Japanese battleship Iwami

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Iwami
The Japanese battleship Iwami.
Career (Russia) Russian Naval Ensign
Name: Оryol (Орёл)
Builder: Galerniy Island Shipyards, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Laid down: 2 June 1900
Launched: 19 July 1902
Commissioned: September 1904
Fate: Captured by Japan, 28 May 1905
Career (Japan) Japanese Navy Ensign
Name: Iwami (石見)
Acquired: 28 May 1905
Commissioned: 12 December 1905
Fate: Expended as target, 10 July 1924
General characteristics
Class and type: Borodino-class battleship
Displacement: 13,561 long tons (13,779 t) standard
15,300 long tons (15,546 t) full load
Length: 121 m (397 ft 0 in)
Beam: 23.2 m (76 ft 1 in)
Draft: 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in)
Propulsion: Reciprocating vertical triple expansion (VTE) engines, 15,800 ihp (11,800 kW)
20 boilers
2 shafts
2000 tons coal
Speed: 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Range: 8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h)
Complement: 806
Armament: • 4 × 305 mm (12.0 in) guns
• 6 × 200 mm (7.9 in) guns
• 16 × 80 mm (3.1 in) guns
• 20 × 47 mm (1.9 in) guns
• 8 × 37 mm (1.5 in) machine guns
• 2 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedoes
Armour: • Belt: 100–230 mm (3.9–9.1 in)
• Deck: 40–70 mm (1.6–2.8 in)
• Gun mount: 127 mm (5.0 in)
• Casemate: 127 mm (5.0 in)
• Turret: 150–280 mm (5.9–11 in)
• Conning tower: 76–200 mm (3.0–7.9 in)

Japanese battleship Iwami (Japanese: 石見) was one of eight Russian pre-dreadnought battleships captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. It was built as the Borodino-class battleship Russian battleship Oryol (Russian: Орёл), and was commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Some naval architects regard the Borodino-class as being among the worst battleships ever built (Preston 2002). The design was based on the battleship Tsesarevich, these ships suffered from instability caused by a high centre of gravity, which was made worse by overloading.

File:RUS Orel 2.jpg
Russian battleship Oryol.

The Oryol was the only modern Russian battleship to survive the Battle of Tsushima. She was probably hit by five 12-inch (300 mm), two 10-inch (250 mm), nine 8-inch (200 mm), and 28 6-inch (150 mm) shells, and possibly a number of smaller rounds. She suffered only moderate damage, including two 6-inch (150 mm) turrets disabled by 8-inch (200 mm) hits. Her armour was fairly effective: a 12-inch (300 mm) shell hit the 5 ¾ inch belt obliquely and was repulsed, and a main battery turret resisted a 10-inch (250 mm) shell.

File:Oryol after battle.JPG
Damage to the Oryol after the Battle of Tsushima.

She was substantially rebuilt after her capture by the Japanese, reducing her top weight and removing the smaller guns, and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the battleship Iwami, taking her name from an ancient Japanese province, of Iwami now part of Shimane prefecture. The name Iwami was chosen as this province was geographically the closest to the location of the Battle of Tsushima.

On 28 August 1912, the Iwami was re-classified as a 1st class Coastal Defense Vessel.

During World War I, the Iwami was active at the Battle of Tsingtao.

Under the terms of the Washington Naval Agreement, Japan agreed to scrap the Iwami. She was decommissioned on 09 May 1923, and expended as a target, sunk by aircraft launched from Jogashima island (near Yokosuka) on 10 July 1924.

References

  • Gibbons, Tony: The Complete Encyclopedia of Battleships, Crescent Books, New York, 1983 ISBN 0-517-378108
  • Burt, R.A.: Japanese Battleships, 1897–1945
  • Preston, Antony: World's Worst Warships, Conways Maritime Press 2002

de:Orjol (1904) fr:Orel (cuirassé) ja:石見 (戦艦) ru:Орёл (броненосец)