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The Japanese cruiser ''Takasago''
Career	Japanese Navy Ensign
Builder:	Armstrong Whitworth, Great Britain
Ordered:	1896 Fiscal Year
Laid down	April 1894
Launched:	18 May 1897
Completed:	17 May 1898
Fate:	Mined off Port Arthur, 13 December 1904
General Characteristics
Displacement:	4,160 tons
Length:	118.2 meters at waterline
Beam:	14.78 meters
Draught:	5.18 meters
Propulsion:	2-shaft VTE; 12 boilers; 15,500 HP
Speed:	23.5 knots
Fuel:	1000 tons coal
Complement:	425
Armament:	★ 2 × 203 mm quick firing guns ★ 10 × 120 mm quick firing guns ★ 12 x 12 pounder quick firing guns ★ 6 x 2.5 pounder quick firing guns ★ 5 x 450 mm torpedoes
Armor:	★ 114 mm deck armor (slope), 63 mm deck armor (flat); ★ 203 mm gun shields (front), 62 mm gun shields (side); ★ 114 mm conning tower

The was a 2nd class protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by the Armstrong Whitworth shipyards in Elswick, in the Great Britain. The name ''Takasago'' derives from a location in Hyōgo Prefecture, near Kobe.

Contents

Background

Service Record

Other ships named Takasago

References

Gallery

Background

The ''Takasago'' was an improved design of the Argentine Navy cruiser ''25 de Mayo'' designed by Sir Philip Watts, who was also responsible for the design of the ''Izumi'' and the Naniwa class cruisers. The IJN ''Yoshino'' is sometimes regarded as a sister ship to the ''Takasago'', due to the similarity in their design, armament and speed.

Service Record

On 07 April 1902, the ''Takasago'' and the ''Asama'' were sent on an epic 24,718 nautical mile voyage to Great Britain, as part of the Japanese delegation to the coronation ceremonies of King Edward VII, and in celebration of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. After visiting numerous European ports, the ships returned safely to Japan on 28 November 1902.
With the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the ''Takasago'' participated in the naval Battle of Port Arthur. It is noted for having captured the Russian merchant vessel ''Manchuria'' (which was renamed the ''Kanto'' and placed into Japanese service as a transport).
However, the ''Takasago'' struck a mine and sank off Port Arthur [38.10N, 121.15E] on 13 December 1904, with the loss of 273 officers and crew.

Other ships named Takasago

The cruiser ''Takasago'' should note be confused with the later ''Takasago-maru'' auxiliary hospital ship of the same name.

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

Gallery