Pic of the Day

Japanese training ship Soya anchored in Vancouver

Commanded by Admiral Ijiichi, the Imperial Japanese Training Squadron were anchored in
Vancouver Harbour May 18, 19, 20, 21 1909. One of the two ships was the former "Bayan" cap-
tured from the Russians at or near Vladivostok about 1905, and I think the other also had been.
They were armed with "Armstrong" guns made in the British Isles. At the time the British Empire and
Japan were, by treaty, allies; it was termed a "courtesy" visit, but actually there were other motives;
one of which was to display their captures. There were no naval establishments in Vancouver, not even
a single naval officer. Official armed force welcome was accorded by the soldiers of the volunteer
militia, the "6th Reg't The Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles", who entertained lavishly. City Archives J.S.M.

The ship doesn't look like much at first glance, but when you blow it up to full size it becomes much clearer. I cropped the above image out of the original and it gives a better view. Click to embiggenate. The original picture includes a hand written caption. It is clear enough when seen full size, but a little hard to read when shrunk down to fit in this blog, so I transcribed it as best I could.

There seems to be some confusion as to just what the Russians called this ship. The caption calls it the Bayan, whereas this note from the web page calls it something else:

This ship is the former Russian Navy warship Varyag, captured during the Russo-Japanese War. IJN Soya (ex- Varyag) would later be returned to Russia in 1916, and once more sail under her original name.

See:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_cruiser_Soya
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cruiser_Varyag_(1899)

Via Posthip Scott