View source for Japanese destroyer Akatsuki (1901)

{{Short description|Akatsuki-class destroyer}}
{{other ships|Japanese destroyer Akatsuki}}

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|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Akatsuki''
|Ship namesake={{nihongo|暁|"Daybreak"}}
|Ship ordered=1900
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Yarrow Shipbuilders|Yarrow & Company]], {{nowrap|[[Cubitt Town]],}}&nbsp;[[London]],&nbsp;[[England]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=''Torpedo Boat Destroyer No. 13''
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|Ship laid down=10 December 1900
|Ship launched=13&nbsp;February&nbsp;1901 or 13&nbsp;November&nbsp;1901 (see&nbsp;text)
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|Ship completed=14 December 1901
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|Ship commissioned=14 December 1901
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|Ship fate=Sunk 17&nbsp;May&nbsp;1904
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|Ship struck=19 October 1905
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|Ship type= {{sclass|Akatsuki|destroyer|||1901}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|363|LT|t}} normal,
*{{convert|415|LT|t|abbr=on}} full load
|Ship length=*{{convert|67.29|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|pp]],
*{{convert|68.45|m|ft|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam={{convert|6.28|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|1.73|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=2-shaft reciprocating, 4 Yarrow boilers, {{convert|6000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|30|kn|km/h|lk=in}}
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|Ship complement=62
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|Ship armament=*1 × [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun]]
*5 × [[QF 6 pounder Hotchkiss]]
*2 × {{convert|450|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[torpedo]]es
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|operations=*[[Russo-Japanese War]]
**[[Battle of Port Arthur]]
**[[Blockade]] of [[Lüshunkou District|Port Arthur]]
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{{nihongo|'''''Akatsuki'''''|暁|"Daybreak"}} was the [[lead ship]] of two {{sclass|Akatsuki|destroyer|||1901}}s, built for the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] in the early 1900s. ''Akatsuki'' took part in the [[Russo-Japanese War]] (1904–1905), during which she participated in the [[Battle of Port Arthur]] in February 1904, then struck a [[Naval mine|mine]] and sank in May 1904.

==Construction and commissioning==

Authorized under the 1900 naval program,<ref name=historyvol7p287>日本海軍史』第7巻 ("History of the Japanese Navy, Vol. 7") (in Japanese), p. 287.</ref> ''Akatsuki'' was [[Keel-laying|laid down]] as '''''Destroyer No. 13''''' on 10&nbsp;December&nbsp;1900 by [[Yarrow Shipbuilders|Yarrow & Company]] at [[Cubitt Town]] in [[London]], [[England]].<ref name=historyvol7p287/> [[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]] on either 13&nbsp;February&nbsp;1901<ref name=historyvol7p287/> or 13&nbsp;November&nbsp;1901<ref>『官報』第5513号、明治34年11月16日 ("Official Gazette" No. 5513, 16 November 1901) (in Japanese).</ref> (sources disagree) and named ''Akatsuki'', she was completed on 14&nbsp;December&nbsp;1901<ref name=historyvol7p287/> and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] the same day.<ref name=historyvol7p287/>

==Service history==

''Akatsuki'' departed England on 25 January 1902<ref>『官報』第5559号、明治35年1月17日 ("Official Gazette" No. 5559, 17 January 1902) (in Japanese).</ref> to make her delivery voyage to [[Japan]], which she completed with her arrival at [[Yokosuka]] on 25 May 1902.<ref name=historyvol7p287/>

When the [[Russo-Japanese War]] broke out in February 1904, ''Akatsuki'' was part of either the 1st<ref name=stillep8>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7LygCwAAQBAJ&dq=Japanese+destroyer+Kasumi+1902&pg=PA8 Stille, pp. 8–9.]</ref> or 3rd Destroyer [[Division (naval)|Division]] of the [[1st Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Fleet]],<ref>『聯合艦隊軍艦銘銘伝』普及版、393-394頁 ("'Allied Fleet Gunkan Meiden' popular version, pages 393–394.") (in Japanese).</ref> according to different sources. The war began that evening with the [[Battle of Port Arthur]], a Japanese surprise attack on [[Imperial Russian Navy]] [[warship]]s anchored in the outer [[roadstead]] of the Russian naval base at [[Lüshunkou District|Port Arthur]], [[China]]. Ten Japanese destroyers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Destroyer Divisions made a [[torpedo]] attack in three waves, with the four destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Division (''Akatsuki'', {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashio|1902|2}}, {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Kasumi|1902|2}}, and {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Shirakumo|1901|2}}) and {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Ikazuchi|1898|2}} of the 2nd Destroyer Division constituting the first wave.<ref name=stillep8/> They closed to about {{convert|650|yd|sigfig=2}} from the Russian ships and fired nine torpedoes.<ref name=stillep8/> One of ''Kasumi''′s torpedoes hit the Russian [[protected cruiser]] {{ship|Russian cruiser|Pallada|1899|2}}.<ref name=stillep8/>

While taking part in the ensuing [[blockade]] of Port Arthur, ''Akatsuki'' struck a [[naval mine|mine]] and sank off [[Dalian|Dalniy]] southeast of [[Tieshan Subdistrict, Dalian|Tieshan]] at {{coord|38|38|N|121|05|E|name=Akatskuki}} on 17 May 1904.<ref>Corbett, Vol. I, p. 243, identifies ''Akatsuki'' only as "a destroyer which fouled a mine" on 17 May 1904. Corbett, Vol. II, p. 112, identifies ''Akatsuki'' as one of the ships lost during the blockade. Corbett, Vol. II, p. 446, identifies her as the destroyer lost off Dalniy in 17 May 1904.</ref> Her [[commanding officer]] was killed in her sinking.<ref name=HistoryGeneralOfficers>日本海軍史』第9巻・第10巻の「将官履歴」及び『官報』に基づく ("Based on ''History of General Officers'' and ''Official Gazette'' in Volumes 9 and 10 of ''History of the Japanese Navy'') (in Japanese)</ref>

