Japanese cruiser Otowa

was a protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Japan. The name ''Otowa'' comes from a mountain in Kyoto, located behind Kiyomizu-dera. The waters from a waterfall at this temple were traditionally held to be a cure for all illnesses.

Background

Authorized under the 2nd Naval Expansion Program of 1897, ''Otowa'' was originally intended to be the third vessel in the series. However, due to budget constraints, ''Otowa'' was redesigned with 10 percent smaller displacement, and with considerably lighter weaponry. The ship was completed in less than 20 months; its rapid construction time set a new record for Japan. She was laid down on 3 January 1903, launched on 2 November 1903 and completed on 6 September 1904.Chesneau, '' Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905'', page 230

''Otowa'' was the first ship to be equipped with the Japanese-designed Kampon water-tube boiler which developed compared to the pressure of the previous Niclausse boilers in the ''Niitaka'' class. The vertical triple expansion steam engines were identical to those of the ''Niitaka'' class with a slight increase in power. It was intended that the reduction in armor and armament in ''Otowa'' be partially offset by higher speed, but in fact ''Otowa'' was only very slightly faster than the ''Niitaka''-class cruisers. ''Otowa'' was also the last vessel to be constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy with a naval ram.

Service record

Russo-Japanese War

''Otowa'' was rushed into service in order to participate in the Russo-Japanese War, joining the Japanese fleet blockading Port Arthur on 16 September 1904 under the command of Commander Arima Ryōkitsu.Warner, ''The Tide at Sunrise '', pages 187-190 On 13 December, she assisted in the rescue of survivors from , which had been sunk by a naval mine. In early 1905, she was assigned to escort troop transports ferrying reinforcements from Japan to northern Korea.

During the crucial Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905, ''Otowa'' was assigned to the 3rd squadron of the IJN 2nd Fleet, and saw combat against the Imperial Russian Navy cruisers , and . During the first day of battle, she did not take any damage. On 28 May 1905, ''Otowa'' and intercepted the cruiser which had been heavily damaged the day before and was attempting to escape towards Korea together with a destroyer. ''Otowa'' was hit by ''Svetlanas stern guns, killing one officer and four sailors, and injuring 23 others before the Russian cruiser sank. Later that day, at 1600 hours ''Otowa'' participated in the final combat of the battle by engaging the cruiser , during which time she was hit again, injuring two sailors.

After the Battle of Tsushima, ''Otowa'' was assigned to patrols of Tsushima Strait and escorting transports to Korea until the end of the war. On 10 October, she captured the German merchantman ''Hans Wagner'' en route to Beijing with suspected war materials.

World War I

In 1908, ''Otowa'' participated in the first post-war fleet maneuvers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, as part of the 4th brigade of Cruiser Squadron 1. From October 1910 through June 1912, ''Otowa'' was stationed in northern China together with the cruisers and to protect Japanese citizens and economic interests during the Xinhai Revolution.Mauch, ''Sailor Diplomat: Nomura Kichisaburo'', page 37-39

On 28 August 1912 ''Otowa'' was re-designated as a 2nd class cruiserNishidah, ''Materials of the Imperial Japanese Navy''

During World War I, ''Otowa'' was the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 1 of the Combined Fleet. She fought at the Battle of Tsingtao, and was subsequently assigned to patrol the sea lanes between Singapore, Polynesia and the Philippines from its forward base at Manila Bay against the Imperial German Navy, as part of the Japanese contribution to the Allied cause under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.Howarth, ''The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun''

During the February 1915 Singapore Mutiny by Indian Sepoy troops against the British in Singapore, ''Otowa'' was the first ship to respond to the British government's request for assistance.pg 611 - Together with ''Niitaka'' and ''Tsushima'', she landed marines to help quell the disturbances.

On 25 July 1917, when en route from Yokosuka to Sasebo Naval District, ''Otowa'' ran aground in dense fog off Daiozaki, Shima peninsula, Mie prefecture (). Subsequent efforts to save the vessel failed, and ''Otowa'' broke apart and sank on 10 August 1917.

Notes

References

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

External links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otowa
Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Ships built by Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
1903 ships
Russo-Japanese War cruisers of Japan
World War I cruisers of Japan
Maritime incidents in 1917
World War I shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean