Japanese cruiser Azuma

was ordered from Germany.

Design and armament

Although the basic design for all six cruisers in this program was essentially the same (utilizing Armstrong-type 8-inch guns and with desired speed of 20-21 knots), each shipyard had considerable freedom to modify the details of the design. In the case of the "Azuma", the French shipbuilder used a long, relatively narrow hull with high freeboard, and gun turrets front and back. The boiler room was separated into two compartments, with the aft boiler room located behind the second smoke stack. This gave the "Azuma" a distinctive silhouette, as there was thus a large gap between the first two and the third stack. The "Azuma" used 24 Belleville boilers, which were considered very advanced for its day. A major innovation was the use of a forced draft device on the smokestacks which enabled the stacks to draw fresh air and exhaust smoke simultaneously. Contemporary British (and German) warships used a separated air inlet located near the deck, which later proved problematic in combat, as there was a tendency to draw fire as well as debris from combat into the engine room. After the lessons of the Russo-Japanese War, this type of forced draft device became standard for most warships.

The main armament for the "Azuma" was a pair of twin-mounted 203 mm, 45 caliber guns of a new design in fore and aft turrets. The turrets were capable of 150 degree rotation left and right, and the guns could be elevated to 30 degrees, giving the guns a range of 18,000 meters. The secondary side-mounted 152 mm, 40 caliber guns had a range of 9,140 meters, and could fire at the rate of five shells per minute (up to seven per minute for a very skilled gun crew). The "Azuma" was also equipped with a ram.

However, despite these advancements and innovations, the long hull of the "Azuma" later proved to be a great inconvenience for the Japanese navy, as no dry dock existed in Japan capable of handling its length, and its Belleville boilers tended to leak steam at high pressures.

ervice record

The "Azuma" served an important role in the Russo-Japanese War, and was commanded by Captain (later Admiral) Yashiro Rokuro in the Battle off Ulsan 9 February 1904, as well as the Battle of the Yellow Sea and the crucial Battle of Tsushima.

After the war, the armored cruisers were rapidly removed from front line service. The "Azuma" was re-assigned to a training role, and due to its large size was used for oceanic navigation training.

In 1918, during World War I, the "Azuma" was returned briefly to combat-ready status, and was assigned to convoy escort duty in the Indian Ocean between Singapore and the Suez Canal as part of Japan’s contribution to the war effort under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Afterwards, the "Azuma" was returned to the training fleet and was based out of Maizuru; however, despite being re-designated a 1st class Coastal Defense Vessel on 1 September 1921, it remained moored to the dock.

Very obsolete by the start of the Pacific War, the "Azuma" was re-designated a practice auxiliary vessel on 1 July 1942, and was demilitarized on 15 February 1944. It was scrapped in 1945.

The anchor from the "Azuma" is preserved on the grounds of Nogi Jinja in Tokyo.

Other ships named "Azuma"

The armored cruiser "Azuma" should not be confused with the earlier ex-Confederate ironclad ram, also named "Azuma", or with the transport vessel "Azuma-maru" of the Pacific War.

Gallery

References

* Evans, David. "Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941". US Naval Institute Press (1979). ISBN 0870211927
* Howarth, Stephen. "The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945". Atheneum; (1983) ISBN 0689114028
* Jane, Fred T. "The Imperial Japanese Navy". Thacker, Spink & Co (1904) ASIN: B00085LCZ4
* Jentsura, Hansgeorg. "Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945". Naval Institute Press (1976). ISBN 087021893X
* Schencking, J. Charles. "Making Waves: Politics, Propaganda, And The Emergence Of The Imperial Japanese Navy, 1868-1922". Stanford University Press (2005). ISBN 0804749779