View source for Japanese gunboat Akagi

{{other ships|Japanese ship Akagi}}
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|Ship image=Japanese Gunboat Akagi.jpg
|Ship caption=''Akagi'' at Kure in 1902
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|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name='' Akagi''
|Ship ordered=1885
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|Ship builder=[[Onohama Shipyards]]
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|Ship laid down=20 July 1886
|Ship launched=7 August 1888
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|Ship commissioned=20 August 1890
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|Ship struck=1 April 1911
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|Ship fate= Sold 1912; scrapped 1953
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Ship class= {{sclass|Maya|gunboat}}
|Ship displacement= {{convert|622|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{convert|51.0|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|8.2|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|2.95|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*reciprocating [[steam engine]]
*2 shafts, 2 boilers
*{{convert|963|hp|abbr=on}} 
|Ship speed= {{convert|10.0|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range=74.4 tons coal
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=111
|Ship armament=*4 × {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}} Krupp L/22 breech-loading gun
*2 × quadruple [[1-inch Nordenfelt gun]]s
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{{Infobox service record
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|operations=*[[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)]]
*[[Boxer Rebellion]]
*[[Siege of Port Arthur]]
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{{nihongo|'''''Akagi'''''|赤城|}} was a steel-hulled, [[gunboat|steam gunboat]], serving in the early [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]. She was the fourth and final vessel to be completed in the four-vessel {{sclass|Maya|gunboat|4}}<ref>{{cite book | last = Jentsura  | first = Hansgeorg  | year = 1976 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945  | publisher = Naval Institute Press  | isbn = 978-0-87021-893-4 }} page 115</ref> and was named after [[Mount Akagi]] in [[Gunma Prefecture]].

==Background==
''Akagi'' was the last in a series of 600-ton gunboats, which included the {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Maya||2}}, {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Chōkai||2}}, and {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Atago||2}}, built from 1885–1886 under the supervisor of the French [[naval architect]], Bellard. She was the only vessel in the class to be equipped with a steel-hull instead of an iron or [[composite hull]].<ref name= Conway>Chesneau, '' All the World’s Fighting Ships'', p. 236.</ref>

==Construction==
''Akagi'' was designed with a horizontal double expansion reciprocating [[steam engine]] with two cylindrical boilers driving two screws. She also had two masts for a [[schooner]] sail rig. Initially, she was armed with one [[Krupp]] {{convert|210|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} L/22 breech-loading gun, one Krupp {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}} L/22 breech-loading gun and two quadruple [[1-inch Nordenfelt gun]]s, and was intended primarily for port defense. 
However, by early 1894, she had been rebuilt with a high short [[forecastle]] and four 120-millimeter guns arranged on her centerline, six  47-mm rapid-fire guns (two by the bridge, facing forward, and two mounted in small [[sponson]]s on either side of the hull). All guns were protected by [[gun shield]]s. Well-armed for her size, she was soon rendered obsolete with the introduction of larger [[protected cruiser]]s into  the Imperial Japanese Navy inventory.

==Service record==
[[File:Akagigunboat3.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|[[Ukiyo-e]] depicting ''Akagi'' in the [[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)|Battle of the Yalu River]] in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]], titled "Lieutenant-Commander Sakamoto of the Imperial Warship Akagi, Fights Bravely"]]
[[File:Japanese gunboat Oshima in 1892.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|IJN Gunboat ''Ōshima'']]
'' Akagi'' was [[Keel laying|laid down]] at the [[Onohama Shipyards]] on 20 July 1886 and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 7 August 1888. She was completed on 20 August 1890.<ref name= Nishidah>Nishida, ''Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy''</ref>

