Japanese battleship Asahi

The nihongo|"Asahi"|朝日(戦艦)| Asahi (senkan) was a pre-dreadnought battleship in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Built at the same time as the "Shikishima"-class battleships, and with virtually identical specifications, it is regarded as the second vessel in that class by a number of authors. However, the "Shikishima"-class vessels had three smokestacks, whereas "Asahi" had only two, thus giving her a distinctive silhouette, and more closely resembled the British Royal Navy's "Formidable"-class battleship. The name "Asahi" means "rising sun", which by extension is a metaphor for Japan.

Construction

"Asahi" was laid down in Glasgow, Scotland by Clydebank Engineering & Shipbuilding Company, and completed by John Brown & Company. Upon her launch, she was the heaviest battleship yet built on the Clyde. Her delivery in 1900 was delayed when the vessel ran aground as she left for Japan. Stores and ammunition were removed, the ship pulled clear, and after an inspection in drydock she proceeded to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on 23 October 1900. [Howart, The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun]

Operational History

"Asahi" was very active in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, starting with the Battle of Port Arthur, and subsequent naval blockade. The "Asahi" participated in the Battle of the Yellow Sea (where she took one hit), and she struck a floating mine on 26 October 1904; repairs were completed in time for the Battle of Tsushima where she took nine hits, which killed eight and wounded 23 crewmen. During the Battle of Tsushima, Captain W. C. Pakenham, the Royal Navy's official military observer under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, took notes of the battle's progress from a deck chair on the exposed quarterdeck of the "Asahi". His reports confirmed the superiority of Japanese training and tactics and publicized the historic victory within Western naval circles. [Evans, Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941]

In 1908, "Asahi" was part of the Japanese fleet which escorted the American Great White Fleet through Japanese waters during its round-the-globe voyage. In 1914, the "Asahi" became a gunnery training ship, and in 1917, she was re-armed, with Japanese guns replacing her original British-made guns.

Various roles in interwar years

Although rendered obsolete by the development of the "Dreadnought" class battleships, "Asahi" was used as a support vessel, to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Russia during Japan's Siberian Intervention.

Reclassified as a 1st-class Coastal defence ship in 1921, she served as a combatant until 1923, when, under the terms of the Washington Naval Agreement, "Asahi" was disarmed and converted into a training ship. Her displacement dropped to 11,441 tons with the loss of her armor and guns, and her speed was limited to convert|12|knot|km/h|0. In May 1925 "Asahi" ran aground off Toba, and after refloating was taken back to Yokosuka for extensive modifications.

From 1926 to October 1927 "Asahi's" 25 Belleville boilers were replaced with four Kanpon boilers. One of her two funnels was also removed, and a large crane was installed. "Asahi" was converted into a submarine salvage ship and also conducted experiments as Japan's first submarine rescue vessel using the old German submarine "0-1" (ex-"U-125"). [ Combined Fleet.com Tabular Record of Movement]

In May 1928 in the capacity of an experimental test bed, the "Asahi" was fitted with a 19-meter compressed-air Type No. 1 aircraft catapult and successfully launched a Nakajima E2N1 Type 15 seaplane. Later, after repeated accidents, the compressed-air catapult was discarded in favor of a gunpowder-propelled one. On the completion of testing, "Asahi" was placed in the Naval Reserve.

However, in November 1937, after the Shanghai Incident starting the Second Sino-Japanese War, "Asahi" was taken out of reserves, as was used as a transport to land troops in an amphibious operation at Hangzhou Bay.

As a submarine tender

"Asahi" lived a 7th life as a submarine tender from 1937, providing repair services, supplies, and served as a floating barracks, until 1938, when the old vessel was once again taken in hand for conversion once again. Heavy lifting frames were installed on either side amidships, along with machine shops and repair facilities. She began her 8th career as a repair vessel on 18 December 1938. "Asahi" was also fitted with dummy wooden main battery fore and aft to resemble an old battleship and was assigned to "patrols" out of Shanghai from 29 May – 7 November 1940. [ Jentsura, Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945]

From 15 November 1940 "Asahi" was assigned to the Combined Fleet and used as a transport, shuttling between Camranh Bay, Indochina and Kure.

From April 1942, "Asahi" was stationed at Singapore, and performed repairs in on the light cruiser "Naka" that had been torpedoed by the USS "Seawolf" off Christmas Island. Departing Singapore for Kure on 22 May, the "Asahi" was sighted by the USS "Salmon" on 25 May 1942, convert|100|mi|km|-1 SW of Cape Paderas. "Asahi" was torpedoed in a night attack and was hit in her port central boiler room and aft spaces by two of the four torpedoes fired. At 0103, moments after being hit, "Asahi" capsized at coord|10|00|N|110|00|E. Sixteen crewmen were killed, but Captain Tamura and 582 crewmen survived. [ Combined Fleet.com Tabular Record of Movement]

List of commanders

ee also

*List of battleships of Japan

References

*cite book
last = Andidora
first = Ronald
year = 2000
title = Iron Admirals: Naval Leadership in the Twentieth Century
publisher = Greenwood Press
location =
id = ISBN 0-313-31266-4
*cite book
last = Brown
first = D. K.
year = 1999
title = Warrior to Dreadnought, Warship Development 1860-1906
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 1-84067-529-2
*cite book
last = Evans
first = David
year = 1979
title = Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941
publisher = US Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 0870211927
*cite book
last = Howarth
first = Stephen
year = 1983
title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945
publisher = Atheneum
location =
id = ISBN: 0689114028
* Jane, Fred T. "The Imperial Japanese Navy". Thacker, Spink & Co (1904) ASIN: B00085LCZ4
*cite book
last = Jentsura
first = Hansgeorg
year = 1976
title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location =
id = ISBN 087021893X
*cite book
last = Schencking
first = J. Charles
year = 2005
title = Making Waves: Politics, Propaganda, And The Emergence Of The Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1922
publisher = Stanford University Press
location =
id = ISBN 0804749779

External links

* [http://homepage2.nifty.com/nishidah/e/stc0109.htm Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/asahi-bb.htm Global Security site]
* [http://www.combinedfleet.com/Asahi_t.htm Record of movements]

Notes