Natsushima-class minelayer (1933)

The Natsushima-class minelayer (夏島型敷設艇,, Natsushima-gata Fusetsutei) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after the 1930s through World War II. Their design was based on the Tsubame class, but with increased armament.

Natsushima in 1933
Class overview
Name	Natsushima class
Builders	Tōkyō Ishikawajima Zōsen Corporation Harima Zōsen Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by	Tsubame class
Succeeded by	Sokuten class
Subclasses	Natsushima class Sarushima class
Built	1931–1934
In commission	1933–1944
Planned	3
Completed	3
Lost	3
General characteristics Natsushima class
Type	Netlayer/Minelayer
Displacement	475.8 long tons (483 t) standard
Length	73.00 m (239 ft 6 in) overall
Beam	7.50 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draught	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 × triple expansion stages reciprocating engines 2 × Kampon mix-fired boilers 2 shafts, 2,300 shp (1,700 kW)
Speed	19.0 knots (35.2 km/h; 21.9 mph)
Range	2,500 nmi (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	74
Armament	2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA guns 1 × 13 mm AA guns 120 × Type 89 naval mines or 18 × depth charges or 1 × Type 14 510 m anti-submarine net
General characteristics Sarushima class
Type	Netlayer/Minelayer
Displacement	566 long tons (575 t) standard
Length	73.00 m (239 ft 6 in) overall
Beam	7.49 m (24 ft 7 in)
Draught	2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	2 × MAN Mk.2 Model 9 diesels, 2 shafts, 2,100 bhp (1,600 kW)
Speed	18.0 knots (33.3 km/h; 20.7 mph)
Range	4,639 nmi (8,591 km; 5,338 mi) at 14.4 kn (26.7 km/h; 16.6 mph)
Complement	64
Armament	same as Natsushima class

Ships in class

Natsushima class

Project number H5. Three vessels were planned under the Maru 1 Programme. However, the third ship, Sarushima, was used as a diesel engine experiment ship.

Natsushima (夏島)

• 24 December 1931: Laid down at Tōkyō Ishikawajima Zōsen.
• 24 March 1933: Launched.
• 31 July 1933: Completed.
• In 1934: Rebuilding after the Tomozuru Incident.
• In 1938: Sortie for the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• 1941-1943: Sortie for the naval mine laying at Japan Mainland.
• 10 December 1943: Dispatched to southeast area.
• 22 February 1944: Sunk by USS Stanly, USS Charles Ausburne and USS Dyson off Kavieng 02°40′S 149°40′E.
• 30 April 1944: Removed from naval ship list.

Nasami (那沙美)

• 19 January 1933: Laid down at Harima Zōsen.
• 26 March 1934: Launched.
• 20 September 1934: Completed.
• In 1938: Sortie for the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• 1941-1943: Sortie for the naval mine laying at Japan Mainland and convoy escort operations at East China Sea.
• 31 December 1943: Dispatched to southeast area.
• 1 April 1944: Sunk by air raid at Rabaul.
• 10 April 1944: Removed from naval ship list.

Sarushima class

Project number H5B. She was built as diesel engine experiment ship. Her results were made use of in the Sokuten class.

Sarushima (猿島)

• 28 March 1933: Laid down at Mitsubishi, Yokohama shipyard.
• 16 December 1933: Launched.
• 20 July 1934: Completed.
• In 1938: Sortie for the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• 1941-1944: Sortie for the naval mine laying and convoy escort operations at Japan Mainland.
• 4 July 1944: Sunk by air raid off Otōto-jima.
• 10 September 1944: Removed from naval ship list.

Photos

• 
  Nasami in 1934.
• 
  Sarushima in 1942.

Bibliography

• Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, "Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy", "Kaijinsha"., (Tokyo, Japan), 1996.
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, "Japanese naval mine warfare crafts", "Ushio Shobō". (Tokyo, Japan), 1981.