Japanese minelayer Itsukushima
Encyclopedia
was a medium-sized minelayer
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, which was in service during the Second Sino-Japanese War
and World War II. She was named after the First Sino-Japanese War
-era cruiser
, which in turn was named after Itsukushima
, a sacred island in Hiroshima Prefecture
of Japan. She was the first warship in the Imperial Japanese Navy with all diesel engine
propulsion.
s , and . The new vessel was designed to carrying 500 Type 5 naval mine
s, and to incorporate design features developed through operational experience gained in World War I. Initial plans to procure a 3000-ton vessel were scaled back to 2000-tons due to budget limitations.
Itsukushima was launched by the Uraga Dock Company
on May 22, 1929, and was commissioned into service on December 26, 1929.
as a reserve and training vessel, making occasional cruises to the South Pacific Mandate
and Bonin Islands. During the Combined Fleet
Maneuvers of 1935, she was attached to the IJN 4th Fleet
and suffered damage due to a typhoon in what was termed the "Fourth Fleet Incident". The damage required several months of extensive repairs, resulting in an almost complete rebuild by May 1936. Istukushima was assigned to the IJN 3rd Fleet
from 20 October 1936, but is reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. After patrols of the Chinese coast until October 1937, Istukushima was reassigned back to the IJN 3rd Fleet and stationed at Ryojun Guard District
. From December 1937 to 20 March 1938, Istukushima was assigned to the IJN 4th Fleet, and then back to Yokosuka Naval District, but based at Sasebo
. From August 1938, under the command of the IJN 3nd Fleet, Istukushima began patrols of the Yangzi River in China. However, at the end of 1938, she was removed from active duty and placed on reserve status and returned to Yokosuka.
Istukushima was reactivated on 15 November 1940 under the Combined Fleet and resumed patrols of the China coast to April 1941, when she was reassigned back to the IJN 3rd Fleet and deployed to Palau
in December 1941. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941, Itsukushima was assigned to the Southern Philippines Striking Force of the IJN 3rd Fleet under the overall command of Admiral Ibō Takahashi
, and tasked with mining the San Bernardino Strait
.
In January 1942, Itsukushima was assigned to the Netherlands East Indies
theatre of operations, supporting the Japanese invasions of Tarakan
and Balikpapan
in Borneo
as flagship
of the Second Base Unit under Admiral Sueto Hirose. From 10 March, she was reassigned to the Third Southern Expeditionary Fleet under Admiral Rokuzo Sugiyama, and continued to support operations in Borneo and Java
. She was then reassigned to the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet, under the Southwest Area Fleet
, patrolling between Singapore
, Surabaya
, Batavia and Ambon
to the end of the year. On 25–26 December 1942, together with the light cruiser
, Itsukushima landed troops of the 24th Naval Base force which captured Hollandia
, New Guinea.
Itsukushima was subsequently based out of Palau through most of 1943, becoming part of the Fourth Southern Expeditionary Fleet from 30 November, and was deployed to Ambon by the end of the year.
In early 1944, Itsukushima was assigned to escort convoys between Ambon, Surabaya and Halmahera Island. On 6 May, she was unsuccessfully attacked by the , in the Celebes Sea
. On 31 May, Itsukushima was assigned to "Operation KON"
(the Relief of Biak
), transporting reinforcements from Zamboanga
on Mindanao
in an effort to counter the American landings. On 24 August, Itsukushima was attacked by USAAF B-25 Mitchell
bombers from the 345th Bomb Group
while escorting a convoy near Lahbeh Strait near the Celebes
. A near miss flooded her aft section, and engine room. She was attacked again on 2 September, but shot down two of the attacking planes, and so damaging two others that they were forced to crash-land. On 4 October, the minelayer arrived to take Itsukushima under tow for Surabaya. However, on 17 October, while transiting the Java Sea
under tow, Itsukushima was torpedoed by the Royal Dutch Navy submarine , and sank at position 5°23′S 113°48′E.
Itsukushima was removed from the navy list
on 10 January 1945.
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
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...
, which was in service during the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
and World War II. She was named after the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
-era cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
, which in turn was named after Itsukushima
Itsukushima
is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as , the Shrine Island. The island is one of . Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture...
, a sacred island in Hiroshima Prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
of Japan. She was the first warship in the Imperial Japanese Navy with all diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
propulsion.
Building
Under the fiscal 1923 budget, the Imperial Japanese Navy authorized a minelayer to supplement its aging minelayers, the former cruiserCruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s , and . The new vessel was designed to carrying 500 Type 5 naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s, and to incorporate design features developed through operational experience gained in World War I. Initial plans to procure a 3000-ton vessel were scaled back to 2000-tons due to budget limitations.
Itsukushima was launched by the Uraga Dock Company
Uraga Dock Company
was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the Edo period...
on May 22, 1929, and was commissioned into service on December 26, 1929.
