Japanese destroyer Akatsuki (1901) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 Empire of Japan |
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| Name | Akatsuki |
| Namesake | 暁 ("Daybreak") |
| Ordered | 1900 |
| Builder | Yarrow & Company, Cubitt Town, London, England |
| Yard number | Torpedo Boat Destroyer No. 13 |
| Laid down | 10 December 1900 |
| Launched | 13 February 1901 or 13 November 1901 (see text) |
| Completed | 14 December 1901 |
| Commissioned | 14 December 1901 |
| Fate | Sunk 17 May 1904 |
| Stricken | 19 October 1905 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Akatsuki-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam | 6.28 m (20.6 ft) |
| Draught | 1.73 m (5.7 ft) |
| Propulsion | 2-shaft reciprocating, 4 Yarrow boilers, 6,000 ihp (4,500 kW) |
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Complement | 62 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Operations: |
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The Akatsuki (meaning "Daybreak" in Japanese) was a special type of warship called a destroyer. She was the first of two ships in her class, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early 1900s.
Akatsuki played a part in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). She was involved in the Battle of Port Arthur in February 1904. Sadly, she hit a mine and sank in May 1904.
Contents
Akatsuki was ordered as part of a naval plan in 1900. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in London, England. Her construction began on December 10, 1900.
She was first called Destroyer No. 13. The ship was launched into the water on February 13 or November 13, 1901 (records are unclear). She was officially finished and joined the navy on December 14, 1901.
Akatsuki's Time at Sea
Akatsuki left England on January 25, 1902. She sailed all the way to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on May 25, 1902.
Fighting in the Russo-Japanese War
When the Russo-Japanese War started in February 1904, Akatsuki was part of a group of destroyers. The war began with a surprise attack by Japan. Japanese destroyers launched torpedoes at Russian warships.
Akatsuki was in the first group of destroyers to attack. They got very close to the Russian ships. One of the torpedoes from a sister ship, Kasumi, hit a Russian cruiser.
Sinking of Akatsuki
After the battle, Akatsuki was helping to block the port of Port Arthur. On May 17, 1904, she hit a naval mine and sank. This happened near Dalniy, China. Her commanding officer died when the ship went down.
The Japanese government kept the sinking of Akatsuki a secret. They didn't want the Russians to know. Instead, they announced a new commander for Akatsuki three days after she sank. They even gave the name Akatsuki to a captured Russian destroyer.
The captured Russian ship used the name Akatsuki until the war ended in September 1905. The Japanese finally announced the loss of the original Akatsuki on June 1, 1905. She was officially removed from the navy's list on October 19, 1905. On the same day, the captured Russian destroyer was renamed again to Yamabiko.
Commanding Officers
- Lieutenant Commander Sojiro Nakayama (June 4, 1901 – May 24, 1902)
- Lieutenant Commander Shigetaka Seki (May 24, 1902 – November 5, 1903)
- Lieutenant Naojiro Suetsugu (November 5, 1903 – May 17, 1904) - He was killed when the ship sank.
- Lieutenant Commander Kota Hazama (May 20, 1904 – unknown) - This announcement was made after the ship had already sunk, to keep the loss a secret.
