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: | 1943–1945 |
| 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: |
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| 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: |
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| Armament: |
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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 #5411–5415), however, only lead ship Ōhama was completed.
Design and Construction
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 1942–1944. 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
Bibliography
- Ships of the World No.522, Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), March 1997
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.34 Japanese auxiliary vessels, Ushio Shobō (Japan), December 1979
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.38 Japanese aircraft carriers II, Ushio Shobō (Japan), March 1980
- Senshi Sōsho Vol.88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), October 1975
- "The Society of Naval Architects of Japan". (SNAJ), Histories of shipbuilding in Shōwa period (1), "Hara Shobō". (Japan), September 1977
- Shizuo Fukui, FUKUI SHIZUO COLLECTION "Japanese Naval Vessels 1869–1945", KK Bestsellers (Japan), December 1994
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