209 OKRĘT PANCERNY KOTETSU 1869R.

The Kotetsu (original name: CSS Stonewall) is an armored ram, originally belonging to the Confederated States of America (CSA) during the Civil War (1861-1865). The keel for this unit was laid in 1863, and the launch took place in June 1864. The full displacement of the ship at the time of launching was about 1,500 tons, 59 m long and 9.6 m wide. The maximum speed was 9-10 knots. The deck armament initially consisted of a 254 mm caliber gun and two 163 mm guns. CSS Stonewall (the future Kotetsu) was commissioned by Confederate government agent James Bulloch at the Arman shipyard in Bordeaux, France. As a result of protests from the US embassy, the French government suspended the sale of the CSA unit, and the shipyard sold the unit to Denmark, which was at that time at war with Prussia. However, the unit did not reach its new owner before the end of the Danish-Prussian war and was finally handed over to the Confederation. In 1867, the unit was purchased for the Japanese shogun's fleet, but in 1869 it entered the Japanese emperor's fleet, and its name was changed to Kotetsu. It was the first armored unit in the history of the Japanese Navy. It took part in the Battle of Hakowate (1869), and two years later its name was changed to Azuma. Until the end of its service, which took place in 1888, the unit served as a coastal defense ship.