On this day: Japanese Battleship Kawachi explodes, 1918

On this day July 12 1918, the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi 河内 exploded and sank in Tokuyama Bay with the loss of more than 600 killed.

Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Kawachi, from a photo published in 1913, five years before her destruction.

Kawachi was laid down on the 1st April 1909 at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal and commissioned three years later. She was first in a class of two battleships, among the first to be designed and built completely in Japan. At 526 feet, Kawachi displaced nearly 22,000 tons and sported 6 12-in guns and 10 6-in guns. The ship had 12 inches of armor amidships, tapering at the bow and stern, with 11 inches of armor plating around her turrets.

Kawachi and her sister Settsu were present at the battle of Tsingtao, Japan's entry to the First World War, in October 1914, bombarding the city and covering the amphibious landings. After returning victorious from China, she underwent an extensive refit that ended in 1917, and joined the IJN Second Squadron, First Fleet. In May she received some new tech: anti-aircraft guns, a sign of the times to come in battleship technology. Kawachi lay at anchor on 12th July 1918 in Tokuyama Bay in Yamaguchi Prefecture in order to prepare for torpedo exercises. Just before 4 PM, two large explosions were felt along the starboard side, and the ship capsized and sank within four minutes. 400 men survived the sinking out of 1,059 crew.

The reason for the explosion was never verified. Some suspected arson, or the decomposition of cordite stored in her magazines. There was some deliberation on whether or not to raise and repair Kawachi, however it was decided to partially salvage it and avoid tying up shipyards that might be otherwise employed on new platforms, such as the Amagi-class battlecruiser. Some 30% of Kawachi remains in the mud as an artificial reef.

Today, you can visit the memorial to those lost in the Kawachi disaster on Kurokami Island in Tokuyama. On nearby Ozu island is an IJN submarine base where sailors were trained in kamikaze tactics with their human torpedoes, known as kaiten 回天. Both sites can be found on the Pacific History Guide google maps, for your convenience. I encourage everyone stationed in nearby Iwakuni to visit at some point. See you there!