japanese cruiser armored cruiser built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships ship built germany participated naval battles russo japanese war lightly damaged battle yellow sea battle saw combat world war began training cruises officially reclassified training ship training cruise ship continued conduct training home waters pacific war transport war broken 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 reached knots mph sea trials ihp 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 ship carried total inch shells 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 kilograms shells fired muzzle velocity meters second guns provided rounds 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 named stanza poem japanese mythology ordered september laid year later stettin germany ship launched july completed june departed stettin days later arrived japan august 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 hit engagement hit protected cruiser time inch shell 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 transferred june ship flagship sortied abortive attempt reach new squadron commander rear admiral ordered squadron return port arthur encountered japanese shortly sunset wish engage numerically superior opponents night battle battle morning august cruisers nautical miles south 1st division russians sortied port arthur attempt reach early stages battle attempted engage russian cruisers trailing battleships accordance standing orders rebuffed fire battleships closed russians later afternoon attempt attack russian cruisers inch shell struck amidships killing wounding range time exceeded nautical miles range gun squadron ordered ships meters damaged russian battleship opened fire continued close russian squadron thrown confusion death followed ships russian ships firing russian cruisers little effect ordered attack russian destroyers cancelled order turned south pursuit russian cruisers fleeing south attempt intercept reached isolated destroyers torpedo boats russian ships engaged japanese cruisers reach small ships broke pursuit light fading continued south eastwards overnight spotted cruiser destroyers unable catch august ordered confirm germans interned battleship destroyers taken shelter battle return reassigned blockade port arthur mid september transferred defending began refit end month ship returned november transferred flag december ship attempted rescue survivors struck found living sent refit days later february ship ordered join rear admiral blockading lasted weeks ordered final refit mid february anticipated battle russian ships sent 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 fourth opened fire 2nd pacific squadron like ships division engaged battleship forced fall formation sank minutes later time russian formation disorder 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 flagship armored cruiser 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 course entire battle struck single inch shell inches size inflicted minor damage june assigned flagship vice admiral commander operation capture island july world war november deployed singapore preparatory searching german commerce ship sunk mission began served flagship december december december february ship began patrolling indian oceans searching german commerce raiders began training cruises april departed north_america hawaii arriving japan august october appointed captain months spent board vessel political appointment qualify flag rank interwar years september designated 1st class coast defense ship primarily training duties long distance oceanic navigation officer training cadets capacity participated 1920s 1930s europe including globe august april company armored cruiser naval cadets participated cruise princes pounder guns removed pounder guns single 3rd year type anti aircraft gun added addition torpedo tubes removed years later boilers replaced yarrow boilers battleship reduced power ihp maximum speed knots mph boilers mix coal fuel oil ship carried total metric tons long tons coal metric tons long tons oil visit land marines january quell riot japanese residents following year ship reclassified training ship november islands accidental explosion magazine killed crewmen flooded food locker repairs underway arrived home weeks later month return december captain assumed command took command battleship year training cruise ended november world war start pacific war reclassified 1st class cruiser july inch guns replaced type dual purpose guns twin mounts addition light anti aircraft armament augmented remained confines war assigned training duties combat operations stricken navy list october began service transport december mission return troops civilians home islands japan overseas possessions primarily taiwan mainland china completed voyage june total people arrived shipyard july begin demolition lasted april
Japanese cruiser Yakumo