class cruiser class cruisers pair armored cruisers built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships vessels built britain fleet expansion program began defeat china sino japanese war sister ships participated main naval battles russo japanese war battle played minor role world war training ship remained role rest career sister training 1920s flagship forces china involved year second sino japanese war began years later ship early stages philippines campaign pacific war struck end joined sister training ship home waters ships sunk series american air attacks naval base july refloated war scrapped background design japan initiated naval expansion plan sino japanese war plan included armored cruisers battleships ordered foreign 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 ships purchased paid china losing sino japanese war unlike contemporaries designed commerce raiding defend colonies trade routes class intended fleet scouts employed construction class ships awarded british shipyard built earlier class armored cruisers fleet designed sir took advantage rapidly advancing boiler technology substitute lighter belleville boilers lieu cylindrical boilers earlier ships weight saved increase thickness protective deck improve hull structure increased number boilers required extra funnel primary means distinguishing classes description class ships meters long overall meters perpendiculars beam meters average draft meters ships displaced metric tons long tons normal load metric tons long tons deep load metacentric heights meters crew consisted officers enlisted men ships cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving single propeller shaft steam engines provided belleville boilers engines rated total indicated horsepower sisters designed speed knots mph exceeded knot mph sea trials ihp carried long 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 pound armor piercing projectiles muzzle velocity feet second range yards secondary armament consisted fourteen ordnance company pattern quick firing caliber inch guns guns mounted armored casemates main upper decks mounts upper deck protected gun shields pound shells fired muzzle velocity feet second ships equipped dozen caliber pounder cwt guns pounder guns close range defense torpedo boats gun fired inch pound projectiles muzzle velocity feet second class ships equipped submerged inch torpedo tubes broadside type torpedo kilogram range speed settings yards knots mph yards knots mph yards knots mph protection fleet armored cruisers armor scheme minor differences later ships krupp cemented armor waterline belt ran length ships thickness varied inches amidships inches bow stern belt covered middle ship length feet inches height feet inches feet inches feet inches normally underwater upper belt armor inches thick extended upper edge waterline belt main deck extended feet inches feet inches forward rear barbette class oblique inch armored bulkhead 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 ships watertight compartments double additional upper deck ships service russo japanese war sisters spent russo japanese war 2nd division 2nd fleet divisional commander rear admiral fleet commander vice admiral participated february vice admiral led combined fleet attack russian ships anchored outside port arthur expected earlier surprise night attack destroyers successful anticipating russians badly disorganized weakened recovered surprise ready attack moderately damaged russians slightly april division tasked contain russian armored cruisers based failed august tried rendezvous ships attempted breakout port arthur unbeknownst russians defeated ships port arthur battle august russian squadron intercepted korea steering russian cruiser damaged early battle russians attempts prevent japanese concentrating fire ultimately forced abandon fate left tender reinforcements pursued remaining russian ships time breaking pursuit prematurely based incorrect report expended ammunition ship hit times suffered fewer men killed wounded contrast hit far fewer times started major ammunition fire killed wounded dozens men battle sisters refitted assigned different units escorting troop convoys northern korea providing cover minefield laid blockading russian ships approached japan russian 2nd spotted morning ordered ships sea rejoined 2nd division anticipation battle ships confirmed initial spotting later morning joining battleships japanese battleships division opened fire russian battleship forced fall formation sank minutes later failed torpedo attack repulsed cruisers time russian battleship suddenly appeared mist short range ships engaged minutes disappeared later day led division fruitless pursuit russian cruisers abandoned chase encountered russian half hour later stayed long range ships fired fire surviving russian ships spotted morning japanese ships opened fire stayed range russian ships effectively reply rear admiral decided surrender ships return fire close range surrender coast defense ship admiral spotted south ships armored cruiser tasked pursue japanese ships demanded russians surrender came range captain refused admiral attempted close range bring japanese cruisers range guns fast range open russian ship hit half hour admiral heavily damaged bear commander ordered crew abandon ship charges detonated struck times battle significantly damaged casualties light battle division covered amphibious landings northeastern korea july august war ended subsequent service ordered patrol west coast mexico safeguard japanese interests nationals mexican revolution japan declared war august tasked search german commerce raiders protect allied shipping western coasts ship assisted armored cruiser early struck rock baja california flagship japanese squadron deployed mediterranean_sea war sailed great_britain control german submarines escorted way japan played minor role war participating sailing search german commerce raiders ship began training cruises naval cadets task end began making training 1920s ships pounder guns removed pounder guns single caliber 3rd year type anti aircraft gun added gun maximum elevation degrees fire inch muzzle velocity maximum height feet refitted torpedo tubes removed main deck inch guns casemates carried pounders time boilers replaced water tube boilers new boilers produced steam limited engine power ihp reduced speed knots mph china service world war flagship newly established garrisoned japanese occupied china years later equipped operate naval arsenal second sino japanese war ship participated provided naval gunfire support japanese troops ashore shanghai beginning pacific war december captured american river uss wake assisted sinking british river hms december cruiser struck supporting japanese forces period serving training ship home waters sisters briefly classified 1st class cruisers july training ships returned japan late year joined sister training naval cadets early sisters rearmed inch guns replaced type dual purpose guns twin mounts remaining inch guns removed firing surface targets type gun range yards maximum ceiling feet elevation degrees maximum rate fire rounds minute sustained rate fire rounds minute light anti aircraft armament significantly reinforced addition license built hotchkiss millimeter type light guns single double triple mounts millimeter hotchkiss machine guns single mounts weapon standard japanese light anti aircraft gun world war suffered severe design shortcomings rendered largely ineffective weapon twin triple mounts lacked sufficient speed train elevation gun sights unable handle fast targets gun exhibited excessive vibration magazine small finally gun produced excessive muzzle blast weapon maximum range feet effective range feet sisters attacked hit american aerial attack july near misses caused extensive flooding ships sank shallow water july capsized days later ships removed navy list november raised scrapped
Izumo-class cruiser