Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal (横須賀海軍工廠 Yokosuka Kaigun Kosho?) was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy, and was located at Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture on Tokyo Bay, south of Yokohama.
[edit] History
In 1866, the Tokugawa shogunate government established the Yokosuka Seisakusho, a military arsenal and naval base, with the help of foreign engineers, including the French naval architect Léonce Verny. The new facility was intended to produce modern, western-style warships and equipment for the Tokugawa navy. The construction of the arsenal was an important first step for the modernization of Japan's industry. Modern buildings, an aqueduct, foundry, brick factories, technical schools to train Japanese technicians were established.
After the Boshin War and the Meiji Restoration, the new Meiji government took over control of the facility in 1871, renaming it the Yokosuka Zosenjo (Yokosuka Shipyards). The first dry dock was opened in 1871, and is still in operation today. Japan's first domestically produced warship, Saiki, was completed the same year.
The Yokosuka Naval District was established at Yokosuka, Kanagawa in 1884, as the first of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands, and the Yokosuka Shipyards was renamed the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in 1903. In 1909, Japan's first domestically designed and produced battleship, Satsuma was launched.
Yokosuka became one of the main shipyards of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 20th century, building numerous battleships such as Yamashiro, and aircraft carriers such as Hiryu and Shokaku.
Naval aircraft were designed at the nearby Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal.
The facilities were seized by the Allied forces at the end of World War II, and on 1945-10-15 the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal was officially abolished.
However, the facilities continued to be used in the post-World War II period, by the United States Navy as the Yokosuka Ship Repair Facility and its former property is now under the control of the United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
A steam hammer from the former Yokosuka Naval Arsenal is on display at the Verny Commemorative Museum in Yokosuka.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Jansen, Marius B. (2000). The Making of Modern Japan. Belknap Press. ISBN 0674009916.
- Topkins, Tom (1981). Yokosuka, Base of an Empire. Presidio Press. ISBN 0891410880.
- Teratani, Takeaki (1981). Kindai Nihon no zosen to kaigun: Yokohama, Yokosuka no kaijishi. Seizando Shoten. ISBN 4425301315.
