In 1879 Japan had already had four torpedo boats built for her at Yarrow’s. These craft displaced only 40 tons. In 1886, however, Yarrow’s built the first-class twin-screw torpedo boat Kotaka. This boat is remarkable as the first armoured torpedo boat ever constructed. She has 1-in. steel plating all over her machinery compartment, and the subdivision of the hull is, for a torpedo boat, singularly complete. In her way the Kotaka was the forerunner of the destroyers, being larger than the run of torpedo boats even now. Full details of her are:—
| Displacement | 190 tons. |
| Material of hull | Steel. |
| Length | 170 ft. |
| Beam | 19½ ft. |
| Draught | 5 feet. |
| Horse-power | 1400. |
| Speed on trial | 19 knots. |
| Screws | Two. |
| Coal carried | 50 tons. |
| Torpedo tubes | Six. |
| Armament | Four machine guns. |
The torpedo tubes are thus disposed: two forward, firing right ahead, a pair amidships, and another pair a little abaft of them. The Kotaka made a name for herself in the war, and previously to that was a successful craft. However, for some reason Japan had no more boats from Yarrow, or, indeed, from England, for the next ten years, the next, a batch of fourteen, being ordered from Creusot. These were launched in 1889. The Kotaka, after being built, was sent out to Japan in sections, and there put together again. The Creusot boats were sent out in similar fashion, while a further seven were put together entirely at Kobé, in Japan. All these boats were small ones of 56 tons, 114½ ft. long, 10½ ft. beam, and 6 ft. draught. With 525 I.H.P., they made 20 knots on trial. They have two torpedo tubes, carry two 1-pounder Q.F., a complement of 16 men, and are single screw. One of them was lost off the Pescadores in December, 1895, and a couple at Wei-hai-wei in February of the same year.
Japan still continued the construction of other craft, having launched the Maya[11] at Onohama in 1886, the Akagi[12] at the same yard in 1887, the Atago[13] at Yokosuka in 1887, and the Chiokai[14] at Tokio in the same year. The Maya and Chiokai were, as before, composite, but the other two are noteworthy as being constructed entirely of steel. A large proportion of the material for them was imported, and the building was rather a case of merely putting together.
The dimensions, etc., of all are identical, and are as follows:—
| Displacement | 622 tons. |
| Length | 154¼ ft. |
| Beam | 27 ft. |
| Draught (mean) | 9¼ ft. |
| Horse-power | 700. |
| Trial speed | (circa) 12 knots. |
| Screws | Two. |
| Coal supply | 60 tons. |
| Complement | 104. |
[Official photo.
JAPANESE FLEET AT SEA.
FUSO LEADING.