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Settsu file photo [22103]

Settsu

CountryJapan
Ship ClassKawachi-class Battleship
BuilderKure Naval Arsenal
Laid Down18 Jan 1909
Launched30 Mar 1911
Commissioned1 Jul 1912
Displacement21,787 tons standard
Length533 feet
Beam84 feet
Draft28 feet
Machinery16 Miyabara water-tube boilers, two steam turbines, two shafts
Power Output25,000 shaft horsepower
Speed21 knots
Range2,700nm at 18 knots
Crew1,000
Armament2x2x12in/50 guns,4x2x12in/45 guns, 10x6in guns, 8x119mm guns, 12x76mm guns, 5x457mm torpedo tubes
Armor127-305mm waterline belt, 30mm deck, 279mm turrets, 254mm conning tower, 279mm barbettes

Contributor:

ww2dbaseBattleship Settsu was a warship of a prior era, having been initially commissioned in 1912. During WW1, she bombarded German fortifications during the Battle of Tsingtao (Qingdao). In Dec 1923, she was struck from the Japanese Navy list per terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. In 1924, she received additional armor for her new role as a target ship; the thicker armor allowed her to absorb hits from 203-millimeter, or 8-inch, shells. In the mid-1930s, as Japan prepared for full scale war with China, Settsu was converted into a radio-controlled large armored transport; in this role, she landed a battalion of Sasebo 4th Special Naval Landing Force naval infantry troops during the Second Battle of Shanghai in 1937. In 1940, she returned to her role as a target ship for training carrier bomber pilots; during the training of what would become the Pearl Harbor raiding force, Settsu played the role of USS Arizona. In Nov and Dec 1941, under the command of Captain Chiaki Matsuda, she sailed from the Inland Sea in Japan toward Taiwan and then on to the Philippine Islands, generating fake radio traffic of eight aircraft carriers, which confused the Americans on the actual locations of them (meanwhile, six of the carriers which Settsu was generating false transmissions for were en route toward Pearl Harbor). After this successful deception operation, she returned to Japan and largely remained in home waters for the rest of the war. Her main duties were, once again, serving as a target ship for carrier pilot trainees. In mid-1944, she was fitted with Type 96 25-millimeter anti-aircraft guns, among other defensive weapons. On 24 Jul 1945, US Navy carrier aircraft attacked the area near Kure, Hiroshima, Japan, where Settsu was located. She suffered a direct bomb hit and five near misses, which killed two and wounded two, Captain Masanano Ofuji grounded the ship on the island of Etajima to prevent sinking. Four days later, she was attacked by carrier aircraft again, receiving two more bomb hits. The first hit penetrated the deck on the starboard side and exploded in No. 3 crew space; the second bomb detonated on the top of the deck on the port side. Her anti-aircraft armaments were removed, thus effectively ending her career. In Jun 1946, she was refloated and towed to Kure, where she was scrapped at the Harima shipyard; the scrapping was completed in Aug 1947.

ww2dbaseSources:
Elliot Carlson, Joe Rochefort's War
CombinedFleet.com
Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Nov 2014

Battleship Settsu Interactive Map

Photographs

Settsu during trials, 1911Settsu, 1911
See all 7 photographs of Battleship Settsu

