Katori class battleship
Encyclopedia
The was a two-ship class
of pre-dreadnought
battleship
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
. The Katori class ships were the last battleships to be built for Japan at overseas shipyards, and the last to be equipped with a ram
.
and Yashima
in early stages of the Russo-Japanese War
. Although the armored cruiser
s Nisshin
and Kasuga
successfully held their own in the line of battle
during the crucial Battle of Tsushima
, the armored cruisers lacked the size and firepower to be as effective as battleships. As the Japanese Navy projected that a fleet of six battleships was the minimum necessary against potential threats from China
, Russia
or the United States
, a new order was placed to the United Kingdom
. Although construction was rushed, and the design was based largely on the previous Mikasa
, the Katori class ships were not delivered until after the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
of the British
Royal Navy
. The King Edward VII class introduced a number of innovations over previous classes in terms of armament and engines.
, the Katori class mounted more powerful Elswick Ordnance Company 12-inch (305 mm) 45-calibre guns
mounted in twin turrets
fore and aft, compared to the 12 inch 40-calibre guns on Mikasa and previous Japanese battleships.
Secondary armament
was enhanced as per innovations developed for the King Edward VII class with an intermediate range of Type 41 10 inch 45 caliber naval guns in four secondary turrets in addition to the twelve now-standard Type 41 6-inch (152 mm)/40-caliber quick firing guns to counter torpedo boat
attacks, mounted widely spaced on two decks so that a single hit would not disable more than one of them. The guns on the upper deck were enclosed within casemate
s. Tertiary armament consisted of four Type 41 3-inch (7.62 cm)/40-caliber naval gun
s, commonly known as "twelve pounders" and two Type 41 3 inches (76.2 mm) guns with shortened barrels, and five torpedo tube
s, with four tubes below the waterline, and one more on deck.
Katori
Commissioned on 20 May 1906, Katori was completed too late for the Russo-Japanese War
, and with rapid developments in naval technology, was already obsolete at the time of World War I
. In 1922, Katori was home to Crown Prince Hirohito on his voyage to Europe. She was scrapped as part of Japan's compliance with the Washington Naval Agreement in 1924.
Kashima
Commissioned on 23 May 1906, Kashima was completed too late for the Russo-Japanese War
, and with rapid developments in naval technology, was already obsolete at the time of World War I
. She was scrapped as part of Japan’s compliance with the Washington Naval Agreement in 1924.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
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...
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...
. The Katori class ships were the last battleships to be built for Japan at overseas shipyards, and the last to be equipped with a ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
.
Background
Kashima and Katori were ordered as emergency replacements for the loss of HatsuseJapanese battleship Hatsuse
|-External links:**...
and Yashima
Japanese battleship Yashima
|-External links:** The New York Times, June 2, 1905....
in early stages of 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...
. Although the armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
s Nisshin
Japanese cruiser Nisshin
, also transliterated as Nissin, was a armored cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy designed and built by Ansaldo in Genoa Italy, where the type was known as the . Designed as a cross between a battleship and a cruiser, but with a very small displacement, it had the ability to stand in the line...
and Kasuga
Japanese cruiser Kasuga
was the lead ship of the armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Ansaldo Yards, Genoa, Italy, where the type was known as the...
successfully held their own in the line of battle
Line of battle
In naval warfare, the line of battle is a tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line end to end. A primitive form had been used by the Portuguese under Vasco Da Gama in 1502 near Malabar against a Muslim fleet.,Maarten Tromp used it in the Action of 18 September 1639 while its first use in...
during the crucial 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...
, the armored cruisers lacked the size and firepower to be as effective as battleships. As the Japanese Navy projected that a fleet of six battleships was the minimum necessary against potential threats from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
or the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a new order was placed to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Although construction was rushed, and the design was based largely on the previous Mikasa
Japanese battleship Mikasa
is a pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, launched in Britain in 1900. She served as the flagship of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō during the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904, and the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War. The ship is preserved as...
