Japanese minesweeper No. 10 (1938)

Career (Japan)
Name:	W-10
Owner:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Operator:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Builder:	Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipbuilding Yard, Tokyo
Laid down:	21 December 1937
Launched:	22 September 1938
Completed:	15 February 1939
In service:	15 February 1939
Out of service:	15 March 1942
Homeport:	Sasebo, Nagasaki
Fate:	Sunk by air raid off Vigan on 10 December 1941 at 18°22'N, 121°38'E.
General characteristics
Class and type:	W-7 Class
Type:	Minesweeper
Displacement:	630
Length:	237 feet
Height:	25.9 feet
Depth:	6.6 feet
Installed power:	3,850 horsepower
Propulsion:	Steam
Speed:	20 knots
Complement:	88
Armament:	2 x 120mm (4.7") 45 cal, 9 x 25mm AA, 36 depth charges[1]

The No.10 minesweeper (第十号掃海艇, Dai Jū Gō Sōkaitei), also sometimes called W-10 was a No.7 class minesweeper for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It was 21 December 1937, and finished on 22 September 1938.

The Ship

The Japanese minesweeper W-10, sometimes also referred to as No. 10, was a minesweeper for the Imperial Japanese Navy (sometimes abbreviated IJN). It was laid down on 21 December 1937 at Ishikawajima Shipbuilding, now known as the IHI Corporation. It was launched just under a year later, on 22 September 1938. On 15 January 1939, W-10 was attached to the Sasebo Naval District, after being registered with the IJN. On 1 June 1941 W-10 was assigned to the Third Fleet, on MineSweepDiv 21, along with the minesweepers W-7, W-8, W-9, W-11, and W-12. On 27 November of the same year, W-10 departed from Sasebo, and arrived at the Mako Guard District in Formosa, a major base for the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 7 December 1941, the Japanese invasion of the Philippines began, starting with the invasion of Batan Island, a fairly small island off the coast of the Philippines. On 10 December, an invasion force is sent towards Vigan and Aparri. Despite poor weather, the forces still managed to land several troops on the islands.^[2] While participating in the invasion of Vigan, W-10 was attacked by Captain Samuel H. Marrett of the 34th Pursuit Squadron. Marrett, in a P-35, took multiple strafing runs against W-10, until the ship blew up. The explosion was so powerful it tore the wing off of Marrett's P-35, causing him to crash in to the sea. Marrett also managed to do damage to Oigawa Maru and Takao Maru.^[3]

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