Japanese destroyer Shinonome (1898) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 Empire of Japan |
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| Name | Shinonome |
| Namesake | 東雲 ("Dawn Cloud") |
| Builder | John I. Thornycroft & Company, Chiswick, England |
| Yard number | Torpedo Boat Destroyer No. 3 |
| Laid down | 1 October 1897 |
| Launched | 14 December 1898 |
| Completed | 1 February 1899 |
| Commissioned | 1 February 1899 |
| Reclassified |
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| Identification |
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| Fate |
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| Stricken | 6 August 1913 |
| Notes | Wreck sold 29 November 1913 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Murakumo-class destroyer |
| Displacement |
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| Length |
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| Beam | 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) |
| Draught | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Depth | 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m) |
| Propulsion | Reciprocating engine, 3 boilers, 5,800 ihp (4,300 kW), 2 shafts |
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Complement | 50 |
| Armament |
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| Service record | |
| Operations: |
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Shinonome (meaning "Dawn Cloud") was a type of warship called a destroyer. It was one of six ships in its class, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1890s. This ship played a part in important battles during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). Sadly, it was wrecked in 1913.
Some people consider Shinonome to be the main ship of its group. Because of this, they sometimes call the Murakumo class the Shinonome class.
Contents
Building and Joining the Fleet
The building of Shinonome was approved in 1896. Its construction started on October 1, 1897. It was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company in Chiswick, England. At first, it was called Torpedo Boat Destroyer No. 3.
On March 16, 1898, the ship was officially named Shinonome. A few days later, on March 21, 1898, the Japanese Navy created new rules for classifying warships. Under these rules, Shinonome was listed as a torpedo boat destroyer. The ship was launched into the water on December 14, 1898. It was finished and officially joined the navy on February 1, 1899.
Ship's Adventures
Shinonome sailed from England to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on April 15, 1899. On June 22, 1900, the Japanese Navy changed its ship classifications again. The term "torpedo boat destroyer" was removed. Instead, ships like Shinonome were simply called "destroyers." On the same day, Shinonome was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District and became part of the main fleet.
Grounding Incident
On June 7, 1902, while sailing near the Miyako Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Shinonome accidentally ran aground. This happened on Yaebishi, a group of coral reefs north of Ikema Island. Other Japanese ships, including the cruisers Akashi and Saien, and the destroyer Usugumo, came to help. The ship was eventually freed and returned to Sasebo on August 5, 1902.
Russo-Japanese War Battles
When the Russo-Japanese War began in February 1904, Shinonome was part of the 3rd Destroyer Division. This division belonged to the 1st Fleet.
Battle of Port Arthur
During the Battle of Port Arthur on February 8, 1904, Shinonome fired a torpedo that hit the Russian cruiser Pallada.
Clash with Russian Destroyers
In the early morning of March 10, 1904, Shinonome and other Japanese ships met two Russian destroyers, Reshitel‘nyi and Steregushchiy. The Russian ships were returning from a scouting mission near Port Arthur. The Japanese ships tried to block their way.
The Russian destroyers turned and headed towards their own minefields near Dalniy. The Japanese destroyers, being faster, got closer. They started firing at each other from about 300 meters away. The Russian ships hit the Japanese ships several times. However, a Japanese shell hit Steregushchiy, damaging its boilers and making it slow down.
Reshitel‘nyi was also hit, but it managed to keep its speed. It reached the safety of Russian coastal artillery fire. The Japanese ships stopped chasing Reshitel‘nyi because of the shore guns.
The Fight for Steregushchiy
The Japanese ships then focused on the damaged Steregushchiy. The Japanese destroyers were bigger and had more powerful weapons. They fired heavily on the Russian ship. Other Japanese cruisers also joined the fight.
A Japanese shell exploded in Steregushchiy′s boiler room, making a hole in its hull. Water rushed in, flooding the area. As the battle continued, Japanese shells destroyed Steregushchiy′s funnels and masts. Most of its crew were killed or badly hurt. By 7:10 AM, Steregushchiy was a motionless wreck. It lowered its flag to surrender.
The Japanese ships stopped firing. They found that Usugumo and Shinonome had only minor damage. Sazanami had been hit eight times, and Akebono about 30 times. The Japanese also had some crew members killed or wounded.
The Japanese tried to take over Steregushchiy. But the Russian crew had opened valves to sink their own ship. Two crew members locked themselves in the engine room to make sure the ship sank, sacrificing their lives. At 8:10 AM, a Japanese tug arrived and tried to tow Steregushchiy to port.
However, two Russian cruisers, Bayan and Novik, approached. They were led by Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov. The Japanese gave up their towing attempt. They rescued the four surviving Russian crew members from Steregushchiy and left to avoid more fighting. At 9:07 AM, Steregushchiy sank about 7 nautical miles southeast of Mount Laoteshan. Forty-nine Russian crew members were lost.
Later War Actions
Shinonome later took part in the Battle of the Yellow Sea in August 1904. It also fought in the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. During the Battle of Tsushima, it was the lead ship of the 3rd Destroyer Division. After the war ended in September 1905, Shinonome participated in a victory parade of ships near Yokohama, Japan, on October 23, 1905.
Ship Classification Change
On August 28, 1912, the Imperial Japanese Navy updated its ship classification rules. They created three groups for destroyers:
- First-class: 1,000 displacement tons or more.
- Second-class: 600 to 999 displacement tons.
- Third-class: 599 or fewer displacement tons.
Under these new rules, Shinonome became a third-class destroyer.
Final Voyage and Loss
On July 20, 1913, while sailing from Tamsui, Formosa, to Makeng in the Pescadores Islands, Shinonome ran into strong winds. It was wrecked off the coast of Formosa, northwest of Anping. Its hull broke apart, and the ship sank on July 23, 1913.
Shinonome was removed from the naval list on August 6, 1913. Its wreck was later sold for scrap on November 29, 1913.
