Japanese cruiser Tokiwa

Overview

Tokiwa (常盤) was the second and final vessel of the Asama-class class of armored cruisers (Sōkō jun'yōkan) constructed for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the late 1890s. Due to Japan's limited industrial ability to produce such warships domestically, her construction took place in the United Kingdom. Although she had limited involvement in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 and World War I, Tokiwa was heavily engaged throughout the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, taking part in key engagements such as the Battle of Port Arthur, the Battle off Ulsan, and the decisive Battle of Tsushima. Following the conflict, she occasionally served as a training ship for naval cadets.

Between 1922 and 1924, Tokiwa underwent a conversion to function as a minelayer. After sustaining damage from an accidental detonation involving several mines, she was placed into the reserve status in 1927. The vessel saw deployment to Northern China during 1932–1933 amid the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Upon completion of a refit in 1937, Tokiwa resumed active service and was assigned to the IJN's 4th Fleet by 1939. During the Pacific War, she took part in operations occupying the Gilbert Islands and participated in the battles at Rabaul and Kavieng in New Guinea. After suffering damage inflicted by American aircraft soon afterward, she returned to Japan for repairs. Throughout 1944–1945, Tokiwa laid multiple minefields but was twice struck by American mines in 1945. Once repairs were completed, she endured severe damage from American air attacks late in the war, forcing her crew to intentionally beach her to prevent sinking. The ship was salvaged in 1947 before being dismantled for scrap.

Background and description

Following the First Sino-Japanese War, the 1896 Naval Expansion Plan was developed, calling for the construction of four armored cruisers alongside an additional four battleships. Due to Japan's inability to produce such vessels domestically, all ships had to be commissioned from British shipyards. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), upon reviewing Russia’s naval development, concluded that the battleships initially ordered would be inadequate to counter the Imperial Russian Navy. Financial constraints prevented increasing the battleship count, prompting the IJN to raise the number of more cost-effective armored cruisers from four to six. This updated strategy became widely recognized as the "Six-Six Fleet". Unlike many contemporaneous armored cruisers designed primarily for commerce raiding or protecting colonies and trade routes, Tokiwa and her sister ships were specifically intended to serve as fleet scouts and take positions in the battleline.

Measuring 134.72 meters (442 ft 0 in) in overall length and 124.36 meters (408 ft 0 in) between perpendiculars, Tokiwa featured a beam of 20.48 meters (67 ft 2 in) and an average draft of 7.4 meters (24 ft 3 in). The vessel displaced 9,667 metric tons (9,514 long tons) under normal conditions and up to 10,476 metric tons (10,311 long tons) at deep load. Her metacentric height measured 0.88 meters (2 ft 11 in), contributing to her stability. The ship's complement consisted of 676 officers and enlisted personnel.

Propulsion was provided by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each connected to a single propeller shaft. Steam was generated by twelve cylindrical Scotch marine boilers, with the engines rated collectively at 18,000 indicated horsepower (13,000 kW). Designed for a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph), Tokiwa surpassed expectations during sea trials, achieving 23.1 knots (42.8 km/h; 26.6 mph) powered by 19,040 indicated horsepower (14,200 kW). The cruiser could carry up to 1,410 tonnes (1,390 long tons) of coal, enabling a cruising range of approximately 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at a steady speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

The primary armament across all "Six-Six Fleet" armored cruisers comprised four eight-inch guns arranged in twin turrets located fore and aft of the superstructure. The secondary battery included fourteen Elswick Ordnance Company "Pattern Z" quick-firing (QF) guns of 6 inches (150 mm) caliber, with only four positioned outside armored casemates on the main and upper decks; these upper deck mounts were shielded by protective gun shields. For close-range defense against torpedo boat threats, Tokiwa was outfitted with twelve QF 12-pounder 12-cwt guns and eight QF 2.5-pounder Hotchkiss "Yamauchi" guns. Additionally, she carried five 457 millimetres (18.0 in) torpedo tubes—one above water at the bow and four submerged tubes, two on each broadside.

The armor scheme was consistent among all "Six-Six Fleet" armored cruisers with slight variations; notably, the two Asama-class vessels utilized less resilient Harvey armor. The waterline belt extended the entire length of the hull, varying in thickness from 178 millimetres (7.0 in) amidships to 89 millimetres (3.5 in) at both bow and stern, standing 2.13 metres (7 ft 0 in) tall with approximately 1.52 metres (5 ft 0 in) submerged under normal conditions. Above this belt, an upper strake of armor measuring 127 millimetres (5.0 in) thick stretched from the top edge of the waterline belt up to the main deck, covering a distance of 65.42 metres (214.6 ft) between the forward and aft barbettes. The Asama class featured oblique armored bulkheads, each 127 mm thick, sealing off the ends of their central armored citadel.

