Hatsutaka-class minelayer

The Hatsutaka-class minelayer (初鷹型敷設艦,, Hatsutaka-gata Fusetsukan) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. There were three sub-classes, as well.

Hatsutaka in 1939
Class overview
Name:
  • Hatsutaka-class minelayers
  • Hatsutaka-class
  • Wakataka-class
  • Asadori-class (only a project)
Builders: Harima Zōsen Corporation
Operators:
Preceded by: Shirataka
Cost:
  • 4,733,000 JPY (Hatsutaka)
  • 4,900,000 JPY (Wakataka)
Built: 1938 – 1941
In commission: 1939 – 1946 (IJN)
Planned: 4
Completed: 3
Cancelled: 1
Lost: 2
Retired: 1
General characteristics
Type: Minelayer/Netlayer
Displacement: 1,600 long tons (1,626 t) standard
Length:
  • 91.00 m (298 ft 7 in) overall
  • 86.50 m (283 ft 10 in) waterline
Beam: 11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught: 4.0 m (13 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Kampon geared turbines
  • 3 × Kampon coal/oil-fired boilers
  • 2 shafts, 6,000 shp
Speed: 20.0 knots (23.0 mph; 37.0 km/h)
Range: 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement:
  • Hatsutaka and Aotaka
  • 199
  • Wakataka
  • 202
Armament:

Design

Ships in classes

Hatsutaka-class
  • Project number was H12. First production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Two vessels were built in 1938-40 under the Maru 3 Programme (Ship # 7 - 8). They were equipped with 4 × 40 mm quick-firing guns for anti-submarine warfare.
Ship # Ship Laid down Launched Completed Fate
7 Hatsutaka (初鷹) [1] 29 March 1938 28 April 1939 31 October 1939 Sunk by USS Hawkbill at South China Sea 04°54′N 103°28′E on 16 May 1945.
8 Aotaka (蒼鷹) [2] 10 May 1939 3 February 1940 30 June 1940 Sunk by USS Pargo at north of Jesselton 07°00′N 116°00′E on 26 September 1944.

Wakataka-class
  • Project number was H12B. Second production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Only 1 vessel was built under the Maru 4 Programme (Ship # 102). She was equipped with 2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) anti-aircraft cannons. The Wakataka was classed in the Hatsutaka-class in the IJN official documents. The IJN called her the Modified Hatsutaka-class (改初鷹型,, Kai Hatsutaka-gata) unofficially.
Ship # Ship Laid down Launched Completed Fate
102 Wakataka (若鷹) [3] 15 November 1940 12 July 1941 30 November 1941 Decommissioned on 1 March 1946. Surrendered to United Kingdom on 17 October 1947. Transferred to Federation of Malaya, and renamed Laburnum. Surrendered to Republic of Singapore in 1968. Later, nothing more was heard.

Asadori-class
  • Project number was H12C. The Navy Technical Department revised the Wakataka drawings. Only 1 vessel was planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship # 5039). The IJN called her the Modified Wakataka-class (改若鷹型,, Kai Wakataka-gata) unofficially.
Ship # Ship Laid down Launched Completed Fate
5039 Asadori (朝鳥) [4] Cancelled on 5 May 1944.

Photos
  • Aotaka in June 1940 at Harima Zōsen.
  • Wakataka as repatriation transport in Spring 1947 at Sasebo Naval Base.

Footnotes
  1. Free translation: Hawk in early fall.
  2. Blue hawk.
  3. "Young hawk."
  4. "Morning bird."

See also

Bibliography
  • Ships of the World special issue Vol.47, Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), March 1997
  • Model Art Extra No.360, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-2, "Model Art Co. Ltd". (Japan), October 1989
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.42, Japanese minelayers, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), August 1980
  • Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9
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