Information and photos of Japanese battleship Ibuki launched 1906

[HMS]

Hi. I am looking for information and photographs of the Battleship and Crew on the battleship Ibuki which was launched in 1906 and discarded I believe in 1924. I hope someone can help

[AlZictorini]

Ibuki

Laid down: 22nd May 1905
Launched 21 Nov 1907
Commissioned: 1st November 1909
Disposal: Broken up under the terms of the Washington Treaty in 1923/24
Builders: Kure Navy Yard, Kosho, Japan
Complement: 844

Displacement: 14,636t normal, 15,595t full load
Length: 147.8m wl, 137.2m oa
Width: 23.0m
Draught: 8.0m
Machinery: 2-shaft steam turbines, 22,500ihp, 24,000shp, 20 boilers
Fuel: oil 218t, coal 2000t
Speed: 21.5kt
Armour: belt 100-180mm, barbette 125-180mm, turret 125-180mm, CT 200mm, deck 75mm
Armament: 4-30.5cm/45cal. gun (2x2), 8-20.3cm/45cal. gun (1x4, 2x2),14-12cm/40cal. gun, 4-8cm/40cal gun, 3-45cm TT (below wl)

Originally labelled as a heavy cruiser, she had one sister ship, the “Kurama”. The ships name comes from Mount Ibuki on the island of Honshu. She was order under the 1904 construction programme and was planned from the start to have the newer steam turbine engine system, Kurama having the more conventional reciprocating engine system. Her first voyage sent her to Thailand for the Coronation of King Rama the 6th. She was reclassified as a Battlecruiser in 1908. During WWI she escorted British shipping in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In September 1914 she joined the hunt for the Emden. She also escorted New Zealand troops to Australia and became the only protection for ANZAC troop shipping during the final sinking of Emden. She later went on to help hunt for Von Spees East Asiatic Fleet. After the war she fell under the spell of the Washington Treaty and was scrapped between 1923 & 24.

[Steve]

Hi,
Ibuki was one of 2 ships designed by the Japanese as a direct result of lessons learnt at the battle of Tsushima in 1905. She was the first Japanese ship to be powered by turbines (made by Curtiss in the US) and had her secondary guns mounted in turrets instead of casemates, as in her predecessors. She was 1 knot faster than her sistership Kurama, which was powered by conventional reciprocating engines, despite having fewer boilers.
Ibuki was laid down a year later than Kurama but was completed 2 years earlier, HMS Dreadnought having shown that turbine engines were the future but the design was obsolete before it was completed because the ships still had a mixed instead of all-big-gun armament. Ibuki could be destinguished from Karuma by pole masts instead of tripods and also having the searchlights fitted above the yardarms. Both ships were scrapped in 1924-25
hope this helps

Steve

[AlZictorini]

For HMS

Here's a pic of the Ibuki, I believe this pic was taken in 1907 (the picture is over 70 years old, out of copyright).

Regards
ALZictorini

[HMS]

Thanks guys your info has been very helpfull. all the best