Japanese cruiser Ikoma

IJN Ikoma (生駒 巡洋戦艦) was the second vessel of the two-ship Tsukuba-class of armored cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after Mount Ikoma located on the border of Osaka and Nara prefecture. On 28 August 1912, the Tsukubas were re-classified as battlecruisers.

Background
Ikoma was one of the first ships in the Japanese navy with boilers capable of burning either coal or heavy fuel oil.

Service life
Shortly after commissioning at the Kure Naval Arsenal, Ikoma was assigned to the escort fleet during the visit of the United States Navy’s Great White Fleet through Japanese waters on its around-the-world voyage in October 1908.

In 1910, Ikoma was sent on a voyage to Argentina to attend that nation’s centennial of independence celebrations. From Buenos Aires, it continued on across the Atlantic Ocean to London, England and to other ports in Europe.

Ikoma served in World War I in the South Pacific as part of Japan’s contribution to the Allied war effort. From 1 November 1914 to 17 January 1915, Ikoma was based out of Hong Kong, Singapore and Townsville, Australia, protecting British colonies and shipping from German raiders.

Ikoma was a victim of the Washington Naval Agreement of 1922 and was scrapped at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Nagasaki shipyards in compliance with that accord.