Japanese Battleship Mikasa

[Falcon]

I recently read about the Japanese Battleship Mikasa. It is apparently the only surviving pre-dreadnought battleship in the world.

It is open as a museum ship in Yokosuka, Japan.

I haven't actually visited it as I have never been to Japan. I thought I would post it in case any BOCN members are ever over there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mikasa

 

[womble]

Falcon thank you for the post, I have been carrying research on this type of pre dreadnought for quite a few years and one day would like to visit, as yes this is the only surviving example left in the world, she was built at Barrow in Furness and built for the Japanese when they were our allies and the Mikasa fought against the Russian battleships an was damaged but has managed to survive, she was the same as our London class pre dreadnought battleships, the reason for my personal interest is that my great grand father was killed aboard HMS Bulwark in 1914 which was the same type and version as the Mikasa, HMS Bulwark blew up at anchor off sheerness in 1914,as munitions that had just been loaded had exploded, his name was Herbert ernest Marriott and was a sergeant in the marines and his grave is at Gosport, HMS Bulwark before the accident was captained by a chap called Scott, as in the polar expeditions Scott. one day I intent to make a scale model of HMS Bulwark as I have a photo of my great grandfather in his uniform, the plans at the moment size of the model at about 4 foot.cheers Womble

 

[reccetrooper]

I visited the Mikasa in 2013.

It narrowly avoided being scrapped in the 1920's, but was turned into a museum with its hull set in concrete.

In 1945 under occupation it again narrowly avoided being completely scapped. However the bridge, turrets, guns, funnels and masts were all removed, and for a time it became a dance hall and aquarium. It then fell into disrepair until it was restored in the 1960's.
Much of her therefore is just a replica.

Here is a rather sad photo of her post-war and a link to a Japanese website (with an English description)

http://www.kinenkan-mikasa.or.jp/en/mikasa/devastation_after_ww2.html

 

[M8owner]

This thread jogged my memory. I was a West Point cadet in 1982 visiting the Soviet Union over the Christmas Holiday. We were the first, and for some reason last, Russian language studies group allowed to do this. We were visiting a naval history museum in Moscow or Leningrad (St. Petersburg), and we came to the Russian-Japanese war period area where there was almost no mention of the war at all. And, I asked out loud, "Hey, where is the battle of Tsushima - you know - where your entire Baltic fleet was wiped out?" I can still recall the look of horror on those ladies faces. No answer was provided. Afterwards, my fellow cadets told me I was an asshole for bringing it up. I was a rather passionate student of naval history at the time. I opted for the Army because I did not like the idea of being eaten by sharks - I blame "Jaws".