Japanese ironclad Kōtetsu

, later renamed ) was the first ironclad warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Built in France in 1864, and acquired from the United States in February 1869, she was an ironclad ram warship. She had a decisive role in the Naval Battle of Hakodate Bay in May 1869, which marked the end of the Boshin War, and the complete establishment of the Meiji Restoration.

Her sister ship "Cheops" was sold to Prussian Navy, becoming the "Prinz Adalbert".

Origins

The "Kōtetsu" was built by shipbuilder L'Arman in Bordeaux, France. Originally named the "Sphinx", this ship was initially built for the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Prior to delivery, however, the French government blocked the sale, and an arrangement was made for the ship to be sold to Denmark under the name "Stærkodder" instead.

Manned by a Danish crew, the ship left Bordeaux for its shakedown cruise on 21 June 1864. The crew tested the vessel while final negotiations were conducted between the Danish Naval Ministry and L'Arman. Intense haggling over the final price and a disagreement over compensation from L'Arman for late delivery led to his calling off the deal on 30 October. The Danish government refused to relinquish the vessel, claiming confusion in regards to the negotiations. [Both the "Stærkodder" and CSS "Stonewall" commissionings can be considered valid through international maritime law as illustrated by Captain Thomas J. Page; "customarily, a ship is held to be commissioned when a commissioned officer appointed to her has gone on board of her and hoisted the colors appropriated to the military marines." Page, Thomas J. "The Career of the Confederate Cruiser "Stonewall. Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume VII, Number 6. Richmond, Virginia: 1879. Pages 263-280]

CSS "Stonewall"

Sometime shortly after 7 January 1865 the vessel took on a Confederate crew and was recommissioned the CSS "Stonewall" while still at sea. [Steensen, Robert Steen. "Vore Panserskibe" [Our Armoured Vessels] . Marinehistorisk Selskab, Copenhagen, Denmark: 1968. Pages 178-195. Steensen was a former Commander in the Royal Danish Navy. An English translation by Søren Nørby may be found at http://www.milhist.dk/weapons/starkodder/starkodder.htm]

The arrival of the "formidable" "Stonewall" in America was dreaded by the Union, and several ships tried to intercept her, among them the USS "Kearsarge" and the USS "Sacramento". In February and March, the USS "Niagara" and the "Sacramento" laid up at Ferrol, Spain, to prevent "Stonewall" from departing, but the much more powerful Confederate ship was able to make good her escape.

After an eventful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, she eventually arrived in North American waters near the end of the American Civil War, too late to have a significant effect. (By the time of her October 1864 commissioning the Confederacy was in disarray and near defeat, its navy disintegrating, along with most other Confederate institutions.) To avoid surrendering the vessel, Captain Page sailed her into Havana harbor and turned her over to the Captain General of Cuba for the sum of $16,000.

American career

The vessel was then turned over to United States authorities in return for reimbursement of the same amount. [Letter from William H. Seward to Gideon Wells, 18 July 1865. A copy may be found in the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies. Volume 3, page 566.] She was temporarily de-commissionned, stationed at a US Navy dock, until she was offered for sale to the Japanese government of the Tokugawa shogunate

Japanese career

"Kōtetsu" was supposed to be delivered to the Tokugawa shogunate in 1868, in order to reinforce the ongoing modernization of its army and navy. US$30,000 had already been paid, and the remaining US$10,000 were to be paid on delivery. When the Boshin War between the shogunate and pro-Imperial forces broke out however, Western powers took a neutral stance, retrieved any military advisors they had in Japan, and stopped the delivery of military material, including the delivery of "Kōtetsu" to the shogunate.

"Kōtetsu" was finally delivered to the new Meiji government in February 1869. She was immediately put to use and dispatched with seven other steam warships to the northern island of Hokkaidō, to fight the remnant of the Shogun's forces, who were trying to form an independent Ezo Republic there, with the help of French ex-military advisors.

On March 25, 1869, in the Naval Battle of Miyako Bay, "Kōtetsu" successfully repulsed a surprise night attempt at boarding by the rebel "Kaiten" (spearheaded by survivors from the Shinsengumi), essentially thanks to the presence of a Gatling gun onboard .

She then participated in the invasion of Hokkaidō and various naval engagements in the Naval Battle of Hakodate Bay.

"Kōtetsu" was renamed "Azuma" in 1871 and remained in military service until 1888, when she was turned to non-combat harbor service.

"Kōtetsu" was well-armed with casemated rotating turret guns, and considered a "formidable" and "unsinkable" ship in her time. She could sustain direct hits without her armour being pierced, and prevail against any wooden warship.

In effect, Japan was thus equipped with advanced ironclad warships only ten years after the launch of the first ocean-going ironclad warship in history, the French Navy's "La Gloire" ("Glory", launched in 1859).

Notes

References

* "End of the Bakufu and restoration in Hakodate" 函館の幕末・維新 (Japanese) ISBN 4-12-001699-4