Japanese seaplane tender Akitsushima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Akitsushima on 18 April 1942 |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Akistushima |
| Namesake: | Another name of Japan |
| Builder: | Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Laid down: | 29 October 1940 |
| Launched: | 25 July 1941 |
| Completed: | 29 April 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 29 April 1942 |
| Decommissioned: | 10 November 1944 |
| Maiden voyage: | 29 April 1942 |
| In service: | 1942–1944 |
| Fate: | Sunk on 24 September 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 4,650 long tons (4,725 t) standard 5,000 long tons (5,080 t) trial |
| Length: | 114.8 m (376 ft 8 in) overall 113.0 m (370 ft 9 in) waterline |
| Beam: | 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in) |
| Draught: | 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion: | 4 × Kampon Mk.22 Model 10 diesels, 2 shafts, 8,000 bhp |
| Speed: | 19.0 knots (21.9 mph; 35.2 km/h) |
| Range: | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) |
| Capacity: | • 689 tons gasoline • 36 × Type 91 torpedoes • 30 × 800 kg bombs • 15 × 500 kg bombs • 100 × 250 kg bombs • 100 × 60 kg bombs |
| Complement: | 545 |
| Armament: | • 4 × 127 mm (5.0 in) L/40 Type 89 AA guns • 4 × Type 96 25mm AA guns • 6 × Type 95 depth charges • 1 × Type 94 depth charge thrower (Y-gun) |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 × flying boat (in anchorage only) |
| Aviation facilities: | deck and crane |
The Akitsushima (秋津洲) was a flying boat tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving during the World War II.
Contents |
[edit] Background
- In 1938, the IJN wanted to use their large-sized flying boats more effectively, because the only airplane which could hit the Pearl Harbor directly from Marshall Islands was the Kawanishi H6K. However, the Marshall Islands did not have flying boat facilities in those days.
- Early 1939, the IJN converted the Kamoi to a flying boat tender. However, she was not able to repair the flying boats, she was only a pier for the flying boat. The IJN longed for a mobile maintenance ship for their flying boats.
[edit] Design
- The IJN thought about two kinds of flying boat tenders in basic plan of the Maru 4 Programme. One was a 10,000 tons class flying boat carrier, the other a 2,400 tons class flying boat tender. Those characteristics are below.
| 10,000 tons class flying boat carrier | 2,400 tons class flying boat tender | |
| Displacement | 9,950 long tons (10,110 t) standard | 2,350 long tons (2,388 t) standard |
| Length | 173 m (567 ft 7 in) overall | 97 m (318 ft 3 in) overall |
| Speed | 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h) | 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) |
| Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h) |
| Armament | 8 × 127 mm (5.0 in) AA guns 6 × 25mm AA guns 2 × depth charge throwers |
4 × 127 mm (5.0 in) AA guns 4 × 25mm AA guns 1 × depth charge thrower |
| Aircraft carried | 4 × flying boats and 4 × reconnaissance seaplanes | 1 × flying boat (in anchorage only) |
| Aviation facilities | 1 × catapult for flying boats 1 × catapult for seaplanes workshop and deck |
deck only |
| Supplies | 1,200 tons gasoline 52 × 800 kg bombs 80 × 500 kg bombs 152 × 250 kg bombs 144 × 60 kg bombs |
458 tons gasoline 16 × 800 kg bombs 8 × 500 kg bombs 54 × 250 kg bombs 30 × 60 kg bombs |
| Armour | belt: 75 mm, deck: 30 mm | none |
- These plans were not able to pass the assessment by the Ministry of Finance.[1] The IJN wanted a 3,500 tons class flying boat tender. This is basic plan of the Akitsushima.
- The 3,500 tons flying boat tender was scaled-up model of the 2,400 tons class. Her duties were maintenance, repair and supplies to the flying boat in atoll.
