral capture july subsequent career assigned training squadron april conducted long distance oceanic navigation officer training cadets december april ship accompanied russian protected cruiser training cruise australia southeast_asia overseas training cruises briefly relieved assignment december beginning training cruise north_america hawaii april august ship relieved assignment august reassigned september preparation training cruise lasted april august visited australia southeast_asia month relieved assignment flagship december march august january early dispatched diplomatic mission return body ambassador japan died office ship rejoined training squadron august training cruises years march july cruisers visited australia southeast_asia mediterranean november left training squadron june final years september ship designated 1st class coast defense ship time engines bad shape training ship week later pounder guns removed pounder guns single 3rd year type anti aircraft gun added addition torpedo tubes removed october stationary training ship engineering school refitted included replacement boilers reduced horsepower ihp speed knots mph inch pounder guns removed refit stricken navy list disarmed july badly damaged aircraft united_states navy attacked ship scrapped
Japanese cruiser Azuma