Japanese minelayer Okinoshima
Encyclopedia
was a large minelayer
of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, which was in service during the early stages of World War II
. She was named after the Okinoshima Island
in the Sea of Japan
and the earlier . She was the largest purpose-built minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the first Japanese minelayer to be equipped with a reconnaissance seaplane
.
, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to retire its existing obsolete minelayers, the former cruiser
s , and . A replacement was budgeted under the Maru-1
Supplementary Naval Expansion Budget of 1931. The new vessel was to be of unprecedented size, thus overcoming the shortcomings of previous minelayers in the Japanese inventory in terms of range and capacity. In addition to carrying 600 Type 6 naval mine
s, the new ship had the same guns as was used on the , and also was equipped with an aircraft catapult
, and a Kawanishi E7K
reconnaissance seaplane.
Okinoshima was launched by the Harima shipyards of Ishikawajima-Harima
in Hyōgo Prefecture
, Japan on November 14, 1935, and was commissioned into service on September 30, 1936.
of a destroyer
squadron, and made numerous survey missions to the Marshall Islands
, Caroline Islands
and Marianas
in the Japanese South Seas Mandate
, seeking potential sites for seaplane
bases, and transporting naval mines for future use.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941, Okinoshima was serving as flagship for Admiral Kiyohide Shima in "Operation Gi" (the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
) and had deployed from Jaluit with a Special Naval Landing Force
(SNLF) embarked. From 9–10 December, Okinoshima supported the Japanese landings on Makin
and on Tarawa, and on 24 December, the seizure of Abaiang
. Okinoshima was at Truk on 1 January 1942.
In January 1942, under the overall command of Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
, Okinoshima participated in "Operation R"
(the invasion of Rabaul
) landing Japanese troops at Blanche Bay, Rabaul on the night of 22/23 January 1942. On 1 February, Okinoshima was officially re-assigned to the South Seas Force.
On 5 March, Okinoshima, under the overall command of Admiral Kuninori Marumo
, was assigned to "Operation SR"
(the invasion of Lae
and Salamaua
in New Guinea
). On 10 March, the invasion force was attacked by United States Navy
aircraft from and , with Okinoshima suffering light damage.
After repairs at Truk, on 28 April Okinoshima was appointed flagship for Admiral Shima's Tulagi
invasion force, which was part of "Operation Mo
" (the invasion of Tulagi and Port Moresby
in New Guinea
). The Tulagi assault force began their landings on Tulagi on 3 May, with Okinoshima successfully landing troops of the Kure 3rd SNLF. However, the invasion force was attacked on 4 May by aircraft from the USS Yorktown. Several transports and the destroyer , were sunk and Okinoshima suffered from a near miss, which resulted in her being towed to Rabaul for repairs.
", the invasion of Nauru
and Ocean Island
. On 12 May 1942, off New Ireland
, she was hit by two or three torpedoes by American submarine USS S-42
. Okinoshima was taken under tow by escorting destroyer , but capsized in St. George's Channel, in the Bismarck Sea
at position 05°06′S 153°48′E. Most of the crew survived.
Okinoshima was removed from the navy list
on 25 May 1942.
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 early stages 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...
. She was named after the Okinoshima Island
Okinoshima, Munakata
is an island, part of the city of Munakata, Fukuoka, Japan. It is considered sacred land by the local Munakata Taisha. The island's population consists of a single employee of the shrine. The entire island is considered a shinto kami, and the island is off limits to women. A movement exists to get...
in the Sea of Japan
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...
and the earlier . She was the largest purpose-built minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the first Japanese minelayer to be equipped with a reconnaissance seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
.
Building
Following the ratification of the London Naval TreatyLondon 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...
, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to retire its existing obsolete minelayers, the former 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...
s , and . A replacement was budgeted under the 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:...
Supplementary Naval Expansion Budget of 1931. The new vessel was to be of unprecedented size, thus overcoming the shortcomings of previous minelayers in the Japanese inventory in terms of range and capacity. In addition to carrying 600 Type 6 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, the new ship had the same guns as was used on the , and also was equipped with an aircraft catapult
Aircraft catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to launch aircraft from ships—in particular aircraft carriers—as a form of assisted take off. It consists of a track built into the flight deck, below which is a large piston or shuttle that is attached through the track to the nose gear of the aircraft, or in...
, and a Kawanishi E7K
Kawanishi E7K
-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., Réne J. Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-370-30251-6....
reconnaissance seaplane.
Okinoshima was launched by the Harima shipyards of Ishikawajima-Harima
IHI
The acronym IHI can refer to:* Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, a Japanese company which produces ships, aero-engines, and other transport-related machinery* Information Holdings Inc., part of The Thomson Corporation since 2004...
in Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, Japan on November 14, 1935, and was commissioned into service on September 30, 1936.