The barbettes, gun turrets, and forward faces of the casemates were protected by armor plating 152 millimeters thick, while sides and rear sections of casemates received 51 millimeters of armor coverage. The deck also possessed 51 millimeters in thickness, and the conning tower was heavily fortified with armor measuring 356 millimeters thick.

Construction and career

The agreement for Tokiwa was finalized with Armstrong Whitworth on 6 July 1897. Prior to this, the vessel had already been laid down at their Elswick shipyard on 6 January 1897 as a speculative project. She was launched exactly one year later, on 6 July 1898, and reached completion by 18 May 1899. The following day, the ship set sail for Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on 16 July. Captain Dewa Shigetō was appointed on 5 April to oversee her construction and deliver her to Japan; upon arrival, command was transferred to Captain Nakayama Nagaaki. In the subsequent year, Tokiwa provided support for Japanese forces engaged in the Boxer Rebellion in China.

Russo-Japanese War

Tokiwa at anchor in 1904

In July 1903, Sublieutenant Kichisaburō Nomura, who would later serve as Foreign Minister, was assigned to the ship and remained aboard until after the Battle off Ulsan in August 1904. Command of Tokiwa was assumed by Captain Shigetarō Yoshimatsu on 18 January 1904. When the Russo-Japanese War commenced weeks later, she was placed within the 2nd Division of the 2nd Fleet. The cruiser took part in the Battle of Port Arthur on 9 February 1904 during Vice Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō's offensive against the Russian Pacific Squadron anchored near Port Arthur. Tōgō had anticipated that his destroyer-led surprise night assault would cause significant disruption among Russian forces; however, the defenders quickly recovered and were prepared for the attack. The Japanese vessels were detected by the patrolling Russian protected cruiser Boyarin, which alerted their fleet. Tōgō opted to focus his primary batteries on shore defenses while engaging enemy ships with secondary armament. This division of firepower proved ineffective as Japanese eight- and six-inch guns inflicted minimal damage on Russian warships, which concentrated their firepower on the Japanese fleet with some success. Despite hits sustained on both sides, Russian casualties numbered approximately 150 compared to around 90 Japanese killed or wounded before Tōgō ordered disengagement.

In early March, Tokiwa was reassigned from the 2nd Division to Rear Admiral Dewa's 3rd Division. On 10 March, alongside the protected cruiser Chitose, she attempted to seize the disabled Russian destroyer Steregushchiy but was driven off by intense shore battery fire; nonetheless, they succeeded in rescuing wounded crew members. On 13 April, Tōgō drew out part of the Russian Pacific Squadron including Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov's flagship battleship Petropavlovsk. During this engagement, Tokiwa engaged Russian cruisers ahead of the battleships before retreating behind Tōgō's battleships. Upon sighting five Japanese battleships, Makarov turned back toward Port Arthur but struck a recently laid Japanese minefield; his flagship sank within two minutes following a catastrophic magazine explosion, resulting in Makarov’s death among some 677 casualties. Additionally, the battleship Pobeda sustained mine damage.

A few days later Tokiwa rejoined the 2nd Division as Kamimura received orders in mid-April to move northward to patrol the Sea of Japan and guard the Korea Strait against any attempts by Rear Admiral Karl Jessen’s Vladivostok Independent Cruiser Squadron to break through and unite with the Pacific Squadron. The two forces narrowly missed each other on the 24th amid heavy fog; subsequently, the Japanese squadron proceeded to Vladivostok, laying several minefields before returning to Wonsan on the 30th.

The division failed to intercept Jessen’s squadron during its raid on several transports south of Okinoshima Island on 15 June due to poor visibility caused by rain and fog. The Russians launched another sortie on 30 June; Kamimura intercepted them near Okinoshima on the following day but fading light allowed them to escape under cover of darkness. On 17 July Jessen’s squadron sailed toward Japan’s eastern coast intending to divert Japanese forces from operations in the Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea. Passing through Tsugaru Strait two days later, they began capturing vessels bound for Japan. Their presence near Tokyo Bay on the 24th prompted orders from the Naval General Staff directing Kamimura to position at Cape Toi Misaki, Kyūshū, fearing Jessen might circle Japan toward Port Arthur. Two days afterward he received orders to move north toward the Kii Channel, then proceed to Tokyo Bay by the 28th. Finally, Kamimura was instructed to return to Tsushima Island on the 30th; that same day he learned Jessen’s squadron had passed through Tsugaru Strait earlier that morning and reached Vladivostok by 1 August.

