Japanese minelayer Shirataka
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 the world's first purpose-built anti-submarine netlayer. Also, unlike any other warship in the Japanese Navy, she had two chrysanthemum crest
s due to her unusual bow
configuration.
s , and . The new vessel was designed to carry either 100 Type 5 naval mine
s, or to function as a netlayer
based on design features developed through operational experience to counter German submarines
gained in World War I. At first the project plans called for Shirataka to be 5,000 ton dedicated netlayer, and to be paired with a 3,000 ton class minelayer (project number H1, later called ). However, due to budgetary limitations and in response to the Washington Naval Treaty
of 1922, the designs of both vessels were scaled down, and Shirataka was called on to serve as a dual-purpose netlayer/minelayer.
Shirataka was launched by the Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard on January 25, 1929, and was commissioned into service on April 9, 1929.
. In the second half of 1934, after the Tomozuru incident
, she was reconstruted at Kure Naval Arsenal
with additional ballast and a lowered bridge and funnel, resulting in an almost complete rebuild by May 1936. Shirataka was assigned to patrols of the China coast after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident
and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in August 1937. From 1 December 1937 she was assigned to the No.1 Base Force, IJN 3rd Fleet
(Shanghai
).
In November 1940, Shirataka was reconstructed into an escort patrol vessel by addition of 36 depth charges and was reassigned to the IJN 3rd Fleet on 1 December 1941 under the overall command of Admiral Ibō Takahashi
.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941, Shirataka was stationed at Takao
on Taiwan
, and was assigned to "Operation M", (the invasion of the northern Philippines
). In January 1942, Shirataka was assigned to the Netherlands East Indies
theatre of operations, supporting the Japanese invasions of Tarakan
and Balikpapan
in Borneo
and participating in the Battle of Sunda Strait
on 27 February. From 10 March, she was reassigned to Admiral Nobutake Kondō's No.21 Special Base Force, Southern Expeditionary Fleet and was based at Surabaya
. On 1 August, she joined Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
's IJN 8th Fleet
and in November, escorted convoys to Shortland Island
and Bougainville
. At the end of the year, she was based at Wewak
.On 20 February 1943, Shirataka escaped from an attack by without damage while on an escort mission in the Bismarck Archipelago
. Shirataka continued with convoy escort duty between Palau
and New Guinea
and the Solomon Islands
through February 1944, joining the IJN 9th Fleet
from 15 November 1943.
From 22 March 1944, Shirataka underwent refit and overhaul at Kure Naval Arsenal
, where radar/sonar/anti-aircraft arms were installed. On 5 April 1944, she was assigned to the Escort Fleet under Admiral Koshiro Oikawa
. From 21 April to 20 May 1944, she was flagship
for the escort operation for the Take Ichi convoy
from Shanghai to Manila
to Halmahera Island and back, with heavy losses to the convoy ships, but no damage to Shirataka. After escorting a convoy from Manila back to Moji
in June, she subsequently escorted Convoy Hi-67 to Manila and Singapore from 20 June to 9 July 1944. She returned with Convoy Hi-68 on 20 July, and escorted Convoy Mo-05 to Okinawa on 5 August.
On 19 August, Shirataka escorted Convoy Mi-15 from Moji to Miri
in Sarawak
. On 31 August, while transiting Luzon Strait
, the convoy was attacked by , and , which sank several of the transports. Sealion also hit at 07:30 Shirataka with two of three torpedoes fired as she entered Bashi Channel
. Shirataka sank at 21°05′N 121°26′E at 11:15 with loss of all hands, including her CO, Captain Takahide Miki, who was subsequently posthumously promoted to rear admiral.
Shirataka was removed from the navy list
on 10 October 1944.
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 the world's first purpose-built anti-submarine netlayer. Also, unlike any other warship in the Japanese Navy, she had two chrysanthemum crest
Imperial Seal of Japan
The Imperial Seal of Japan is a mon or crest used by members of the Japanese Imperial family. Under the Meiji Constitution, no one was permitted to use the Imperial Seal except the Emperor of Japan, who used a 16 petal chrysanthemum with sixteen tips of another row of petals showing behind the...
s due to her unusual bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
configuration.
Background
Under the fiscal 1923 budget, the Imperial Japanese Navy authorized a new type of minelayer (Project H2) 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 carry either 100 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, or to function as a netlayer
Net laying ship
A net laying ship, also known as a net layer, net tender or boom defence vessel was a type of small auxiliary ship.A net layer's primary function was to lay and maintain steel anti-torpedo or anti-submarine nets. Nets could be laid around an individual ship at anchor, or around harbors or other...
based on design features developed through operational experience to counter German submarines
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
gained in World War I. At first the project plans called for Shirataka to be 5,000 ton dedicated netlayer, and to be paired with a 3,000 ton class minelayer (project number H1, later called ). However, due to budgetary limitations and in response to the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
of 1922, the designs of both vessels were scaled down, and Shirataka was called on to serve as a dual-purpose netlayer/minelayer.
Shirataka was launched by the Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard on January 25, 1929, and was commissioned into service on April 9, 1929.
