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Sokuten class
Class overview
Name	Sokuten class
Builders	Hitachi Zōsen Corporation Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Nihon Kōkan Corporation Ōsaka Iron Works Tama Shipyards Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy Republic of China Navy
Preceded by	Natsushima class
Succeeded by	Kamishima class
Subclasses	Sokuten class (Pr. H11) Hirashima class (Pr. H11B) Ajiro class
Cost	2,540,064 JPY in 1937 2,943,000 JPY in 1939 4,334,400 JPY in 1941 4,487,000 JPY in 1942
Built	1937–1944
In commission	1938–1960
Planned	41
Completed	15
Cancelled	26
Lost	12
Retired	3
Hirashima class Niizaki on 31 August 1942
General characteristics
Type	Minelayer/Netlayer
Displacement	720 long tons (732 t) standard
Length	74.70 m (245 ft 1 in) overall
Beam	7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
Draught	Sokuten class 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in) Hirashima class and Ajiro class 2.62 m (8 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	2 × MAN Mk.3 Model 10 diesels, 2 shafts, 3,600 bhp
Speed	20.0 knots (37.0 km/h; 23.0 mph)
Range	Nuwajima, 1943 approx. 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) all others 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	Sokuten class and Ajiro class 74 Hirashima class 67
Armament	Sokuten class 2 × 40 mm heavy machine guns 2 × Type 93 13 mm AA guns 36 × Type 95 depth charges 1 × Type 94 depth charge projector 10 × depth charge throwers 1 × Type 93 active sonar 1 × Type 93 hydrophone 120 × Type 93 naval mines or 2 × Type 96 510 m (1,673 ft 3 in) anti-submarine nets or 8 × 502.5 m (1,648 ft 7 in) capture nets Hirashima class and Ajiro class 1 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA gun 2 × Type 93 13 mm AA guns 36 × Type 95 depth charges 1 × Type 94 depth charge projector 10 × depth charge throwers 1 × Type 93 active sonar 1 × Type 93 hydrophone 120 × Type 93 naval mines or 2 × Type 96 510 m anti-submarine nets or 8 × 502.5 m capture nets

The Sokuten-class minelayer (測天型敷設艇,, Sokuten-gata Fusetsutei) was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. The class consists of three subclasses, which this article handles collectively.

Background

• In 1937, the IJN planned this class as a replacement for the timeworn Natsushima and the Sokuten-class auxiliary minelayer.

Ships in classes

Sokuten class

• Project number H11. Original model of the Sokuten class. Five vessels were built in 1937–40 under the Maru 3 Programme (Ship # 57–61).

Hirashima class

• Project number H11B. Second production model of the Sokuten-class. Nine vessels were built in 1939–43 under the Maru 4 Programme (Ship # 170–178). They were equipped with a 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun. The Nuwajima had its ballast tank replaced with a fuel tank for convoy escort operations. These nine vessels were classed in the Sokuten-class in the IJN official documents.

Ajiro class

• Project number H13 at first. The IJN hoped urgent building for her. The Navy Technical Department revised the Hirashima drawings. Twenty-six vessels were planned under the Maru Kyū Programme (Ship # 460–473, 14 vessels) and the Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship # 5421–5432, 12 vessels), but only Ajiro was completed. The Ajiro-class were classified separately from the Sokuten-class in the IJN official documents.

Footnotes

1. Senshi Sōsho Vol.31 (1969), p.501
2. Senshi Sōsho Vol.31 (1969), p.544
3. Senshi Sōsho Vol.31 (1969), p.815
4. Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.37
5. ^ Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.71–74
6. Senshi Sōsho Vol.88 (1975), p.95

Bibliography

• "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of Pacific War Vol.51, The truth histories of the Imperial Japanese Vessels Part.2, Gakken (Japan), June 2002, ISBN 4-05-602780-3
• Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy, "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), February 1996
• Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1, "Model Art Co. Ltd". Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2009-05-13. (Japan), October 1989
• The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, Japanese naval mine warfare crafts, "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), January 1981
• Daiji Katagiri, Ship Name Chronicles of the Imperial Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, Kōjinsha (Japan), June 1988, ISBN 4-7698-0386-9
• Senshi Sōsho Vol.31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), November 1969
• Senshi Sōsho Vol.88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), October 1975

• World War II minelayers of Japan