Tsukuba-Class Armored Cruisers
Proto-Battlecruisers - Tsukuba-class were Japanese armored cruisers with battleship guns. 2 ships commissioned 1907-1908. Four 12-inch guns (two twin turrets), 20.5 knots, 13,750 tons. Proto-battlecruisers - armored cruisers with capital ship armament before "battlecruiser" term existed. Coal-fired reciprocating engines. Tsukuba lost to magazine explosion 1917 (241 killed). Ikoma scrapped 1924 (Washington Treaty). Represented transition from armored cruiser to battlecruiser concept (later perfected in Kongo-class).
Specifications
- Displacement (std)
- 13750 t
- Displacement (full)
- 15400 t
- Length
- 450.1 ft
- Beam
- 75.1 ft
- Crew
- 879
- Ships built
- 2
- Commissioned
- 1907-1908
- Decommissioned
- 1917-1944 (1 magazine explosion, 1 scrapped)
Performance
- Top speed
- 20.5 kn
- Range
- 5000 nm at 14 knots
Armament
- Main guns
- 4× 305mm/45 (12-inch) - two twin turrets
- Secondary guns
- 12× 152mm (6-inch) - single mounts
- Torpedoes
- 3× 450mm (18-inch) submerged tubes
Armor & Systems
- Belt
- 7 inches (178mm)
- Deck
- 2 inches (51mm)
In-Game
- Tier
- T2
- Game power
- 23.51
- Research cost
- 2,069
- Credit cost
- 16,457
Notable
- First Japanese armored cruisers with 12-inch guns
- Proto-battlecruisers (before term existed)
- Tsukuba lost to magazine explosion 1917 (241 killed)
- Ikoma scrapped 1924 (Washington Treaty)
- Represented transition from armored cruiser to battlecruiser
- Coal-fired (last Japanese capital ships with coal)