Hatsutaka-class minelayer

	Hatsutaka in 1939
Class overview
Name	Hatsutaka-class minelayers; Hatsutaka-class; Wakataka-class; Asadori-class (only a project);
Builders	Harima Zōsen Corporation
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy; Royal Malaysian Navy; Republic of Singapore Navy;
Preceded by	Shirataka
Cost	4,733,000 JPY (Hatsutaka); 4,900,000 JPY (Wakataka);
Built	1938 – 1941
In commission	1939 – 1946 (IJN)
Planned	4
Completed	3
Cancelled	1
Lost	2
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	Minelayer/Netlayer
Displacement	1,600 long tons (1,626 t) standard
Length	91.00 m (298 ft 7 in) overall; 86.50 m (283 ft 10 in) waterline;
Beam	11.30 m (37 ft 1 in)
Draught	4.0 m (13 ft 1 in)
Propulsion	2 × Kampon geared turbines; 3 × Kampon coal/oil-fired boilers; 2 shafts, 6,000 shp;
Speed	20.0 knots (23.0 mph; 37.0 km/h)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 14 kn (16 mph; 26 km/h)
Complement	Hatsutaka and Aotaka; 199; Wakataka; 202;
Armament	Hatsutaka, 1939; 4 × 40 mm heavy machine guns; 18 × Type 95 depth charges; 1 × Type 94 depth charge projector; 4 × depth charge throwers; 1 × Type 93 active sonar; 1 × Type 93 hydrophone; 24 × Type 96 510 m (1,673 ft 3 in) anti-submarine nets or 100 × Type 93 naval mines; Wakataka, 1941; 2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA guns; 4 × Type 93 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA guns; 18 × Type 95 depth charges; 1 × Type 94 depth charge projector; 4 × depth charge throwers; 1 × Type 93 active sonar; 1 × Type 93 hydrophone; 24 × Type 96 510 m (1,673 ft 3 in) anti-submarine nets or 100 × Type 93 naval mines;

The Hatsutaka-class minelayer (初鷹型敷設艦,, Hatsutaka-gata Fusetsukan) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. There were three sub-classes, as well.

Design

The Hastutaka-class minelayer was a reinforced model of the Shirataka. The Harima Zōsen Corporation dealt with all of the Hatsutaka-class.

Ships in classes

Hatsutaka-class

Project number was H12. First production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Two vessels were built in 1938-40 under the Maru 3 Programme (Ship # 7 - 8). They were equipped with 4 × 40 mm quick-firing guns for anti-submarine warfare.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
7	Hatsutaka (初鷹) ^[1]	29 March 1938	28 April 1939	31 October 1939	Sunk by USS Hawkbill at South China Sea 04°54′N 103°28′E / 4.900°N 103.467°E / 4.900; 103.467 on 16 May 1945.
8	Aotaka (蒼鷹) ^[2]	10 May 1939	3 February 1940	30 June 1940	Sunk by USS Pargo at north of Jesselton 07°00′N 116°00′E / 7.000°N 116.000°E / 7.000; 116.000 on 26 September 1944.

Wakataka-class

Project number was H12B. Second production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Only 1 vessel was built under the Maru 4 Programme (Ship # 102). She was equipped with 2 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) anti-aircraft cannons. The Wakataka was classed in the Hatsutaka-class in the IJN official documents. The IJN called her the Modified Hatsutaka-class (改初鷹型,, Kai Hatsutaka-gata) unofficially.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
102	Wakataka (若鷹) ^[3]	15 November 1940	12 July 1941	30 November 1941	Decommissioned on 1 March 1946. Surrendered to United Kingdom on 17 October 1947. Transferred to Federation of Malaya, and renamed Laburnum. Surrendered to Republic of Singapore in 1968. Later, nothing more was heard.

Asadori-class

Project number was H12C. The Navy Technical Department revised the Wakataka drawings. Only 1 vessel was planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship # 5039). The IJN called her the Modified Wakataka-class (改若鷹型,, Kai Wakataka-gata) unofficially.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
5039	Asadori (朝鳥) ^[4]				Cancelled on 5 May 1944.

