Japanese cruiser Takasago

Takasago
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	Takasago
Ordered:	1896 Fiscal Year
Builder:	Armstrong Whitworth, United Kingdom
Laid down:	April 1896
Launched:	18 May 1897
Completed:	17 May 1898
Out of service:	13 December 1904
Fate:	Mined off Port Arthur
General characteristics
Type:	Protected cruiser
Displacement:	4,160 long tons (4,227 t)
Length:	118.2 m (387 ft 10 in) w/l
Beam:	14.78 m (48 ft 6 in)
Draft:	5.18 m (17.0 ft)
Propulsion:	2-shaft VTE; 12 boilers; 15,500 hp (11,600 kW); 1,000 tons coal
Speed:	23.5 knots (27.0 mph; 43.5 km/h)
Complement:	425
Armament:	2 × 20.3 cm/45 Type 41 naval gun 10 × 12 cm (4.7 in)/40 Type 41 naval guns 12 × QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gund 6 × QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss guns 5 × 457 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Deck:114 mm (4.5 in) (slope), 63 mm (2.5 in) (flat) Gun shield: 203 mm (8 in) (front), 62 mm (2.4 in) (side) Conning tower: 114 mm (4.5 in)

Takasago (高砂^?) was a protected cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed and built by the Armstrong Whitworth shipyards in Elswick, in the United Kingdom. The name Takasago derives from a location in Hyōgo Prefecture, near Kobe.

Takasago was an improved design of the Argentine Navy cruiser Veinticinco de Mayo designed by Sir Philip Watts, who was also responsible for the design of the cruiser Izumi and the Naniwa-class cruisers. The cruiser Yoshino is sometimes regarded as a sister ship to Takasago, due to the similarity in their design, armament and speed.

Takasago was laid down in April 1896, as Elswick hull number 660, as a private venture by Armstrong Whitworth, and was sold the Japan in July 1896. Launch occurred on 18 May 1897 and she was completed on 6 April 1898.

Takasago was a typical Elswick cruiser design, with a steel hull, divided into 109 waterproof compartments, a low forecastle, two smokestacks, and two masts. She made use of Harvey armor, which was intended to be able to protect against the impact of even an 8-inch armor-piercing shell. The prow was reinforced for ramming. The power plant was a triple expansion reciprocating steam engine with four cylindrical boilers, driving two screws. In this aspect, the design was almost identical to that of Yoshino, however in terms of armament, Takasago was more heavily armed.

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