Japanese cruiser Unebi
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Built: | Forges Et Chantiers De La Gironde, France |
| Ordered: | 1883 Fiscal Year |
| Laid down | May 1884 |
| Launched: | April 6 1886 |
| Completed: | October 1886 |
| Fate: | Disappeared Oct 19 1887 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 3,615 tons |
| Length: | 98.0 meters at waterline |
| Beam: | 13.1 meters |
| Draught: | 5.72 meters |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft, 9 boilers; 5,500 HP |
| Speed: | 18.5 knots |
| Fuel: | 700 tons coal |
| Complement: | 280-400 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: | 60 mm deck armor; 125 mm upper belt; 62 mm deck armor; 150 mm barbette, turret, casement |
The Unebi (畝傍) was an protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built in France by Forges Et Chantiers De La Gironde. Compared with the contemporary Naniwa-class cruisers built for the Japanese in Great Britain, the Unebi was a slightly older design. The Unebi was named after a 199.2 meter tall mountain in Nara prefecture, located near the ancient capital of Asuka. Per Meiji period State Shinto mythology, this mountain was home to Japan’s first Emperor, Jimmu Tenno.
Just 3 months after commissioning, in December 1886, in route from France to Japan, the Unebi disappeared without a trace somewhere in the South China Sea between Singapore and Yokohama. No survivors and no wreckage was ever found, and theories on its mysterious disappearance have led to numerous novels and works of speculative fiction, but the prevailing theory was that the design was top-heavy and unstable in rough weather.
The Unebi was officially declared lost with all hands and stricken from the Imperial Japanese Navy list on 19 October 1887. The Unebi is the only case of a ship vanishing without a trace in the annals of the Imperial Japanese Navy. A memorial monument to the missing crew of the Unebi is located at Aoyama Cemetery in Tokyo.
The Japanese government cancelled the production of a second vessel per the same design, and received compensation from the French government. The monies went towards production of the armoured cruiser Chishima, built in the Chantiers de la Loire shipyards in France.
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