Japanese cruiser Chikuma (1911)

Chikuma in 1912 during commissioning
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	Chikuma
Namesake:	Chikuma River
Ordered:	1907 Fiscal Year
Builder:	Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan
Laid down:	1 April 1909
Launched:	1 April 1911
Completed:	17 May 1912
Struck:	1 April 1931
Fate:	Sunk as a target ship, 1935
General characteristics
Class and type:	Chikuma-class protected cruiser
Displacement:	5,040 long tons (5,121 t)
Length:	144.8 m (475 ft 1 in)
Beam:	14.2 m (46 ft 7 in)
Draught:	5.1 m (16 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft Curtiss turbine engines; 16 Kampon boilers 22,500 hp (16,800 kW) 1,128 tons coal, 300 tons oil
Speed:	26 knots (30 mph; 48 km/h)
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h)
Armament:	8 × Type 41 6 inch 45 caliber naval guns 4 × QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns 2 × 7.7 mm Lewis Guns 3 × 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 50–89 mm (2.0–3.5 in) Deck: 37–57 mm (1.5–2.2 in) Conning tower: 100 mm (3.9 in)

Chikuma (筑摩^?) was the lead ship in the Chikuma class of protected cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Chikuma had two sister ships, Hirado and the Yahagi. Chikuma was named for the Chikuma River in Nagano prefecture.

The Chikuma-class protected cruisers were built as part of the 1907 Naval Expansion Program, based on lessons learned during the Russo-Japanese War. Chikuma was laid down at Sasebo Naval Arsenal in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan on 1 April 1909, launched on 1 April 1911 and entered service on 17 May 1912.

The basic design of the Chikuma-class cruisers was modeled after the Royal Navy Town class with some modifications and was also largely influenced by the design of the cruiser Tone The silhouette of the Chikuma class was readily distinguishable due to its four tall smokestacks.

Chikuma had a hull with an overall length of 144.8 metres (475 ft) and width of 14.2 metres (47 ft), with a normal displacement of 5040 tons and draft of 5.1 metres (17 ft).