"Hyūga", named after Hyūga Province, one of the traditional provinces of Japan, was laid down at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki on 6May 1915 and launched on 27 January 1917. Captain Shigeushi Nakagawa assumed command on 30 April and the ship was completed on that same day, too late for service in World War I. "Hyūga" was then assigned to the 1st Battleship Division of the 1st Fleet. Captain Kinzaburo Mimura relieved Nakegawa on 10 November. An explosion in No.3 gun turret killed 11 crewmen and wounded another 25 during a gunnery exercise on 24 October 1919. Mimura was relieved in his turn by Captain Genjiro Katsuki on 20 November. "Hyūga" accidentally collided with and sank the schooner "Hiromiya Maru", killing two of the sailing ship's crew, on 21 July 1920. On 29 August, the ship began the first of numerous patrols off the Siberian coast and in northern waters in support of Japan's Siberian Intervention against the Bolshevik Red Army. Captain Hidesaburo Ishikawa replaced Katsuki on 20 November and he was replaced by Captain Genji Ide on 20 November 1921.