Engagement near Ulsan

Main article: Battle off Ulsan

Anchored as depicted in a 1905 postcard

On August 10, the fleet stationed at Port Arthur attempted to break through to Vladivostok but was repelled during the Battle of the Yellow Sea. Jessen received orders to join them; however, these instructions were delayed. Since his trio of armored cruisers—Rossia, Gromoboi, and Rurik—needed to raise steam, he did not set out until the evening of August 13. By dawn, he had reached Tsushima but reversed course upon failing to spot any vessels from the Port Arthur squadron. Approximately 36 miles (58 km) north of Tsushima, he encountered Kamimura's squadron, comprising four modern armored cruisers: Iwate, Izumo, Azuma, and Tokiwa. Both fleets had unknowingly passed each other during the night and turned back near first light, positioning the Japanese ships directly along the Russian path to Vladivostok.

At 05:00, Jessen spotted the Japanese and commanded his ships to head northeast; the Japanese responded with a slightly converging course. Around 05:23, both sides commenced firing at an approximate distance of 8,500 meters (9,300 yd). Japanese fire targeted Rurik, which was positioned at the rear of the Russian formation. She sustained hits early on and began lagging behind her companions. To increase distance, Jessen steered southeast; however, this maneuver caused the rising sun to obscure Russian gunners' vision and prevented their broadside guns from engaging effectively. Near 06:00, Jessen executed a starboard 180° turn aiming to reach the Korean coast and facilitate Rurik's rejoining of the squadron. Kamimura followed with a similar turn around 06:10 but veered portside, thereby widening the gap between the forces. At this moment, Azuma encountered engine troubles, prompting a reduction in speed for the Japanese squadron to maintain formation. Firing resumed at 06:24; Rurik suffered three stern hits that flooded her steering compartment, forcing her to be maneuvered by engine adjustments alone. Her speed further declined, exposing her more to enemy fire, and by approximately 06:40 her steering jammed hard to port.

Attempting to shield Rurik, Jessen executed another 180° turn aiming to place his two cruisers between her and the Japanese fleet. Unexpectedly, Rurik turned starboard abruptly and accelerated through the gap between Jessen's ships and their adversaries. Kamimura also performed a 180° turn so both squadrons proceeded southeast on parallel courses; however, Jessen quickly reversed course again so they faced opposite directions. Around 07:45, the Russians made their third course reversal in an effort to support Rurik, despite Rossia being aflame—her fires were extinguished roughly twenty minutes later. At 08:00 Kamimura circled southward around Rurik, enabling the other two Russian cruisers to pass northward unchallenged toward Vladivostok. Nevertheless, at 08:15 Jessen turned back once more and instructed Rurik to proceed independently to Vladivostok while he headed north at full speed near 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).

Around this time, Kamimura's two older protected cruisers—Naniwa and Takachiho—approached from the south. Their arrival permitted Kamimura to pursue Jessen with all armored cruisers while delegating Rurik's engagement to these reinforcements. For approximately ninety minutes, they engaged in a running fight with Russian forces, inflicting sufficient damage to reduce their pace to about 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). During this chase, Azuma again experienced engine failure and was replaced in line by Tokiwa. The Japanese closed within roughly 5,000 meters (5,500 yd), later increasing distance back out to about 6,500 meters (7,100 yd).

At approximately 10:00, Kamimura was mistakenly informed by his gunnery officer that Izumo had expended three-quarters of her ammunition supply; consequently, after a brief five-minute rapid-fire salvo he ordered a withdrawal. Concerned about leaving Tsushima Strait unguarded and intending to conserve ammunition for further action against Rurik, he did not realize that she had already been sunk by Naniwa and Takachiho. Although these ships had signaled Kamimura regarding Rurik's sinking, he failed to receive their message. Shortly after the Japanese retreat began, both Gromoboi and Rossia were compelled to halt temporarily for repairs. None of the Japanese vessels sustained significant damage; only three personnel aboard Tokiwa were wounded during this encounter. Following this battle, command of Tokiwa passed to Rear Admiral Uryū Sotokichi who initiated a blockade of Shanghai on August 20 where the Russian cruiser Askold and a destroyer had sought refuge after the Battle of the Yellow Sea. He returned home on September 8 after Chinese authorities formally interned these Russian ships.

