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. 9 vessels were planned under the Maru Sen Programme, however only 1 vessel was completed until the end of war.

Kamishima in 1947
Class overview
Name:	Kamishima class minelayer
Builders:	Sasebo Naval Arsenal Kawanami Kōgyō Corporation
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy Soviet Navy
Preceded by:	Ajiro class
Built:	1945–1946
In commission:	1945–1947
Planned:	9
Completed:	2
Cancelled:	7
Retired:	2
General characteristics
Type:	Minelayer
Displacement:	766 long tons (778 t) standard
Length:	74.50 m (244 ft 5 in) overall
Beam:	7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
Draught:	2.60 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:	Kamishima, 1945 2 × Type 5 40 mm L/65 AA guns 16 × Type 96 25 mm AA guns 36 × Type 2 depth charges 120 × Type 93 naval mines 4 × Type 3 depth charge projectors 8 × depth charge throwers 1 × 22-Gō surface search radar 1 × 13-Gō early warning radar 2 × Type 3 active sonars 1 × Type 93 hydrophone 1 × Paravane

Background

• End of 1944, Japanese sea lanes were cut apart by United States Navy. The IJN wanted to secure only the security of the Sea of Japan.
• Therefore, the IJN had to lay a naval mine in La Pérouse Strait, Tsugaru Strait and Tsushima Strait. However, the IJN already exhausted minelayers.
• The IJN planned two kinds of minelayers. One was the large-sized Minoo class, the other the small-sized Kamishima class.

Design

• The Navy Technical Department (Kampon) revised the Hirashima's drawings, and gave escort ship (Kaibōkan) armaments.
• 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