in preparation for her next training cruise that lasted from 20 April to 22 August 1916, and visited Australia and Southeast Asia again. The next month she was relieved of her assignment and then became the flagship of Destroyer Squadron (Suiraisentai) 2 from 1 December 1916 to 28 March 1917, and then again from 4 August to 24 January 1918. In early 1917, Azuma was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to return the body to the United States of George W. Guthrie, the Ambassador to Japan, who had died while in office. The ship rejoined the Training Squadron on 10 August 1918, together with Tokiwa, and made her last two training cruises over the next two years. From 1 March to 26 July 1919, the cruisers visited Australia and Southeast Asia and then the Mediterranean from 24 November to 20 May 1920. Azuma left the Training Squadron on 6 June. Final years On 1 September 1921, the ship was re-designated as a 1st-class coast-defense ship. By this time her engines were in bad shape and she became a training ship for the Maizuru Naval Corps a week later. In 1924, four of Azumas 12-pounder guns were removed, as were all of her QF 2.5-pounder guns, and a single 8 cm/40 3rd Year Type anti-aircraft gun was added. In addition three of her torpedo tubes were removed. On 1 October 1927, she became a stationary training ship for the Maizuru engineering school. Azuma was refitted again in 1930; this included replacement of her boilers that reduced her horsepower to and her speed to . Four of each of her 6-inch and 12-pounder guns were removed during the refit. Azuma was stricken from the navy list, hulked, and disarmed in 1941. On 18 July 1945, she was badly damaged by aircraft from the United States Navy TF-38 when they attacked Yokosuka. The ship was scrapped in 1946. Notes Footnotes References External links Materials of the IJN Cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy Ships built in France 1899 ships Russo-Japanese War cruisers of Japan World War I cruisers of Japan Cruisers sunk by aircraft Ships sunk by US aircraft Ships with Belleville boilers