Japanese cruiser Chikuma (1911)
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 Japanese light cruiser Chikuma in 1912 |
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Sasebo Naval Yards, Nagasaki, Japan |
| Ordered: | FY1907 |
| Laid down: | April 01 1909 |
| Launched: | April 01 1911 |
| Commissioned: | May 17 1912 |
| Fate: | Scrapped April 1 1931 |
| General Characteristics (initial – final) | |
| Displacement: | 5,040 tons |
| Length: | 144.8 meters overall |
| Beam: | 14.2 meters |
| Draft: | 5.1 meters |
| Propulsion: | Two Shaft Turbine Engines; 16 boilers; 22,500 shp |
| Speed: | 26 knots |
| Fuel & Range: | 1128 tons coal, 300 tons oil 10,000 nm @ 10 knots |
| Complement: | 414 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: |
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IJN Chikuma (筑摩) was the lead ship in the Chikuma class of 2nd class light cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Designed shortly after the Russo-Japanese War, it combined fairly heavy armament and displacement with newly-developed Curtis turbine engines, which gave it an incredible 26 knot speed. However, problems with material strength in the gears of the new engines created a maintenance nightmare, and the Chikuma could seldom live up to its potential. The basic design was modeled after the British Town class, and also largely influenced by the design of the IJN Tone. with some modifications. The Chikuma-class cruisers were the first high-speed turbine-driven cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
The Chikuma had two sister ship, the IJN Hirado and the IJN Yahagi. The Chikuma is named for a river in Nagano prefecture.
The Chikuma participated in World War I, and in the chase for the German Asiatic Squadron led by Admiral-Graf Maximilian von Spee in 1914. The IJN also dispatched the cruisers Ibuki, Chikuma and Nisshin to the Indian Ocean to deal with the SMS Emden. On 26 March 1917, the British Admiralty further requested the deployment of the Chikuma and Hirado to Australia and New Zealand] to protect shipping against the German raiding operations.
Considered a reserve vessel in 1924, the Chikuma was primarily used as a moored training ship. Stricken on 01 April 1931, its hulk was designed Hai Kan No.3 and expended as target in 1935.
The Chikuma should not be confused with the heavy cruiser Chikuma of the Pacific War period.
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