Imperial Japanese Dreadnought Settsu (1911)
HIJMS Settsu, built in Japan at the Yokosuka dockyard, on her trials in 1912. Enlarge
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Japan's first dreadnought battleships were Kawachi and Settsu, completed 1912 and built at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and the Kure Naval Arsenal, respectively. Like many early dreadnoughts they suffered from an inefficient turret layout, with six 12" turrets to achieve an 8-gun broadside. The same effective gun power as a "hex" ship could be achieved by an all-centerline ship with only four turrets using a superposed arrangement. The "hex" disposition was also adopted by the first two classes of German dreadnought, built at the same time; but in their case it was a concession to the ships' reciprocating power plants. Since the Kawachis were turbine powered with a twin-screw configuration, this was a deliberate design decision. It was not repeated.
It is interesting to compare the deck layout with that of Kashima. Oval shaped cutouts were used for the turrets in a roughly diamond-shaped superstructure, with conning towers at both ends. The ships also adopted large tripod masts, as commonly used in British dreadnoughts. The ships' spotters were stationed in the wire-and-canvas observation tops on the topmasts. The ships' bows provided visual distinction: Kawachi had the traditional ram bow, but the Settsu had a clipper bow like the preceding Satsuma class.
The most advanced battleships in the Japanese fleet, they took part in a great battle in 1914: the siege of Germany's well-fortified colony at Qingdao on the Shandong Peninsula, a vast amphibious operation undertaken with British support but under overall Japanese command. The two new dreadnoughts led a fleet of more than 100 vessels whose furious, week-long bombardment reduced most of Qingdao's fortifications to dust and allowed the allied land army to take the city. Durign the War, Japan was busy building all-centerline ships based on the battlecruiser Kongo, purchased from Britain. These later ships formed the core of the Japanese battle fleet into World War II. Kawachi blew up from a cordite fire in Tokuyama Bay, Shikoku, in late 1918, with the loss of some 600 of her crew of 1000. Settsu survived to become a target ship. At a specially constructed range on the Inland Sea, she became the stand-in for the USS Arizona as torpedo-bomber pilots prepared for the raid on Pearl Harbor. Not inappropriately, Settsu was finally sunk in the Inland Sea by U.S. aircraft in 1945. The wreck was refloated, towed away, and scrapped in 1947.
Japan's first dreadnought battleships were Kawachi and Settsu, completed 1912 and built at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and the Kure Naval Arsenal, respectively. Like many early dreadnoughts they suffered from an inefficient turret layout, with six 12" turrets to achieve an 8-gun broadside. The same effective gun power as a "hex" ship could be achieved by an all-centerline ship with only four turrets using a superposed arrangement. The "hex" disposition was also adopted by the first two classes of German dreadnought, built at the same time; but in their case it was a concession to the ships' reciprocating power plants. Since the Kawachis were turbine powered with a twin-screw configuration, this was a deliberate design decision. It was not repeated.
It is interesting to compare the deck layout with that of Kashima. Oval shaped cutouts were used for the turrets in a roughly diamond-shaped superstructure, with conning towers at both ends. The ships also adopted large tripod masts, as commonly used in British dreadnoughts. The ships' spotters were stationed in the wire-and-canvas observation tops on the topmasts. The ships' bows provided visual distinction: Kawachi had the traditional ram bow, but the Settsu had a clipper bow like the preceding Satsuma class.
The most advanced battleships in the Japanese fleet, they took part in a great battle in 1914: the siege of Germany's well-fortified colony at Qingdao on the Shandong Peninsula, a vast amphibious operation undertaken with British support but under overall Japanese command. The two new dreadnoughts led a fleet of more than 100 vessels whose furious, week-long bombardment reduced most of Qingdao's fortifications to dust and allowed the allied land army to take the city. Durign the War, Japan was busy building all-centerline ships based on the battlecruiser Kongo, purchased from Britain. These later ships formed the core of the Japanese battle fleet into World War II. Kawachi blew up from a cordite fire in Tokuyama Bay, Shikoku, in late 1918, with the loss of some 600 of her crew of 1000. Settsu survived to become a target ship. At a specially constructed range on the Inland Sea, she became the stand-in for the USS Arizona as torpedo-bomber pilots prepared for the raid on Pearl Harbor. Not inappropriately, Settsu was finally sunk in the Inland Sea by U.S. aircraft in 1945. The wreck was refloated, towed away, and scrapped in 1947.
