''Saikyō Maru'' (西京丸) was a

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

that was built in 1888 in Scotland for

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese merchant service. She was requisitioned for service in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95 and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05. She was scrapped in 1927.

Building

The London and Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shibuilding Company built ''Saikyō Maru'' in its shipyard in Govan, Glasgow. She was launched on 14 March 1888. Her registered length was , her beam was , her depth was , and her tonnages were and . She had a three-cylinder triple expansion steam engine that was rated at 563

NHP Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

. ''Saikyō Maru''s first owner was Nippon Yusen KK, who registered her in Tokyo. Her

code letters Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...

were HGQF.

Career

In 1894 the Japanese government requisitioned ''Saikyō Maru'' and had her armed with one 120mm, one 57 mm and two 47mm guns to serve as an

armed merchant cruiser An armed merchantman is a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in lo ...

and transport ship. She carried Admiral Viscount Kabayama Sukenori in the 1894 Battle of the Yalu River, and was commanded by

John Wilson John Wilson may refer to: Academics * John Wilson (mathematician) (1741–1793), English mathematician and judge * John Wilson (historian) (1799–1870), author of ''Our Israelitish Origin'' (1840), a founding text of British Israelism * John Wil ...

. She towed the captured

ironclad battleship An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. Th ...

from Weihaiwei to Port Arthur. In 1895 she was returned to her owners and resumed civilian service. In 1904 she was requisitioned for the Russo-Japanese War as a transport. In February 1905 she was converted into a hospital ship in February 1905. She was later returned to her owners. In 1923 Kuribayashi Shosen KK bought ''Saikyō Maru''. She was scrapped in the third quarter of 1927.

References

1888 ships First Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan Hospital ships of Japan Merchant ships of Japan Russo-Japanese War naval ships of Japan Ships built in Glasgow Steamships of Japan World War I passenger ships of Japan {{Japan-mil-ship-stub