Shikishima, by Thames Ironworks, launched 1898.
Asahi, ” Clydebank, ” 1899.
Hatsuse, ” Elswick, ” 1899.
Mikasa, ” Vickers-Maxim, ” 1900.
Although she differs considerably from the Shikishima in appearance,
the Asahi is practically a sister ship, the sole points of difference
being (1) funnels; (2) distribution of the 2½-pounders; (3) absence
of a bow torpedo boat; and (4) mounting of the big guns. There are,
of course, certain minor structural differences—such, for instance,
as the fact that the Asahi has a slightly larger wardroom, and that
this wardroom is a trifle further aft—but, generally speaking, for
fighting purposes they are identical, save for the points of difference
noted above. There are unseen differences of detail also, such as the
thickness of the armour deck, but none of these affect the fighting
value. There is a difference, too, in the coal carried, but coal
capacity does not show to the eye.
The details of the Asahi, with those of the Shikishima and the British
Formidable, are as follows:—
------------------------+-------------+-------------+--------------+
| Asahi. | Shikishima.| Formidable. |
------------------------+-------------+-------------+--------------+
Displacement | 15,200 | 14,850 | 15,000 |
Material of hull | steel | steel | steel |
Length | 400 ft. | 400 ft. | 400 ft. |
Beam | 75⅙ ft. | 75½ ft. | 75 ft. |
Draught | 27½ ft. | 27¼ ft. | 26¾ ft. |
Guns--12-in. Four 12-in. Mark IX. for all |
6-in. | 14 | 14 | 12 |
3-in. | 20 | 20 | 16 |
------------------------+-------------+-------------+--------------+
| Six 3-pdrs. | Six 3-pdrs. |Twelve 3-pdrs.|
Smaller | Six 2½-pdrs.| Six 2½-pdrs.| Eight Maxims |
| Eight Maxims| Eight Maxims| |
------------------------+-------------+-------------+--------------+
Torpedo tubes, submerged| 4 | 4 | 4 |
” above water | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Armour belt | 9 ins. | 9 ins. | 9 ins. |
” at ends | 4½ ins. | 4½ ins. | 3 ins. |
” deck | 4 ins. | 5 ins. | 3 ins. |
Lower deck | 6 ins. | 6 ins. | 9 ins. |
Casemates | 6 ins. | 6 ins. | 6 ins. |
Barbettes | 14 ins. | 14 ins.| 12 ins. |
Bulkheads | 14 ins. | 14 ins.| 12 ins. |
Armour material | Harvey nickel, all three |
I.H.P., forced | 15,000 | 14,500 | 15,000 |
Boilers | Belleville, all three |
Speed (contract) | 18 | 18.5 | 18 |
Coal (normal) | (?) 1,400 | 700 | 900 |
Screws | Two in all three |
------------------------+------------------------------------------+
[Illustration: PLAN OF MIKASA.]
There is some doubt about the Asahi’s coal, 1400 tons may be the
maximum and 700 the normal. Japanese ships do not need to carry much
coal, being designed to operate in waters where friendly coal stations
are numerous. True, ships thus kept short are likely to be out of
action because they are coaling, about once a week; but, on the other
hand, as they get two extra 6-in. quickfirers and four 12-pounders
for this sacrifice, they are rather envied by our naval officers.
After all, the primary duty of a battleship is to hit the enemy hard,
and an extra 6-in. in the broadside is no mean advantage. There are
other incidental advantages too—a single 6-in. shell would put all the
eight 12-pounders out of action on the upper deck of the Formidable,
while, thanks to the casemates acting as screens, the Asahi could only
lose four of her 3-in. by a single shell. In the placing of her 3-in.
guns she is altogether better off than the Formidable, the sole point
in which the British ship is superior being the four guns carried
on the main deck forward. The Formidable can fight all these on the
broadsides; it is doubtful if the Asahi could, because of the blast
from the big guns firing above them. But _per contra_ she has her other
3-in. quickfirers much better placed; they are more distributed.
The positions of these are: four on the main deck forward; four on
the main deck aft; four on the upper deck amidships; two on top of
the forward upper deck casemates; two beside the fore conning-tower;
and four beside the after conning-tower—a total of twenty. Those of
the Shikishima are placed in exactly the same fashion. Those of the
Formidable are: four on main deck forward (extreme bow); four on main
deck aft; and eight on upper deck amidships; a total of sixteen. Three
units instead of six; or, to put it another way, work for only three
shells instead of six shells.
The Asahi is an improvement on the Shikishima in the matter of the
2½-pounders—a very small detail. In the Shikishima these are grouped
on top of the amidship upper-deck casemates; in the Asahi only two are
over these casemates, the other four being distributed, a couple on
each bridge. Two theories are at work here, and it will need a war to
say which is the better. In the Shikishima it is easy to concentrate
three 2½-pounders on a single torpedo boat or portion of a big enemy,
while, as a price for this, they are at the mercy of a single shell.
Those of the Asahi are not thus at the mercy of one shell, but it will
be far less easy to concentrate them.
The next point of difference between the Shikishima and the Asahi is
that the former carries a bow above-water torpedo tube, with 6-in.
Harvey nickel protection to it. This tube, similarly protected, is in
the Fuji, Yashima, Asama, Tokiwa, and Yakumo. After some experiments
and practice the Japanese authorities decided that this tube was of no
use practically, and decreed its abolition. That of the Shikishima had,
however, already been built in, so this ship has it. In the Asahi the
design was modified, and the bow tube dropped out. It is absent also in
the Hatsuse, a sister, and in the Iwate and Idzumo.