Settsu Operational Timeline

22 Jun 1907 The construction of Settsu was ordered.
18 Jan 1909 The keel of Settsu was laid down at Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Hiroshima, Japan.
1 Feb 1909 Settsu, still under construction, was attached to the Kure Naval District in Japan.
30 Mar 1911 Settsu was launched at Kure Naval Arsenal, Kure, Hiroshima, Japan.
1 Dec 1911 Captain Morihide Tanaka was named the Chief Equipping Officer of Settsu.
1 Jul 1912 Settsu was commissioned into service. Captain Morihide Tanaka, the chief equipping officer, was made the ship's first commanding officer.
28 Aug 1912 Dreadnaught Settsu was reclassified as a battleship.
1 Dec 1912 Captain Shibakichi Yamanaka was named the commanding officer of Settsu, and Settsu was assigned to Battleship Division 1.
10 Feb 1913 Settsu departed Kure, Japan for her training cruise.
17 Feb 1913 Settsu arrived at Mako, Hoko Prefecture, Taiwan.
21 Feb 1913 Settsu departed Mako, Hoko Prefecture, Taiwan to patrol the South China Sea along the Chinese coast.
21 Feb 1913 Settsu arrived at Sasebo, Japan.
11 Apr 1913 Settsu departed Inchon, Korea to patrol the South China Sea along the Chinese coast.
22 Apr 1913 Settsu arrived at Chinhae, Korea.
1 Dec 1913 Captain Takeshi Kimura was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
12 Feb 1914 Settsu departed Koniya harbor, island of Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
18 Feb 1914 Settsu arrived at Chinhae, Korea.
18 Aug 1914 Settsu was assigned to the First Fleet of the Japanese Navy.
28 Aug 1914 Settsu departed Sasebo, Japan.
4 Sep 1914 Settsu arrived at Sasebo, Japan.
31 Oct 1914 Settsu began the bombardment of German positions in and near Qingdao, Shandong Province, China alongside of Japanese battleship Kawachi, German pre-dreadnaught HMS Triumph, and other smaller warships and support ships.
7 Nov 1914 Settsu departed waters off Qingdao, China.
1 Dec 1914 Captain Yasujiro Nagata was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
13 Dec 1915 Captain Kesataro Kawahara was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Dec 1916 Captain Chikatami Honda was named the commanding officer of Settsu, and Settsu was placed in reserve at Kure, Japan for a scheduled period of refitting.
1 Dec 1917 Settsu completed a period of refitting and joined Battleship Division 2 of the First Fleet. Captain Sukejiro Inutsuka was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
27 Feb 1918 Settsu departed Mako, Hoko Prefecture, Taiwan to patrol the Chinese coast.
3 Mar 1918 Settsu arrived at Sasebo, Japan.
23 Jul 1918 Settsu was assigned to Battleship Division 1 of the First Fleet.
20 Aug 1918 Settsu was assigned to Battleship Division 2 of the First Fleet.
28 Oct 1918 Settsu hosted Emperor Taisho during a naval review off Yokohama, Japan.
4 Nov 1918 Settsu completed her duty as the host to Emperor Taisho.
10 Nov 1918 Captain Kosaburo Uchida was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
10 Jun 1919 Captain Hiroshi Furukawa was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
9 Jul 1919 Settsu hosted Emperor Taisho during a naval review off Yokohama, Japan.
9 Oct 1919 Settsu began her preparations to host Emperor Taisho.
6 Nov 1919 Settsu was placed in reserve.
20 Nov 1919 Captain Tetsutaro Imaizumi was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Apr 1920 Settsu entered Kure Naval Arsenal, Japan for reboilering and hull repairing.
3 Jun 1920 Captain Hisashi Yoko was named the commanding officer of Settsu while the ship was undergoing overhaul at Kure, Japan.
20 Nov 1920 Captain Kazu Takemitsu was named the commanding officer of Settsu while the ship was undergoing overhaul at Kure, Japan.
21 Aug 1921 Settsu completed her work at Kure Naval Arsenal, Japan.
10 Oct 1921 Settsu was reclassified as a guard ship and training vessel.
20 Nov 1921 Captain Shigezo Oyamada was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
10 Nov 1922 Captain Morio Matsudaira was named the commanding officer of both battlesihp Settsu and battlecruiser Ibuki.
20 Jan 1923 Captain Kanichi Taketomi was promoted from the executive officer to the commanding officer of Settsu.
23 Aug 1923 Settsu was made an accommodations ship by the Kure Sailor Corps at Kure, Japan.
1 Oct 1923 Settsu was removed from the Japanese Navy List and was reclassified as a special service vessel attached to the Kure Naval District.
20 Nov 1923 Captain Takumi Matsumoto was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Apr 1924 Settsu began its conversion into a target ship. One of her boiler rooms and her center funnel would be removed, and her armor was to be thickened to absorb more hits.
