Japanese minelayer Okinoshima
Okinoshima in 1937
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History | |
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Empire of Japan | |
Name | Okinoshima |
Namesake | Okinoshima Island |
Ordered | fiscal 1931 |
Builder | Harima Shipyards |
Laid down | 27 September 1934 |
Launched | 24 November 1935 |
Commissioned | 30 September 1936 |
Stricken | 25 May 1942 |
Fate | Sunk after being torpedoed by USS S-42, 12 May 1942 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Minelayer |
Displacement | 4,290 long tons (4,359 t) (standard) |
Length | |
Beam | 15.74 m (51 ft 8 in) |
Draught | 5.49 m (18 ft) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines |
Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
Range | 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 445 |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | 1 × Kawanishi E7K seaplane |
Aviation facilities | 1 aircraft catapult |
Okinoshima (沖島) was a large
Building
Following the ratification of the
Okinoshima was launched by the Harima Shipyards (now part of IHI Corporation) in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan on November 14, 1935, and was commissioned into service on 30 September 1936.[3]
Operational history
During the late 1930s, Okinoshima was assigned as flagship of a destroyer squadron, and made numerous survey missions to the Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands and Marianas in the Japanese South Seas Mandate, seeking potential sites for seaplane bases, and transporting naval mines for future use.
At the time of the
In January 1942, under the overall command of Admiral
On 5 March, Okinoshima, under the overall command of Admiral
After repairs at Truk, on 28 April Okinoshima was appointed flagship for Admiral Shima's Tulagi invasion force, which was part of "Operation Mo" (the invasion of Tulagi and Port Moresby in New Guinea). The Tulagi assault force began their landings on Tulagi on 3 May, with Okinoshima successfully landing troops of the Kure 3rd SNLF. However, the invasion force was attacked on 4 May by aircraft from the USS Yorktown. Several transports and the destroyer Kikuzuki were sunk and Okinoshima suffered from a near miss, which resulted in her being towed to Rabaul for repairs.
Fate
On 10 May, Okinoshima departed Rabaul as part of "
References
Notes
- ISBN 978-0-3850-9189-3.
- ^ DiGiulian, Tony (2007). "Japanese 5.5"/50 (14 cm) 3rd Year Type 14 cm/50 (5.5") 3rd Year Type". Naval Weapons of the World. Navweaps.com.
- ^ a b "Minelayer Okinoshima". Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
Books
- Brown, David (1990). Warship Losses of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-914-X.
- Howarth, Stephen (1983). The Fighting Ships of the Rising Sun: The Drama of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1895-1945. Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11402-8.
- Jentsura, Hansgeorg (1976). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-893-X.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea, 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two. US Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Watts, Anthony J (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-3850-9189-3.
External links
- Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Okinoshima: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
- DiGiulian, Tony (2007). "Japanese 5.5"/50 (14 cm) 3rd Year Type 14 cm/50 (5.5") 3rd Year Type". Naval Weapons of the World. Navweaps.com.