JAPANESE WARSHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 18531, 14 January 1924, Page 7

JAPANESE WARSHIPS

VISIT TO WELLINGTON. VESSELS WITH WAR RECORDS. The Japanese warships Iwate (flagship), Asama, and Yakumo, which are to visit a number of ports in Australia and New Zealand, have arrived at Melbourne, and will remain there for six days (says the ‘ Dominion *). After visiting Hobart and Sydney they will leave the latter port on January 30 for Wellington. They are expected to reach this port on February 4, and the itinerary provides for five days’ stay. Leaving Wellington on February 9, the visitors will proceed to Auckland, and thence to Noumea and Rabaul.

The arrangements for the reception of the officers and crew of the Japanese warships have not yet been concluded, on account of the difficulty of negotiating during the holiday period. The necessary preparations are well in hand, however, and the official welcomes by the Government and the municipal authorities will be carried out with the ceremony usually associated with visits from foreign guests. Vice-Admiral Schichigoro Saito, C. 8., will command the squadron, which will consist of the flagship Iwate, under Captain Mitsumasa Yonai; the Yakumo, under Captain Wataru Ukawa, C.M.G.; and the Asama, under Captain Suyeki Yonemura. The three ships are classed as armored cruisers, and were built between 1898 and 1900, each being armed with four Bin guns and twelve bin guns. The Iwate and the Yakumo have each twm funnels and the Asama has three. There has been no similar class of cruiser in the British Navy, but the Japanese cruisers can be said to Ite between the Good Hope and the County classes. They are slower, but more heavily armed. The displacement of the Japanese cruisers is almost 9,700 tons, and they are consequently unaffected by the scrapping clauses of the Washington Treaty, which does not apply to ships under 10,000 tons. The Japanese battleships contemporary with these cruisers have been scrapped. All three ships served with distinction during the Russo-Japanese War. The Asama fired the first shot in the action 1 against the Russian cruisers Variag and Koreetz off Chemulpo on February 4, 1904. Both Russian' boats were destroyed. The Asama was badly damaged by a 12in shell in the Battle of Tsuahima, and was forced to leave the battle line. She also received damage from a shell bursting in her after funnel, and this greatly reduced her speed. The Iwate and Yakumo took part in the battle of August 10, 1904, when the Russian fleet made their disastrous sortie for Port Arthur. The Iwate took a prominent part in the cruiser action off Ulsan, when the Russian cruiser Rossya was sunk. All the ships served in the World War of 1914-18, being employed on convoy and patrol work.