View source for Japanese gunboat Saga

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Japanese gunboat SAGA in 1915.jpg
|Ship caption=''Saga'' in 1915
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[Empire of Japan|Japan]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name=''Saga''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=1911
|Ship builder=[[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]], Japan  
|Ship laid down=7 January 1912  
|Ship launched=27 September 1912   
|Ship completed=8 November 1912  
|Ship acquired=  
|Ship commissioned=18 November 1912  
|Ship decommissioned= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=Sunk 22 January 1945
|Ship struck=20 March 1945  
|Ship homeport=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=Destroyed 22 January 1945
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption= 
|Ship type= [[River gunboat]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|780|LT|t|lk=on|abbr=on}} normal
|Ship length={{cvt|64|m|ftin}} 
|Ship beam={{cvt|8.99|m|ftin}}
|Ship draught={{cvt|2.31|m|ftin}}
|Ship propulsion=3-shaft [[triple expansion steam engine|reciprocating VTE engines]]; 2 boilers; {{convert|1600|hp|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|15|kn|lk=in}}  
|Ship range= 
|Ship complement= 98
|Ship armament=*1 × [[12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval gun]]
*3 × {{convert|76|mm|in|abbr=on}}/ 40 [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|cal.]] guns
*3 × 6.5 mm [[machine gun]]s 
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
{{nihongo|'''''Saga'''''|嵯峨 | }} was a [[river gunboat]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]],  that operated on the [[Yangtze River]] and in coastal waters of China during the 1930s, and during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and [[World War II]].

==Background==
''Saga'' was constructed due to dissatisfaction by the Imperial Japanese Navy with the gunboat {{ship|Japanese gunboat|Uji|1903|2}}, which was underarmed, and lacked the suitable accommodations to serve as a gunboat [[flagship]]. The Japanese Navy also wanted a vessel which could serve for both coastal patrol duties as well as on inland waterways. 
''Saga'' was laid down at [[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]] on 7 January 1912, launched on 27 September 1912 and entered service on 18 November 1912.<ref name= Nishidah>Nishida, '' Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy''</ref>

==Design==
The basic design of ''Saga'' was modeled after her British-built predecessors, but with much larger dimensions and much more powerful engines. ''Saga'' had a hull with an [[Length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|64|m|ftin}} and width of {{convert|8.99|m|ftin}}, with a normal [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]] of 780 tons and [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|2.31|m|ftin}}. She was propelled by two reciprocating engines, powered by steam from two [[Kampon boiler]]s, driving three shafts, producing {{convert|1600|hp|lk=on}} and a top speed of {{convert|15|kn|lk=in}}.<ref name=Gardner>Conway, '' Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921'', page 249</ref> 
The ship was initially armed with one [[12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval gun]]  guns, three {{convert|76|mm|in|abbr=on}}/40 [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|cal.]] guns and six 6.6 mm [[machine gun]]s.<ref name=Gardner/>

==Service record==
During the [[World War I]], ''Saga'' accompanied the main Japanese fleet to [[Shandong Province]], China at the [[Siege of Tsingtao]] (25 September–16 November 1914) against the forces of [[Imperial Germany]] as part of Japanese’ contribution to the [[Allies of World War I|Allied cause]] under the [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance]]. Subsequently, she was transferred to the [[2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|Japanese Second Fleet]] and assigned to patrols in the [[South China Sea]].<ref name=Parshall>{{cite web|last=Parshall|first=Jonathan|title=Hokan!|url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/Saga_t.htm |work=www.combinedfleet.com}}</ref>

In September 1924, ''Saga'' was reassigned to the [[1st Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|Japanese First Fleet]]. Commander [[Chūichi Nagumo]] served as captain from 20 March 1926 to 15 October 1926. She was reassigned to the [[3rd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|Japanese Third Fleet]] from June 1931, joining the 11th [[Sentai]] in October 1937 after the [[Marco Polo Bridge Incident]] and the start of hostilities in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. From 15 December 1938 to 20 October 1939, she was captained by Commander [[Tamotsu Oishi]]. From November 1939, she was assigned to the [[China Area Fleet|Second China Expeditionary Fleet]] in southern China.<ref name= Parshall/>

At the time of the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]], ''Saga'' was based at [[Guangdong]] and was assigned to the Japanese invasion force for the [[Battle of Hong Kong]], where she was based afterwards. She was sunk by a [[naval mine|sea mine]] on 26 September 1944 off Hong Kong, and later refloated and towed back to Hong Kong for repairs. On 22 January 1945, while still in dock for repairs, she was destroyed during an air raid, probably by [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Fourteenth Air Force|14th Air Force]] [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator]]s. She was struck from the [[navy list]] on 20 March 1945.<ref name= Parshall/>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Konstam|first=Angus|title=Yangtze River Gunboats 1900-49|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2012|isbn= 9781849084086}}
* {{cite book|last= Gardner |first= Robert|title= Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. |publisher= Conway Marine Press |year=1985|isbn=0-85177-245-5 }}

==External links==
* {{cite web| last = Nishida| first = Hiroshi| url = http://admiral31.world.coocan.jp/e/stc0651.htm| title = Materials of IJN|  work = Imperial Japanese Navy}}
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/monos/144/144chap2.html#Shanghai%20Incident  Monograph 144 Chapter II]
*{{cite web|last=Parshall|first=Jonathan|title=Hokan!|url= http://www.combinedfleet.com/Toba_t.htm |work=www.combinedfleet.com}}

{{Imperial Japanese Navy}}
{{WWII Japanese ships}}
{{September 1944 shipwrecks}}
{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saga}}
[[Category:1912 ships]]
[[Category:Gunboats of the Imperial Japanese Navy]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1944]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1945]]
[[Category:Second Sino-Japanese War naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Ships built by Sasebo Naval Arsenal]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by mines]]
[[Category:Ships sunk by US aircraft]]