Operational history
After commissioning, Shirataka was assigned to the Kure Naval DistrictKure Naval District
was the second of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the Inland Sea of Japan and the Pacific coasts of southern Honshū from Wakayama to Yamaguchi prefectures, eastern and northern Kyūshū and Shikoku....
. In the second half of 1934, after the Tomozuru incident
Chidori class torpedo boat
The was a Imperial Japanese Navy class of torpedo boats that served during the Second World War. They proved to have too much armament for the hull and capsized shortly after completion in heavy weather. The entire class had to be rebuilt before they became satisfactory sea-boats...
, she was reconstruted at Kure Naval Arsenal
Kure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
with additional ballast and a lowered bridge and funnel, resulting in an almost complete rebuild by May 1936. Shirataka was assigned to patrols of the China coast 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 in August 1937. From 1 December 1937 she was assigned to the No.1 Base Force, 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...
(Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
).
In November 1940, Shirataka was reconstructed into an escort patrol vessel by addition of 36 depth charges and was reassigned to the IJN 3rd Fleet on 1 December 1941 under the overall command of Admiral Ibō Takahashi
Ibo Takahashi
- Books :...
.
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, Shirataka was stationed at Takao
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
on Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and was assigned to "Operation M", (the invasion of the northern Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
). In January 1942, Shirataka 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....
and participating in the Battle of Sunda Strait
Battle of Sunda Strait
The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II. On the night of 28 February – 1 March 1942, the Australian light cruiser and the American heavy cruiser faced a major Imperial Japanese Navy task force. After a fierce battle of several hours duration, both Allied...
on 27 February. From 10 March, she was reassigned to Admiral Nobutake Kondō's No.21 Special Base Force, Southern Expeditionary Fleet and was based at 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...
. On 1 August, she joined Admiral Gunichi Mikawa
Gunichi Mikawa
was a Vice-Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.Mikawa was the commander of a heavy cruiser force that carried out spectacular I.J.N. victory over the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy at the Battle of Savo Island in Ironbottom Sound on the night of August 1942. In...
's IJN 8th Fleet
IJN 8th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:Established on 14 July 1942, the IJN 8th Fleet was a headquarters unit established to direct Japanese naval operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea...
and in November, escorted convoys to Shortland Island
Shortland Island
Shortland Island is the largest island of the Shortland Islands, Solomon Islands, at . Named by John Shortland....
and Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. At the end of the year, she was based at Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
.On 20 February 1943, Shirataka escaped from an attack by without damage while on an escort mission in the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
. Shirataka continued with convoy escort duty between 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...
and 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...
and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
through February 1944, joining the IJN 9th Fleet
IJN 9th Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:Established on 15 November 1943, the IJN 9th Fleet was a headquarters unit established to direct Japanese naval operations in New Guinea. The ships and equipment of the IJN 9th Fleet were under the operational...
from 15 November 1943.
From 22 March 1944, Shirataka underwent refit and overhaul at Kure Naval Arsenal
Kure Naval Arsenal
was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy. -History:The Kure Naval District was established at Kure, Hiroshima in 1889, as the second of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands along with the establishment of the...
, where radar/sonar/anti-aircraft arms were installed. On 5 April 1944, she was assigned to the Escort Fleet under Admiral Koshiro Oikawa
Koshiro Oikawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and Naval Minister during World War II.-Biography:Oikawa was born into a wealthy family in rural Koshi County, Niigata Prefecture, but was raised in Morioka city, Iwate prefecture in northern Japan....
. From 21 April to 20 May 1944, she was 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...
for the escort operation for the Take Ichi convoy
Take Ichi convoy
The convoy was a Japanese convoy of World War II. The convoy left Shanghai on 17 April 1944, carrying two infantry divisions to reinforce Japan's defensive positions in the Philippines and western New Guinea. United States Navy submarines attacked the convoy on 26 April and 6 May, sinking four...
from Shanghai to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to Halmahera Island and back, with heavy losses to the convoy ships, but no damage to Shirataka. After escorting a convoy from Manila back to Moji
Moji-ku, Kitakyushu
is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū....
in June, she subsequently escorted Convoy Hi-67 to Manila and Singapore from 20 June to 9 July 1944. She returned with Convoy Hi-68 on 20 July, and escorted Convoy Mo-05 to Okinawa on 5 August.
On 19 August, Shirataka escorted Convoy Mi-15 from Moji to Miri
Miri
Miri is a city in northern Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It is the second largest city in Sarawak, with a population of about 300,000, and the government administrative centre of Miri District in Miri Division....
in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
. On 31 August, while transiting Luzon Strait
Luzon Strait
The Luzon Strait is the strait between the island country of Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the convoy was attacked by , and , which sank several of the transports. Sealion also hit at 07:30 Shirataka with two of three torpedoes fired as she entered Bashi Channel
Bashi Channel
The Bashi Channel is a strait between the Y'Ami Island of the Philippines and Orchid Island of Taiwan. It is characterized by windy storms during the rainy period, June to December. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean....
. Shirataka sank at 21°05′N 121°26′E at 11:15 with loss of all hands, including her CO, Captain Takahide Miki, who was subsequently posthumously promoted to rear admiral.
Shirataka 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 October 1944.