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.
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 / 35.400°N 123.883°E on 7 October 1947. |
| 1803 - 1806 | Cancelled in May 1945. | |||||
| 1807 | Hikoshima (彦島) | Sasebo Naval Arsenal | ||||
| 1808 - 1809 |
Footnotes
- ^ 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
