Japanese cruiser Soya
 Soya, formerly the Russian cruiser Varyag
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Soya |
| Ordered | 1898 |
| Builder | William Cramp & Sons, USA |
| Laid down | 31 October 1899 |
| Launched | 2 January 1900 |
| Completed | 14 January 1901 |
| Acquired | by Japan as prize of war, 1904 |
| Commissioned | 9 July 1907 |
| Fate | Returned to Russia, 5 April 1916 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Protected cruiser |
| Displacement | 6,500 long tons (6,604 t) |
| Length | 126.8 m (416 ft 0 in) w/l |
| Beam | 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 6.1 m (20 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion | 4 reciprocating VTE engines; 2 shafts; 30 boilers; 20,000 hp (15,000 kW) |
| Speed | 23 knots (26 mph; 43 km/h) |
| Range | 4,500 nmi (8,300 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
| Complement | 571 |
| Armament | list error: <br /> list (help) • 12 × 152 mm (6 in) guns • 10 × 80 mm (3.1 in) guns • 2 × 47 mm (1.9 in) guns • 4 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes |
| Armour | list error: <br /> list (help) Deck: 50–75 mm (2–3 in) Conning tower:150 mm (5.9 in) |
Soya (宗谷) was a protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, acquired as a prize of war during the Russo-Japanese War from the Imperial Russian Navy, where it was originally known as the Russian cruiser Varyag (1899).
Background
The Varyag was built by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States for the Imperial Russian Navy. It was stationed in Korea in 1904, and involved in the opening Battle of Chemulpo Bay of the Russo-Japanese War. After suffering heavy damage from the unequal battle with nine Japanese cruisers, the Varyag was scuttled by its crew on 9 February 1904.
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese raised the badly damaged wreck from Chemulpo harbor, repaired it, and commissioned it into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the 2nd class cruiser Soya on 9 July 1907. Its new name was taken from the northernmost cape of Hokkaidō, Soya Misaki.
Service life
After being placed into Japanese service as a 3rd class cruiser, the Soya was used primarily for training duties. From 14 March 1909 to 7 August 1909, it made a long distance navigational and officer cadet training cruise to Hawaii and North America. It repeated this training cruise every year until 1913.
During World War I Russia and Japan became allies and the Soya (along with several other vessels) was transferred back to Russia at Vladivostok on 5 April 1916, and its original name of Varyag restored.
Gallery
-
In 1909, at Vancouver -
In 1911
References
- Evans, David. Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941. US Naval Institute Press (1979). ISBN 0870211927
- Howarth, Stephen. The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945. Atheneum; (1983) ISBN 0689114028
- Jentsura, Hansgeorg. Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. Naval Institute Press (1976). ISBN 087021893X