Japanese minelayer Wakataka

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Demilitarized Wakataka in 1947
History
Japan
NameWakataka
Orderedfiscal 1939
BuilderHarima Shipyard
Laid downNovember 15, 1940
LaunchedJuly 12, 1941
CommissionedNovember 30, 1941
StrickenJuly 1, 1946
FatePrize of war to UK
Malaysia
Name
  • HMMS Laburnum (until 1963)
  • KD Singapura
AcquiredSeptember 1949
StrickenDecember 31, 1965
FateTransferred to Singapore
Singapore
NameRSS Singapura
AcquiredJanuary 1, 1966
CommissionedMay 5, 1967
DecommissionedUnknown; labelled as "ex RSS Singapura" on 2 December 1967[1]
FateSold for scrap in 1967
General characteristics
Typeminelayer
Displacement1,608 long tons (1,634 t) standard, 1860 tons normal
Length
  • 82.5 m (271 ft) pp,
  • 86.5 m (284 ft) waterline
Beam11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught4 m (13 ft 1 in)
Propulsion2-shaft geared turbine engine, 3 boilers, 6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
Speed20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Range3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 14 knots (19 km/h)
Complement202
Electronic warfare
& decoys		Type 22 and 13 radars and Type 93 and/or Type 3 sonar
Armament
  • 2 ×
    Type 3 80 mm AA Guns
  • 4 ×
    13.2 mm (0.52 in)
    machine guns
  • 24 × Type 96 510 m (1,673 ft 3 in) anti-submarine nets or 100 × Type 93 naval mines

Wakataka (若鷹, Young Hawk)

netlayer. Due to the critical shortage of patrol ships for convoy escort duties during the Pacific War, she was fitted with depth charge
racks and her minelaying rails were removed.

After the surrender of Japan, Wakataka was transferred to the Royal Navy as a prize of war. She was transferred to the Malayan Navy Volunteer Force as HMMS Laburnum and placed in the naval reserve in 1956 before being recommissioned in 1963 as KD Singapura and RSS Singapura in 1967 following Singapore's independence from Malaysia, where she served as a floating headquarters. Singapura was subsequently sold for scrap in December 1967.

Construction

Under the

Type 3 80 mm AA Guns
.

Wakataka was launched by the Harima Shipyard near Kobe on July 12, 1941, and was commissioned into service on November 30, 1941.[3]

Japanese service

After commissioning, Wakataka was assigned to the

IJN 3rd Fleet, based at Takao in Taiwan
.

At the time of the

Japanese home islands, Palau and landing zones in the Philippines.[4]

In January 1942, Wakataka was assigned to the invasion of Dutch Borneo, covering the invasion of

Netherlands East Indies until December 29, 1942, when she was reassigned to the 25th Base Force of the Southwest Area Fleet, and participated in the capture of Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea in January 1943.[6]

During most of 1943, Wakataka shuttled between

IJA 26th Division to New Guinea
by the end of the year.

During early 1944, Wakataka continued to be assigned to convoy escort duties in the eastern Netherland East Indies. In early February, she unsuccessfully attacked USS Hake (SS-256) with depth charges in the Celebes Sea and in March unsuccessfully attacked USS Bowfin (SS-287). Likewise, while on convoy protection patrol, she unsuccessfully attacked USS Sand Lance (SS-381) at Staring-baai on July 14. In October, she towed the damaged minelayer Japanese minelayer Itsukushima from Celebes but was spotted by Royal Dutch Navy submarine HNLMS Zwaardvisch (P322) (ex HMS Talent) while transiting the Java Sea on October 17. Zwaardvisch fired five torpedoes, one of which sank Itsukushima,[7] and another of which struck Wakataka in the bow but did not explode.

Repairs at Surabaya took until early March 1945 to complete, at which time Wakataka was reassigned to the IJN 10th Area Fleet. On March 25, 1945, south of Sumbawa, Wakataka was attacked by HMS Stygian (P249) and took a direct torpedo hit which significantly damaged her bow, killing around 20 crewmen. Repair crews at Surabaya fashioned a false bow at the break, shortening her length by about 5–6 meters, and she returned to active duty in July with the Southwest Area Fleet; however, repairs were not completed by the time of the surrender of Japan on August 15, 1945 due to shortages of materials.

After the end of World War II, Wakataka was demilitarized and used as a repatriation vessel, evacuating Japanese troops from

navy list
on March 1, 1946.

Returned to Japan, Wakataka was repaired at

Okinawa, Palembang, Bangkok and Hong Kong through the end of the year. After repairs in January 1947, Wakataka was turned over to the Royal Navy as a prize of war
on October 17, 1947.

Malayan/Malaysian service

In December 1948, the British government created the Malayan Navy Volunteer Force (MVF) and in September 1949 assigned Wakataka to the new organization as the HMMS Laburnum to be used as a training vessel. The MVF became the Royal Malayan Navy in August 1952. HMMS Laburnum continued to serve until 1956, when it was removed from active service and placed under the Singapore Division of the Malayan Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The ship was renamed KD Singapura and recommissioned in 1963.[8]

Singaporean service

In 1965, Singapore separated from

night club or restaurant instead.[11]

Tenders were opened on 2 December for bids on Singapura and was to run until 22 December, with the winner obliged to tow her away within a week of accepting the tender.[1] She was offered at a cost of $40,000 and sold for scrap by the end of 1967.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ a b "TENDER NOTICE ex R.S.S SINGAPURA". The Straits Times. 2 December 1967. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ^ Nelson. Japanese-English Character Dictionary. Page 773, 369
  3. ^ "Minelayer Wakataka". Combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  4. ^ Nevitt, Allyn D. (1997). "IJN Wakataka: Tabular Record of Movement". Long Lancers. Combinedfleet.com.
  5. ISBN 0-87021-097-1
    .
  6. ISBN 1-59114-119-2
    .
  7. ISBN 1-55750-914-X
    .
  8. ^ Adrian, Villanueva (22 February 2017). "RSS Singapura name in line with naval tradition". The Straits Times. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Britain to return Belakang Mati by December". The Straits Times. 6 May 1967. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Training ship to be scrapped". Straits Budget. 6 September 1967. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Singapore ship may become a floating night club". The Straits Times. 15 November 1967. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  12. ^ T. F. Hwang (12 September 1987). "T. F. Hwang takes you down Memory Lane". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Former Japanese warship for sale". Eastern Sun. 12 November 1967.

Further reading

External links
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