Ōhama-class target ship

Class overview
Name: Ōhama-class target ship
Builders: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Operators: Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by: Hakachi
Cost: 10,064,000 JPY[1]
Built: 19431945
In commission: 1945
Planned: 5
Completed: 1
Cancelled: 4
Lost: 2
General characteristics [2]
Type: Target ship
Displacement: 2,580 long tons (2,621 t) standard
Length:
  • 116.00 m (380 ft 7 in) overall
  • 112.00 m (367 ft 5 in) Lpp
Beam: 11.55 m (37 ft 11 in)
Draught: 4.10 m (13 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:
Speed: 33 knots (38 mph; 61 km/h)
Range: 4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Endurance: Fuel: 500 tons oil
Complement: 173
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 × Type 13 radar (mast)
  • 1 × Type 93 active sonar
Armament:

The Ōhama-class target ship (大濱型標的艦 Ōhama-gata hyōtekikan) was a bombing target ship class of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. 5 vessels were planned under the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship #54115415), however, only lead ship Ōhama was completed.

Design and Construction

Ōhama outline drawings.

Project number J36. In 1941, the IJN decided to build bombing target ship Hakachi. However, her speed was less than 20 knots. The IJN wanted the high-speed target ship which could support Essex-class aircraft carriers and Iowa-class battleships. The IJN gave 33 knots speed to new target ship class. She had the destroyer hull to get 33 knots speed, therefore she mounted same as Akizuki-class machinery, and she was able to bear 10 kilogram bomb dropped from 4,000 m (13,000 ft) meters sky.
Her armaments only four anti-aircraft machine guns at first,[3] however, the IJN lost a lot of destroyers between 19421944. Furthermore, a mass production of the Kaibokan were too late. Ōhama was converted to escort ship, and she mounted many anti-aircraft arms and anti-submarine weapons. On 10 January 1945, lead ship Ōhama was completed.

Service

Ōhama was assigned to the Combined Fleet on 10 January 1945. However, she was not given a target ship duties, because Japan was defeated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and Battle of Leyte Gulf. She spent her time on convoy escort operations in the Yokosuka area. In August 1945, she was dispatched to Onagawa Local Defense Squadron, she was sunk by aircraft on 9 August 1945. Second ship Ōsashi was discontinued in 1945. Other three vessels were canceled in 1944.

Ships in class

Ship # Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
5411 Ōhama (大濱) Mitsubishi, Yokohama shipyard 2 October 1943 29 March 1944 10 January 1945 Sunk by air raid at Onagawa on 9 August 1945; struck on 15 September 1945; salvaged and scrapped in postwar.
5412 Ōsashi (大指) Mitsubishi, Yokohama shipyard 7 January 1944 16 February 1945 95% complete; construction stopped on 23 June 1945. Clashed with army oiler Yamashio Maru and sunk in shallow water on 6 March 1946;[4][5] later salvaged and scrapped.
5413
5414
5415
Yagoshi (矢越)
Anori (安乗)
Ōbatake (大畠)
Canceled on 5 May 1944.[6]

Footnotes

  1. Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.37
  2. Ships of the world No.522 (1997), p.43
  3. 1 2 SNAJ (1977), p.794795, p.815
  4. The Maru Special No.38 (1980), p.64
  5. Shizuo Fukui (1994), third separate volume, p.31
  6. Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.95

Bibliography


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