No.1-class auxiliary minelayer

Class overview
Auxiliary Minelayer No.1 on 28 February 1942
Name:	No.1 class auxiliary minelayer
Builders:	Uraga Dock Company
Operators:	Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by:	Sokuten-class
Built:	1941–1942
In commission:	1942–1947
Planned:	4
Completed:	4
Lost:	3
Retired:	1
General characteristics
Type:	Minelayer
Displacement:	215 long tons (218 t) standard
Length:	35.11 m (115 ft 2 in) overall
Beam:	6.16 m (20 ft 3 in)
Draught:	2.38 m (7 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:	1 × low-speed diesel single shaft, 400 bhp
Speed:	9.5 knots (10.9 mph; 17.6 km/h)
Range:	1,500 nmi (2,800 km) at 9.5 kn (10.9 mph; 17.6 km/h)
Complement:	63
Armament:	1 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA gun 2 × 13 mm AA guns 40 × Type 93 naval mines or 16 × depth charges

The No.1 class auxiliary minelayer (第一号型敷設特務艇,, Dai Ichi Gō-gata Fusetsu-Tokumutei) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. They were built to supplement the timeworn Sokuten-class. 4 vessels were built in 1941–42 under the Maru Rin Programme (Ship # 257–260).

Background

In 1939, the Sokuten-class was the main minelayer of the local guard districts. However, they were too old. The IJN wanted new small minelayers for local guard districts.
In 1940, the IJN found out a handy boat. It was a standard longline fishing ship Sōyō Maru (160 tons) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry. The IJN made a model of it and completed a design of new small minelayer. Uraga Dock Company built all of the vessels.

Ships in class

Ship #	Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
257	Auxiliary minelayer No. 1^[1] ex-Minelayer No. 1	4 June 1941	20 August 1941	28 February 1942 as Minelayer No. 1	Renamed Auxiliary minelayer No. 1 on 1 February 1944, struck a naval mine and sunk off Medan on 27 March 1945, decommissioned on 3 May 1947.
258	Minelayer No. 2^[2]	4 June 1941	30 August 1941	10 April 1942	Struck a naval mine and sunk off Surabaya on 31 December 1942, decommissioned on 20 March 1943.
259	Auxiliary minelayer No. 3^[3] ex-Minelayer No. 3	8 September 1941	14 January 1942	30 June 1942 as Minelayer No. 3	Renamed Auxiliary minelayer No. 3 on 1 February 1944, survived war at Chuuk, decommissioned on 3 May 1947.
260	Auxiliary minelayer No. 4^[4] ex-Minelayer No. 4	8 September 1941	24 January 1942	20 August 1942 as Minelayer No. 4	Renamed Auxiliary minelayer No. 4 on 1 February 1944, sunk by HMS Tally-Ho off Car Nicobar on 20 November 1944, decommissioned on 3 May 1947.

Photos

Minelayer No.2 on 7 April 1942
Auxiliary Minelayer No.3 in 1942
Auxiliary Minelayer No.4 in 1942

Notes

↑ 第一号敷設特務艇 (Dai Ichi Gō Fusetsu-Tokumutei)
↑ 第二号敷設艇 (Dai Ni Gō Fusetsutei), she sank before the revision of the law.
↑ 第三号敷設特務艇 (Dai San Gō Fusetsu-Tokumutei)
↑ 第四号敷設特務艇 (Dai Yon Gō Fusetsu-Tokumutei)

Bibliography

Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha". , (Japan), February 1996
The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, Japanese naval mine warfare crafts, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), January 1981

Japanese auxiliary ship classes of World War II

Colliers and oilers	Notoro Ondo Sunosaki Ashizuri Kazahaya^S Hayasui^S Hario^S Muroto Teiyō Maru^S Ōse (ex-Dutch tanker Genota)^SC

Food supply ships	Mamiya^S Nosaki^S Kinesaki Irako^S Kurasaki^SC

Landing ships	No.1 No.101 Shinshū Maru^S (Army) SS (Army)

Armed merchant cruisers	Aikoku Maru^S Kongō Maru^S Noshiro Maru^S

Minelayers and cable layer	Tokiwa^SC Itsukushima^S Yaeyama^S Okinoshima^S Tsugaru^S Minoo^SC Shirataka^S Hatsutaka Tsubame Natsushima (1933) Sokuten (1938) Hirashima Ajiro^S Kamishima Hashima Sokuten (1913) Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HMS Barlight)^SC

Minesweepers	No.1 (1923) No.5 (1928) No.13 No.17 No.7 (1938) No.19 No.101 (ex-HMS Taitam and HMS Waglan)^C Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class) Aux. No.104 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class)

Patrol boats	No.1^C No.31^C No.46^SC No.101 (ex-HMS Thracian)^SC No.102 (ex-USS Stewart)^SC No.103 (ex-USS Finch)^SC No.104 (ex-Dutch East Indies Valk and Arend)^C No.105 (ex-Philippine customs Arayat)^SC No.106 (ex-HNLMS Banckert)^SCI No.107 (ex-USS Genesee)^SC No.109 (ex-Dutch East Indies Fazant)^SC Aux. No.1

Repair ships	Asahi^SC Akashi^S Hayase (ex-Chinese passenger Chin Kiang)^SC Hitonose (ex-ROCN Min Sheng)^SC

Seaplane tenders	Notoro Kamoi^SC Chitose Mizuho^S Nisshin^S Akitsushima^S Kamikawa Maru

Submarine chasers	No.1 No.3^S No.4 No.13 No.28 No.60 Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS Tjerimai)^SC Aux. No.102 (ex-HNLMS Ardjoeno class)^C Aux. No.103 (ex-HNLMS B1 class)^C Aux. No.111 (ex-HNLMS P13 or P14)^SC Aux. No.112 (ex-HNLMS A class)^C Aux. No.117 (ex-HNLMS Bantam)^C Aux. No.251 Aux. No.253^S

Submarine tenders	Komahashi^SC Jingei Taigei^S

Survey ships	Tsukushi^S Katsuriki^SC Hakusa (ex-China customs Fu Hsing)^SC

Target ships	Settsu^SC Yakaze^SC Hakachi^S Ōhama^S

Training ships	Fuji^SC Shikishima^SC Asama^SC Azuma^SC Kasuga^SC Atada (ex-ROCN Yat Sen)^SC

Others	Sōya (freighter)^SC Kashino (turret transporter)^S Ōtomari (icebreaker)^S Tategami (salvage tug) Kasashima (salvage tug) Miura (salvage tug) Kaiyō No.1 (oceanographic research ship) Asuka (traffic ship, ex-ROCN Yung Chien)^SC

S Single ship of class C Converted to ship type I Incomplete until the end of war

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