JAPANESE CRUISER SOYA

The Japanese cruiser ''Soya'', formerly the Russian cruiser ''Varyag''
Career	Japanese Navy Ensign
Built:	William Cramp & Sons, USA
Ordered:	1898
Laid down	31 October 1899
Launched:	2 January 1900
Completed:	by Russia 14 January 1901; prize of war to Japan 9 July 1907
Fate:	Returned to Russia, 5 April 1916
General Characteristics
Displacement:	6,500 tons
Length:	126.8 meters at waterline
Beam:	15.8 meters
Draught:	6.1 meters
Propulsion:	4xVTE reciprocating engines, 2-shaft, 30 boilers; 20,000 HP
Speed:	23 knots
Range:	4500 nautical miles @ 10 knots
Complement:	571
Armament:	★ 12 × 152 mm guns ★ 10× 80 mm guns ★ 2 x 47 mm guns ★ 4 x 450 mm torpedoes
Armor:	★ 37-75 mm deck armor; ★ 150 mm conning tower

The was a protected cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, acquired as a prize of war during the Russo-Japanese War from the Imperial Russian Navy, where it was originally known as the ''Varyag''.

Contents

Background

Service life

Gallery

References

Background

The ''Varyag'' was built by William Cramp and Sons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States for the Imperial Russian Navy. It was stationed in Korea in 1904, and involved in the opening Battle of Chemulpo Bay of the Russo-Japanese War. After suffering heavy damage from the unequal battle with 9 Japanese cruisers, the ''Varyag'' was scuttled by its crew on 9 February 1904.
After the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese raised the badly damaged wreck from Chemulpo harbor, repaired it, and commissioned it into the Imperial Japanese Navy as the 2nd class cruiser ''Soya'' on 9 July 1907. Its new name was taken from the northernmost cape of Hokkaidō, Soya Misaki.

Service life

::''For record of the RUS ''Varyag'' prior to being captured by Japan and after its return to Russia, see Russian cruiser Varyag. ''
After being placed into Japanese service as a 3rd class cruiser, the ''Soya'' was used primarily for training duties. From 14 March 1909 to 7 August 1909, it made a long distance navigational and officer cadet training cruise to Hawaii and North America. It repeated this training cruise again in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913.
During World War I Russia and Japan became allies and the ''Soya'' (along with several other vessels) was transferred back to Russia at Vladivostok on 5 April 1916, and its original name of ''Varyag'' restored.

Gallery

References

★ Evans, David. ''Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941''. US Naval Institute Press (1979). ISBN 0870211927

★ Howarth, Stephen. ''The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945''. Atheneum; (1983) ISBN 0689114028

★ Jentsura, Hansgeorg. ''Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945''. Naval Institute Press (1976). ISBN 087021893X