Japanese battleship Okinoshima

nihongo|Okinoshima|沖ノ島|Okinoshima (senkan) was one of eight Russian pre-dreadnought battleships captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy from the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.

Background

Three obsolete "Admiral-Ushakov" Class armored warships, re-classed as a coastal defence ships by the Imperial Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet were selected to form part of Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov's "Third Pacific Squadron" which was sent out to reinforce Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky on his journey to the Far East during the Russo-Japanese war. Although not considered suitable for such a voyage, [Hore, Battleships, p115,] the Admiralty insisted on including, "Admiral Ushakov", "General-Admiral Graf Apraxin", and "Admiral Senyavin" to bolster their force.

At the Battle of Tsushima on 28 May 1905, "Admiral Ushakov" was sunk and "General-Admiral Graf Apraxin" with her sister ship "Admiral Senyavin" were captured as prizes of war. .

"Admiral Senyavin" became the "Mishima" and "General Admiral Graf Apraksin" was commissioned into the Japanese Navy as the 2nd class Coastal Defense Vessel "Okinoshima". "Okinoshima" was named for the small island of Munakata, Fukuoka prefecture, which is the site of a famous Shinto shrine, and which is also geographically close to the location of the Battle of Tsushima.

ervice Record

"Okinoshima" was part of the Japanese Second Fleet in World War I, participating in the Battle of Tsingtao against the Imperial German Navy.

On 1 April 1921, "Okinoshima" was re-classified as a submarine tender. "Okinoshima" was decommissioned on 1 April 1922. It was sold as scrap in 1924 to a private firm, which transformed it into a memorial ship located at Tsuyazaki, Fukuoka, commemorating the Japanese victory at the Battle of Tsushima. It was severely damaged in storms in 1939, and scrapped shortly thereafter.

The battleship Okinoshima should not be confused with the Pacific War era minelayer of the same name.

ee also

* List of battleships of Japan

References

*Burt, R.A.: "Japanese Battleships, 1897–1945"
*Gibbons, Tony: "The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships and Battlecruisers"
*
*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