Russian cruiser Pallada (1899)

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Pallada.jpg
Pallada circa 1903
History
Naval Ensign of Russia.svg Russian Empire
NamePallada
Namesake Pallas (daughter of Triton)
Builder Admiralty Shipyard, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Laid down1 December 1895
LaunchedAugust 1899
FateSunk, 8 December 1904
Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg Empire of Japan
NameTsugaru
Acquiredby Japan as prize of war, 1905
Decommissioned1922
FateExpended as target, 1924
General characteristics
Class and type Pallada-class protected cruiser
Displacement6,731 long tons (6,839  t)
Length126.8 m (416 ft)
Beam16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
Draught7.3 m (24 ft)
Installed power
Propulsion3 shafts; 3 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement578
Armament
Armour

Pallada was the lead ship in the Palladaclass of protected cruisers in the Imperial Russian Navy. She was built in the Admiralty Shipyard at Saint Petersburg, Russia. The new class was a major improvement on previous Russian cruisers, although the armor protection was light.

Contents

Background

The Pallada class consisted of three cruisers built expressly with the intention of strengthening the Russian fleet in the Far East. Pallada and Diana were both laid down in December 1895 but Pallada was launched first in August 1899, followed by Diana in October 1899. Aurora, which survives in Saint Petersburg as a museum ship, was laid down in June 1897 and was not launched until May 1900. Soon after commissioning, both Pallada and Diana were assigned to the Russian First Pacific Squadron at Port Arthur, Manchuria.

Operational history

Torpedoing of Pallada (artist's conception). Torpedoing of the Russian cruiser Pallada (artist's conception).jpg
Torpedoing of Pallada (artist's conception).
Pallada sunk at Port Arthur Porthartur (13).jpg
Pallada sunk at Port Arthur

In the initial Japanese attacks on Port Arthur on the night of 8 February 1904, Pallada was torpedoed on the port side amidships, but despite a fire in her coal bunker, she was not seriously damaged.

In August 1904 at the Battle of the Yellow Sea, after being struck by a torpedo, Pallada managed to make her way back to Port Arthur, and was thus unable to break through the Japanese blockade along with a number of other Russian cruisers. Thereafter, Pallada was trapped in the harbor. Her guns were removed to help strengthen the land defenses and most of her crew was reassigned to serve as infantry. Pallada was sunk by Japanese 11-inch siege howitzers on 8 December 1904.

After the end of the war, the wreck of Pallada was raised and towed to Japan, where it was repaired and commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy as a prize of war. Renamed Tsugaru, she served as a training vessel and later as a minelayer until decommissioned in 1922 and sunk as a target in 1924.

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