Operational history
After commissioning, Istukushima was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval DistrictYokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
as a reserve and training vessel, making occasional cruises to the South Pacific Mandate
South Pacific Mandate
The was the Japanese League of Nations mandate consisting of several groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean which came under the administration of Japan after the defeat of the German Empire in World War I.-Early history:Under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, after the start of World...
and Bonin Islands. During the Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
Maneuvers of 1935, she was attached to the IJN 4th Fleet
IJN 4th Fleet
The was a fleet designation of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Fourth Fleet designation was used during three separate periods. The initial designation was for a group of ships that were assigned to work together during the Russo-Japanese conflict and the period of its immediate aftermath...
and suffered damage due to a typhoon in what was termed the "Fourth Fleet Incident". The damage required several months of extensive repairs, resulting in an almost complete rebuild by May 1936. Istukushima was assigned to the IJN 3rd Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...
from 20 October 1936, but is reassigned directly to the Combined Fleet after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
Marco Polo Bridge Incident
The Marco Polo Bridge Incident was a battle between the Republic of China's National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War .The eleven-arch granite bridge, Lugouqiao, is an architecturally significant structure,...
and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War. After patrols of the Chinese coast until October 1937, Istukushima was reassigned back to the IJN 3rd Fleet and stationed at Ryojun Guard District
Ryojun Guard District
The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Kwantung Leased Territory before and during Second Sino-Japanese War. Located in at Ryojun ), The was the major navy base for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Kwantung Leased Territory before and during Second Sino-Japanese War....
. From December 1937 to 20 March 1938, Istukushima was assigned to the IJN 4th Fleet, and then back to Yokosuka Naval District, but based at Sasebo
Sasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...
. From August 1938, under the command of the IJN 3nd Fleet, Istukushima began patrols of the Yangzi River in China. However, at the end of 1938, she was removed from active duty and placed on reserve status and returned to Yokosuka.
Istukushima was reactivated on 15 November 1940 under the Combined Fleet and resumed patrols of the China coast to April 1941, when she was reassigned back to the IJN 3rd Fleet and deployed to Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
in December 1941. At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941, Itsukushima was assigned to the Southern Philippines Striking Force of the IJN 3rd Fleet under the overall command of Admiral Ibō Takahashi
Ibo Takahashi
- Books :...
, and tasked with mining the San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
.
In January 1942, Itsukushima was assigned to the Netherlands East Indies
Dutch East Indies campaign
The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies by forces from the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Forces from the Allies attempted unsuccessfully to defend the islands. Indonesia was targeted by the Japanese for its...
theatre of operations, supporting the Japanese invasions of Tarakan
Battle of Tarakan (1942)
The Battle of Tarakan took place on January 11–12, 1942. Even though Tarakan was only a small marshy island at northeastern Borneo in the Netherlands East Indies, but the 700 oil wells, oil refinery and airfield on it, was one of the main objectives for the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War...
and Balikpapan
Battle of Balikpapan (1942)
This article concerns the naval and land battles of Balikpapan in 1942. For information on the 1945 landings by Australian forces in the same area, see Second Battle of Balikpapan....
in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Second Base Unit under Admiral Sueto Hirose. From 10 March, she was reassigned to the Third Southern Expeditionary Fleet under Admiral Rokuzo Sugiyama, and continued to support operations in Borneo and Java
Battle of Java (1942)
The Battle of Java was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred on the island of Java from 28 February-12 March 1942. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on 28 February 1942, and Allied personnel...
. She was then reassigned to the Second Southern Expeditionary Fleet, under the Southwest Area Fleet
Southwest Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the...
, patrolling between Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Batavia and Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
to the end of the year. On 25–26 December 1942, together with the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
, Itsukushima landed troops of the 24th Naval Base force which captured Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, New Guinea.
Itsukushima was subsequently based out of Palau through most of 1943, becoming part of the Fourth Southern Expeditionary Fleet from 30 November, and was deployed to Ambon by the end of the year.
In early 1944, Itsukushima was assigned to escort convoys between Ambon, Surabaya and Halmahera Island. On 6 May, she was unsuccessfully attacked by the , in the Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
. On 31 May, Itsukushima was assigned to "Operation KON"
Battle of Biak
The Battle of Biak was part of the New Guinea campaign of World War II. It was fought between the United States Army and the Japanese Army from May 27 to June 22, 1944. It was the first major tactical use of an ambush by the Japanese during the war....
(the Relief of Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
), transporting reinforcements from Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
in an effort to counter the American landings. On 24 August, Itsukushima was attacked by USAAF B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
bombers from the 345th Bomb Group
345th Bomb Group
The 345th Bombardment Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Tactical Air Command 836th Air Division, being stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
while escorting a convoy near Lahbeh Strait near the Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
. A near miss flooded her aft section, and engine room. She was attacked again on 2 September, but shot down two of the attacking planes, and so damaging two others that they were forced to crash-land. On 4 October, the minelayer arrived to take Itsukushima under tow for Surabaya. However, on 17 October, while transiting the Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
under tow, Itsukushima was torpedoed by the Royal Dutch Navy submarine , and sank at position 5°23′S 113°48′E.
Itsukushima was removed from the navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 10 January 1945.