Shimushu class coastal defense ship

The "Shimushu" class coastal defense ships were a class of ships in the service of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

The four ships of the "Shimushu" class would provide the foundation for the five following classes of 171 Japanese "Kaibokan"-type coast defense ships. The Japanese called them coast defense ships to denote a multi-purpose vessel. They were initially intended for patrol and fishery protection, minesweeping and as convoy escorts.

The "Shimushu" class was initially armed with just twelve depth charges, but this was doubled in May 1942 when their minesweeping gear was removed. The ASW weaponry would later rise to 60 depth charges with a 8 cm trench mortar and six depth charge throwers. The number of AA machine guns was increased to 15.

hips

*: Launched, 13 December 1939. Commissioned, 30 June 1940. Sold to the Soviet Union, 5 July 1947.

*: Launched, 10 April 1940. Commissioned, 31 March 1941. Scrapped, 30 April 1948.

* "Kunashiri"

*: Launched, 14 September 1940. Commissioned, 15 February 1941. Torpedoed and sunk by submarine USS|Herring|SS-233|6 on 31 May 1944.

References

* http://www.combinedfleet.com/Shimushu_c.htm
* Worth, Richard, "Fleets of World War II", Da Capo Press (2001), ISBN 0-306-81116-2