Protected Cruisers: Yoshino

[Brian James]

Protected Cruiser Yoshino pictured on speed trials in 1893....Yoshino was an improved design of the Argentine Navy Cruiser Veinticinco de Mayo designed by Sir Philip Watts, and built by Armstrong Whitworth shipyards at Elswick, in the United Kingdom. Watts was also responsible for the design of the Cruiser Izumi and the Naniwa Class Cruisers.When commissioned, Yoshino was the largest ship in the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was also the fastest Cruiser in the world when she entered service.Yoshino was laid down in February 1892, launched on December 20th 1892 and completed on September 30th 1893. Soon after being placed into service, Yoshino was assigned to patrol duties off of the coast of Korea due to increasing tension between the Empire of Japan and the Empire of China. Her main armament consisted of four separate Elswick QF 6 inch /40 naval guns behind gun shields, which were placed as bow and stern guns and in sponsons near the bridge. Secondary armament consisted of eight Elswick QF 4.7 inch Gun Mk I–IV quick-firing guns mounted on the sides of the hull and 22 QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss guns. With the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Yoshino participated in the naval Battle of Port Arthur. However, soon after the start of the war, Yoshino collided with the Armoured Cruiser Kasuga in dense fog. Kasuga's ram hit Yoshino's port side, and penetrated to the engine room; Yoshino turned turtle and sank in the Yellow Sea on May 15th 1904 with the loss of 319 lives. Only 19 of the crew managed to survive. As a result of this accident, the Imperial Japanese Navy removed the rams from the bows of all its warships.