▁July ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁Her ▁w reck ▁was ▁ref lo ated ▁and ▁scra pped ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 – 4 7 . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁description ▁The ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁Naval ▁Exp ansion ▁Plan ▁was ▁made ▁after ▁the ▁First ▁S ino - J apan ese ▁War ▁and ▁included ▁four ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁four ▁more ▁batt les hips , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁ordered ▁from ▁British ▁ship y ards ▁as ▁Japan ▁lack ed ▁the ▁cap ability ▁to ▁build ▁them ▁itself . ▁Further ▁consideration ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁building ▁program ▁caused ▁the ▁I J N ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁batt les hips ▁ordered ▁under ▁the ▁original ▁plan ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁sufficient ▁to ▁counter ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Russian ▁Navy . ▁Bud get ary ▁limitations ▁prevent ed ▁ordering ▁more ▁batt les hips ▁and ▁the ▁I J N ▁decided ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁more ▁afford able ▁arm ored ▁cru is ers ▁to ▁be ▁ordered ▁from ▁four ▁to ▁six ▁ships . ▁The ▁re vised ▁plan ▁is ▁commonly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" S ix - S ix ▁Fle et ". ▁Un like ▁most ▁of ▁their ▁contempor aries ▁which ▁were ▁designed ▁for ▁commerce ▁ra iding ▁or ▁to ▁defend ▁colon ies ▁and ▁trade ▁routes , ▁I w ate ▁and ▁her ▁half - s ister s ▁were ▁intended ▁as ▁fleet ▁sc outs ▁and ▁to ▁be ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁battle line . ▁ ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁ ▁long ▁overall ▁and ▁ ▁between ▁per pend icular s . ▁She ▁had ▁a ▁beam