Kasashima-class salvage tugboat

The Kasashima-class salvage tugboats (笠島型救難船兼曳船,, Kasashima-gata Kyūnansen-ken-eisen) were a class of rescue ship / tugboat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. The IJN official designation for this class was 600-ton salvage tugboat (六〇〇瓲救難船兼曳船,, 600-ton Kyūnansen-ken-eisen) for all vessels.

Class overview
Name600-ton salvage tugboat
BuildersHarima Zōsen Corporation
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded byTategami class
Succeeded byMiura class
Built1937–1939
In commission1938–1947 (?) [1]
Planned2
Completed2
Lost1
Retired1
General characteristics Kasashima class
TypeSalvage tugboat
Displacement600 long tons (610 t) [2]
Length40.0 m (131 ft 3 in) [2]
Beam8.8 m (28 ft 10 in) [2]
Draft4.3 m (14 ft 1 in) [2]
Propulsion
  • 2 × reciprocating engines,[2]
  • 2 × Kampon water tube boilers,[2]
  • 2 shafts,
  • Kasashima
  • 2,033 ihp[2]
  • Futakami
  • 2,249 ihp [2]
Speed
  • Kasashima
  • 14.14 knots (16.27 mph; 26.19 km/h) [2]
  • Futakami
  • 14.54 knots (16.73 mph; 26.93 km/h) [2]
EnduranceFuel: Oil[3] and coal (?)

Background

Under the Russo-Japanese War, the IJN purchased many steamships and converted them to salvage vessels. However, when they entered in 1930s, deterioration became remarkable. The IJN initially planned for the Tategami class to succeed them. The IJN was going to build the Tategami class one by one for three years from fiscal year 1936. However, the plan came to an impasse due to budget shortages by the second year. The IJN postponed building of the second ship for two years, and built two cheap 600-ton ships instead: the Hashima (later renamed Kasashima) and Futakami.[4]

Ships in class
Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
Kasashima (笠島)
ex-Hashima (波島)		 Harima Zōsen 15 December 1937 8 March 1938 27 May 1938 as Hashima Renamed Kasashima on 25 October 1940;[5] sunk by aircraft off Taipei 26°22′N 120°56′E on 25 January 1944.[6]
Futakami (二神) Harima Zōsen 21 October 1938 27 March 1939 30 April 1939 Survived war in Truk; decommissioned on 3 May 1947 (?);[1] later scuttled off Tonowas.

Footnotes
  1. Ships of the world (1995), p. 403
  2. Harima Zōsen (1960), pp. 456–457
  3. JACAR C05110821000, p. 2
  4. Editorial Committee of the Navy, p. 191
  5. Cable layer Hatsushima was renamed Hashima on 25 October 1940, therefore, salvage tugboat Hashima was renamed Kasashima. The Maru Special (1981), p. 50
  6. Shinshichirō Komamiya, p. 129

Bibliography
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, "Japanese naval mine warfare crafts", "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), January 1981.
  • Editorial Committee of the Navy, Navy Vol. 11, "Part of small vessels, auxiliary vessels, miscellaneous service ship and converted merchant ships", Seibunsha K.K. (Japan), August 1981.
  • 50 year History of Harima Zōsen, Harima Zōsen Corporation, November 1960.
  • Shinshichirō Komamiya, The Wartime Convoy Histories, "Shuppan Kyōdōsha". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-12-15. (Japan), October 1987.
  • "Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR)"., National Archives of Japan
    • Reference code: C05110820900, [Data in English is under preparation] 第４８９０号 １２．９．２２ ６００屯救難船兼曳船缶用管間邪魔板製造の件.
    • Reference code: C05110821000, [Data in English is under preparation] 第４８９１号 １２．９．２２ ６００屯救難船兼曳船缶用重油噴燃器及コ-ン製造の件.
  • Monthly Ships of the World No. 500, Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy", "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), August 1995.
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