Japanese cruiser Aso

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The Russian cruiser Bayan, which later became the Japanese cruiser Aso
Career
Built:	Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee　La Seyne, France
Ordered:
Laid down	February 1899
Launched:	December 6 1900
Completed:	April 1903
Fate:	Scrapped April 1931
General Characteristics
Displacement:	7726 tons
Length:	135.6 meters at waterline
Beam:	17.4 meters
Draught:	6.7 meters
Propulsion:	2-shaft reciprocating, 26 boilers; 16500 HP
Speed:	21 knots
Fuel:	1100 tons coal; Range: 7000 nm @ 10 knots
Complement:	570
Armament:	2 × 203 mm guns 8 × 152 mm guns 20 x 75 mm guns 7 x 47 mm guns 5 x 380 mm torpedos
Armor:	100-200 mm belt; 25-50 mm deck armor; 88-170 mm turrets; 80 mm casement

The IJN Aso (阿蘇) was an armoured cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, originally built for the Imperial Russian Navy as the Bayan, by the Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee　La Seyne in Toulon, France. It was the lead ship in the Bayan class of three vessels. The Bayan played an active role in the early stages of the Russo-Japanese War, but was trapped by the Siege of Port Arthur and subsequently sunk by Japanese artillery.

After the capture of Port Arthur by the Japanese, the Bayan was raised, repaired, and commissioned it into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the 2nd class cruiser Aso on 22 August 1905. It was named after Mount Aso a noted volcano in Kyūshū. It is a tribute to the excellent design of Bayan that she was able to absorb seven hits on the deck, of which five penetrated, and five hits on the side of the hull, from the Japanese 280mm siege guns (more than any battleship or cruiser in the Russian squadron) and still could be brought back into service.

On 1 April 1920, the Aso was re-classified as a minelayer. It was removed from the active list on 01 April 1931 and subsequently sunk as a target by the Myōkō on 04 August 1932.

Imperial Japanese Navy

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