was one of two s built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the early 1900s. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), she took part in the Battle of Port Arthur in February 1904, the Battle of the Yellow Sea in August 1904, and the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. During World War I (1914–1918), she participated in the Battle of Tsingtao in 1914.
Construction and commissioning
Authorized under the 1900 naval program, Asashio was laid down on 3 April 1901 as Destroyer No. 16 by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Chiswick, England. Launched on 10 January 1902 and named Asashio, she was completed on 4 May 1902 and commissioned the same day.
Service history
Asashio departed England on 7 July 1902 to make her delivery voyage to Japan. She completed it with her arrival at Yokosuka on 20 November 1902.
When the Russo-Japanese War broke out on 8 February 1904, Asashio was part of the 1st Destroyer Division of the 1st Fleet. The war began that evening with the Battle of Port Arthur, a Japanese surprise attack on Imperial Russian Navy warships anchored in the outer roadstead of the Russian naval base at Port Arthur, China. Ten Japanese destroyers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Destroyer Divisions made a torpedo attack in three waves, with the four destroyers of the 1st Destroyer Division (, Asashio, , and ) and of the 2nd Destroyer Division constituting the first wave. They closed to about from the Russian ships and fired nine torpedoes. One of Kasumi′s torpedoes hit the Russian protected cruiser .
The Japanese maintained a blockade of Port Arthur over the next several months. On the morning of 10 August 1904, the Russian squadron at Port Arthur put to sea in an attempt to reach Vladivostok. Asashio took part that day in the Battle of the Yellow Sea, in which the Russians suffered a defeat and the Russian squadron commander, Rear Admiral Wilgelm Vitgeft, was killed. In the battle's aftermath, the Russian squadron scattered, some ships returning to Port Arthur and others trying to reach various other ports in East Asia with Japanese forces in pursuit. The Russian destroyer put to sea from Port Arthur as soon as darkness fell on 10 August carrying a dispatch about Vitgeft's decision to attempt to reach Vladivostok. She ran the Japanese blockade and made for Chefoo, China, where the dispatch could be sent to Russian authorities by telegraph. Due to Reshitel‘nyi′s poor material condition, her crew had orders not to attempt to return to Port Arthur but rather to disarm her and allow Chinese authorities to intern her at Chefoo in accordance with international law and China's status as a neutral country. Upon her arrival at Chefoo on 11 August 1904, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Mikhail Sergeevich Roschakovsky, contacted the local Chinese authorities to make arrangements for his ship's internment.