Japanese battleship Hatsuse

Hatsuse at sea
History
Japan
NameHatsuse
Ordered1897
BuilderArmstrong Whitworth, Elswick
Yard number680
Laid down10 January 1898
Launched27 June 1899
Completed18 January 1901
FateSank 15 May 1904 after striking a mine
General characteristics
Class and typeShikishima-class pre-dreadnought battleship
Displacement14,312 long tons (14,542 t) (normal)
Length438 ft 8 in (133.7 m)
Beam76 ft 6 in (23.3 m)
Draught27 ft 5 in (8.4 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement849 (as flagship)
Armament
Armour

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.