Kamishima-class minelayer

The Kamishima class minelayer (神島型敷設艇,, Kamishima-gata Fusetsutei) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. Nine vessels were planned under the Maru Sen Programme; however only one vessel was completed by the end of war.

Kamishima in 1947
Class overview
NameKamishima class minelayer
Builders
Operators
Preceded byAjiro class
Built1945–1946
In commission1945–1947
Planned9
Completed2
Cancelled7
Retired2
General characteristics
TypeMinelayer
Displacement766 long tons (778 t) standard
Length74.50 m (244 ft 5 in) overall
Beam7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
Draught2.60 m (8 ft 6 in)
Propulsion
  • Kamishima
  • 2 × Kampon Mk.23B Model 8 diesels, 2 shafts, 1,900 bhp
  • Awashima
  • 2 × MAN Mk.3 Model 10 diesels, 2 shafts, 3,600 bhp
Speed
  • Kamishima
  • 16.5 knots (19.0 mph; 30.6 km/h)
  • Awashima
  • 19.5 knots (22.4 mph; 36.1 km/h)
Range
  • Kamishima
  • 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement
  • Kamishima
  • 94
Armament

Background

By the end of 1944, Japanese sea lanes were cut apart by United States Navy. The IJN focused on securing the Sea of Japan. Therefore, the IJN had to lay naval mines in La Pérouse Strait, Tsugaru Strait, and Tsushima Strait. However, the IJN had already lost all of its minelayers. The IJN planned to build two kinds of minelayers. One was the large Minoo class; the other was the smaller Kamishima class.

Design

The Navy Technical Department (Kampon) revised the Hirashima's drawings, and gave it the armaments intended for escort ships (or kaibōkan). Their Type 5 40 mm AA was the latest anti-aircraft gun in the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. It was a Japanese version of the Bofors 40 mm.

Ships in class
Ship # Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
1801 Kamishima (神島) Sasebo Naval Arsenal 20 February 1945 12 June 1945 30 July 1945 Decommissioned 5 September 1945. Surrendered to Soviet Union at Nakhodka, 3 October 1947.
1802 Awashima (粟島) Sasebo Naval Arsenal[1] 20 February 1945 26 July 1945 18 April 1946 Incomplete until the end of the war (90%). Surrendered to United States on 1 October 1947. Sunk as target at 35°24′N 123°53′E on 7 October 1947.
1803 - 1806 Cancelled in May 1945.
1807 Hikoshima (彦島) Sasebo Naval Arsenal
1808 - 1809

Footnotes
  1. Kawanami Kōgyō Corporation undertook her postwar constructions.

Bibliography
  • "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.51, The truth histories of the Imperial Japanese Vessels Part.2, Gakken (Japan), June 2002, ISBN 4-05-602780-3
  • Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), February 1996
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, Japanese naval mine warfare crafts, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), January 1981
  • Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9
Awashima in 1947
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