Suma - class cruiser The two were protected cruiser s operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy . Both participated in combat during the Russo - Japanese War and World War I . Background . The " Suma " class cruiser s were designed and in Japan at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal , based on experience gained in the construction of the cruiser . The Imperial Japanese Navy was anxious to end its dependence on foreign powers for modern warships . While more lightly armed and armored than many of its contemporaries , its small size and relatively simple design facilitated its construction and its relatively high speed made it useful for many military operations . However , perhaps more importantly , the construction of these ships gave Japanese designers and shipbuilders valuable experience that would be used to construct larger and more powerful vessels in the future . Design . The design for " Suma " - class was based on an all - steel , double - bottomed hull , with an armored deck , divided underneath by watertight bulkheads . Her armor covered only vital areas , such as the boilers , gun magazines and critical machinery , with a thickness of on the deck . Her main battery consisted of two QF 6 inch / 40 naval gun s , one set in the forecastle and one in the stern . The main guns had a range of up to with a nominal firing rate of 5 . 7 shots / minute . Secondary armament consisted of six QF 4 . 7 inch Gun Mk I – IV mounted in sponsons on the upper deck . These guns had a range of up to with a nominal firing rate of 12 shots / minute . She also had ten QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss guns , with a range of up to with a nominal firing rate of 20 shots / minute , mounted four on the upper deck , two on the poop , two on the after bridge and one each on the bow and stern , as well as four 1 - inch Nordenfelt gun , which was later replaced by four 7 . 62 mm Maxim machine guns . She also was equipped with two 356 - mm torpedo es , mounted on the deck . The " Suma " class cruisers were smaller than the " Akitsushima " , and consequently had lighter weaponry ( two six - inch guns instead of four ) ; however , design lessons learned with the " Akitsushima " ( such as the need to locate the secondary battery lower to the center of gravity to improve stability were implemented . Nevertheless , as with most Japanese designs of the period , the design remained top - heavy and had issues with seaworthiness and stability . The second ship of the class , " Akashi " differed from " Suma " in that its torpedo launch tubes were moved from the bow to the rear of the ship , and the fighting top was eliminated from the mast , resulting in a sleeker , “ more modern ” design . Propulsion was by two vertical triple steam reciprocating engines , 2 - shafts , with 8 boilers , yielding a speed of and a range of at based on its capacity for 544 tons of coal . Ordered in 1891 , launched 9 March 1895 , and completed 12 December 1896 , " Suma " served in the Boxer Rebellion and in the Russo - Japanese War . She also served patrol duty during World War I primarily in the Southeast Asia theater . She was removed from the navy list on 4 April 1923 , and scrapped in 1928 . Ships in class . Ordered in 1893 , launched in 1897 and completed 30 March 1899 , " Akashi " was plagued in its early career with numerous problems with its engines , especially its boilers . Once these issues were resolved , she served in the Boxer Rebellion and in the Russo - Japanese War . In World War I , " Akashi " served in the Battle of Tsingtao , and subsequently patrolled the sea lane s in Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean Sea . She was based out of Malta as flagship of a destroyer group as part of Japan ’ s assistance to the Royal Navy under the Anglo - Japanese Alliance . She was expended as a target for dive bomber s south of Izu Ōshima on 3 August 1930 .