n navy which had had the same
experience was no more. Eight of her first-class battleships were, at
the time of her entrance into the Great War, veterans of the war with
Russia. The _Fugi_, _Asahi_, _Kikasa_, and _Shikishima_ had gone into
the former war as Japanese ships, and the remaining four had gone into
it as Russian ships, but had been captured by the Japanese. These were
the _Hizen_, _Sagami_, _Suwo_, and _Iwami_. Their value was not great,
for the _Fugi_ had been launched as far back as 1896. Nevertheless she
carried 12-inch guns and displaced 12,300 tons. But her speed was only
17 knots at the most. She had been built in England as had the _Asahi_
and _Shikishima_, which were launched in 1900 and 1901. They also
carried 12-inch guns and had a speed of 18.5 knots. Their tonnage was
15,000. Admiral Togo's former flagship, the _Mikasa_, was also of the
predreadnought type, having been built in 1900, and carrying a main
battery of 12-inch guns. Her speed was 18.5 knots.

Of the former Russian ships the rechristened _Iwami_ was of French
build, protected with Krupp steel armor to the thickness of 7.5 inches.
Her displacement was 13,600 tons, and her speed 18 knots. Like the other
ships of this class in the Japanese navy, she carried a main battery of
12-inch guns. The _Hizen_ was an American product, having been built by
Cramps in 1902. Her displacement was 12,700 tons, made a speed of 18.5
knots, was also protected with Krupp steel and carried four 10-inch
guns. She was a real veteran, for she had undergone repairs necessitated
by having been torpedoed off Port Arthur and had been refloated after
being sunk in later action there. The _Sagami_ and the _Suwo_ had been
built in 1901 and 1902. They displaced 13,500 tons, had a speed of 18.5
knots, and carried as their heaviest armament 10-inch guns.

In addition to these eight ships Japan had also nine protected cruisers,
all of the same type and all veterans of the war with Russia. They were
of such strength and endurance that the Japanese admiralty rated them
capable of taking places in the first line of battle. These were the
_Nisshin_ and _Kasuga_, purchased from Italy and built in 1904,
displacing 7,700 tons, and making a speed of 22 knots; the _Aso_, French
built and captured from the Russians, and of the same design and
measurements as the other two; and the protected cruisers _Yakumo_,
_Asama_, _Idzumo_, _Tokiwa_, _Aguma_, and _Iwate_, built before the war
wi