- The IJN intended to accommodate the flying boat by bow-up trim and slope at first, however this plan was canceled and Akitsushima equipped 35 tons crane. The IJN rewrote her drawings many times, and her displacement increased by 1000 tons in the detailed design.
[edit] Service
- 29 April 1942: Completed, and assigned to the 25th Air Division, 11th Air Fleet.
- 15 May 1942: Sailed to Saipan and Rabaul.
- 16 August 1942: Arrived at Shortland Islands for support to air/naval battles over and around Guadalcanal.
- 1 September 1942: Bombed by B-17 at Buka Island.
- 5 January 1943: Repairs were completed, and she was dispatched to Kavieng.
- 26 February 1943: Arrived at Jaluit Atoll.
- 30 June 1943: Sailed to Paramushir for exodus from Kiska.
- 26 August 1943: Sailed to Yokosuka, Shanghai and Truk.
- 17 February 1944: Slightly damaged by the Operation Hailstone.
- 14 March 1944: Arrived at Yokosuka and repairs were started.
- Spring 1944: Added the repair ship facilities, because the Akashi was sank.
- 1 August 1944: Repairs were completed and she was assigned to the 2nd Fleet.
- In August 1944: Sailed to Kure and Imari.
- 8 September 1944: Sailed to Kaohsiung, Manila and Coron Bay.
[edit] Fate
- 23 September 1944 : Arrived at Coron Bay.
- 24 September 1944 : Sunk during an air raid by aircraft of Task Force 38.
- 10 November 1944 : Decommissioned.
[edit] Ships in class
| Ship # | Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
| 131 | Akitsushima (秋津州)[2] | Kawasaki Shipbuilding, Kōbe Shipyard | 29 October 1940 | 25 July 1941 | 29 April 1942 | Sunk by aircraft at Coron Bay 11°59′N 120°02′E / 11.983°N 120.033°E, 24 September 1944. |
| 303 | Chihaya (千早)[3] | Kawasaki Shipbuilding, Kōbe Shipyard | 25 July 1941 | Construction stopped Autumn 1942. Later scrapped. | ||
| 5031 5032 5033 |
Cancelled on 5 May 1944. |
[edit] Commanding Officers
- Chief Equipping Officer
| Rank | Name | Date | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain | Sanji Iwabuchi | 1 November 1941 | ||
| 2 | Captain | Haruo Mayuzumi | 25 March 1942 |
- Commanding Officer
| Rank | Name | Date | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain | Haruo Mayuzumi[4] | 29 April 1942 | ||
| 2 | Captain | Giroku Takao | 3 December 1942 | ||
| 3 | Captain | Yoshinori Fujimaki | 26 August 1943 |
[edit] See also
- Barnegat class seaplane tender
- Currituck class seaplane tender
- HMS Unicorn (I72)
- Japanese seaplane tender Kamoi
- Japanese submarine I-351
[edit] Footnote
- ^ These two basic plans were revived by the Maru 5 Programme in 1941. However, their construction did not begin.
- ^ Meanings are the another name of the Japan in the Kojiki and the Man'yōshū.
- ^ The Chihaya Castle of Kusunoki Masashige.
- ^ Her camouflages were his suggestion. Her makeup was never torn off in her life. If you are plastic model builder, be careful to painting.
[edit] Bibliography
- "Rekishi Gunzō". http://rekigun.net/., History of Pacific War Vol.62, Ships of The Imperial Japanese Forces, Gakken (Japan), January 2008, ISBN 4-05-605008-0
- Model Art Extra No.537, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-3, "Model Art Co. Ltd.". http://www.modelart.jp/. (Japan), May 1999
- Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.7, Stories of Japanese Aircraft Carriers, "Kōjinsha". http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/. (Japan), August 1996, ISBN 4-7689-0655-8
- Ships of the World special issue Vol.40, History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers, "Kaijinsha". http://www.ships-net.co.jp/., (Japan), May 1994
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.25 Japanese seaplane tenders, "Ushio Shobō". http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/. (Japan), March 1979
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