''Akagi'' saw combat service in the [[First Sino-Japanese War]], initially patrolling between [[Korea]], [[Dairen]] and [[Weihai]]wei. She was included in the Japanese squadron at the [[Battle of the Yalu River (1894)|Battle of the Yalu River]] by Japanese Admiral [[Itō Sukeyuki]],<ref name ="JC Perry 1964">{{cite journal |first1=John Curtis |last1=Perry |author-link=John Curtis Perry |date=1964 |title=The Battle off the Tayang, 17 September 1894 |journal=[[The Mariner's Mirror]]|publisher=[[Society for Nautical Research]]|location=United Kingdom |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=243–259  |doi=10.1080/00253359.1964.10657787 }}</ref> as he needed a ship with shallow draft to explore the shallows of [[Korea Bay]]. When the Japanese fleet closed with the Chinese [[Beiyang Fleet]] on 17 September 1894,<ref name ="JC Perry 1964"/> ''Akagi'' was ordered protect the Japanese command ship, the converted [[passenger liner]] [[Sei-Kyo Maru|''Saikyō Maru'']] carrying Admiral [[Kabeyama Sukenori]], towards the rear of the Japanese lines. However, ''Akagi'' came under attack by the much larger and faster Chinese cruiser {{ship|Chinese cruiser|Laiyuan||2}} at 13:20 hours. When ''Laiyuan'' closed to {{convert|800|m|yd}}, ''Akagi'' opened fire, causing considerable damage and setting ''Laiyuan'' on fire. However, ''Laiyuan''’s first salvo struck ''Akagi'' on the bridge, killing her captain, Sakamoto Hachirota. Command of the vessel was transferred to her navigator, Lieutenant [[Satō Tetsutarō]], but ''Akagi'' continued to be pounded by the Chinese ship, with damage to her lower deck housing, and severing a steam line. Hot steam cut off access to her magazine, and shells had to be hand-fed through a broken vent to reach her guns. ''Akagi'' attempted to escape, but was raked from the stern by a full broadside by ''Laiyuan'', whereas she could counter with only one of her 120-mm guns. When ''Laiyuan'' has closed to {{convert|300|m|yd}}, she again scored a hit on ''Akagi''’s bridge, incapacitating her provisional captain. Command was then transferred to a junior lieutenant, and ''Akagi'' continued to return fire with her stern guns. However, by 14:20, the fire on ''Laiyuan'' has spread to the extent that future offensive maneuvering was impossible, and she broke off pursuit. ''Akagi'' drifted out of control for the remainder of the battle, as her crew battled to fix damage. After the battle ended, she was able to return to the Japanese squadron under her own power. During this brief encounter, 11 men were killed and 17 wounded out of her crew of 111 men; however, she was credited with having taken a major enemy ship out of action.

On 21 March 1898, ''Akagi'' was re-designated as a second-class gunboat.,<ref name= Nishidah/> and was used for coastal survey and patrol duties. During the [[Boxer Rebellion]], ''Akagi'' was assigned to patrol off the [[Taku Forts]].

During the [[Russo-Japanese War]], ''Akagi'' assisted in the [[Siege of Port Arthur]]. On 2 May 1904, she assisted in the attempted blockade of the channel leading into the port. She was later sent to the western coast of [[Kwantung Peninsula]] to provide fire support during the [[Battle of Nanshan]]. While on patrol outside [[Lüshunkou|Port Arthur]] on 18 May 1904 she collided with the gunboat {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Ōshima||2}}, which subsequently sank. ''Akagi'' later participated in the [[Japanese invasion of Sakhalin|Invasion of Sakhalin]].

''Akagi'' was removed the [[navy list]] on 1 April 1911, and after being demilitarized, was sold as a transport in March 1912 to the [[K Line|Kawasaki Kisen Corporation]] as ''Akagi Maru''. She was again sold in 1921 to the Amagasaki Steamship Lines, and sank in 1945 during a [[typhoon]]. She was raised, and placed into service again, only to be sunk by a [[naval mine]] in the [[Seto Inland Sea]] off of [[Okayama Prefecture]] in January 1946. Raised once more and repaired, she was placed back into service, until she was finally scrapped at [[Osaka]] in 1953.<ref name= Nishidah/>

==Notes==
{{commons category|Akagi (ship, 1890)|Akagi}}
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Corbett, Sir Julian. ''Maritime Operations In The Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905''. (1994) Originally classified, and in two volumes, {{ISBN|1-55750-129-7}}
*Chesneau, Roger and Eugene M. Kolesnik (editors), ''All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905'', Conway Maritime Press, 1979 reprinted 2002, {{ISBN|0-85177-133-5}}
*{{cite book | last = Jentsura  | first = Hansgeorg  | year = 1976 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945  | publisher = Naval Institute Press  | isbn = 978-0-87021-893-4 }}

{{Maya class gunboat}}
{{IJNOrder1894-95}}
{{Russo-JapaneseWarJapaneseShips}}
{{1904 shipwrecks}}
{{1945 shipwrecks}}
{{1946 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akagi}}
[[Category:Ships built in Japan]]
[[Category:1888 ships]]
[[Category:First Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Russo-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Maya-class gunboats]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1904]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1945]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1946]]