Japanese cruiser Soya

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The Japanese cruiser Soya, formerly the Russian cruiser Varyag
Career Japanese Navy Ensign
Built: William Cramp & Sons, USA
Ordered: 1898
Laid down October 1899
Launched: 1900
Completed: by Russia January 27 1904;
to Japan August 22 1905
Fate: Returned to Russia, April 5 1916
General Characteristics
Displacement: 6,500 tons
Length: 126.8 meters at waterline
Beam: 15.8 meters
Draught: 5.94 meters
Propulsion: 2-shaft reciprocating, 30 boilers; 20,000 HP
Speed: 23 knots
Fuel: 1250 tons coal
4500 nm @ 10 knots
Complement: 571
Armament:
  • 12 × 152 mm guns
  • 12× 80 mm guns
  • 8 x 47 mm guns
  • 6 x 450 mm torpedos
Armor: 37-75 mm deck armor;
150 mm conning tower

The Soya was a protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, originally built for the Imperial Russian Navy as the Varyag, by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was scuttled during the Battle of Chemulpo Bay by its crew to avoid capture 09 February 1904, by the Japanese Navy.

After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese raised the badly damaged wreck of the Varyag from Chemulpo harbor, repaired it, and commissioned it into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the 2nd class cruiser Soya on 22 August 1905. It was named after the northernmost cape of Hokkaidō, Soya Misaki.

During World War I Russia and Japan became allies and the Soya was transferred back to Russia on 5 April 1916, and its original name of Varyag restored.

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