IJN Kurama. Ibuki had pole masts.
These vessels were an enlarged version of
the Tsukuba Class, and were armored cruisers
of the type made obsolete by battlecruisers.
They rate only a passing mention here, only
because their designation was changed from
"armored cruisers" to 'battlecruisers"
in 1912. In 1921, the designation was again
changed to "first class cruisers".
The construction of the Ibuki was delayed
by the lack of building slips in Japan, so
turbines replaced the triple-expansion engines.
Both ships served as an anti-raider escorts
in WWI, were disarmed under the Washington
Treaty, and were broken up in 1923-24.
Displ: 14,636 tons normal; 15,595 tons full
load
Dim: 485 x 75 x 26 feet
Prop: VTE engines, 20 boilers 22,500 hp,
2 shafts, 20.5 knots
(Ibuki: Steam turbines, 24,000 hp, 21.5 knots)
Arm: 2 dual 12/45, 2 dual, 4 single 8/45,
12 4.7/40, 4 3.1/40 3 18 inch TT (sub)
Armor: 4-7 inch belt, 3 inch deck, 5-7 inch
barbettes and turrets, 8 inch CT
Crew: 844
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