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Japanese Battleship Yashima: Jump To Navigation Jump To Search
History
Empire of Japan
Name: Yashima
Namesake: Japan
Cost: ¥10,500,000
General characteristics
13,500 ihp (10,100 kW)
Installed power:
10 cylindrical boilers
Complement: 650
Contents
Right elevation and plan showing the internal layout of the ship
The two Fuji-class ships were the IJN's first battleships, ordered from Britain in
response to two new German-built Chinese ironclad warships.[1] At this time, Japan
lacked the technology and capability to construct its own battleships and they had to be
built abroad.[2] The ships were designed by Philip Watts[3] as smaller versions of the
British Royal Sovereign class, although they were slightly faster and had a better type of
armour.[1] The ships were 412 feet (125.6 m) long overall and had a beam of 73 feet
6 inches (22.4 m) and a draught of 26 feet 3 inches (8 m) at deep load. They
normally displaced 12,230 long tons (12,430 t) and had a crew of 650 officers
and ratings.[4] Unlike her sister ship Fuji, Yashima was fitted as an admiral's flagship.
[5]
The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving
one shaft, using steam generated by ten cylindrical boilers. The engines were rated at
13,500 indicated horsepower (10,100 kW) using forced draught and were designed to
reach a top speed of 18.25 knots (34 km/h; 21 mph), though Yashima reached a top
speed of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) from 14,075 ihp (10,496 kW) on her sea
trials.[6] The sisters carried enough coal to allow them to steam for 4,000 nautical
miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[7][Note 1]
The main battery of the Fuji-class ships consisted of four 12-inch (305 mm)
guns mounted in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure.
Their secondary armament consisted of ten quick-firing (QF) 6-inch (152 mm) guns, four
mounted in casemates on the sides of the hull and six mounted on the upper deck,
protected by gun shields.[9] Smaller guns were carried for defence against torpedo boats.
These included fourteen QF 3-pounder (47-millimetre (1.9 in)) guns and ten 2.5-
pounder Hotchkiss guns of the same calibre, all of which were in single mounts. [Note 2] The
ships were also armed with five 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes, one above water in
the bow and a submerged pair on each broadside. The Fuji class had
a waterline armour belt that consisted of Harvey armour 14–18 inches (356–457 mm)
thick. Their gun turrets were protected by 6-inch armour plates and their decks were 2.5
inches (64 mm) thick.[4] In 1901, the ships exchanged 16 of their 47 mm guns for an
equal number of QF 12-pounder (3 in (76 mm)) 12 cwt guns.[Note 3] This raised the number
of crewmen to 652 and later to 741.[7]
Given a classical name for Japan,[13] Yashima was ordered as part of the 1894 Naval
Programme and the ship was laid down by Armstrong Whitworth at
their Elswick shipyard on 6 December 1894 as yard number 625. The ship
was launched on 28 February 1896[14] and completed on 9 September 1897, [15] at a total
cost of ¥10,500,000.[16] She conducted her sea trials during the following month.
[14]
Yashima departed the UK on 15 September and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on 30
November. She was initially assigned to the Standing Fleet, the IJN's primary combat
fleet, but was reduced to reserve on 20 November. The ship was reclassified as a first-
class battleship on 21 March 1898 and reassigned to the Standing Fleet. Two years
later, Yashima was again placed in reserve where she remained until reactivated on 28
December 1903 and assigned to the 1st Division of the 1st Fleet of the Combined Fleet.
[16]
Yashima
Notes[edit]
1. ^ Lengerer gives a coal storage figure of 1,110 long tons (1,130 t) that gave them a range of
7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 10 knots.[8]
2. ^ Sources differ significantly on the exact outfit of light guns. Naval historians Roger
Chesneau and Eugene Kolesnik and Hans Lengerer cite twenty 3- and four 2.5-pounders. [10]
[11]
Jentschura, Jung & Mickel give a total of twenty-four 47 mm guns, without dividing them between
the 3 and 2.5-pounders,[7] while Silverstone says that they had only twenty 47 mm guns, again without
discriminating between the two types.[12]
3. ^ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 12 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.
Footnotes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Lengerer 2008, pp. 23, 27
2. ^ Evans & Peattie, p. 60
3. ^ Heald, p. 208
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Brook 1999, p. 122
5. ^ Lengerer 2009, p. 51
6. ^ Lengerer 2008, p. 27
7. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 16
8. ^ Lengerer 2008, pp. 11, 23
9. ^ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 221
10. ^ Lengerer 2008, p. 23
11. ^ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 220
12. ^ Silverstone, p. 309
13. ^ Jane, p. 400
14. ^ Jump up to:a b Brook 1985, p. 268
15. ^ Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 17
16. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Lengerer 2008, p. 14
17. ^ Forczyk, pp. 41–44
18. ^ Jump up to:a b Forczyk, p. 44
19. ^ Brook 1985, p. 269
20. ^ Forczyk, pp. 45–46
21. ^ Warner & Warner, p. 279
22. ^ Forczyk, p. 46
23. ^ Warner & Warner, pp. 279–282
24. ^ Warner & Warner, pp. 283, 332
References[edit]
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