Russian cruiser Asia (1878)

History
United States
Name: SS Columbus
Builder: William Cramp & Sons
Laid down: 1873
Completed: 1874
Fate: Sold to Russia, May 1878
Russian Empire
Name:
  • Asia
  • Kaukas (1912-1914)
Acquired: Purchased May 1878
Reclassified: Cruiser 2nd Class, 1 February 1892
Struck: May 1918
Fate: Scrapped in 1923
General characteristics
Type: Cruiser
Displacement: 2,449 long tons (2,488 t)
Length: 82.3 m (270 ft 0 in)
Beam: 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in)
Draught: 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:
  • Steam engine, 1,200 hp (890 kW)
  • After 1898 :
  • Steam engine, 2,700 hp (2,000 kW)
Speed:
  • 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
  • After 1898 :
  • 15.7 knots (29.1 km/h; 18.1 mph)
Range: 9,600 nmi (17,800 km)
Complement: 11 officers and 207 men
Armament:
  • 3 × 152 mm (6 in) guns
  • 5 × 107 mm (4.2 in) 9-pounder guns
  • 4 × 25 mm (1 in) guns
  • 2 × 445 mm (17.5 in) torpedo tubes

Asia (Russian: А́зия) was a cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was one of three merchantmen purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; State of California became Europa, Saratoga became Afrika, and Columbus became Asia.

The steamship Columbus was built 1873/74 in Philadelphia and was purchased by the Russians in May 1878. She was sailed to Russia by a Russian crew and refitted in 1878-79 in Kronstadt.

The cruiser saw initial duty in the Far East, but then returned to the Baltic. She was downgraded to Cruiser 2nd Class on 1 February 1892. The future Vice Admiral Karl Jessen was her commanding officer in 1895 and 1896. In 1898 she received a new engine, increasing her power from 1,200 hp (890 kW) to 2,700 hp (2,000 kW), and adding 2.2 knots (4 km/h; 3 mph) to her top speed.

In August 1911, now rather obsolete, Asia was transferred to the reserve fleet. In October 1912 she was renamed Kaukas (Russian: "Кавказ"). Following the outbreak of the First World War, she was once again renamed Asia on 11 September 1914, assigned to the Baltic Fleet's transport squadron and used as a minelayer.

The ship was deactivated in May 1918 and scrapped in 1923.

References

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