Japanese gunboat Nankai
| History | |
|---|---|
| Empire of Japan | |
| Name | Nankai |
| Builder | Droogdok Maatschappij Soerabaja, Soerabaja |
| Laid down | 1941 |
| Launched | 21 May 1943 |
| Acquired | 8 March 1942 |
| Commissioned | 7 June 1944 |
| Stricken | 30 July 1945 |
| Fate | Sunk by USS Blenny, 16 July 1945 |
| Notes |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Ram class minelayer (originally) |
| Displacement | 2,200 long tons (2,235 t) (standard) |
| Length | 85.8 m (281 ft 6 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 11 m (36 ft 1 in) |
| Draught | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | 4,800 bhp (3,600 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 × diesel engines |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Complement | 120 |
| Armament | |
Nankai (Japanese: 南海) was originally named Regulus, a Dutch Ram-class auxiliary minelayer built for the Government Navy during the Second World War. The ship was launched a few days after the start of the Pacific War in December 1941. Still incomplete, she was scuttled by the Dutch in March 1942 to prevent her capture by the Japanese, but the Imperial Japanese Navy refloated the ship and converted her into a gunboat.
Description
The Ram-class ships had a standard displacement of 2,200 long tons (2,235 t). They measured 85.8 metres (281 ft 6 in) long overall with a beam of 11 m (36 ft 1 in) and a draught of 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in). The minelayers were powered by two 2,400-brake-horsepower (1,800 kW) diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. They had a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). The Ram class had a complement of 120 officers and ratings.[1]
The Dutch intended the ship to be armed with three 75 mm (3 in) anti-aircraft (AA) guns, but the Japanese rearmed Nankai with two 12-centimetre (4.7 in) Type 10 AA guns, four 2.5-centimetre (1 in) Type 96 AA guns and an unknown number of depth charges or mines.[2]
Construction and career
She was laid down in 1941 at the Droogdok Maatschappij Soerabaja as an auxiliary minelayer for the benefit of the Gouvernementsmarineand named Regulus.[3] She was scuttled before completion by Dutch forces on 2 March 1942 after the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. She was seized by the Japanese, repaired and rebuilt as a gunboat. The ship was launched on 21 April 1943 under the name of Nankai and was completed on 7 June 1944.[4]
On 21 September 1944, Nankai departed Surabaya, Java escorting transport Hokkai Maru. On 23 September 1944, Nankai and Hokkai Maru both struck mines[5] laid by the submarine USS Bowfin, 15 miles west of Sebuku Island at 03°37′S 116°25′E / 3.617°S 116.417°E, leaving both ships crippled.[5] Nankai and Hokkai Maru were towed and repaired at the No. 102 Naval Construction and Repair Department at Surabaya, Java.[6]
On 16 July 1945, while being escorted by No.1-class submarine chaser CH-1,[7] she was torpedoed and sunk by the USS Blenny at 05°26′S 110°33′E / 5.433°S 110.550°E, 150 miles west of Surabaya. Nankai was struck from the Navy List on 30 July 1945.[4]
Citations
- ^ Roberts, p. 394
- ^ Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 119
- ^ Womack, pp. 40, 60, 64
- ^ a b Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Cundall, Peter. "IJN Gunboat Nankai: Tabular Record of Movement". www.combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (2012). "IJN Hokkai Maru: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander. "History of the IJN's No. 102 Naval Construction and Repair Department at Surabaya, Java (Indonesia)". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ^ Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander; Cundall, Peter. "IJN Subchaser CH-1: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
Bibliography
- Jentschura, Hansgeorg; Jung, Dieter & Mickel, Peter (1977). Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute. ISBN 978-0-87021-893-4.
- Roberts, John (1980). "The Netherlands". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Conway Maritime Press. pp. 385–396. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Womack, Tom (2015). The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941-1942. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-6293-0.