Operational history
During the late 1930s, Okinoshima was assigned as flagshipFlagship
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 a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
squadron, and made numerous survey missions to the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
and Marianas
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
in the Japanese South Seas 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...
, seeking potential sites for seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
bases, and transporting naval mines for future use.
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, Okinoshima was serving as flagship for Admiral Kiyohide Shima in "Operation Gi" (the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
) and had deployed from Jaluit with a Special Naval Landing Force
Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces
The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces , were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy and were a part of the IJN Land Forces...
(SNLF) embarked. From 9–10 December, Okinoshima supported the Japanese landings on Makin
Makin (islands)
Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands.-Geography:...
and on Tarawa, and on 24 December, the seizure of Abaiang
Abaiang
Abaiang, also spelled Apaiang, sometimes called Apiaia, and formerly named Charlotte Island, Matthews or Six Isles, is a coral atoll of Kiribati, located in the west-central Pacific Ocean.-Geography:...
. Okinoshima was at Truk on 1 January 1942.
In January 1942, under the overall command of Admiral Sadamichi Kajioka
Sadamichi Kajioka
-Notes:...
, Okinoshima participated in "Operation R"
Battle of Rabaul (1942)
The Battle of Rabaul, also known by the Japanese as Operation R, was fought on the island of New Britain in the Australian Territory of New Guinea, in January and February 1942. It was a strategically significant defeat of Allied forces by Japan in the Pacific campaign of World War II...
(the invasion of Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
) landing Japanese troops at Blanche Bay, Rabaul on the night of 22/23 January 1942. On 1 February, Okinoshima was officially re-assigned to the South Seas Force.
On 5 March, Okinoshima, under the overall command of Admiral Kuninori Marumo
Kuninori Marumo
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Marumo was a native of Nagano prefecture. He graduated from the 40th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1912, ranked 47th out of 144 cadets....
, was assigned to "Operation SR"
Invasion of Lae-Salamaua
The Invasion of Lae-Salamaua, called Operation SR by the Japanese, was an operation by Imperial Japanese forces to occupy the Salamaua-Lae area in the Territory of New Guinea 8–13 March 1942 during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
(the invasion of Lae
Lae
Lae, the capital of Morobe Province, is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the start of the Highlands Highway which is the main land transport corridor from the Highlands region to the coast...
and Salamaua
Salamaua
Salamaua was a small town situated on the north-eastern coastline of Papua New Guinea part of Morobe province. The settlement was built on a minor isthmus between the coast with mountains on the inland side and a headland...
in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
). On 10 March, the invasion force was attacked by 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...
aircraft from and , with Okinoshima suffering light damage.
After repairs at Truk, on 28 April Okinoshima was appointed flagship for Admiral Shima's Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
invasion force, which was part of "Operation Mo
Operation Mo
Operation Mo or the Port Moresby Operation was the name of the Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific with the goal of isolating Australia and New Zealand from their ally the United States...
" (the invasion of Tulagi and Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
). The Tulagi assault force began their landings on Tulagi on 3 May, with Okinoshima successfully landing troops of the Kure 3rd SNLF. However, the invasion force was attacked on 4 May by aircraft from the USS Yorktown. Several transports and the destroyer , were sunk and Okinoshima suffered from a near miss, which resulted in her being towed to Rabaul for repairs.
Fate
On 10 May, Okinoshima departed Rabaul as part of "Operation RYOperation RY
Operation RY was the name of the Imperial Japanese plan to invade and occupy Nauru and Ocean islands in the south Pacific during the Pacific conflict of World War II. The operation was originally set to be executed in May 1942 immediately following Operation MO and before Operation MI, which...
", the invasion of Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
and Ocean Island
Ocean Island
Ocean Island is a name given to two unrelated islands in the Pacific Ocean, and one in the Southern Ocean:* Kure Atoll, the last atoll in the Hawaiian Islands chain.* Banaba Island, in Kiribati, an island mined until recently for its phosphate....
. On 12 May 1942, off New Ireland
New Ireland (island)
New Ireland is a large island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 7,404 km² in area. It is the largest island of the New Ireland Province, lying northeast of the island of New Britain. Both islands are part of the Bismarck Archipelago, named after Otto von Bismarck, and they are separated by...
, she was hit by two or three torpedoes by American submarine USS S-42
USS S-42 (SS-153)
USS S-42 was the first member in the third group of S-class submarines of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down on 16 December 1920 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 30 April 1923 sponsored by Mrs. Henry A...
. Okinoshima was taken under tow by escorting destroyer , but capsized in St. George's Channel, in the Bismarck Sea
Bismarck Sea
The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Admiralty Islands. Like the Bismarck archipelago, it is named in honour of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck...
at position 05°06′S 153°48′E. Most of the crew survived.
Okinoshima 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 25 May 1942.