Russian cruiser Asia (1878)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
| |
| Name: | SS Columbus |
| Builder: | William Cramp & Sons |
| Laid down: | 1873 |
| Completed: | 1874 |
| Fate: | Sold to Russia, May 1878 |
 Russian Empire
| |
| Name: |
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| Acquired: | Purchased May 1878 |
| Reclassified: | Cruiser 2nd Class, 1 February 1892 |
| Struck: | May 1918 |
| Fate: | Scrapped in 1923 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruiser |
| Displacement: | 2,449 long tons (2,488 t) |
| Length: | 82.3 m (270 ft 0 in) |
| Beam: | 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in) |
| Draught: | 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | |
| Range: | 9,600 nmi (17,800 km) |
| Complement: | 11 officers and 207 men |
| Armament: |
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Asia (Russian: А́зия) was a cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy. The ship was one of three merchantmen purchased in the United States by the Russian government in 1878 to be transformed into cruisers; State of California became Europa, Saratoga became Afrika, and Columbus became Asia.
The steamship Columbus was built 1873/74 in Philadelphia and was purchased by the Russians in May 1878. She was sailed to Russia by a Russian crew and refitted in 1878-79 in Kronstadt.
The cruiser saw initial duty in the Far East, but then returned to the Baltic. She was downgraded to Cruiser 2nd Class on 1 February 1892. The future Vice Admiral Karl Jessen was her commanding officer in 1895 and 1896. In 1898 she received a new engine, increasing her power from 1,200 hp (890 kW) to 2,700 hp (2,000 kW), and adding 2.2 knots (4 km/h; 3 mph) to her top speed.
In August 1911, now rather obsolete, Asia was transferred to the reserve fleet. In October 1912 she was renamed Kaukas (Russian: "Кавказ"). Following the outbreak of the First World War, she was once again renamed Asia on 11 September 1914, assigned to the Baltic Fleet's transport squadron and used as a minelayer.
The ship was deactivated in May 1918 and scrapped in 1923.