No.1-class submarine chaser

(left to right) No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 in 1938
Class overview
Name:
  • No. 1-class submarine chasers
  • No. 1-class (Project nomber K3)
  • No. 3-class (Project number K4)
Builders:
Operators: Imperial Japanese Navy
Succeeded by: No. 4-class
Cost:
  • 1,525,700 JPY (No. 1-class)
  • 1,530,000 JPY (No. 3-class)
Built: 1933 1936
In commission: 1934 1946
Planned: 3
Completed: 3
Lost: 1
Retired: 2
General characteristics No. 1-class
Displacement:
  • 266 long tons (270 t) standard
  • 280 long tons (284 t) trial
  • and after late 1934
  • 377 long tons (383 t) trial
Length:
  • 65.30 m (214 ft 3 in) overall
  • 64.00 m (210 ft 0 in) waterline
Beam: 5.90 m (19 ft 4 in)
Draught: 1.43 m (4 ft 8 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Kampon Mk.22 Model 8 diesels
  • 2 shafts, 3,400 bhp
Speed:
  • 24.0 knots (27.6 mph; 44.4 km/h)
  • and after late 1934
  • 21.1 knots (24.3 mph; 39.1 km/h)
Range: 1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement: 65
Armament:
General characteristics No. 3-class
Displacement:
  • 270 long tons (274 t) standard
  • 285 long tons (290 t) trial
Length:
  • 56.10 m (184 ft 1 in) overall
  • 55.00 m (180 ft 5 in) waterline
Beam: 5.60 m (18 ft 4 in)
Draught: 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Kampon Mk.22 Model 6 diesels
  • 2 shafts, 2,500 bhp
Speed: 20.0 knots (23.0 mph; 37.0 km/h)
Range: 1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement: 60
Armament:
  • 2 × 40 mm heavy machine guns
  • 36 × depth charges
  • 2 × Type 94 depth charge projectors
  • 1 × depth charge thrower
  • 1 × French SCAM active sonar
  • 1 × Type 93 hydrophone

The No. 1-class submarine chaser (第一号型駆潜艇,, Dai 1 Gō-gata Kusentei) was a class of submarine chasers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. Three vessels were built in 1933-36 under the Maru 1 Programme and the Maru 2 Programme. They have two sub classes; this article handles them collectively.

Background

  • In World War I, German U-boat raged. The IJN began maintenance of an anti-submarine boat as a lesson in this, because Japanese shoreline and sea-lanes were very long. The IJN had some submarine chaser type tugboats and yard ferries. However, they were small and their speed was low.
  • The IJN wanted to give the anti-submarine boats a speed of more than 20 knots, because their Kaidai III submarine already achieved a 20kt surfaced.

Design

  • The Naval Technical Department (Kampon) made draft shallow to give them high speed. They achieved 24 kt speed hereby.
  • The No. 1 and the No. 2 were completed in March 1934, and they were assigned to the 1st Subchaser Division, Yokosuka Naval Defence Squadron.
  • However, because of their very shallow draft they lacked the rolling performance. This fact become evident after the Tomozuru incident.
  • The Tomozuru incident affected the No. 1-class. The No. 1 and the No. 2 were sent to the Uraga Dock Company in July 1934, and repairs were started. They were equipped 80 tons ballast and mounted a ballast keel. The drawings for the No. 3-class boat was also revised.

Service

Ships in classes

No.1-class

  • Project number was K3. 2 vessels were built under the Maru 1 Programme. They equipped the MV hydrophone by Submarine signal company and latest active sonar the Type 93.
Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
No. 1[1] Uraga Dock Company 19 June 1933 23 December 1933 24 March 1934 Scuttled by Royal Navy off Singapore on 11 July 1946. Decommissioned on 10 August 1946.
No. 2 Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard 9 June 1933 20 December 1933 25 March 1934 Sunk by USS Blueback at north of Lombok on 27 June 1945.

No.3-class

  • Project number was K4. Only 1 vessel was built under the Maru 2 Programme. The No. 3 was equipped the French SCAM active sonar and latest hydrophone the Type 93. The No. 3 was classed in the No. 1-class in the IJN official documents.
Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
No. 3 Asano Shipyard 17 April 1935 6 June 1936 5 October 1936 Scuttled by Royal Navy off Singapore on 11 July 1946. Decommissioned on 10 August 1946.

Photos

Footnotes

  1. Submarine chaser No. 1 (第1号駆潜艇 Dai 1 Gō Kusentei). The same shall apply hereinafter.

Bibliography

  • Ships of the World special issue Vol. 45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha". , (Japan), 1996.
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No. 49, Japanese submarine chasers and patrol boats, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), 1981.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.