Chinese cruiser Chao Ho
| Company type | Protected cruiser |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval shipbuilding |
| Founded | 7 October 1910 |
| Headquarters | Elswick, Tyne and Wear , United Kingdom |
| Products | Warships (protected cruiser) |
| Reacquired | 29 December 1928 |
|---|---|
Chao Ho (Template:Zh) served as the lead vessel of its class, a series of protected cruisers designed primarily for training purposes and initially commissioned by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty.
Development
The Chao Ho class originated from an ambitious seven-year modernization initiative initiated by the Qing Dynasty's imperial regent, Zaifeng, Prince Chun. This program aimed to commission a fleet comprising modern battleships, cruisers, torpedo boats, and submarines, although it was never fully realized. Just prior to the conclusion of her sea trials and formal integration into the Imperial Chinese Navy, the Qing Dynasty's 267-year rule ended due to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's Xinhai Revolution, which led to the abdication of the young emperor Puyi and the establishment of the Republic of China. The Chao Ho subsequently entered service under the Republic of China Navy.
Distinctively, the three vessels in the Chao Ho class were constructed at separate shipyards, resulting in differences despite sharing a fundamental design. Variations existed in their dimensions, armor protection, and displacement, with Chao Ho being the largest and longest. Additionally, each ship was outfitted with diverse armament configurations rather than a standardized main battery. These intentional differences served educational purposes, providing crews with exposure to a range of boiler types and weapon systems.
The keel of Chao Ho was laid on 7 October 1910 at Elswick, Tyne and Wear by Armstrong Whitworth. She was officially launched on 23 October 1911 and completed her naval trials by 21 February 1912—just nine days following the fall of the Qing Dynasty due to the Xinhai Revolution. After protracted loan negotiations, she was delivered to China in March 1913.
Design
Among her sister ships, Chao Ho stood out due to her larger size compared to both Ying Rui and Fei Hung. She exceeded Ying Rui's beam by 2 feet 6 inches (0.76 m), and her displacement was greater by approximately 290 tons. Design distinctions included Ying Ruis foremast positioned further aft and a wider spacing between her funnels. In terms of protection, Chao Ho featured thicker armor plating—approximately 2 in (51 mm) on the main deck compared to Ying Ruis 0.75 in (19 mm), and around 3 in (76 mm) on her conning tower versus 1.75 in (44 mm) on Ying Rui.
Her principal armament consisted of two Armstrong Pattern NN 6 inches (150 mm)/50 guns mounted respectively on the forecastle and poop decks. As a protected cruiser, Chao Ho lacked belt armor; instead, armor was concentrated on her deck, gun mounts, and conning tower. The remainder of her weaponry was installed on the main deck.
Service record
The initial notable event involving Chao Ho occurred in December 1915, when Southern Chinese insurgents briefly seized the cruiser during the National Protection War. Throughout the turbulent Warlord Era of the Republic of China, Chao Ho frequently engaged in bombardments against rebel forces. In December 1923, Wu Peifu, a warlord from the Zhili Clique aligned with the Beiyang Government, secured the allegiance of half the Chinese Navy—including Chao Ho—through bribery. These vessels were then tasked with defending the naval base at Qingdao, previously the German Empire's concession in the Jiaozhou Bay, regarded as China’s most advanced port at that time. The fleet, comprising five ships—the cruisers Hai Chi, Hai Chen, and Chao Ho, alongside the gunboats Yung Hsiang and Chu Yu—arrived at Qingdao on 5 January 1924, subsequently becoming known as the Northern Fleet. Following the Zhili Clique's defeat in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, control over Qingdao and its naval forces transferred to Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin of the Fengtian clique. By then, the Northern Fleet had been renamed the North East Fleet, although many vessels had deteriorated significantly, with several unable to surpass speeds of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Due to Zhang’s close political ties with the Empire of Japan, Japanese engineers undertook a refit of Chao Ho and the rest of his fleet in 1927.
In 1927, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang government initiated the decisive Northern Expedition aimed at subduing Northern Chinese warlords. Despite commanding a newly organized and trained National Revolutionary Army, Kuomintang naval power was minimal following a mass defection in 1923. Throughout that year, the recently refurbished Chao Ho conducted multiple operations bombarding Nationalist naval defenses at Wusong near Shanghai and took part in a brief occupation of Kinmen island off Xiamen in May 1928. After intense conflict, Kuomintang forces ultimately overcame the warlord factions by capturing Beijing in 1928. Zhang Zuolin fled but was assassinated when Japanese Kwantung Army officers destroyed his train as retribution for his failure to defeat Chiang. Subsequently, his son, Zhang Xueliang, pledged loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang administration. The erstwhile Beiyang Government’s North East Fleet was reincorporated into the Republic of China Navy. In 1930, two additional QF 2 pounder anti-aircraft guns were installed on Chao Ho atop a platform at the base of her mainmast. The former North East Fleet became known as the Third Squadron and remained stationed at Qingdao.
However, issues persisted for Chao Ho after its 1928 return. In July 1933, an attempted assassination against Admiral Shen Hung-lieh—also Qingdao’s mayor—was carried out by a lieutenant from the auxiliary gunboat Chen Hai over wage disputes; he was promptly executed. In response, members of the Third Squadron—including Hai Chi, Hai Chen, and Chao Ho—mutinied and sailed to Guangzhou under General Chen Jitang’s control. Due to ongoing factionalism within post-Northern Expedition China, these mutineers were welcomed by Guangzhou’s government as valuable reinforcements for its Cantonese faction. Nevertheless, even there, the former North East Fleet suffered from insufficient pay, limited deployment, and lack of recognition. When Rear-Admiral Kiang Hsi-yuan—the original mutiny leader—was replaced by a local Cantonese commander, the three ships rebelled again and departed Guangzhou on 15 June 1935. Shortly thereafter, Chao Ho became immobilized in mud and was left behind. The remaining vessels, Hai Chi and Hai Chen, later engaged in a naval standoff against the modern light cruiser Ning Hai, which carried fleet admiral Chan Chak. Although Ning Hai fired several warning shots toward the mutineers, negotiations concluded peacefully on 18 July without further conflict.
Hostilities between China and Japan reignited in 1937 with Japan launching a full-scale invasion that swiftly resulted in capturing Beiping and Tianjin during the Battle of Beiping–Tianjin. At that time, Chao Ho was stationed at Bocca Tigris naval fortifications tasked with protecting Guangzhou and controlling access to the Pearl River. On 14 September 1937, both Chao Ho and Hai Chow—formerly HMS Pentstemon, an Arabis-class—engaged Japanese forces including cruiser Japanese cruiser Yūbari and destroyers Hayate and Oite. With support from Bocca Tigris’ shore artillery, Japanese vessels were compelled to withdraw; however, both Chinese ships sustained damage. Following this setback, Japan deployed aircraft carriers Ryūjō and Hōshō against Pearl River Delta fortifications as part of an extensive strategic bombing campaign targeting Guangzhou’s ports and defenses. On 30 September 1937, Japanese aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service sank Chao Ho.