Japanese cruiser Tsukuba
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 Japanese heavy cruiser Tsukuba in old postcard |
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Kure Naval Yards, Japan |
| Ordered: | FY1904 Fiscal Year |
| Laid down: | January 14, 1905 |
| Launched: | December 26, 1905 |
| Commissioned: | January 14, 1907 |
| Fate: | Explosion, Yokosuka Bay January 14, 1917 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 13,750 tons (normal); 15,400 tons (max) |
| Length: | 134.1 meters waterline; 137.1 meters overall |
| Beam: | 23.0 meters |
| Draft: | 8.0 meters |
| Propulsion: | Two Shaft VTE Reciprocating Engines; 20 boilers; 20,500 shp |
| Speed: | 20.5 knots |
| Fuel & Range: | 2000 tons coal 5,000 nm @ 14 knots |
| Complement: | 879 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: |
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IJN Tsukuba (筑波) was the lead ship in the Tsukuba class of 1st class heavy cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Tsukuba had one sister ship, the IJN Ikoma. The Tsukuba is named after Mount Tsukuba located in Ibaraki prefecture north of Tokyo. The class was intended to be Japan's answer to the British Royal Navy's HMS Invincible and was intended to be the lead ship of a class of six vessels. As construction began before the end of the Russo-Japanese War, construction progressed at a rapid pace, and contemporary American military observers were surprised (and concerned) that Japan had learned to build such large and powerful warships so quickly, and in such a short time.
Shortly after commissioning, and with AdmiralGoro Ijuin on board, the Tsukuba was sent on a voyage to the United States for the tricentennial celebrations marking the founding of Jamestown colony, and from there to Portsmouth in England.
On 28 August 1912, the Tsukuba was re-classified as a battlecruiser by the Japanese navy. On 10 November 1915, it participated in an Imperial Navy Fleet Review off of Yokohama, attended by Emperor Taisho in which 124 ships participated; a similar Navy Fleet Review was held again off Yokohama on 25 October 1916.
The Tsukuba participated in missions in World War I in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean in support of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.
On 14 January 1917, the Tsukuba exploded while in port at Yokosuka, and sank with a loss of 305 men. The cause was later attributed to a fire in its ammunition magazine.
Afterwards, the hulk was raised, as used as a target for naval aviation training. It was scrapped on 1 September 1917.
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Imperial Japanese Navy  |
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| Major battles | List of ships | List of aircraft | List of weapons | Main admirals | ||||||||
| Tsukuba-class cruiser |
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Tsukuba | Ikoma |
| List of ships of the Japanese Navy |