Photos

Aotaka in June 1940 at Harima Zōsen.
Wakataka as repatriation transport in Spring 1947 at Sasebo Naval Base.

Footnotes

^ Free translation: Hawk in early fall.
^ Blue hawk.
^ "Young hawk."
^ "Morning bird."

Bibliography

Ships of the World special issue Vol.47, Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), March 1997
Model Art Extra No.360, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-2, "Model Art Co. Ltd". Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2009-05-20. (Japan), October 1989
The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.42, Japanese minelayers, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), August 1980
Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9

[1] Free translation: Hawk in early fall.

[2] Blue hawk.

[3] "Young hawk."

[4] "Morning bird."

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Japanese auxiliary ship classes of World War II
Colliers and oilers	Notoro Ondo Sunosaki Ashizuri Kazahaya^S Hayasui^S Hario^S Muroto Teiyō Maru^S Ōse (ex-SS Genota)^SC
Food supply ships	Mamiya^S Nosaki^S Kinesaki Irako^S Kurasaki^SC
Landing ships	No.1 No.101 Shinshū Maru^S (Army) SS (Army)
Armed merchant cruisers	Aikoku Maru^S Hōkoku Maru^S Kongō Maru^S Noshiro Maru^S
Minelayers and cable layer	Tokiwa^SC Itsukushima^S Yaeyama^S Okinoshima^S Tsugaru^S Minoo^SC Shirataka^S Tsubame Natsushima (1933) Sokuten (1938) Hirashima Ajiro^S Kamishima Hashima Sokuten (1913) Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HMS Barlight)^SC
Minesweepers	No.1 (1923) No.5 (1928) No.13 No.17 No.7 (1938) No.19 No.101 (ex-HMS Taitam and HMS Waglan)^C Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class) Aux. No.104 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class)
Patrol boats	No.1^C No.31^C No.46^SC No.101 (ex-HMS Thracian)^SC No.102 (ex-USS Stewart)^SC No.103 (ex-USS Finch)^SC No.104 (ex-Dutch East Indies Valk and Arend)^C No.105 (ex-Philippine customs Arayat)^SC No.106 (ex-HNLMS Banckert (1929))^SCI No.107 (ex-USS Genesee)^SC No.109 (ex-Dutch East Indies Fazant)^SC Aux. No.1
Repair ships	Asahi^SC Akashi^S Hayase (ex-Chinese passenger Chin Kiang)^SC Hitonose (ex-ROCN Min Sheng)^SC
Seaplane tenders	Notoro^SC Kamoi^SC Chitose Mizuho^S Nisshin^S Akitsushima^S Kamikawa Maru^C
Submarine chasers	No.1 No.3^S No.4 No.13 No.28 No.60 Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS Tjerimai)^SC Aux. No.102 (ex-HNLMS Ardjoeno class)^C Aux. No.103 (ex-HNLMS B1 class)^C Aux. No.111 (ex-HNLMS P13 or P14)^SC Aux. No.112 (ex-HNLMS A)^C Aux. No.117 (ex-HNLMS Bantam)^C Aux. No.251 Aux. No.253^S
Submarine tenders	Komahashi^SC Jingei Taigei^S Heian Maru^SC
Survey ships	Tsukushi^S Katsuriki^SC Hakusa (ex-China customs Fu Hsing)^SC
Target ships	Settsu^SC Yakaze^SC Hakachi^S Ōhama^S
Training ships	Fuji^SC Shikishima^SC Asama^SC Azuma^SC Kasuga^SC Atada (ex-ROCN Yat Sen)^SC
Others	Sōya (freighter)^SC Kashino (turret transporter)^S Ōtomari (icebreaker)^S Tategami (salvage tug) Kasashima (salvage tug) Miura (salvage tug) Kaiyō No.1 (oceanographic research ship) Asuka (traffic ship, ex-ROCN Yung Chien)^SC
S Single ship of class C Converted to ship type I Incomplete until the end of war