Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Sokuten class minelayer (1938)

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Preceded by
  
Natsushima-class

Succeeded by
  
Kamishima-class

Sokuten-class minelayer (1938)

Name
  
Sokuten-class minelayer

Builders
  
Hitachi Zōsen Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Nihon Kōkan Corporation Ōsaka Iron Works Tama Shipyards Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard

Operators
  
Imperial Japanese Navy Republic of China Navy

Subclasses
  
Sokuten-class (Pr. H11) Hirashima-class (Pr. H11B) Ajiro-class

The Sokuten-class minelayer (測天型敷設艇,, Sokuten-gata Fusetsutei) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. The class consists of three subclasses, which this article handles collectively.

Contents

Background

  • In 1937, the IJN planned this class as a replacement for the timeworn Natsushima and the Sokuten-class auxiliary minelayer.

    • Sokuten class

  • Project number H11. Original model of the Sokuten class. Five vessels were built in 1937–40 under the Maru 3 Programme (Ship # 57–61).

    • Hirashima class

  • Project number H11B. Second production model of the Sokuten-class. Nine vessels were built in 1939–43 under the Maru 4 Programme (Ship # 170–178). They were equipped with a 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun. The Nuwajima had its ballast tank replaced with a fuel tank for convoy escort operations. These nine vessels were classed in the Sokuten-class in the IJN official documents.

    • Ajiro class

  • Project number H13 at first. The IJN hoped urgent building for her. The Navy Technical Department revised the Hirashima drawings. Twenty-six vessels were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Ship # 460–473, 14 vessels) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship # 5421–5432, 12 vessels), but only Ajiro was completed. The Ajiro-class were classified separately from the Sokuten-class in the IJN official documents.

    • References

    Sokuten-class minelayer (1938) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA