Japanese gunboat Ōshima off Kobe |
|
| Career (Japan) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Ōshima |
| Ordered: | 1889 |
| Builder: | Onohama Shipyards |
| Laid down: | 29 August 1889 |
| Launched: | 14 October 1891 |
| Commissioned: | 31 March 1892 |
| Struck: | 15 June 1905 |
| Fate: | sunk in collision 18 May 1904 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 640 long tons (650 t) |
| Length: | 53.65 m (176.0 ft) |
| Beam: | 8.0 m (26 ft 3 in) |
| Draught: | 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion: | reciprocating steam engine 2 shafts, 4 boilers 1,217 hp (908 kW) |
| Speed: | 13.0 knots (15.0 mph; 24.1 km/h) |
| Range: | 70 tons coal |
| Complement: | 130 |
| Armament: | • 1 × 120 mm (5 in) guns • 2 × 47 mm (1.9 in) guns • 6x 37 mm (1.5 in) Nordenfelt guns |
Ōshima (大島) was an early steam gunboat, serving in the fledgling Imperial Japanese Navy. She was named after the island of Ōshima off Shizuoka prefecture.
Ōshima was a metal-hulled three-masted gunboat with a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine with two boilers driving two screws. Her design was based on a modified version of the Maya-class gunboat and the French naval architect Louis-Émile Bertin contributed to her design. Ōshima was laid down at the Onohama Shipyards in Kobe under direction of the Kure Naval Arsenal on August 29, 1889 and launched on October 14, 1891. She was completed on March 31, 1892.
Ōshima saw combat service in the First Sino-Japanese War, during which time an additional three 120 mm (5 in) guns and an additional three 47 mm (1.9 in) guns were fitted, patrolling between Korea, Dairen and Weihaiwei in a reserve capacity in the IJN 2nd Fleet.
On 21 March 1898, Oshima was re-designated as a second-class gunboat, and was used for coastal survey and patrol duties.
During the Russo-Japanese War, Ōshima assisted in the Siege of Port Arthur. On 18 May 1904, she collided in a heavy fog with the gunboat Akagi and sank off of Port Arthur at position .
Ōshima was removed from the active list on 15 June 1905.