 Hatsuse at sea
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Japan | |
| Name | Hatsuse |
| Ordered | 1897 |
| Builder | Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick |
| Yard number | 680 |
| Laid down | 10 January 1898 |
| Launched | 27 June 1899 |
| Completed | 18 January 1901 |
| Fate | Sank 15 May 1904 after striking a mine |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Shikishima-class pre-dreadnought battleship |
| Displacement | 14,312 long tons (14,542 t) (normal) |
| Length | 438 ft 8 in (133.7 m) |
| Beam | 76 ft 6 in (23.3 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft 5 in (8.4 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 849 (as flagship) |
| Armament |
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| Armour |
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Hatsuse (初瀬, Hatsuse) was a Shikishima-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the late 1890s. As Japan lacked the industrial capacity to build such warships, the ship was designed and built in the United Kingdom. She participated in the early stages of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, including the Battle of Port Arthur on the second day of the war, as the flagship of the 1st Division. Hatsuse was involved in the subsequent naval operations until she sank in a Russian minefield off Port Arthur on 15 May 1904 after the ship struck two mines. The ship struck one mine which caused significant damage. Less than two hours later, the ship struck a second mine which detonated one of her magazines and Hatsuse sank almost immediately afterwards with the loss of over half her crew.