, the Katori class ships were not delivered until after the end of the Russo-Japanese War.
Design
The design of the Katori class was a modified version of the King Edward VII classKing Edward VII class battleship
The King Edward VII class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships launched by the Royal Navy between 1903 and 1905.-Armament:By 1901, the 29 British battleships of the Majestic, Canopus, Formidable, London, Queen, and Duncan classes then in service or under construction, all following the same...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The King Edward VII class introduced a number of innovations over previous classes in terms of armament and engines.
Propulsion
The engines in the Katori class were four cylinder triple-expansion steam engines with water tube boilers and two screws. Another innovation from the King Edward VII class was the use of oil sprayers, which allowed steam pressure to be rapidly increased, improving the acceleration of the ships. The engines produced 18000 shp horsepower, yielding a design speed of 16.75 knots (33 km/h); however, the design had inherent instability problems and was difficult to keep on a straight course at higher speeds. In trials, Katori was able to sustain just over 20 knots (39 km/h) for eight hours.Armament
For its main batteryMain battery
Generally used only in the terms of naval warfare, the main battery is the primary weapon around which a ship was designed. "Battery" is in itself a common term in the military science of artillery. For example, the United States Navy battleship USS Washington had a main battery of nine guns...
, the Katori class mounted more powerful Elswick Ordnance Company 12-inch (305 mm) 45-calibre guns
EOC 12 inch /45 naval gun
The EOC 12 inch 45 calibre gun were various similar 12-inch wire-wound naval guns designed and manufactured by Elswick Ordnance Company to equip ships that the parent company Armstrong Whitworth built and/or armed for several countries before World War I....
mounted in twin turrets
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
fore and aft, compared to the 12 inch 40-calibre guns on Mikasa and previous Japanese battleships.
Secondary armament
Battleship secondary armament
The secondary armament of a capital ship are smaller, faster-firing weapons that are typically effective at a shorter range than the main weapons...
was enhanced as per innovations developed for the King Edward VII class with an intermediate range of Type 41 10 inch 45 caliber naval guns in four secondary turrets in addition to the twelve now-standard Type 41 6-inch (152 mm)/40-caliber quick firing guns to counter torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
attacks, mounted widely spaced on two decks so that a single hit would not disable more than one of them. The guns on the upper deck were enclosed within casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s. Tertiary armament consisted of four Type 41 3-inch (7.62 cm)/40-caliber naval gun
QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun
The QF 12 pounder 12 cwt gun was a common calibre naval gun introduced in 1894 and used until the middle of the 20th century. It was produced by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick and used on Royal Navy warships, and exported to allied countries...
s, commonly known as "twelve pounders" and two Type 41 3 inches (76.2 mm) guns with shortened barrels, and five torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s, with four tubes below the waterline, and one more on deck.
Armor
The Katoris used Krupp armor with a 9 inches (229 mm) belt amidships and main turrets, 12 inches (305 mm) on the barbettes, 7 inches (178 mm) on the secondary turrets, and 2 inches (51 mm) on the deck.KatoriJapanese battleship Katoriwas the lead ship in the Katori class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Vickers shipyards, in the United Kingdom. The name Katori comes from a famous Shinto...
Commissioned on 20 May 1906, Katori was completed too late for the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-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...
, and with rapid developments in naval technology, was already obsolete at the time of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1922, Katori was home to Crown Prince Hirohito on his voyage to Europe. She was scrapped as part of Japan's compliance with the Washington Naval Agreement in 1924.
KashimaJapanese battleship Kashimawas a Katori class pre-dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by Armstrong Whitworth at the Elswick Yard, in the United Kingdom. The name Kashima comes from the famous Kashima Shrine Shinto shrine in Ibaraki prefecture, located to the northeast of Tokyo...
Commissioned on 23 May 1906, Kashima was completed too late for the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-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...
, and with rapid developments in naval technology, was already obsolete at the time of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She was scrapped as part of Japan’s compliance with the Washington Naval Agreement in 1924.