NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
海門 [Kaimon]			Yokosuka K K	1.9.1877	28.8.1882	13.3.1884	lost 5.7.1904
天龍 [Tenryu]			Yokosuka K K	9.2.1878	18.8.1883	5.3.1885	stricken 12.1911

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	Kaimon: 1358 Tenryu: 1525
Displacement full, t	Kaimon: 1429
Length, m	Kaimon: 64.1 pp Tenryu: 64.7 pp
Breadth, m	Kaimon: 9.91 Tenryu: 10.8
Draught, m	Kaimon: 4.98 Tenryu: 5.20
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 HCRA, 4 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	1267
Max speed, kts	12
Fuel, t	Kaimon: coal 197 Tenryu: coal 204
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	Kaimon: 1 x 1 - 173/22 RKL/25 C/72, 6 x 1 - 120/22 RKL/25 C/78, 1 x 1 - 79/25 RKL/27 C/73, 4 x 4 - 25/60 Nordenfelt Mk I, 1 x 4 - 11.4/94 Tenryu: 1 x 1 - 173/22 RKL/25 C/72, 1 x 1 - 149/22 RKL/25 C/74, 4 x 1 - 120/22 RKL/25 C/78, 1 x 1 - 79/25 RKL/27 C/73, 4 x 4 - 25/60 Nordenfelt Mk I
Complement	Kaimon: 210 Tenryu: 214

Standard scale images

Project history

These barque-rigged corvettes were the most effective of the smaller types of warship in service in the Japanese Navy towards the end of the 19th century. They were built under French supervision and completed with Krupp armament. Both vessels were refined, a new bow replacing the original graceful knee stem, and military masts replacing the fore and main masts.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

The ships carried out a number of operations during the Russo-Japanese war, the Kaimon being lost off Talieo Wan Bay 5 July 1904 when she struck a mine laid by Russian minelayer Yenisey. Tenryu survived the war and was finally removed from active service in 1906.