Japanese warship Kaiten
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| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kaiten |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 710 long tons (721 t) |
| Length: | 68.4 m (224 ft 5 in) |
| Beam: | 10.6 m (34 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion: | Engine, 400 hp |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Speed: | 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h) |
| Complement: | 153 |
| Armament: | 13 cannon |
The Japanese warship Kaiten (回天) was a warship of the troops loyal to the Shogun during the Boshin War in Japan in 1868. She was armed with 13 cannons, had a complement of 153 men, a displacement of 710 tons, an engine of 400 hp generating a speed of 12 knots. Her length was 68.4 meters, width was 10.6 meters. She was originally built by Prussia in the harbour of Gdańsk.
She was the key actor in the Naval Battle of Miyako Bay, in which, after a failed attempt to board and overtake the Kōtetsu, she was forced to flee ahead of the Imperial Navy. She was then the flagship of the rebel navy during the Naval Battle of Hakodate Bay.
In the late Meiji Era, Arai Ikunosuke, once the Navy Minister of the Republic of Ezo, wrote an extensive article on the Kaiten in the historical journal "Kyū Bakufu".
