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Description

Class and type: Yūdachi class ocean liner
Tonnage: Yūdachi - 16,233 gross tons as built 1902, Shigure - 19,822 gross tons as scrapped 1949
Displacement: Yūdachi 26,133 tons 1902, Shigure
Length: 672.5 ft (204m)
Beam: 72 ft (21m)
Draft: 30 ft (9m)
Decks: 6 main passenger decks
Installed power: Yūdachi, 16 double-ended Scotch marine type boilers, 2 triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 17,000 shp,
Shigure, 24 double-ended Scotch marine type boilers, 2 triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 1 low pressure steam turbine 19,000 shp
Propulsion: Yūdachi, 2 manganese bronze three bladed wing propellers, Shigure, 2 manganese bronze three bladed wing propellers, 1 manganese bronze four bladed central propeller
Speed: Yūdachi 21.5 kn, Shigure 23 kn
Capacity: Yūdachi 1,753 passengers, Shigure 1,925 passengers
Crew: 493

SS Yūdachi YN280
SS Harusame YN281
SS Samidare YN282
SS Shigure YM283

Brought about as a result of the growing rivalry between the Zipang Heguri Pacific steamship company, and the Japanese Nippon_Yusen, The Yūdachi class was for a brief time be largest ocean liner in the world, and by far the largest and most advanced ocean liner ever seen in the Pacific up until that time.

SS Yūdachi would be followed by three sisters, while they were mostly identical there were some noticeable changes between each ship, Harusame having been commissioned in 1904 had her lower promenade deck almost completely enclosed, as a result of Yūdachi experiencing a severe storm rendering the promenade deck completely unusable, another noticeable difference was the expansion of the third class dining area, making it a dual purpose public and dining room space, the next step in the class Samidare had her funnels heightened slightly, to address a lingering smoke problem that was found on the previous members of the class, she also had a very noticeable internal difference with her restaurant, not having the usual double level which was typical of most previous Heguri Pacific steamship company ships, instead the upper-level was repurposed into a lavish library, the final member of the class to be commissioned was Shigure, considered by many to be the absolute best of her, when it came to modifications and visual differences she was relatively similar to Samidare, but with the elimination of the open second class entrance on D deck, with the biggest difference between her and her sisters was her engine arrangement, in addition to having two triple expansion steam engines like her sisters, she was also fitted with a single low pressure steam turbine to increase her speed, she was by far the fastest of her sisters with a top speed of 23 knots.

Despite being quickly overshadowed by newer and bigger liners, the Yūdachi class would continue to serve primarily on the Zipang - America route, with them in the latter years supplementing larger ocean liners, when they will pull from service for maintenance and modifications, Shigure on the other hand would spend the majority of her service life on the Honkotan - Hong Kong route, often running at bi-monthly service because of the lack of a suitable running mate.

Throughout the latter half of the 1910s all four of the liners would continue to serve, even with the start of WWI in 1914 their duties would be relatively unaffected with them still performing a weekly service between various American ports, Harusame on the other hand would find herself in a match dire situation at the beginning of War, earlier in 1913 she had been placed on the Zipang - Great Britain route to supplement a mixed passenger and cargo ocean liner that had sunk in 1912, and unfortunately it just so happened that she was in Britain at the time when war was declared meaning that she couldn't come home, as a result of her situation she was requisitioned by the British navy to be a hospital ship being renamed to the HMHS mercy, she would serve in the Mediterranean alongside the famous White star ship the Britannic and the famous Cunard ship mauretania, she would finish her war service in 1918 where she would sail to Belfast Ireland for repairs to her engines before making her journey home.

throughout the rest of the 1910s and into the early 20s the four now old ocean liners would continue to serve primarily lower capacity routes between the Americas and ports in India and Asia, however starting in 1925 it was decided that Yūdachi would be decommissioned and sent to the scrapyard due to her age, Harusame would make her way to the scrap yard in 1927 followed 6 months later by her sister Samidare, leaving Shigure the last of her class still in Active Service, in 1928 she would be converted to oil firing, despite being quite old she was well loved by her passengers spotting in 1930 she will be primarily used for cruises around the Pacific, with the occasional trans-pacific crossing undertaken.

Even with the Japanese invasion and subsequent takeover in 1934, her duties would remain relatively unchanged with the only exception being that she was no longer allowed to call at any american ports, but with time finally catching up to her she would be laid up in 1939 awaiting scrapping, however she would get a short new lease on life when she will be requisition by the Zipang as a hospital ship, she would spend most of my time is a hospital ship in and around the Philippines area, in 1943 she would be torpedoed by an American submarine almost sinking but luckily managing to beach herself on a sandbar before sinking, she would be refloated but would not be repaired instead remaining as a floating Hulk until 1949 when she was finally scrapped.

