 The wreckage ofDiana,Illustrated London News, 1856. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Russian Empire | |
| Name | Diana |
| Launched | 1853 |
| Fate | Sank in December 1854 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Frigate |
| Propulsion | sail |
Diana was afrigate of theImperial Russian Navy. She was built in 1853 and was theflagship of the Russian explorerYevfimy Putyatin when he visited Japan in 1854 to negotiate what would become theTreaty of Shimoda.[1]
Putyatin's fleet was damaged in atsunami, following the powerfulAnsei-Tōkai earthquake of 23 December 1854.Diana was spun round 42 times on its moorings[2] and was so badly damaged that it sank in a later storm in the bay ofMiyajima-mura (宮島村) (Now an area ofFuji), while sailing fromShimoda toHeda for repairs.[3][1][4]
Three hundred Japanese carpenters worked with the Russian sailors to build a Western-style ship in two months, with the help of plans salvaged fromDiana. They eventually built a two-mastedschooner, namedHeda, displacing 100 tons, with a length of 24 metres (79 ft).[1] The ship was named in honour of Heda for their assistance in its construction. The Japanese government would later order the construction of six vessels similar to theHeda to help develop a maritime fleet comparable to those of western powers.[1]
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