The Japanese battleship Iwami. |
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| Career (Russia) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Оryol (Орёл) |
| Builder: | Galerniy Island Shipyards, Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Laid down: | 2 June 1900 |
| Launched: | 19 July 1902 |
| Commissioned: | September 1904 |
| Fate: | Captured by Japan, 28 May 1905 |
| Career (Japan) | |
| Name: | Iwami (石見) |
| Acquired: | 28 May 1905 |
| Commissioned: | 12 December 1905 |
| Fate: | Expended as target, 10 July 1924 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Borodino-class battleship |
| Displacement: | 13,561 long tons (13,779 t) standard 15,300 long tons (15,546 t) full load |
| Length: | 121 m (397 ft 0 in) |
| Beam: | 23.2 m (76 ft 1 in) |
| Draft: | 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) |
| Propulsion: | Reciprocating vertical triple expansion (VTE) engines, 15,800 ihp (11,800 kW) 20 boilers 2 shafts 2000 tons coal |
| Speed: | 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) |
| Range: | 8,500 nmi (15,700 km) at 10 kn (19 km/h) |
| Complement: | 806 |
| Armament: | • 4 × 305 mm (12.0 in) guns • 6 × 200 mm (7.9 in) guns • 16 × 80 mm (3.1 in) guns • 20 × 47 mm (1.9 in) guns • 8 × 37 mm (1.5 in) machine guns • 2 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedoes |
| Armour: | • Belt: 100–230 mm (3.9–9.1 in) • Deck: 40–70 mm (1.6–2.8 in) • Gun mount: 127 mm (5.0 in) • Casemate: 127 mm (5.0 in) • Turret: 150–280 mm (5.9–11 in) • Conning tower: 76–200 mm (3.0–7.9 in) |
Japanese battleship Iwami (Japanese: 石見) was one of eight Russian pre-dreadnought battleships captured by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. It was built as the Borodino-class battleship Russian battleship Oryol (Russian: Орёл), and was commissioned into the Imperial Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet. Some naval architects regard the Borodino-class as being among the worst battleships ever built (Preston 2002). The design was based on the French built battleship Tsesarevich, which was constructed with a tumblehome hull. The tumblehome design resulted in a high centre of gravity, which was magnified by overloading.
The Oryol was the only modern Russian battleship to survive the Battle of Tsushima, becoming part of naval history's last surrender of a battle fleet on the high seas, when on the morning after the battle, Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov surrendered her and the remains of the Russian Battle Fleet to Admiral Togo. The ships captain Nikolay Yung was seriously wounded and died on 29 May.
During the batte Oryol was probably hit by five 12-inch (300 mm), two 10-inch (250 mm), nine 8-inch (200 mm), and 28 6-inch (150 mm) shells, and possibly a number of smaller rounds. She suffered only moderate damage, including two 6-inch (150 mm) turrets disabled by 8-inch (200 mm) hits. Her armour was fairly effective: a 12-inch (300 mm) shell hit the 5 ¾ inch belt obliquely and was repulsed, and a main battery turret resisted a 10-inch (250 mm) shell.
She was substantially rebuilt after her capture by the Japanese, reducing her top weight and removing the smaller guns, and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the battleship Iwami, taking her name from an ancient Japanese province, of Iwami now part of Shimane prefecture. The name Iwami was chosen as this province was geographically the closest to the location of the Battle of Tsushima.
On 28 August 1912, the Iwami was re-classified as a 1st class Coastal Defense Vessel.
During World War I, the Iwami was active at the Battle of Tsingtao.
Under the terms of the Washington Naval Agreement, Japan agreed to scrap the Iwami. She was decommissioned on 9 May 1923, and expended as a target, sunk by aircraft launched from Jogashima island (near Yokosuka) on 10 July 1924.
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