Japanese battleship Hatsuse

nihongo|"Hatsuse"|初瀬 (戦艦)|Hatsuse (senkan) was a "Shikishima"-class pre-dreadnought battleship in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and one of the six battleships ("Fuji", "Yashima", "Shikishima", "Hatsuse", "Asahi", and "Mikasa") that formed the main Japanese battle line in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. The "Hatsuse" had a very brief career.

History

Following the 1894–1895 Sino-Japanese War, and the forced return of the Liaotung Peninsula to China under Russian pressure, Japan began to build up its military strength in preparation for further confrontations. In particular, Japan embarked on a ten-year naval build-up program, with the construction of six battleships and six armored cruisers at its core.

The "Hatsuse" was ordered to Armstrong Whitworth at the Elswick Yard in Great Britain in 1897. She was designed by Phillip Watts and was similar to the British Navy's "Majestic"-class. Laid down on 1898-01-10, she was launched 1898-06-27 and completed on 1901-01-18. Before sailing to Japan, she represented the Meiji Emperor at Queen Victoria's funeral.

When the Japanese fleet was reorganized on 1903-12-28 "Hatsuse" became the flagship of the 1st Squadron, 1st Division of the IJN 1st Fleet, under Rear Admiral Nashiba Tokioki. After the start of the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese had the Russian Far-Eastern squadron bottled up in Port Arthur. On 1904-05-14 Admiral Nashiba put to sea with the battleships "Hatsuse" (flag), "Shikishima", and "Yashima", the cruiser "Kasagi", and the dispatch-vessel "Tatsuta" to relieve the Japanese blockading force. On the morning of the 15th he reached Encounter Rock and continued northwest until he was about 15 miles off Port Arthur. Here Nashiba proceeded to patrol east by north across the mouth of the port. This course brought the fleet into a minefield previously laid by the Russian minelayer "Amur".

At 10:50, "Hatsuse" struck a mine and began to heel over with her steering engine compartment flooded and her port main engines useless. Only minutes later, "Yashima" was also struck (and later sank). By 11:30, "Kasagi" came alongside "Hatsuse" but the battleship's stern-walk was under water, and she was heeling four degrees. A hawser passed from "Kasagi" was just being hauled in when "Hatsuse" struck another mine. Her funnels fell; her mainmast broke off; her upper deck flew into the air and within a minute and a half, she had gone down. "Tatsuta" and "Kasagi" managed to save the Admiral and Captain Nakao with 21 other officers and 313 men; however, 38 officers and 458 men went down with the ship at coord|38.37|37|N|121|20|E.

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 = Hoare
first = J.E.
year = 1999
title = Britain and Japan, Biographical Portraits, Volume III
publisher = RoutledgeCurzon
location =
id = ISBN 1873410891
*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/stc0108.htm Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/shikishima-bb.htm Global Security site]