Japanese cruiser Chiyoda

was a cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which served in the First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War and World War I.

Background

''Chiyoda'' was ordered by the Meiji government as a replacement for the ill-fated , and paid for with insurance money received from the French government after that ship disappeared without a trace somewhere in the South China Sea en route to Japan. However, unwilling to use a French shipyard after the ''Unebi'' disaster, the Imperial Japanese Navy placed its order in 1889 to J & G Thomson of Glasgow, Scotland. Construction was supervised by Arai Yukan and by Ijuin Gorō and on 11 April 1891, ''Chiyoda'' arrived safely at Yokosuka. On 5 September 1892, command of ''Chiyoda'' was assigned to Captain (later Fleet Admiral) Prince Arisugawa Takehito.

Design

''Chiyoda'' was a 'belted cruiser' based on a much scaled-down version of the Royal Navy's s. The hull was made of 84 watertight compartments, protected with Harvey armor.Jentsura, '' Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy'', pages 72 Originally designed to carry 12.6-inch Canet guns, the plan was abandoned due to excessive top weight. Instead, the design was changed so that her main battery consisted of ten QF 4.7-inch /40 naval guns in single mounts, mounted one each in the bow and stern, and four on each side in sponsons. The use of the Elwick quick-firing technology resulted in an increase in the rate of fire by six-fold over previous cruiser designs. Her secondary battery consisted of 14 QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss and three 11-mm, 10-barrel Nordenfelt guns. She was also equipped with three Whitehead torpedo tubes mounted on the main deck. As was standard practice at the time, the prow was reinforced for ramming.Chesneau, '' Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905'', pages 231–233

Service record

With the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, ''Chiyoda'' was assigned to patrol duties off of the coasts of Korea, China, Russia, and occasional patrols to Hokkaidō. She was present at all of the major battles of the war, including the crucial Battle of Yalu River and the Battle of Weihaiwei. ''Chiyoda'' was also among the Japanese fleet units which participated in the invasion of Taiwan in 1895, and saw action on 3 June 1895 at the bombardment of Chinese coastal forts at Keelung.

After the war, ''Chiyoda'' went into dry dock at Kure Naval Arsenal, where the locomotive boilers on her triple expansion steam engines were replaced with more modern Belleville boilers, and the fighting tops on her three raked masts were removed to improve stability. On completion of the retrofit in 1898, ''Chiyoda'' was re-designated a 3rd class cruiser. Later that year, during the Spanish–American War, she was based at Manila to safeguard Japanese civilians and economic interests in the Philippines. During the Boxer Rebellion, she was stationed at Taku and Yantai in northern China.

During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), ''Chiyoda'' had a prominent role in the opening Battle of Chemulpo Bay while commanded by Captain Murakami Kakuichi, and subsequently fought at the Battle of the Yellow Sea and the Battle off Ulsan. On 27 July 1904, ''Chiyoda'' stuck a Russian naval mine, but was towed to Dalian, where repairs were completed in time for her to participate in the Battle of Tsushima. On 12 January 1905, ''Chiyoda'' was captained by Captain (later Fleet Admiral) Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito.

On 28 August 1912, ''Chiyoda'' was re-designated as a 2nd-class coastal defense vessel.

During the Siege of Tsingtao in World War I, ''Chiyoda'' was part of the Japanese fleet sent to capture the Imperial German Navy base at Tsingtao in Shandong, China.Howarth, ''The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun'' Afterwards, based out of Manila, she took part in Allied patrols of the China coast against German commerce raiders.

On 14 April 1921, ''Chiyoda'' was downgraded to a destroyer tender and was used for various odd tasks, including a submarine tender and as a school ship for naval cadets.

''Chiyoda'' was officially decommissioned on 28 February 1927, and sunk as a target during live fire exercises on 5 August 1927 in Bungo Channel by the heavy cruiser under review of Emperor Hirohito.

After its dismantling, the bridge of ''Chiyoda'' was preserved at the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy at Etajima, Hiroshima as a reviewing stand over the parade grounds.

Gallery

File:Chiyoda.jpg, c. 1880s
File:Japanese cruiser Chiyoda 2.jpg, In parade flags after the Russo-Japanese War, 1905–1907

Notes

References

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* Davidson, J. W., ''The Island of Formosa, Past and Present'' (London, 1903)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chiyoda
Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Ships built on the River Clyde
1890 ships
Naval ships of Japan
First Sino-Japanese War cruisers of Japan
Russo-Japanese War cruisers of Japan
World War I cruisers of Japan
Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Ships sunk as targets
Maritime incidents in 1927