By mid-September, both Tokiwa and Iwate were reassigned to the 1st Division. In November, she underwent refitting at Kure Naval Arsenal. Post-refit, she joined the 2nd Division which was dispatched northward on February 2 to Wonsan for escort duties supporting occupation forces. On February 12 she was recalled for another refit. On April 13, the 2nd Division—including armored cruisers Izumo and Kasuga—sailed out escorting minelayers tasked with deploying 715 mines near Vladivostok.

Battle of Tsushima

Main article: Battle of Tsushima

File:Japanese cruiser Tokiwa.jpg

Japanese postcard depicting Tokiwa at high speed, circa 1905

On 27 May, the Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific Squadrons, having journeyed from the Baltic Sea, were detected by Japanese patrol vessels early in the morning. Despite limited visibility and poor radio signals, these initial sightings prompted Admiral Tōgō to command his fleet to set sail. Around 11:30, the 2nd Division, under Kamimura’s leadership, located the Russian squadron led by Vice Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky. Kamimura advanced to a distance of approximately 8,000 meters (8,700 yd) before withdrawing under enemy fire to regroup with Tōgō’s battleships. Tokiwa was positioned third in a line of six when Tōgō commenced firing on the 2nd Pacific Squadron at 14:10. Like most vessels in her division, she engaged the battleship Oslyabya, which fell out of formation by 14:50 and sank twenty minutes later. By this stage, the Russian formation had become disorganized. At about 15:35, Knyaz Suvorov emerged suddenly from the fog at roughly 2,000 meters (6,600 ft). Kamimura’s entire division opened fire for about five minutes, with Azuma and the armored cruiser Yakumo also launching torpedoes at the Russian vessel, though none struck their target.

Following 17:30, Kamimura led his division on an unsuccessful chase after several Russian cruisers, leaving Tōgō’s battleships to operate independently. He ceased the pursuit around 18:03, turning northward to reunite with Tōgō’s main force. Near 18:30, his ships encountered the rear segment of the Russian battleline and opened fire as they closed to between 8,000–9,000 meters (8,700–9,800 yd). The impact on the Russians remains unknown; they stopped firing by 19:30 and regrouped with Tōgō at 20:08 as darkness approached. The following morning, Japanese forces located the remaining Russian vessels and commenced firing around 10:30 while maintaining a distance that prevented effective Russian retaliation. Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov consequently opted to surrender since he was unable to return fire or close in. During this engagement, Tokiwa sustained hits from one large-caliber and seven smaller shells, mostly 75-millimeter rounds. These inflicted only minor damage, but resulted in one fatality and fourteen injuries among her crew.

Captain Imai Kanemasa took command of Tokiwa on 14 June, as Admiral Tōgō reorganized his fleet for upcoming missions. In preparation for the invasion of Sakhalin Island in early July, Kamimura's now three-ship 2nd Division—comprising Iwate, Izumo, and Tokiwa—was assigned to secure the Korea Strait before escorting troops for an amphibious landing in northeastern Korea. By mid-August, this division provided cover for landings at Chongjin, near the Russian border. In 1910, Tokiwa underwent boiler replacement with Miyabara water-tube boilers and had her six-inch artillery swapped out for domestically produced Japanese models. During December 1911, both Iwate and Tokiwa were deployed to Port Arthur to help maintain order amid the 1911 Revolution.

World War I

Tokiwa took part in the initial phase of the Battle of Tsingtao before returning to Sasebo on 2 October 1914. The following month, she was dispatched to Singapore in preparation for a mission to locate the German commerce raider Emden; however, the German vessel was sunk prior to the operation's commencement. On 1 September 1916, the cruiser joined the Training Squadron ahead of departing on 5 April 1917 alongside Yakumo for a training voyage that included stops at ports in California, Hawaii, and the South Sea Islands, carrying cadets from the 44th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. Upon returning on 17 August, Tokiwa was relieved from her Training Squadron duties on 25 August and subsequently sent to Honolulu, Hawaii, in October to safeguard maritime traffic against potential German commerce raiders and to facilitate the US Navy’s redeployment of forces to the Atlantic.

