japanese cruiser lead ship class armored cruisers built imperial_japanese_navy late 1890s japan lacked industrial capacity build warships ship built britain served flagship participated naval battles russo japanese war ship lightly damaged battle ordered protect japanese citizens interests mexican revolution world war began 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 ship spent 1920s training ship naval cadets flagship china forces participated years later damaged despite repeated aerial attacks ship played minor role pacific war supporting japanese forces philippines campaign struck returned japan training ship naval cadets 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 province signed september ship laid shipyard launched september completed september departed japan october command captain appointed supervise construction bring japan september arrived december confirmed command russo japanese war start russo japanese war command captain flagship vice admiral commander 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 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 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 japanese ships seriously damaged despite receiving hits suffered men killed wounded battle began repairs naval arsenal mid september january hoisted flag escorted troop convoys february april 2nd division including armored cruisers sailed escort laid mines 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 leading opened fire 2nd pacific squadron like ships division engaged battleship forced fall formation sank minutes later time 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 battle struck large shells inch smaller shells inch caused minor damage inch shell pierced boiler disabled middle boilers detonated shells killed men wounded preparing invade early july reduced tasked defend escorted troops amphibious landing northeastern korea mid august division covered landing closer russian border september command captain departed united_states participate festival san_francisco city wide fair held october mark anniversary expedition recorded spanish european land entry exploration present day california world san_francisco recovered devastating earthquake lieutenant assigned ship visit port calls hawaii san_diego route november ordered patrol west coast mexico safeguard japanese interests nationals mexican revolution world war japan declared war august mexican coast ordered protect allied shipping search german commerce raiders november ship san_francisco ordered join british task force commanded admiral sir included battlecruiser australia light cruiser newcastle german sms interned americans november russian battleship patrolling honolulu hawaii prevent german ship leaving ships baja california november squadron commanded headed south search western coast south_america german ships december receiving news british victory squadron moved north search western coast central_america mexican waters january searching baja california badly damaged struck rock january delayed poor communications arrived february repair salvage ships sent japan relieved march ship returned home relieved protected cruiser june malta flagship commander controlled japanese destroyers escorted convoys mediterranean_sea december accompanied destroyers sailed malta scapa_flow assume control seven captured german boats prizes war returned malta boats march armored cruiser accompanied destroyers boats japan port calls naples genoa arriving japan remaining destroyers july interwar years participated naval review emperor designated 1st class coast defense ship september primarily training duties long distance oceanic navigation officer training cadets capacity participated 1920s 1930s europe oceania including globe august april naval cadets participated cruise princes vancouver british_columbia february cruises collided ship boats night drowning crewmen pounder guns removed pounder guns single 3rd year type anti aircraft gun added refitted torpedo tubes removed main deck inch guns casemates carried pounders boilers replaced water tube boilers output ihp reduced speed knots mph carried metric tons long tons coal metric tons long tons fuel oil increased deep displacement metric tons long tons china service world war february flagship newly established admiral arrived shanghai days later equipped operate naval arsenal shortly beginning second sino japanese war july attacked august series raids aircraft bombs landed river effect bombs landed spectators killing hundreds light cruiser managed air claimed shot fighter gamma bomber days later claimed shot hawk attacked day chinese torpedo boat torpedoes missed boat abandoned crew ship provided naval gunfire support japanese troops ashore battle repeatedly attacked effect chinese aircraft duration shanghai beginning pacific war december captured american river uss wake assisted sinking british river hms december cruiser struck supporting japanese forces towed hong_kong february repairs classified 1st class cruiser july returned japan late reclassified training ship naval district march attacked american carrier aircraft failed inflict 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 damaged american april hiroshima attacked day american aerial attack july near missed times days later sprang ship resulting flooding caused coordinates removed navy list november hulk raised scrapped
Japanese cruiser Izumo