3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1937)

The otherwise known as the "Circle Three" Plan was the third of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

between 1930 and the start of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

Background

The London Naval Treaty

London Naval Treaty

The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...

placed severe restrictions on Japan's naval capabilities vis-a-vis the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

and the British Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

in terms of tonnage and numbers of capital warship

Capital ship

The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...

s. The respose of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff

The was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.-History:...

was to initiate a construction program (Maru-1

1st Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1931)

The , otherwise known as the "Circle One" plan was the first of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1930 and the start of World War II.-Background:...

) to build 39 new warships to the allotted tonnage limits in each of the restricted categories, and to invest in types of warships and weaponry not specifically covered by the provisions of the treaty, such as expansion of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, the organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War.It was controlled by the Navy Staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy and...

to 14 Naval Air Groups

In 1934, the Naval Ministry

Ministry of the Navy of Japan

The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...

submitted its second expansion plan Maru-2

2nd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1934)

The otherwise known as the "Circle Two" Plan was the second of four expansion plans of the Imperial Japanese Navy between 1930 and the start of World War II.-Background:...

to the Cabinet

Cabinet of Japan

The of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister and up to fourteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister...

, to make up for the shortfall in funding caused by modifications to rectify issues with existing equipment after the Tomozuru Incident and IJN 4th Fleet Incident, when it was revealed that the basic designs of many Japanese warships were flawed due to poor construction techniques and instability caused by attempting to mount too much weaponry on too small a displacement hull. In addition, 48 new warships and creation of eight new Naval Air Groups were funded.

By 1937, the term of the London Naval Treaty had expired, and the Japanese government refused overtures to participate in further disarmament negotiations. Instead, a massive third expansion plan was officially ratified by the Diet of Japan

Diet of Japan

The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...

in 1937, calling for 66 new combat vessels, centering around two of the new Yamato-class

Yamato class battleship

The were battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed and operated during World War II. Displacing at full load, the vessels were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. The class carried the largest naval artillery ever fitted to a warship, nine naval...

battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

s and two Shōkaku-class

Shokaku class aircraft carrier

The was a pair of aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy built before World War II. Only two vessels were built in this class; and . Together, they formed the 5th Carrier Division. Both were lost in action during World War II.-References:...

aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

s, and expansion of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service by 14 more Naval Air Groups.

This plan was a multiyear (six year) budget, and allocated a total of 806,549,000 Yen was allotted for warship construction and 75,267,000 Yen for naval aviation

Naval aviation

Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...

