Japanese cruiser Akitsushima

Akitsushima (秋津洲) was a protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Japan. The name Akitsushima comes from an archaic name for Japan, as used in the ancient chronicle Kojiki.

Background
Akitsushima was the sole cruiser for the Imperial Japanese Navy planned under the 1889 fiscal year budget. Originally intended as a domestically-built fourth vessel in the Matsushima-class cruiser of cruisers under the Jeune École philosophy promoted by French military advisor and naval architect Louis-Émile Bertin, opposition by the pro-British faction within the navy, and growing concerns on the effectiveness and operational utility of the Matsushima-class, led to a new design with multiple guns rather than a single, huge Canet gun. Bertin was outraged by the new design and threatened to return to France.

Design
The design of Akitsushima was based closely on that of the last vessel to be constructed in the Matsushima-class, namely the JAPANESE CRUISER Hashidate, retaining the same hull construction and machinery, with the primary difference being in the type and layout of her armament. The armaments of Akitsushima were initially based on the cruiser JAPANESE CRUISER Chiyoda, but the Japanese navy felt that this was too light, and demanded the inclusion of an additional four rapid firing QF 6 inch /40 naval guns, twin mounted fore and aft. The rapid rate of fire of these guns gave Akitsushima a large advantage over the more heavily armed Matsushima-class, whose slow rate of fire had led cadets to say during training exercises that “ by the time one shot is fired, the day is over”.

First Sino-Japanese War
During the First Sino-Japanese War, Captain Kamimura Hikonojō was assigned command of the new cruiser Akitsushima and participated in the Battle of Pungdo even before the start of official hostilities against the Imperial Chinese Beiyang Fleet cruiser CHINESE CRUISER Jiyuan. Jiyuan escaped, but Akitsushima captured the gunboat Guanyi. Later as part of the flying squadron led by Admiral Tsuboi Kōzō at the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 17 September 1894, Akitsushima is credited with sinking the cruiser CHINESE CRUISER Zhiyuan. During the battle, Akitsushima was hit with the loss of five killed (including one officer) and ten wounded. She subsequently participated in the Battle of Weihaiwei, where her role was primarily to provide fire support to assist the Imperial Japanese Army in capturing the landward fortifications. Akitsushima was among the Japanese fleet units that took part in the seizure of the Pescadores and the invasion of Taiwan in 1895, and saw action on 13 October 1895 at the bombardment of Cihou Fort at Kaohsiung.

On 21 March 1898, Akitsushima was re-designated as a 3rd class protected cruiser. During the Spanish-American War, Akitsushima (which was then based at Makung in the Pescadores Islands, was sent to Manila in the Philippines to safeguard Japanese citizens and economic interests.

Akitsushima was called upon for escort duties for transports ferrying Japanese troops and supplies during the Boxer Rebellion.

Russo-Japanese War
In an effort to improve her stability, two of her 120-mm guns were removed around 1900-1901. However, Akitsushima was still considered underpowered, poorly armored, and outgunned by the start of the Russo-Japanese War, and was largely assigned to rear line duties, as part of the 6th division of the Japanese Third Fleet. She was based in out of the Takeshiki Guard District in the Tsushima islands, and assigned to patrols of the Korea Strait between Tsushima and Port Arthur against the Imperial Russian Navy cruiser squadron based in Vladivostok.

Akitsushima was sent to Shanghai on 18 February 1904 to force the disarmament of the Russian gunboat Manchuria, under the international norms for neutrality, accomplishing its mission by 31 March. Akitsushima then joined the blockade of Port Arthur. She assisted in the rescue of survivors from the battleship JAPANESE BATTLESHIP Yashima which had struck a naval mine on 15 May 1904, and also rescued survivors of the gunboat JAPANESE GUNBOAT Ōshima which sank on 16 May after colliding with the cruiserJAPANESE CRUISER Akashi.

In June Akitsushima was assigned to escort transports ferrying the IJA 2nd Army across the Bohai Gulf, and to provide ground fire support for the efforts of the IJA 3rd Army under General Nogi Maresuke to take Port Arthur.

During the Battle of the Yellow Sea, Akitsushima attempted to intercept the Russian cruiser RUSSIAN CRUISER Askold, but failed to catch her. During the final crucial Battle of Tsushima on 27 May, Akitsushima saw combat against the Russian cruisers RUSSIAN CRUISER Oleg, RUSSIAN CRUISER Aurora and RUSSIAN CRUISER Zhemchug. Afterwards, in June 1905, she covered the landings of Japanese troops on the island of Sakhalin.

Akitsushima was re-classified as a 2nd Class Coastal Defense Vessel on 28 August 1912. In 1913, as a gesture of good will, the officers and crew of Akitsushima presided over the funeral of Russian admiral Stepan Makarov in the military cemetery of Port Arthur. The admiral’s remains and those of five of his officers were recovered by a salvage team from the wreck of the battleship RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP Petropavlovsk which had been sunk by a mine during the Russo-Japanese War at the entrance to Port Arthur.

World War I
Despite her antiquated equipment and age Akitsushima was called upon again during World War I, to serve in the IJN 2nd Fleet during the Battle of Tsingtao against the Imperial German Navy. During the remainder of the war, it patrolled the sea lanes between Borneo, Singapore, Manila, and Saigon against German commerce raiders and U-boats, as part of Japan’s contribution to the Allied war effort under the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. In 1914, in another attempt to improve on her stability, her torpedo tubes and all 47-mm guns were removed.

After World War I, Akitsushima was re-designated a training ship and submarine tender on 30 April 1921. Akitsushima was scrapped on 10 January 1927.