Design
Satsuma was the first ship in the world to be designed and laid down as an all-big-gun battleship, although gun shortages caused HMS Dreadnought to be the first one to be completed. She was also the largest battleship in the world at the time of her launch, which was witnessed by Emperor Meiji
| “ | "Laid down before Dreadnought and intended to carry 12-inch guns, she should have been completed as the world's first all-big-gun battleship. However there were not enough Armstrong 1904 pattern 12-inch guns available, and 10-inch guns had to be substituted for all but four of the weapons. Thus, it was that future all-big gun battleships were to be called "dreadnoughts", and not "satsumas"." (Jane's "Battleships of the 20th century"). | ” |
When completed, the Satsuma had four 12" 50-caliber guns plus twelve 10" guns on board. Both Satsuma and the all-big-gun 1908 USS South Carolina (BB-26) lacked the other major advance in British ship technology — the move from triple expansion steam engines to steam turbines for propulsion.
Read more about this topic: Japanese Battleship Satsuma
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