Table of vessels

Category	Class	Vessel number(s)	Completed	Converted	Cancelled
Battleship	Yamato Yamato class battleship The were battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy constructed and operated during World War II. Displacing at full load, the vessels were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed. The class carried the largest naval artillery ever fitted to a warship, nine naval...	#1 - 2	Yamato Japanese battleship Yamato , named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing... (#1), Musashi Japanese battleship Musashi , named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II and flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet. She was the second ship of the... (#2)
Aircraft carrier	Shōkaku Shokaku class aircraft carrier The was a pair of aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy built before World War II. Only two vessels were built in this class; and . Together, they formed the 5th Carrier Division. Both were lost in action during World War II.-References:...	#3 - 4	Shōkaku Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku Shōkaku was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the lead ship of her class. Along with her sister ship , she took part in several key naval battles during the Pacific War, including the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands... (#3), Zuikaku Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku Zuikaku was a Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her complement of aircraft took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor that formally brought the United States into the Pacific War, and she fought in several of the most important naval battles of the war, finally being sunk... (#4)
Minelayer Type-A	Nisshin Japanese seaplane carrier Nisshin Nisshin was a seaplane carrier of the Japanese Imperial Navy during World War II. The ship was built at Kure Naval Arsenal from 1938 to 1942.- Design :...	#5	Nissin (#5)	Converted to seaplane tender.
Minelayer Type-B	Tsugaru Japanese minelayer Tsugaru was a large minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy that was in service during the early stages of World War II. She was named after the earlier , which in turn was named after Tsugaru Peninsula in northwest Aomori Prefecture of Japan...	#6	Tsugaru (#6)
Minelayer (Netlayer)	Hatsutaka Hatsutaka class minelayer The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during the World War II. They have three sub classes, this article handles them collectively.-Design:...	#7 - 8	Hatsutaka Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka was the lead vessel in the of medium-sized minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was in service during World War II. She was designed as an improved version of anti-submarine netlayer... (#7), Aotaka Japanese minelayer Aotaka was the second vessel in the of medium-sized minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was in service during World War II. She was designed as an improved version of Shirataka netlayer... (#8)
Escort ship Type-A	Shimushu	#9 - 12	Shimushu (#9), Kunashiri (#10), Hachijō Japanese escort Hachijo was an escort ship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Like her sister ship Ishigaki, Hachijo spent most of her early career in the Kuriles escorting ships. On 19 February 1943, Hachijo barely missed meeting her doom when she was detached from escorting Akagane Maru to Attu in the... (#11), Ishigaki Japanese escort Ishigaki was an escort ship of the in the service of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Based in the Kuriles, she patrolled and escorted convoys and ships there.... (#12)
Gunboat Type-A	Hashidate Hashidate class gunboat The Hashidate class gunboat was a class of two Imperial Japanese Navy gunboats which served during World War II. The class consisted of 2 vessels, Hashidate and Uji. During World War II the number of their AA guns was increased and they were also equipped with depth charges....	#13 - 14	Hashidate Japanese gunboat Hashidate was the lead vessel in the gunboats in the Imperial Japanese Navy, that operated in China during the 1940s.-History:Hashidate was authorized under the Maru-3 Naval Expansion Budget of 1937... (#13), Uji Japanese gunboat Uji (1940) was the second and final vessel in the gunboats in the Imperial Japanese Navy, that operated in China during the 1940s.-History:Uji was authorized under the Maru-3 Naval Expansion Budget of 1937... (#14)
Gunboat Type-B	Fushimi Fushimi class gunboat were a class of riverine gunboats of the Imperial Japanese Navy.The class consisted of 2 vessels:* Fushimi * Sumida...	#15 - 16	Fushimi Japanese gunboat Fushimi (1939) was the lead ship of the in the Imperial Japanese Navy.- References : ... (#15), Sumida Japanese gunboat Sumida (1939) was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She should not be confused with the earlier gunboat Sumida.- References : ... (#16)
Destroyer Type-A	Kagerō Kagero class destroyer The was a class of ships in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. There were 19 ships total in the class. The IJN called them from their plan name.-Description:...	#17 - 34	Kagerō Japanese destroyer Kagero was the lead ship in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#17), Shiranui (#18), Kuroshio Japanese destroyer Kuroshio was the third vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#19), Oyashio Japanese destroyer Oyashio was the fourth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#20), Hayashio Japanese destroyer Hayashio was the fifth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#21), Natsushio Japanese destroyer Natsushio was the sixth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#22), Hatsukaze Japanese destroyer Hatsukaze was the seventh vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program... (#23), Yukikaze Japanese destroyer Yukikaze was a in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war. The attrition rate of Japanese destroyers was extremely high due to heavy, prolonged combat and the need to use them to transport supplies to scattered Japanese island... (#24), Amatsukaze Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze Amatsukaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. During the first year of the Pacific War, the destroyer was under the command of Tameichi Hara and participated in the Battle of the Java Sea, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, in... (#25), Tokitsukaze Japanese destroyer Tokitsukaze was the tenth vessel to be commissioned in the 19-vessel destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late-1930s under the Circle Three Supplementary Naval Expansion Program .