In 1890 the Akitsushima was laid down at Yokosuka. It was at first supposed that she was a sister to the Matsushima. The Yoshino was contracted for at Elswick towards the end of this year. Both were launched in 1892, and commissioned just before the war with China.

The Akitsushima was the last ship to be built in Japan with imported material. She is practically a small copy of the U.S.S. Baltimore. Details of the two, for comparison, are as follows:—

Akitsushima. Baltimore.
Displacement 3150 tons. 4600 tons.
Material of hull Steel. Steel.
Length 302 ft. 328 ft.
Beam 43 ft. 48½ ft.
Draught 18½ ft. 23 ft.
Armament Four 6-in. Q.F. (D). Four 8-in. 25 cals. (C).
Six 4.7-in. Q.F. (E). Six 6-in. (D.)
Ten 3-pdr. Q.F. Eight small Q.F.
Four torpedo tubes. Five torpedo tubes.
Horse-power
(forced draught) 8400. 10,060.
Speed on trial 19 knots. 20.1 knots.
Engines Vertical triple Horizontal triple
expansion. expansion.
Boilers Cylindrical. Four double-ended Scotch.
Screws Two. Two.
Coal (normal) 500. 400.
” (bunker capacity) 800. 900.
Armour deck on slopes 3-in. (e). 4-in. (d).
Other protection Cellulose belt and cofferdam.
Complement 330. 395.

[Photo by favour of Commander Kurri, I.J.N.

AKITSUSHIMA.

The Akitsushima mounts 6-in. guns in the foremost and aftermost sponsons; four 4.7-in. are carried amidships, the fifth on the forecastle, and the sixth astern. She has thus a broadside fire of two 6-in. and four 4.7-in., against two 8-in. and three 6-in. in the Baltimore. Assuming that ship’s guns to be now replaced by Q.F., the Akitsushima would bring the equivalent of a 6-in. gun less.