Matsushima class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The was a class of protected cruiser
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, with three ships named after the three most famous scenic spots in Japan. The Matsushima-class was a highly unorthodox design among cruisers of the 1890s, in that each ship had a primary armament of a single massive 320 mm (12.6") gun, resulting in a monitor
-like appearance.
, the Matsushima-class cruisers were based on the principles of Jeune Ecole
, as promoted by French military advisor and naval architect Emile Bertin.
The Japanese government did not have the resources or budget to build a large battleship
navy to counter the heavier vessels of the Chinese navy
; instead, Japan adopted the radical theory of using smaller, faster warships, with light armor and small caliber long-range guns, coupled with a massive single 320 mm (12.6") Canet gun. The design eventually proved impractical, as the recoil from the huge cannon was too much for vessels of such small displacement, and the reloading time on the cannon was impractically long; however, the Matsushima-class cruisers served their purpose well against the poorly-equipped and poorly-led Chinese fleet.
There were originally plans to build a fourth vessel in this class, and its cancellation due to concerns over the design was one of the factors that led to Bertin's resignation and return to France
.
(厳島)
Built by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
naval shipyards in France
; launched on 18 July 1889; completed on 3 September 1891. Struck on 12 March 1926 and scrapped.
Matsushima
(松島)
Built by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
naval shipyards in France
; launched on 22 January 1890; completed on 5 April 1892. Matsushima differed from her two sister ships in that the 320 mm gun was mounted abaft the superstructure, rather than forward. Sunk on 30 April 1908 after an accidental explosion while en route in the Pescadores islands off Taiwan
, with the loss of 207 of her 350 member crew.
Hashidate
(橋立)
The only ship of the class built in Japan, by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
; launched on 24 March 1891; completed on 26 June 1894. Struck on 1 April 1922 and scrapped in 1927.
, and saw combat in the Battle of the Yalu River and the subsequent attack on Weihaiwei.
During the Russo-Japanese War
, the three ships of the Matsushima-class, by then hopelessly obsolete, were assigned to the 5th squadron of the reserve 3rd Fleet, together with the equally outdated ironclad
battleship Chin'en under the command of Admiral Shichiro Kataoka. It was present at the blockade of Port Arthur
, the Battle of the Yellow Sea
and the final Battle of Tsushima
. Later assigned to the Japanese 4th Fleet, it was part of the flotilla that provided protection for the Japanese invasion of Sakhalin
.
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, with three ships named after the three most famous scenic spots in Japan. The Matsushima-class was a highly unorthodox design among cruisers of the 1890s, in that each ship had a primary armament of a single massive 320 mm (12.6") gun, resulting in a monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
-like appearance.
Background
Forming the backbone of the Imperial Japanese Navy during the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, the Matsushima-class cruisers were based on the principles of Jeune Ecole
Jeune Ecole
The Jeune École was a strategic naval concept developed during the 19th century. It advocated the use of small, powerfully equipped units to combat a larger battleship fleet, and commerce raiders capable of ending the trade of the rival nation...
, as promoted by French military advisor and naval architect Emile Bertin.
The Japanese government did not have the resources or budget to build a large battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
navy to counter the heavier vessels of the Chinese navy
Beiyang Fleet
The Beiyang Fleet was one of the four modernised Chinese navies in the late Qing Dynasty. Among the four, the Beiyang Fleet was particularly sponsored by Li Hongzhang, one of the most trusted vassals of Empress Dowager Cixi and the principal patron of the "self-strengthening movement" in northern...
; instead, Japan adopted the radical theory of using smaller, faster warships, with light armor and small caliber long-range guns, coupled with a massive single 320 mm (12.6") Canet gun. The design eventually proved impractical, as the recoil from the huge cannon was too much for vessels of such small displacement, and the reloading time on the cannon was impractically long; however, the Matsushima-class cruisers served their purpose well against the poorly-equipped and poorly-led Chinese fleet.
There were originally plans to build a fourth vessel in this class, and its cancellation due to concerns over the design was one of the factors that led to Bertin's resignation and return to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Ships in class
ItsukushimaJapanese cruiser Itsukushima
was the lead ship in the of protected cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Like its sister ships, the name Itsukushima comes from one of the three most famous scenic spots in Japan, in this case, the Itsukushima Jinja in Hiroshima prefecture on the Inland Sea, home to a famous Shinto shrine...
(厳島)
Built by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
The Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée was a French shipbuilding company. The 'Société des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée' was founded in 1853 by Philip Taylor, while a new company, the 'Nouvelle' société, was founded in 1856. It had shipyards in La Seyne-sur-Mer,...
naval shipyards in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; launched on 18 July 1889; completed on 3 September 1891. Struck on 12 March 1926 and scrapped.
Matsushima
Japanese cruiser Matsushima
was the second vessel of the protected cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Like its sister ships, its name comes from one of the three most famous scenic spots in Japan, in this case, the Matsushima archipelago near Sendai in Miyagi prefecture....
(松島)
Built by the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
The Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée was a French shipbuilding company. The 'Société des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée' was founded in 1853 by Philip Taylor, while a new company, the 'Nouvelle' société, was founded in 1856. It had shipyards in La Seyne-sur-Mer,...
naval shipyards in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; launched on 22 January 1890; completed on 5 April 1892. Matsushima differed from her two sister ships in that the 320 mm gun was mounted abaft the superstructure, rather than forward. Sunk on 30 April 1908 after an accidental explosion while en route in the Pescadores islands off Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, with the loss of 207 of her 350 member crew.
Hashidate
Japanese cruiser Hashidate
was the 3rd in the of protected cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the only one of the class constructed in Japan. Like its sister ships, was the 3rd (and final vessel) in the of protected cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was the only one of the class constructed in Japan....
(橋立)
The only ship of the class built in Japan, by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama...
; launched on 24 March 1891; completed on 26 June 1894. Struck on 1 April 1922 and scrapped in 1927.
Service life
All three ships of the Matsushima-class were completed just prior to the start of the First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, and saw combat in the Battle of the Yalu River and the subsequent attack on Weihaiwei.
During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, the three ships of the Matsushima-class, by then hopelessly obsolete, were assigned to the 5th squadron of the reserve 3rd Fleet, together with the equally outdated ironclad
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
battleship Chin'en under the command of Admiral Shichiro Kataoka. It was present at the blockade of Port Arthur
Lüshunkou
Lüshunkou is a district in the municipality of Dalian, Liaoning province, China. Also called Lüshun City or Lüshun Port, it was formerly known as both Port Arthur and Ryojun....
, the Battle of the Yellow Sea
Battle of the Yellow Sea
The Battle of the Yellow Sea was a major naval engagement of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 10 August 1904. In the Russian Navy, it was referred to as the Battle of 10 August. The battle foiled an attempt by the Russian fleet at Port Arthur to break out and form up with counterparts from...
and the final Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
. Later assigned to the Japanese 4th Fleet, it was part of the flotilla that provided protection for the Japanese invasion of Sakhalin
Sakhalin
Sakhalin or Saghalien, is a large island in the North Pacific, lying between 45°50' and 54°24' N.It is part of Russia, and is Russia's largest island, and is administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast...
.
See also
- Japanese cruiser AkitsushimaJapanese cruiser Akitsushimawas a 2nd class protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Japan. The name Akitsushima comes from an ancient name for Japan, as used in the ancient chronicle Kojiki...
- originally planned as the fourth Matsushima-class cruiser, but eventually built to a different design