Hatsutaka-class minelayer explained

The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. There were three sub-classes, as well.

Design

• The Hastutaka-class minelayer was a reinforced model of the Shirataka. The Harima Zōsen Corporation dealt with all of the Hatsutaka-class.

Ships in classes

Hatsutaka-class

• Project number was H12. First production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Two vessels were built in 1938-40 under the Maru 3 Programme (Ship # 7 - 8). They were equipped with 4 × 40 mm quick-firing guns for anti-submarine warfare.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
7	^[1]	29 March 1938	28 April 1939	31 October 1939	Sunk by USS Hawkbill at South China Sea 4.9°N 131°W on 16 May 1945.
8	^[2]	10 May 1939	3 February 1940	30 June 1940	Sunk by USS Pargo at north of Jesselton 7°N 116°W on 26 September 1944.

Wakataka-class

• Project number was H12B. Second production model of the Hatsutaka-class. Only 1 vessel was built under the Maru 4 Programme (Ship # 102). She was equipped with 2 × 76.2mm anti-aircraft cannons. The Wakataka was classed in the Hatsutaka-class in the IJN official documents. The IJN called her the unofficially.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
102	^[3]	15 November 1940	12 July 1941	30 November 1941	Decommissioned on 1 March 1946. Surrendered to United Kingdom on 17 October 1947. Transferred to Federation of Malaya, and renamed Laburnum. Surrendered to Republic of Singapore in 1968. Later, nothing more was heard.

Asadori-class

• Project number was H12C. The Navy Technical Department revised the Wakataka drawings. Only 1 vessel was planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship # 5039). The IJN called her the unofficially.

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
5039	^[4]				Cancelled on 5 May 1944.

Footnotes

1. Free translation: Hawk in early fall.
2. Blue hawk.
3. "Young hawk."
4. "Morning bird."

See also

• Japanese minelayer Shirataka

Bibliography

• Ships of the World special issue Vol.47, Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Web site: Kaijinsha., (Japan), March 1997
• Model Art Extra No.360, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-2, Web site: Model Art Co. Ltd. . 2009-05-20 . 2012-06-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120605034808/http://www.modelart.jp/ . dead . (Japan), October 1989
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.42, Japanese minelayers, Web site: Ushio Shobō. (Japan), August 1980
• Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988,