Satsuma and Aki combined four 12-inch guns with twelve 10-inch guns in six twin turrets, placing them near the contested category often called semi-dreadnought. Satsuma retained triple-expansion machinery, while Aki adopted steam turbines. Their 20-knot speed and heavy intermediate battery made them dangerous opponents for cruisers and older battleships alike. The Imperial German Navy's East Asia Squadron had reason to avoid them because a small speed advantage might not guarantee escape in rough seas.
Notable Point · 1:05:04-1:07:00
Satsuma and the end of the old battleship era
Satsuma and Aki show why the boundary before Dreadnought was already blurred by faster ships with unusually heavy intermediate batteries.