Fuji-class battleship

Fuji at anchor
Class overview
NameFuji-class battleship
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded byKongō-class ironclad
Succeeded byShikishima class
Built1894–1897
In commission1897–1922
Completed2
Lost1
Scrapped1
General characteristics
TypePre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement12,230–12,533 long tons (12,426–12,734 t)
Length412 ft (125.6 m)
Beam73.25–73.75 ft (22.3–22.5 m)
Draught26.25–26.5 ft (8.0–8.1 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed18.25 knots (33.8 km/h; 21.0 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement650
Armament
Armour

The Fuji class (富士型戦艦, Fuji-gata senkan) was a two-ship class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the mid-1890s. They were the first battleships in the IJN, and were constructed in the UK as Japan lacked the industrial facilities needed to build them. Their design was based on the battleships being built for the Royal Navy at that time.

The ships participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, including the Battle of Port Arthur in February 1904 and two bombardments of Port Arthur during the following month. Yashima struck a mine off Port Arthur in May and capsized while under tow several hours later. Fuji fought in the Battles of the Yellow Sea and Tsushima and was lightly damaged in the latter action. She was reclassified as a coast defence ship in 1910 and served as a training ship for the rest of her active career. The ship was hulked in 1922 and converted into a barracks ship fitted with classrooms. Fuji was finally broken up for scrap in 1948.