Russian cruiser Pallada (1899)

The RUS "Pallada" was the lead ship in the , which survives in St Petersburg as a museum ship, was laid down in June 1897 and was not launched until May 1900. Soon after commissioning, both the "Pallada" and the "Diana" were assigned to the Russian First Pacific Squadron at Port Arthur, Manchuria.

Operational history

In the initial Japanese attacks on Port Arthur on the night of 8 February 1904, the "Pallada" was torpedoed on the port side amidships, but despite a fire in its coal bunker, it was not seriously damaged.

In August 1904 at the Battle of the Yellow Sea, after being struck by a torpedo, the "Pallada" managed to make its way back to Port Arthur, and was thus unable to break through the Japanese blockade along with a number of other Russian cruisers. Thereafter, "Pallada" was trapped in the harbor. Its guns were removed to help strengthen the land defenses and most of its crew was reassigned to serve as infantry. The "Pallada" was sunk by Japanese 11-inch siege howitzers on 8 December 1904.

After the end of the war, the wreck of the "Pallada" was raised and towed to Japan, where it was repaired and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as a prize of war. Renamed the , it served as a training vessel and later as a minelayer until decommissioned in 1922 and sunk as a target in 1924.

References

* Chesneau, Roger and Eugene M Kolesnik, eds. "Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905". Conway Maritime Press (1979). ISBN 0 85177 133 5
* Howarth, Stephen. "The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945". Atheneum; (1983) ISBN 0689114028
* Jentsura, Hansgeorg. "Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945". Naval Institute Press (1976). ISBN 087021893X

External links

* [http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/pallada_class.htm Photos of the "Pallada"-class ships]