Under certain circumstances such a tube might be of great use in
action—for instance, approaching an enemy who presented his broadside
while the ship possessing the tube wished to make a feint to close. But
to use it it would be necessary to slow down or reverse engines—both
things that might be awkward to do in an action. Still, the real
objection does not lie there, so much as in the trouble with sea that
a bow tube causes. Bow guns, even high up, are always liable to get
“washed out,” a bow torpedo tube is still more likely to be so. In
addition to this, it raises an unnecessary large bow wave.
In comparison with the Formidable, the Asahi and Shikishima have—beside
the 6-in. and 3-in. guns—other points of distinct difference. They
have (1) complete instead of partial belts; (2) 6-in. instead of 9-in.
armour protecting the lower deck; (3) much higher barbettes; and (4)
quite differently shaped hoods to the big guns.
Of these differences the armour one is of no immediate moment at
present. The Asahi, in the matter of armour, is practically a Majestic
with 3-in. stripped off the lower deck amidships and disposed on the
ends plus some extra armour paid for in the weight of coal carried.
Now, the 6-in. lower deck armour of the Asahi is proof against any
6-in. projectile at any range, and though a steel-pointed 9.2-in.
common shell has been through 6-in. Harvey nickel at Whale Island,
this is probably an isolated proving-ground case, and nothing but an
armour-piercing shell of large calibre is ever likely to get through
such armour in actual warfare. Also it is at least doubtful whether
such a shell would do more harm than a solid shot, and against a 12-in.
solid shot 9-in. armour is no more protection than 6-in. In either
case the shot will go through and dance about inside, and it is this
“dancing about” that makes shot dangerous, and all armour save the very
best a snare and a delusion so far as solid projectiles are concerned.
However, medium armour is imperatively needed to keep off shells,
for it is good-bye to any ship inside of which a big common shell is
comfortably planted. The Admiral class, for instance, would do no more
fighting once a big common shell got them amidships.
[Illustration: [_Photo, West._ MIKASA.]
As for the complete belt, the Formidable, of course, has something
on the bow, and this may be considered proof against 6-in. shell in
action, save at short range. It is, at any rate, proof against the
deadly little shell from 12-pounders and the like. As for any 6-in.
shot—well, very few 6-in. shot are carried in any ship, and holes made
by them are easily plugged.
The real gain of the Asahi is the extra gun-power, but since it is held
essential that British ships shall have a large coal supply, it is
useless to decry the Formidable over the two missing 6-in. guns. The
defect of the Formidable, and one that might have been remedied, is the
position of the 12-pounders. These could and should have been either
more distributed, or else placed right up above everything and clear of
everything, much as the French place their 4-in. quickfirers. Such a
gun is extremely unlikely to be actually hit, whereas if it is crowded
about with bulwarks, boats, and so on, a shell coming anywhere near is
bound to burst with devastating effect.
In appearance it is difficult to tell the Asahi from our Canopus class,
save for colour. A critical eye could detect the much higher barbettes
of the Japanese vessel and their different shape, but that is about
all, for the extra casemate would hardly be visible at any appreciable
distance. Like the Canopus class, the Asahi has the huge after funnel,
and the resemblance is increased by the tautness of her masts. The sign
manual of a British man-of-war is the rake forward of the top masts, in
the smartest Channel Fleet ships this is most noticeable; but the Asahi
also is taut.
The Asahi has a slight sheer forward, like all our new ships, in
consequence of which, though both pairs of guns are at the same height
above the water, the after barbette looks a good deal higher than the
fore one. The shields are peculiar. The plan gives a general idea of
their appearance—sloping fronts but straight sides. The British pattern
slopes all round, and is generally more squat—and of the two is more
favourably regarded afloat. If by any off chance a big shot hit the
side of the Asahi shield it would get through, from the inclined sides
of the British pattern it would rebound at any range. However, a shot
is very unlikely to hit the sides of the shield, and probably the mere
shock of a big projectile would effectually displace everything and put
the turret out of action. Wherever a big projectile hits it must do
some harm, whether it gets through or not, and the old American idea of
battering in preference to penetration is not so unsound as many folk
are now disposed to regard it. Especially must this be so with certain
foreign-built ships; the least little thing wrong and the colossal blow
will find it out.
The guns and mountings of the Asahi are from Elswick. They embody some
slight improvements upon those of the Shikishima, but are on exactly
the same general principle. The 12-in. can easily do a round a minute,
and should be able to do a round every two minutes in action. The rate
of the 12.5-in. Canet gun at Yalu was one round per sixty minutes, but
there were special circumstances involved. Still, there is no doubt
that big guns have made enormous strides towards quick-fire in the last
year or two, and two of the Asahi or Formidable 12-in. are equal to
three of those in the Majestic probably.
The Asahi is fitted with the Barr and Stroud transmitters, each
casemate having an indicator—in English and Japanese—to give the range
automatically from the conning-tower. The official British view is
against these transmitters, on the grounds that action will derange
them; but there is no getting away from the fact that, even so, till
deranged they will be exceedingly useful. Our methods of passing the
range are cumbersome, and, in addition, by the time it is passed it has
probably altered. Moreover, gunnery is not so much a matter of good
shooting as knowing the range; the wrong range given accounts for most
misses—at any rate, in the British Navy.
All the hoists in the Asahi are electrical, with auxiliary hand-power
in case of need.
All the ships have twenty-five Belleville boilers each, fitted with
economisers.