Japanese cruiser Saien

The . Obsolete transliterations of its Chinese name include "Tche-Yuen" and "Tsi-yuan". In modern Chinese, its name transliterates to "Chiyuan". Obsolete transliterations of its Japanese name include "Saiyen".

Background

In terms of design, the "Saien" resembled the contemporary Japanese "Matsushima" class cruisers, in the use of large cannons on a relatively small displacement hull. As part of the Beiyang fleet, the "Saien" was present at the initial Battle of Pungdo and at the Battle of the Yellow Sea. It was captured by the Japanese in the first Sino-Japanese War during the Battle of Weihaiwei, and was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the 2nd class cruiser "Saien" on 16 March 1895.

ervice record

The service record of the "Saien" in the Imperial Japanese Navy was short. It was re-classified as a 3rd class Coastal Defense Vessel on 11 November 1904, but was assigned to duties as part of the blockading force at the Battle of Port Arthur in the opening stages of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. It sank after being mined off of Port Arthur coord|38|51|N|121|05|E on 30 November 1904.

References

* Dull, Paul S. (1978) "A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy" ISBN 0-85059-295-X
* Evans, David. "Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941". US Naval Institute Press (1979). ISBN 0870211927
*Gardiner, Robert (editor) (2001) "Steam, Steel and Shellfire, The Steam Warship 1815-1905", ISBN 0-7858-1413-2
* 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