1 Dec 1924 Captain Kumagoro Migita was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
20 Apr 1925 Settsu received a new commanding officer.
1 Dec 1926 Captain Nihei Sezaki was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
27 Sep 1928 Settsu received a new commanding officer.
30 Nov 1929 Captain Sadae Chiya was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Dec 1930 Settsu received a new commanding officer.
18 Apr 1935 Captain Shojiro Mizusaki was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Dec 1936 Captain Naomasa Sakonjo was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Aug 1937 Settsu was assigned to the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.
29 Aug 1937 Settsu, which had ferried a battalion of Sasebo 4th Special Naval Landing Force from Japan, disembarked the troops onto light cruiser Natori and destroyer Yakaze off Shanghai, China.
20 Jul 1938 Captain Chozo Suzuki was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
15 Nov 1939 Captain Kaku Harada was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
10 Mar 1940 Captain Gunji Kogure was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
11 Oct 1940 Settsu participated in a naval review in Yokohama Bay, Japan.
1 Nov 1940 Captain Shunji Izaki was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
28 Nov 1940 Captain Tokuji Mori was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Sep 1941 Captain Chiaki Matsuda was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
16 Nov 1941 Obsolete Japanese battleship Settsu began to sail around the Inland Sea in Japan to generate fake radio communication messages at different ports.
10 Feb 1942 Captain Keishi Ishii was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
20 May 1942 Captain Hisagoro Shimamoto was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Oct 1942 Captain Mitsuru Nagai was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
2 Feb 1943 Captain Shinzaburo Hase was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
13 Apr 1943 Captain Katsuya Sato was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
2 Jun 1943 Captain Kanzo Miura was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
4 Aug 1943 Captain Shinshiro Soma was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
1 Mar 1944 Settsu was assigned to the Japanese Navy First Air Fleet.
5 May 1944 Settsu was assigned to the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.
10 Aug 1944 Captain Masanao Ofuji was named the commanding officer of Settsu.
3 Jan 1945 Settsu was assigned to target and aircraft training duties at Kure, Japan.
11 Mar 1945 Settsu departed Oita, Japan for target ship duty.
19 Jul 1945 Settsu departed Kure, Japan.
24 Jul 1945 British TF 37 launched 416 sorties, 261 of which were sent against the Japanese home islands and 155 were for defensive patrols; escort carrier Kaiyo was damaged by British carrier planes. On the same day, American TF 38 launched 600 aircraft against Kure, Nagoya, Osaka, and Miho, sinking battleship-carrier Hyuga, heavy cruiser Tone, and target ship Settsu, and damaging carrier Ryuho, carrier Amagi, battleship-carrier Ise, battleship Haruna, heavy cruiser Aoba, light cruiser Oyodo, transport Kiyokawa Maru; the Aichi aircraft factories at Nagoya were seriously damaged.
26 Jul 1945 Counter-flooding allowed Settsu, already grounded at Etajima, Japan, to settle at even keel.
28 Jul 1945 137 American P-47 aircraft based in Ie Shima, Okinawa, Japan attacked targest in Kyushu, Japan. On the same day, 471 B-29 bombers attacked smaller Japanese cities in the home islands with incendiary bombs. Finally, from the sea, US Navy carrier aircraft struck various Inland Sea ports between Nagoya and northern Kyushu, sinking battleship Haruna, battleship-carrier Ise, heavy cruiser Aoba (in shallow water), and light cruiser Oyodo, and damaging carrier Katsuragi, carrier Hosho, and already beached battleship Settsu.
29 Jul 1945 The order to abandon Setsu in place at Etajima, Japan was given.
20 Nov 1945 Settsu was struck from the Japanese Navy list for the second time.




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More on Settsu
Personnel:
» Matsuda, Chiaki

Event(s) Participated:
» Second Battle of Shanghai
» Attack on Pearl Harbor
» Preparations for Invasion of Japan

Battleship Settsu Photo Gallery
Settsu during trials, 1911Settsu, 1911
See all 7 photographs of Battleship Settsu


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