Believing that the Russians had not observed the sinking of ''Akatsuki'', the Japanese concealed her loss by making no announcement of it.<ref>Corbett, Vol. II, p. 112.</ref> Instead, they announced a new commanding officer had reported aboard her on 20 May 1904<ref name=May1904notice>[https://www.jacar.archives.go.jp/aj/meta/result?IS_KEY_S1=C13071937800&SUM_KIND=SimpleSummary&IS_KIND=detail&IS_SCH=META&IS_STYLE=default&IS_START=1&IS_EXTSCH=&DEF_XSL=default&IS_SORT_KND=ASC&IS_SORT_FLD=&IS_TAG_S1=InD&IS_LYD_DIV=&LIST_VIEW=&ON_LYD=on 「明治三十七年辞令通報 5月」 アジア歴史資料センター Ref.C13071937800] ("'1904 Notice of Appointment May'  Center for Asian Historical Records Ref.C13071937800") (in Japanese)</ref> — three days after her loss — and gave the name ''Akatsuki'' to the captured [[Imperial Russian Navy]] destroyer {{ship|Russian destroyer|Reshitel‘nyi||2}}. The captured ship operated under the name ''Akatsuki'' until after the end of the war in early September 1905.<ref>Corbett, Vol. II, pp. 154, 218, 300, 355.</ref> 

Meanwhile, the Japanese finally announced the loss of the original ''Akatsuki'' on 1 June 1905.<ref>『官報』第6574号、明治38年6月1日 ("Official Gazette" No. 6574, 1 June 1905) (in Japanese).</ref> They struck her from the naval register on 19 October 1905.<ref name=historyvol7p287/> That same day, they again renamed the captured Russian destroyer, changing her name from ''Akatsuki'' to ''Yamabiko'', also [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as ''Yamahiko''.

==Commanding officers==
<small>SOURCE:<ref name=HistoryGeneralOfficers/></small>

*[[Lieutenant commander|Lieutenant Commander]] Sojiro Nakayama 4 June 1901 – 2 September 1901 (pre-commissioning)
*Lieutenant Commander Sojiro Nakayama 2 September 1901 – 24 May 1902
*Lieutenant Commander Shigetaka Seki 24 May 1902 – 5 November 1903
*[[Lieutenant (naval)|Lieutenant]] Naojiro Suetsugu 5 November 1903 – 17 May 1904 ([[killed in action]])
*Lieutenant Commander Kota Hazama 20 May 1904<ref name=May1904notice/> – unknown (announced post-sinking) (see&nbsp;text)

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*写真日本海軍全艦艇史 Fukui Shizuo Collection』資料編、KKベストセラーズ、1994年 ("Photographic history of all ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy Fukui Shizuo Collection" material edition, KK Bestsellers, 1994) (in Japanese).
*海軍歴史保存会『日本海軍史』第7巻、第9巻、第10巻、第一法規出版、1995年 (Naval History Preservation Society "Japanese Naval History" Vol. 7, Vol. 9, Vol. 10, Daiichi Hoki Publishing, 1995) (in Japanese).
*片桐大自『聯合艦隊軍艦銘銘伝』普及版、光人社、2003年 (Daiji Katagiri "Rengo Kantai Gunkan Meiden" popular version, Kojinsha, 2003) (in Japanese).
*Cocker, Maurice (1983). ''Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981.'' Ian Allan.  {{ISBN|0-7110-1075-7}}.
*{{cite book
| last = Corbett
| first = Julian S.
| year = 1994
| title = Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905, Volume I
| publisher = Naval Institute Press
| location = Annapolis, Maryland
| isbn = 1-55750-129-7
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Corbett
| first = Julian S.
| year = 1994
| title = Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905, Volume II
| publisher = Naval Institute Press
| location = Annapolis, Maryland
| isbn = 1-55750-129-7
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Evans
| first = David
| year = 1979
| title = Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941
| publisher = Naval Institute Press
| location = Annapolis, Md.
| isbn = 0-87021-192-7
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Howarth
| first = Stephen
| year = 1983
| title = The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945
| publisher = Atheneum
| location =
| isbn = 0-689-11402-8
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Jane
| first = Fred T
| year = 1904
| title = The Imperial Japanese Navy
| url = https://archive.org/details/cu31924030895795
| publisher = Thacker, Spink & Co
| location =
| id = ASIN: B00085LCZ4
}}
*{{cite book
| last = Jentsura
| first = Hansgeorg
| year = 1976
| title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945
| publisher = US Naval Institute Press
| location =
| isbn = 0-87021-893-X
}}
*Lyon, David (1996).  ''The First Destroyers.''  Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland. {{ISBN|1-55750-271-4}}.
*{{cite book
| last = Stille
| first = Mark
| year = 2016
| title = The Imperial Japanese Navy of the Russo-Japanese War
| publisher = Osprey Publishing Ltd.
| location =
| isbn = 978-1-4728-1121-9
}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Akatsuki class destroyer (1901)}}
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==Further reading==-->

{{Akatsuki class destroyers (1901)}}
{{1904 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akatsuki}}
[[Category:Akatsuki-class destroyers (1901)]]
[[Category:Ships built in Cubitt Town]]
[[Category:1901 ships]]
[[Category:Russo-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1904]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of the Russo-Japanese War]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Yellow Sea]]