Japanese battleship Kashima
| Company type | Battleship |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval shipbuilding |
| Founded | 29 February 1904 |
| Defunct | 1924 |
| Fate | Disarmed and scrapped |
| Headquarters | Elswick (shipyard location) , United Kingdom |
| Products | Warships (battleships) |
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"Kashima ("鹿島 (戦艦)", "Kashima (senkan)") was the second vessel in the pair of Error: {{sclass}} missing required parameter: ship type (help) pre-dreadnought battleships constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the early 1900s. Notably, she was the final battleship built by British yards for Japan. Commissioned shortly before the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), her completion occurred a year following the conflict's conclusion. Although she did not engage in combat during World War I, Kashima participated in Japan's involvement in the Siberian Intervention in 1918. In compliance with the stipulations of the Washington Naval Treaty signed in 1922, she was disarmed and dismantled between 1923 and 1924.
Design and description
Ordered just prior to the Russo-Japanese War's commencement in 1904, the Katori-class represented enhancements over the British Royal Navy's Error: {{sclass}} missing required parameter: ship type (help) battleships. Kashima measured 473 feet 7 inches (144.3 m) in overall length and had a beam spanning 78 feet 2 inches (23.8 m). Her fully loaded draft reached 26 feet 4 inches (8.03 m), with a standard displacement of approximately 16,383 long tons (16,646 t). The crew complement consisted of 864 personnel, including both officers and enlisted sailors.
Propulsion was provided by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines powered by steam from twenty Niclausse boilers. These engines were rated at 15,800 indicated horsepower (11,800 kW), utilizing forced draft to achieve a designed maximum speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph). During sea trials conducted on April 4, 1906, Kashima exceeded expectations by reaching a top speed of 19.24 knots (35.63 km/h; 22.14 mph) powered by 17,280 indicated horsepower (12,890 kW). Fuel capacity included up to 2,200 long tons (2,200 t) of coal supplemented by 750 long tons (760 t) of fuel oil sprayed onto the coal to enhance combustion efficiency, enabling a cruising range near 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at an economical speed of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph).
Her primary armament comprised four Elswick-manufactured 12-inch naval guns mounted in two twin turrets positioned fore and aft. The secondary battery featured four single-mounted Elswick 10-inch guns installed in turrets along each side amidships adjacent to the superstructure. For intermediate firepower, twelve six-inch guns were arranged within casemates along the hull sides and integrated into the superstructure. To defend against smaller fast vessels such as torpedo boats, Kashima carried an array of lighter weapons including twelve QF 12-pounder guns and three QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns. Offensive underwater capability was provided by five submerged torpedo tubes—two on each broadside and one at the stern—firing British-standard 18-inch torpedoes.
The ship’s waterline belt armor consisted of Krupp cemented steel with a thickness of approximately 3.5–9 minimal[convert: unknown unit] inches. Her gun turrets were protected with up to 9 minimal[convert: unknown unit] inches of armor plating, while deck armor ranged between two and three inches thick to shield against plunging fire and shrapnel.
Construction and service history
The battleship Kashima was named after a Shinto shrine located in Kashima, Ibaraki. Ordered in January 1904 from the Armstrong Whitworth company, her keel was laid down at their Elswick shipyard on 29 February 1904, designated as yard number 755. The vessel was launched on 22 March 1905 and reached completion by 23 May 1906. Following completion, Kashima embarked on her maiden voyage and initial shakedown cruise departing Britain on 31 May, arriving at Yokosuka on 4 August 1906.
During gunnery exercises held in Hiroshima Bay on 16 September 1907, an accident occurred when brown powder propellant in the starboard aft 10-inch gun mount ignited upon contact with burning residues from a prior discharge. This tragic incident resulted in seven officers and twenty-seven enlisted personnel losing their lives, with an additional two officers and six enlisted men sustaining injuries.
At the outbreak of World War I, Kashima was undergoing a refit at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, which lasted until March 1915. Upon completion, she was assigned to the 2nd Battleship Squadron and elevated to flagship status within that squadron in 1916. In 1918, she became the flagship of the 5th Battleship Squadron alongside her sister ship Katori. Both ships played a role in supporting Japanese troop landings in Siberia during Japan’s intervention in the Russian Civil War in August of the same year.
On 3 March 1921, Katori, escorted by Kashima, set sail from Yokohama carrying Crown Prince Hirohito—the first Japanese crown prince to travel abroad—bound for Great Britain. The vessels reached Portsmouth on 9 May, where Hirohito disembarked to tour Europe before both ships returned to Japan several months later. In compliance with the Washington Naval Treaty, Kashima was disarmed in April 1922, removed from the Navy List on 20 September 1923, and had her armor dismantled by February 1924. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries acquired the ship through a public auction held on 26–27 April for a sum of 238,900 yen and paid an additional fee of 35,000 yen to tow her to Nagasaki for scrapping, which was completed by 24 November.
The battleship’s armaments were transferred to the Imperial Japanese Army for coastal defense purposes; her main gun turrets were installed around Tokyo Bay and on Iki Island within the Strait of Tsushima. Remaining artillery pieces were placed in reserve before ultimately being scrapped in 1943.