Plans and Specifications
Specifications for the Kawachi class:
Dimensions: 527' x 84' x 27'9". Displacement: 20,800 tons. Armament: (4) 12"/50 cal (2x2), (8) 12"/45 (4x2), (8) 4.7"/40, (12) 3"/40, and (4) 3"/28 guns; (5) submerged 18" torpedo tubes. Armor: Krupp Cemented type throughout. 300/100 mm belt; 280 mm turrets; 150 mm conning tower; 30 mm deck. Fuel capacity: 1,200 tons of coal std; 2,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: (16) coal-fired Miyabara boilers; (2) Brown-Curtis turbine engines developing 25,000 SHP, shafted to twin screw. Maximum speed: 18.5 kts. Crew: 999 (Kawachi), 968 (Settsu).
Metric specs:
Dimensions: 160.6m x 25.6m x 8.47m. Displacement: 20,800 tons. Armament: (4) 305 mm/50 cal (2x2), (8) 305 mm/45 cal (4x2), (10) 152 mm/45, (8) 120 mm/40, (12) 76 mm/40 and (4) 76 mm/28 guns; (5) submerged 457 mm torpedo tubes. Armor: Krupp Cemented type throughout. 300/100 mm belt; 280 mm turrets; 150 mm conning tower; 240/180 mm barbettes; 152 mm casemates; 30 mm deck. Fuel capacity: 1,200 tons of coal std; 2,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: (16) coal-fired Miyabara boilers; (2) Brown-Curtis turbine engines developing 18,640 kW, shafted to twin screw. Maximum speed: 34 km/hr. Crew: 968.
Specifications for the Kawachi class:
Dimensions: 527' x 84' x 27'9". Displacement: 20,800 tons. Armament: (4) 12"/50 cal (2x2), (8) 12"/45 (4x2), (8) 4.7"/40, (12) 3"/40, and (4) 3"/28 guns; (5) submerged 18" torpedo tubes. Armor: Krupp Cemented type throughout. 300/100 mm belt; 280 mm turrets; 150 mm conning tower; 30 mm deck. Fuel capacity: 1,200 tons of coal std; 2,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: (16) coal-fired Miyabara boilers; (2) Brown-Curtis turbine engines developing 25,000 SHP, shafted to twin screw. Maximum speed: 18.5 kts. Crew: 999 (Kawachi), 968 (Settsu).
Metric specs:
Dimensions: 160.6m x 25.6m x 8.47m. Displacement: 20,800 tons. Armament: (4) 305 mm/50 cal (2x2), (8) 305 mm/45 cal (4x2), (10) 152 mm/45, (8) 120 mm/40, (12) 76 mm/40 and (4) 76 mm/28 guns; (5) submerged 457 mm torpedo tubes. Armor: Krupp Cemented type throughout. 300/100 mm belt; 280 mm turrets; 150 mm conning tower; 240/180 mm barbettes; 152 mm casemates; 30 mm deck. Fuel capacity: 1,200 tons of coal std; 2,000 tons maximum. Propulsion: (16) coal-fired Miyabara boilers; (2) Brown-Curtis turbine engines developing 18,640 kW, shafted to twin screw. Maximum speed: 34 km/hr. Crew: 968.
A Kawachi Class Collection
Another shot of clipper-bowed Settsu on trials, showing the results of flat-out effort in the boiler rooms.
Kawachi at Osaka, 1913, showing her plumb stem, hull cutouts, masts and spotting tops. Enlarge
Target practice aboard the Kawachi shows her impressive array of big guns after firing at moderate elevation.
Kawachi at anchor. Note sturdily built tripod masts, chrysanthemum crest (kiku) at bow.
Kawachi on maneuvers, again showing her plumb stem. Enlarge
Settsu loosing a salvo at the German fortress of Qingdao, 1914.
Settsu in 1911.
Settsu in silhouette.
Relevant Weblinks
Another shot of clipper-bowed Settsu on trials, showing the results of flat-out effort in the boiler rooms.
Kawachi at Osaka, 1913, showing her plumb stem, hull cutouts, masts and spotting tops. Enlarge
Target practice aboard the Kawachi shows her impressive array of big guns after firing at moderate elevation.
Kawachi at anchor. Note sturdily built tripod masts, chrysanthemum crest (kiku) at bow.
Kawachi on maneuvers, again showing her plumb stem. Enlarge
Settsu loosing a salvo at the German fortress of Qingdao, 1914.
Settsu in 1911.
Settsu in silhouette.
Relevant Weblinks