Description

Class and type: Yūdachi class ocean liner
Tonnage: Yūdachi - 16,233 gross tons as built 1902, Shigure - 19,822 gross tons as scrapped 1949
Displacement: Yūdachi 26,133 tons 1902, Shigure
Length: 672.5 ft (204m)
Beam: 72 ft (21m)
Draft: 30 ft (9m)
Decks: 6 main passenger decks
Installed power: Yūdachi, 16 double-ended Scotch marine type boilers, 2 triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 17,000 shp,
Shigure, 24 double-ended Scotch marine type boilers, 2 triple expansion reciprocating steam engines, 1 low pressure steam turbine 19,000 shp
Propulsion: Yūdachi, 2 manganese bronze three bladed wing propellers, Shigure, 2 manganese bronze three bladed wing propellers, 1 manganese bronze four bladed central propeller
Speed: Yūdachi 21.5 kn, Shigure 23 kn
Capacity: Yūdachi 1,753 passengers, Shigure 1,925 passengers
Crew: 493

SS Yūdachi YN280
SS Harusame YN281
SS Samidare YN282
SS Shigure YM283

Brought about as a result of the growing rivalry between the Zipang Heguri Pacific steamship company, and the Japanese Nippon_Yusen, The Yūdachi class was for a brief time be largest ocean liner in the world, and by far the largest and most advanced ocean liner ever seen in the Pacific up until that time.

SS Yūdachi would be followed by three sisters, while they were mostly identical there were some noticeable changes between each ship, Harusame having been commissioned in 1904 had her lower promenade deck almost completely enclosed, as a result of Yūdachi experiencing a severe storm rendering the promenade deck completely unusable, another noticeable difference was the expansion of the third class dining area, making it a dual purpose public and dining room space, the next step in the class Samidare had her funnels heightened slightly, to address a lingering smoke problem that was found on the previous members of the class, she also had a very noticeable internal difference with her restaurant, not having the usual double level which was typical of most previous Heguri Pacific steamship company ships, instead the upper-level was repurposed into a lavish library, the final member of the class to be commissioned was Shigure, considered by many to be the absolute best of her, when it came to modifications and visual differences she was relatively similar to Samidare, but with the elimination of the open second class entrance on D deck, with the biggest difference between her and her sisters was her engine arrangement, in addition to having two triple expansion steam engines like her sisters, she was also fitted with a single low pressure steam turbine to increase her speed, she was by far the fastest of her sisters with a top speed of 23 knots.

Despite being quickly overshadowed by newer and bigger liners, the Yūdachi class would continue to serve primarily on the Zipang - America route, with them in the latter years supplementing larger ocean liners, when they will pull from service for maintenance and modifications, Shigure on the other hand would spend the majority of her service life on the Honkotan - Hong Kong route, often running at bi-monthly service because of the lack of a suitable running mate.

Throughout the latter half of the 1910s all four of the liners would continue to serve, even with the start of WWI in 1914 their duties would be relatively unaffected with them still performing a weekly service between various American ports, Harusame on the other hand would find herself in a match dire situation at the beginning of War, earlier in 1913 she had been placed on the Zipang - Great Britain route to supplement a mixed passenger and cargo ocean liner that had sunk in 1912, and unfortunately it just so happened that she was in Britain at the time when war was declared meaning that she couldn't come home, as a result of her situation she was requisitioned by the British navy to be a hospital ship being renamed to the HMHS mercy, she would serve in the Mediterranean alongside the famous White star ship the Britannic and the famous Cunard ship mauretania, she would finish her war service in 1918 where she would sail to Belfast Ireland for repairs to her engines before making her journey home.

throughout the rest of the 1910s and into the early 20s the four now old ocean liners would continue to serve primarily lower capacity routes between the Americas and ports in India and Asia, however starting in 1925 it was decided that Yūdachi would be decommissioned and sent to the scrapyard due to her age, Harusame would make her way to the scrap yard in 1927 followed 6 months later by her sister Samidare, leaving Shigure the last of her class still in Active Service, in 1928 she would be converted to oil firing, despite being quite old she was well loved by her passengers spotting in 1930 she will be primarily used for cruises around the Pacific, with the occasional trans-pacific crossing undertaken.

Even with the Japanese invasion and subsequent takeover in 1934, her duties would remain relatively unchanged with the only exception being that she was no longer allowed to call at any american ports, but with time finally catching up to her she would be laid up in 1939 awaiting scrapping, however she would get a short new lease on life when she will be requisition by the Zipang as a hospital ship, she would spend most of my time is a hospital ship in and around the Philippines area, in 1943 she would be torpedoed by an American submarine almost sinking but luckily managing to beach herself on a sandbar before sinking, she would be refloated but would not be repaired instead remaining as a floating Hulk until 1949 when she was finally scrapped.