Japanese cruiser Hashidate

Japanese cruiser Hashidate was a *Matsushima*-class protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was the third and final vessel of her class, which were designed and built as part of the 1886 Naval Expansion Program to counter the Beiyang Fleet of Qing China. *Hashidate* served as the flagship of the Japanese Navy General Staff and saw significant action during the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War.

Design and description

The design of the *Matsushima*-class was a unique and radical departure from conventional cruiser design, centered on mounting a single, powerful 12.6-inch (320 mm) Canet gun as the primary armament. This concept was developed by French naval architect Louis-Émile Bertin, who was serving as a foreign advisor to the Imperial Japanese Navy. The class was intended to form the core of the Jeune École-inspired "fleet in being" strategy, where a few heavily armed vessels could deter a larger enemy fleet. Unlike her sister ships *Matsushima* and *Itsukushima*, which mounted their main gun forward and aft respectively, *Hashidate*'s colossal weapon was positioned amidships. Secondary armament consisted of eleven QF 4.7-inch guns and numerous smaller Hotchkiss and 3-pounder guns for defense against torpedo boats. Protection was provided by an armored deck up to 1.5 inches thick and conning tower armor. Propulsion was supplied by two triple-expansion steam engines driving twin screws, with coal-fired boilers giving a designed speed of 16.5 knots.

Construction and career

*Hashidate* was ordered under the 1886 Fiscal Year budget and constructed at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal. Her keel was laid down on 6 August 1888, and she was launched on 24 March 1891. She was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy on 26 June 1894, just weeks before the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War. Upon completion, she was considered one of the most powerful and modern warships in the Japanese fleet, despite the unconventional and ultimately flawed design philosophy of her class. She was immediately assigned to the Standing Fleet, the main combat force of the navy, and would serve as the flagship for senior commanders including Admiral Itō Sukeyuki during critical naval campaigns.

Service history

*Hashidate*'s combat service began with the First Sino-Japanese War, where she participated in the pivotal Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894 as part of the Flying Squadron under Rear Admiral Tsuboi Kōzō. During the battle, she engaged Chinese warships including the *Dingyuan* and *Jingyuan*. She later supported Japanese ground operations during the Battle of Weihaiwei. During the Russo-Japanese War, *Hashidate* was assigned to the 3rd Squadron of the Combined Fleet. She saw action in the Battle of Port Arthur, the Battle of the Yellow Sea, and was present at the decisive Battle of Tsushima in May 1905, where she engaged the Russian Baltic Fleet. Following the war, her combat role diminished, and she was reclassified as a coast defence ship in 1907 and later as a second-class coastal defense vessel in 1912. During World War I, she served on patrol duties in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

Fate

After the conclusion of World War I, *Hashidate* was used primarily as a training ship for naval academy cadets. She was officially disarmed in 1922 to comply with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. Removed from the naval register on 1 April 1927, she was sold for scrap later that same year and broken up at the Uraga Dock Company facility. One of her 4.7-inch secondary guns was preserved and is displayed at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.

Category:Matsushima-class cruisers Category:Ships built in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Category:World War I cruisers of Japan Category:Scrapped ships