Kasashima-class salvage tugboat explained

The were a class of rescue ship / tugboat of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. The IJN official designation for this class was for all vessels.

Background

Under the Russo-Japanese War, the IJN purchased many steamships and converted them to salvage vessels. However, when they entered in 1930s, deterioration became remarkable. The IJN initially planned for the Tategami class to succeed them. The IJN was going to build the one by one for three years from fiscal year 1936. However, the plan came to an impasse due to budget shortages by the second year. The IJN postponed building of the second ship for two years, and built two cheap 600-ton ships instead: the Hashima (later renamed Kasashima) and Futakami.^[1]

Ships in class

Ship	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
ex-	Harima Zōsen	15 December 1937	8 March 1938	27 May 1938 as Hashima	Renamed Kasashima on 25 October 1940;^[2] sunk by aircraft off Taipei 26.3667°N 176°W on 25 January 1944.^[3]
	Harima Zōsen	21 October 1938	27 March 1939	30 April 1939	Survived war in Truk; decommissioned on 3 May 1947 (?); later scuttled off Tonowas.

Bibliography

• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, "Japanese naval mine warfare crafts", Web site: Ushio Shobō. (Japan), January 1981.
• Editorial Committee of the Navy, Navy Vol. 11, "Part of small vessels, auxiliary vessels, miscellaneous service ship and converted merchant ships", Seibunsha K.K. (Japan), August 1981.
• 50 year History of Harima Zōsen, Harima Zōsen Corporation, November 1960.
• Shinshichirō Komamiya, The Wartime Convoy Histories, Web site: Shuppan Kyōdōsha . 2011-12-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722095335/http://www.ships-net.co.jp/backs/kyodo/navalhistoryj.html . 2011-07-22 . dead . (Japan), October 1987.
• Web site: Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR)., National Archives of Japan
  • Reference code: C05110820900, [Data in English is under preparation] 第４８９０号 １２．９．２２ ６００屯救難船兼曳船缶用管間邪魔板製造の件.
  • Reference code: C05110821000, [Data in English is under preparation] 第４８９１号 １２．９．２２ ６００屯救難船兼曳船缶用重油噴燃器及コ-ン製造の件.
• Monthly Ships of the World No. 500, Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy", Web site: Kaijinsha., (Japan), August 1995.

Notes and References

1. Editorial Committee of the Navy, p. 191
2. Cable layer Hatsushima was renamed Hashima on 25 October 1940, therefore, salvage tugboat Hashima was renamed Kasashima. The Maru Special (1981), p. 50
3. Shinshichirō Komamiya, p. 129