![]() Okinoshima was launched by the Harima Shipyards (now part of IHI Corporation) in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan on November 14, 1935, and was commissioned into service on 30 September 1936. In addition to carrying 600 Type 6 naval mines, the new ship had the same guns as were used on the Japanese cruiser Yubari, and also was equipped with an aircraft catapult, and a Kawanishi E7K reconnaissance seaplane. The new vessel was to be of unprecedented size, thus overcoming the shortcomings of previous minelayers in the Japanese inventory in terms of range and capacity. A replacement was budgeted under the Maru-1 Supplementary Naval Expansion Budget of 1931. ![]() She was the largest purpose-built minelayer in the IJN and the first Japanese minelayer to be equipped with a reconnaissance seaplane.įollowing the ratification of the London Naval Treaty, the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to retire its existing obsolete minelayers, the former cruisers Aso, and Tokiwa. ![]() She was named after the Okinoshima Island in the Sea of Japan. Okinoshima ( 沖島) was a large minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), which was in service during the early stages of World War II. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |