Japanese food supply ship Irako
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 Irako in 1944 |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Irako class food supply ship |
| Builders: | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Operators: |  Imperial Japanese Navy |
| Preceded by: | Mamiya |
| Cost: | 4,000,000 JPY as Irako [1] 17,378,000 JPY as Kusumi [2] |
| Built: | 1940–1941 |
| In commission: | 1941–1944 |
| Planned: | 1 (1937) + 1 (1942) |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Cancelled: | 1 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 9,570 long tons (9,724 t) standard 11,100 long tons (11,278 t) trial |
| Length: | 145.0 m (475 ft 9 in) overall 143.5 m (470 ft 10 in) waterline |
| Beam: | 19.0 m (62 ft 4 in) |
| Draught: | 6.05 m (19 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x Kampon turbines 6 x Kampon boilers 2 shafts, 8,300 shp |
| Speed: | 17.5 knots (20.1 mph; 32.4 km/h) |
| Complement: | 361 |
| Armament: |
4 x 120 mm (4.7 in) L/45 10th Year Type AA guns some depth charges |
| Armour: | none |
Irako (伊良湖) was a Japanese food supply ship, serving during the Second World War.
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[edit] Construction
She was built in 1937 under the 3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, in preparation for the anticipated war with the United States. She was intended to supplement the Combined Fleet's existing food supply ship Mamiya. Her design was similar to that of Mamiya, but she was smaller. Her warehouse was able to supply 25,000 men over two weeks. A sister ship, Kusumi, was planned in 1942 under the Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, but construction was cancelled after the start of the Solomon Islands campaign.
[edit] Service
- 5 December 1941 : Completed, and assigned to the Combined Fleet.
- After 14 January 1942 : Sailing to and from the Japanese mainland (Kure and Yokosuka) to the front (Saipan, Truk and Davao).
- After April 1942 : Sailing to and from the Japanese mainland to Singapore.
- After August 1942 : Sailing to and from the Japanese mainland to Truk, 12 times.
- 20 January 1944 : Sustained heavy damaged in an attack by USS Seadragon north of Truk 08°04′N 152°40′E / 8.067°N 152.667°E.
- 5 July 1944 : Assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet.
- August 1944 : Repairs were completed, and she was dispatched to Manila Bay.
[edit] Fate
- 2 September 1944 : Arrived at Manila Bay.
- 21 September 1944 : Present during the air raid carried out by Task Force 38, and saved survivors of the destroyer Satsuki.
- 22 September 1944 : Sailed to Coron Bay.
- 24 September 1944 : Damaged during an air raid by aircraft of Task Force 38 at 11°59′N 120°02′E / 11.983°N 120.033°E, and scuttled.
- 30 November 1945 : Decommissioned.
[edit] Ships in class
| Ship # | Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 74 | Irako (伊良湖) | Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard | 30 May 1940 | 14 February 1941 | 5 December 1941 | Scuttled on 24 September 1944 at Coron Bay. |
| 5408 | Kusumi (久須見) | Cancelled on 5 May 1944. |
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] Books
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.34 "Japanese Auxiliary ships", Ushio Shobō (Japan), December 1979, Book code 68343-34
- Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.10, Stories of Japanese Support Vessels, Kōjinsha (Japan), December 1993, ISBN 4-7698-0658-2
- Senshi Sōsho Vol.31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), November 1969
- Senshi Sōsho Vol.88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), October 1975
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