H.I.M.S. KATORI Signed Menu By Officers

UK, 1907. First Edition . Paper. Very Good ++. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. H.I.M.S. KATORI - A charming Edwardian Menu card C1907 inscribed by the Japanese Naval Officers on the occasion of the hand over by Harland and Wolf of the Battle cruiser H.I.M.S. KATORI. Katori was the lead ship of the two Katori-class pre-dreadnought battleships built in the first decade of the 20th century, the last to be built by British shipyards for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Ordered just before the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, the ship was completed a year after its end. She saw no combat during World War I, although the ship was present when Japan joined the Siberian Intervention in 1918. Katori was disarmed and scrapped in 1923-25 in accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Katori, named for a Shinto shrine in Katori City, was ordered in January 1904 from Vickers. The ship was laid down at their Barrow-in-Furness shipyard on 27 April 1904. She was launched on 4 July 1905, Prince and Princess Arisugawa were on hand for the official launching ceremony and completed on 20 May 1906. Katori departed Britain on 7 June on her maiden voyage and shakedown cruise and arrived at Yokosuka on 15 August. Signatures are I believe - Front page outer 1) Lieutenant Commander Sato Kozo I.J.N. (born in Iwate) 1871 - 1948 Military attaché London 1903/4 Final Rank: Vice Admiral 2) Engineer Lieutenant Commander Kurata. J I.J.N. 3) Engineer Captain Yamada, Einosuke I.J.N. (Born in Tokyo) 1867 - 1922 Final Rank: Vice Admiral (Engineer) Left side inner 4) Paymaster Kashiwagi Masafumi I.J.N. (Born in Kagoshima) 1871 - 1962 Final Rank: Vice Admiral (Paymaster). 5) Engineer Lieutenant, Miyoshi Kotaro I.J.N. 6) 2nd Lieutenant Funakoshi Takayoshi(after,Viscount Kato Takayoshi) I.J.N.)Final Rank:Admiral Right side inner 7) 2nd Lieutenant Kikui Nobuyoshi I.J.N. (Born in Tottori) 1882 - 1937 Final Rank: Rear Admiral 8) 2nd Lieutenant Hyakutake Gengo I.J.N. (Born in Saga) 1882 - 1976 Became (briefly) President of the University of Kyushu in 1945 Final Rank: Admiral 9) 2nd Lieutenant Yokoo(Yo-ko-o) Yukiyoshi I.J.N.?? 10) Lieutenant Commander Kato Yujiro (Born in Hiroshima) 1870 - 1945m(Served on H.I.M.S. Mikasa prior to taking up position on H.I.M.S. Katori) Final Rank: Rear Admiral 11) Lieutenant Nakamura Ryozo I.J.N. (Born in Aomori) 1878 - 1945 Resident in U.K. in 1917 Assistant Minister to the Japanese Cabinet in 1940 Final Rank: Admiral Back page outer 12) Fleet Surgeon Okubo .S I.J.N. 13) Commander Oguro Hideo I.J.N. (Born in Tokyo) 1868 - 1938 Final Rank: Rear Admiral Surgeon K. I.J.N. 14) Commander Kamimura Osuke I.J.N. (Born in Kagoshima) 1869 - 1920 (Served at the Battle of Tsushima aboard armoured cruiser Tokiwa) Final Rank: Vice Admiral. Size is Condition is very good with folding crease. More images can be taken upon request. Ref15640