On 10 August 1918, Tokiwa rejoined the Training Squadron and returned to Japan to prepare for another training cruise. Together with Azuma, she embarked on a voyage starting 1 March 1919, visiting destinations in South Asia and Australia. Another cruise commenced on 24 November 1919 with Azuma, covering Singapore, Southeast Asia, the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean Sea. After arriving back on 20 May 1920, she was once again released from Training Squadron service on 4 June. Later, on 30 September 1921, Tokiwa was reclassified as a first-class coast-defense ship.

Conversion into a minelayer

Beginning on 30 September 1922 at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Tokiwa underwent conversion into a minelayer. To accommodate between 200 and 300 mines, her aft 8-inch gun turret was removed along with six of the main deck’s 6-inch guns. The light armament was also reduced to two 12-pounder guns; however, two 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type anti-aircraft (AA) guns were added. These alterations were finalized by March 1924. On 1 August 1927, an accidental explosion occurred in Saiki Bay during the disarming of fuzed mines, severely damaging her stern. One mine detonated prematurely and triggered several others, resulting in the deaths of 35 crew members and injuries to 65 more. Following repairs, Tokiwa was placed into reserve status.

From January 1932 until May 1933, after Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Tokiwa served with the 1st Fleet, conducting patrols off northern China. Between November 1937 and 1938, she received a refit that installed eight new Kampon boilers which lowered her top speed to 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph); her remaining torpedo tubes were also removed during this process. These modifications freed up space that expanded her mine capacity to approximately 500. With the creation of the 4th Fleet on 15 November 1939, Tokiwa was assigned to its 18th Division and then transferred a year later to the 19th Division under Rear Admiral Kiyohide Shima, serving alongside the minelayer Okinoshima. In 1940, she underwent another conversion into a training minelayer which reduced her mine capacity back down to between 200 and 300 mines. This refit involved removing her forward 8-inch turret and four amidships 6-inch guns, as well as one of the two remaining AA guns of the type 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type. Her anti-aircraft defenses were significantly strengthened by adding two single 40-millimeter (1.6 in) guns along with twenty license-produced twin-mounted Type 96 25 mm light AA guns.

Pacific War

On December 9 and 10, 1941, Tokiwa along with other minelayers from the 19th Division escorted two troop transports carrying occupation forces bound for Makin and Tarawa within the Gilbert Islands. In January 1942, she took part in Operation R, the campaign to seize Rabaul and Kavieng, subsequently returning to Kwajalein Atoll. During an air raid conducted by American planes launched from the carrier USS Enterprise on February 1, 1942, Tokiwa sustained damage and was compelled to sail back to Sasebo for repairs. She arrived back at Truk on July 14, and on August 19 was assigned to the Japanese task force tasked with retaking Makin Atoll following the Makin Raid.

On May 1, 1943, Tokiwa was transferred to the Ōminato Guard District and departed Truk on May 26 as part of a convoy heading to Yokosuka; this convoy was unsuccessfully targeted by the submarine USS Salmon (SS-182) on June 3. Later, on January 20, 1944, she was reassigned to the 18th Escort Squadron within the 7th Fleet. In June 1944, Tokiwa deployed thousands of mines in the waters near Okinawa, and again in February 1945 around Yakushima. Ironically, on April 14, 1945, she herself struck a mine approximately 78 miles (126 km) off Hesaki, Kyūshū, resulting in moderate damage. Further damage occurred on June 3, 1945, when mines laid by USAAF B-29 Superfortress bombers detonated near her. During the course of the war, her armament was enhanced with roughly ten single-mounted 25 mm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns and equipped with eighty depth charges. Additionally, she received upgrades including Type 3, Mark 1, Model 3 and Type 2, Mark 2, Model 1 air search radars.

File:Japanese cruiser Tokiwa 1945.jpg

Wrecked at the end of World War II

While stationed at Ōminato in northern Japan's Mutsu Bay (coordinates 41.20°N 141.60°E / 41.20; 141.60), Tokiwa suffered severe damage from a direct bomb strike and four close detonations during an air assault by United States Navy aircraft belonging to Task Force 38 on August 9, 1945. Her crew subsequently beached her to prevent sinking. On November 30, 1945, she was officially struck from the navy list. Following Japan’s surrender and conclusion of World War II, the wreck was refloated on April 5, 1947; it was then towed to Hakodate, Hokkaidō where scrapping took place between August and October of that year.

External links

• Detailed plans of Tokiwa at The Blueprints Database