Kinesaki-class food supply ship

The Kinesaki class food supply ship (杵埼型給糧艦, Kinesaki-gata kyūryōkan) was a class of four reefer ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during and after World War II. Eleven vessels were planned under the Maru 4 Programme, Maru Rin Programme (Ship #261–263) and Kai-Maru 5 Programme (Ship #5401–5407), however, only four vessels were completed.

Arasaki in May 1943 at Osaka Bay.
Class overview
Name: Kinesaki-class food supply ship
Builders:
Operators:
Cost:
  • 1,574,000 JPY in 1939[1]
  • 2,110,000 JPY in 1940[2]
  • 2,928,000 JPY in 1942[3]
Built: 1940–1943
In commission:
  • 1940–1945 (Imperial Japanese Navy)
  • 1947–1970 (Republic of China Navy)
Planned: 11
Completed: 4
Cancelled: 7
Lost: 1
Retired: 3
General characteristics
Displacement:
  • 910 long tons (925 t) standard
  • 950 long tons (965 t) trial
Length: 62.29 m (204 ft 4 in) overall
Beam: 9.40 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draught: 3.11 m (10 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × Kampon Mk. 23A Model 8 diesels
  • 2 shafts, 1,600 bhp
Speed: 15 knots (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Capacity:
  • Kinesaki, 1940
  • 82 tons frozen food
  • 57.7 tons fresh water
  • Hayasaki, 1942
  • 85 tons frozen food
  • 71.7 tons fresh water
Complement: 67
Armament:

Construction

In 1939, the IJN planned two food supply ships for China Area Fleet under the Maru 4 Programme. One was the 600-ton type Nosaki (initial named Support ship No. 4007), the other the 1,000-ton type Kinesaki (initial named Support ship No. 4006). The Navy then ordered several more ships to the design of the Kinesaki; these became the Hayasaki, Shirasaki and Arasaki. The Navy intended to order several more ships of this design by 1942, but Japan's worsening situation in the war by this stage led to the abandonment of these plans.

Service

The Kinesaki served in the Central Pacific Area, the Hayasaki in the Southwest Area, the Shirasaki in the Northeast Area, and the Arasaki in the Southeast Area. They also undertook convoy escort operations. The Kinesaki was sunk on March 1945, while the other ships of the class survived the war.

Ships in class
Ship # Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
Kinesaki (杵埼)
(ex-Nanshin 南進)
(ex-Support ship No. 4006)		 Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory 7 March 1940
as Support ship No. 4006		 27 June 1940 30 September 1940 Renamed Nanshin on 25 October 1940. Renamed Kinesaki on 1 April 1942. Sunk by air raid at Amami Ōshima on 1 March 1945.
261 Hayasaki (早埼) Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory 2 December 1941 21 May 1942 31 August 1942 Decommissioned on 5 October 1945. Surrendered to Soviet Union on 3 October 1947 at Nakhodka.
262 Shirasaki (白埼) Ōsaka Iron Works, Sakurajima Factory 18 May 1942 5 November 1942 30 January 1943 Decommissioned on 5 October 1945. Surrendered to Republic of China on 3 October 1947 at Qingdao, renamed Wu Ling (AKL-311). Decommissioned on 1 May 1970.
263 Arasaki (荒埼) Hitachi Zōsen, Sakurajima Factory 10 November 1942 27 February 1943 29 May 1943 Decommissioned on 5 October 1945. Surrendered to United States on 3 October 1947 at Qingdao, sold to Japan that same day. Transferred to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and renamed Umitaka Maru (海鷹丸) in April 1948. Sold to Philippines in April 1967.
5401
5402
5403
5404
5405
5406
5407		 Kiyosaki (清埼)
Ōsaki (大埼)
Hesaki (部埼)
Kashizaki (樫埼)
Kuresaki (呉埼)
Misaki (三埼)
Fujisaki (藤埼)		 Cancelled on 5 May 1944.[4]

Photo
  • Shirasaki (Unknown date and location)

Footnotes
  1. Senshi Sōsho Vol. 31 (1969), p. 804.
  2. Senshi Sōsho Vol. 31 (1969), p. 805.
  3. Senshi Sōsho Vol. 88 (1975), p. 37.
  4. Senshi Sōsho Vol. 88 (1975), p. 95.

Bibliography
  • "Rekishi Gunzō"., History of the Pacific War Vol. 51 The truth histories of the Japanese Naval Vessels part-2, Gakken (Japan), 2005, ISBN 4-05-604083-4.
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No. 34 Japanese Auxiliary ships, Ushio Shobō (Japan), 1979.
  • Shizuo Fukui, Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol. 10, "Stories of Japanese Support Vessels", Kōjinsha (Japan), 1993, ISBN 4-7698-0658-2.
  • Senshi Sōsho Vol. 31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), 1969.
  • Senshi Sōsho Vol. 88, Naval armaments and war preparation (2), "And after the outbreak of war", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), 1975.
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