-Background:... (#26), Urakaze Japanese destroyer Urakaze Urakaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 9 June 1944, she rescued 126 survivors from , including her commander Lieutenant Commander Ikeda, which was sunk by , near Tawitawi... (#27), Isokaze Japanese destroyer Isokaze Isokaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. It is the second ship to carry the name after the lead ship from Isokaze-class destroyer.On 7 April 1945, Isokaze escorted the battleship from the Inland Sea on her Operation Ten-Go attack on the Allied forces on Okinawa... (#28), Hamakaze Japanese destroyer Hamakaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 7 April 1945, Hamakaze escorted the battleship from the Inland Sea on her Operation Ten-Go attack on the Allied forces on Okinawa. She was sunk by aircraft of Task Force 58 and sank 150 miles southwest of Nagasaki .-External links:**... (#29), Tanikaze Japanese destroyer Tanikaze Tanikaze was a of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Wind from the Mountain to the Valley".In June 1942 the ship participated in the battle of Midway where she was damaged by air attacks... (#30), Nowaki Japanese destroyer Nowaki was a Kagero-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy.On 3 March 1942 the Nowaki help sink the gunboat . In the Battle off Samar on 25 October 1944, Nowaki took part in the torpedo attack on the U.S. escort carriers and assisted in sinking of... (#31)	#32-34 were dummy of naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships
Cruiser submarine Type-A	I-9	#35 - 36	I-9 Japanese submarine I-9 Japanese submarine I-9 was a Japanese A1 type submarine. She was sunk off Kiska 13 May 1943 by the United States Navy destroyer Frazier.-Sources:* Stille, Mark. Imperial Japanese Navy Submarines 1941-45. Osprey, 2007.... (#35), I-10 Japanese submarine I-10 IJN I-10 was a Japanese long-range fleet submarine of Type A1 which saw service in World War II.I-10 conducted long-range operations in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, using her seaplane to carry out reconnaissance on the harbours of Durban and Port Elizabeth and other locales, including... (#36)
Cruiser submarine Type-B	I-15	#37 - 43	I-15 Japanese submarine I-15 I-15 was a Japanese B1 type submarine. She was completed at Kure Navy Yard on September 30, 1940, whereupon she entered into service with the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her first and only commanding officer was Commander Nobuo Ishikawa. I-15 operated off the north coast of Oahu during the raid on... (#37), I-17 Japanese submarine I-17 I-17 was a Japanese B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during World War II. She was the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland.-Pearl Harbor:... (#38), I-19 (#39), I-21 Japanese submarine I-21 was a Japanese Type B1 submarine which saw service during World War II in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She displaced 1,950 tons and had a speed of . I-21 was the most successful Japanese submarine to operate in Australian waters, participating in the attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942 and sinking... (#40), I-23 (#41), I-25 Japanese submarine I-25 was a B1-Type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy that served in World War II, took part in the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and carried out the only aerial bombing on the continental United States during wartime; during the so-called Lookout Air Raid; and the Bombardment of Fort Stevens, both... (#42)	#43 was dummy of naval budget of the Yamato-class battleships
Cruiser submarine Type-C	I-16	#44 - 48	I-16 (#44), I-18 (#45), I-20 (#46), I-22 Japanese submarine I-22 I-22 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-22 was commissioned at Yokosuka, Japan on March 10, 1941. The submarine participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea and attack on Sydney Harbour in May and June 1942... (#47), I-24 Japanese submarine I-24 I-24 was a submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during the Pacific Campaign of World War II. I-24 was commissioned at Sasebo, Japan on October 31, 1941... (#48)
Minesweeper	No.7 No.7 class minesweeper (1938) The was a class of minesweepers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the World War II. 6 vessels were built in 1937-39 under the Maru 3 Keikaku.-Background:...	#49 - 54	No.7 (#49) to No.12 (#54)
Munition transporter	Kashino	#55	Kashino (#55)
Survey ship	Tsukushi	#56	Tsukushi (#56)
Minelayer	Sokuten Sokuten class minelayer (1938) The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during and after World War II. The class consists of three subclasses, which this article handles collectively.-Background:...	#57 - 61	Sokuten (#57), Shirakami (#58), Naryū (#59), Kyosai (#60), Ukishima (#61)
Submarine chaser	No.4 No.4 class submarine chaser The was a class of submarine chasers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during and after World War II. 9 vessels were built in 1937-39 under the Maru 3 Programme.-Design:...	#62 - 70	No.7 (#62), No.8 (#63), No.4 (#64), No.5 (#65), No.11 (#66), No.12 (#67), No.10 (#68), No.9 (#69), No.6 (#70)
Experimental submarine	71st vessel	#71	#71
Training cruiser	Katori Katori class cruiser The were originally ordered by the Imperial Japanese Navy to serve as training ships in the 1937 and 1939 Supplementary Naval budget. During the Pacific War, they were used as administrative flagships for various fleets, such as submarine command and control, and to command escort squadrons...	#72 - 73	Katori Japanese cruiser Katori was the lead ship of the Katori class of three light cruisers which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It is named after the noted Shinto shrine Katori Shrine in Chiba prefecture, Japan.-Background:... (#72), Kashima Japanese cruiser Kashima was the second vessel completed of the three light cruisers in Katori class, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. It is named after the noted Shinto shrine Kashima Jingu in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan.-Background:... (#73)
Food supply ship	Irako Japanese food ship Irako was a Japanese food supply ship, serving during the Second World War.-Construction:She was built in 1937 under the 3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, in preparation for the anticipated war with the United States. She was intended to supplement the Combined Fleet's existing food supply ship...	#74	Irako (#74)

Background

Table of vessels

See also