Nisshin (seaplane carrier)
Nisshin on a mile trip on February 19, 1942
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The Nisshin ( Japanese 日 進 ) was a seaplane carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy , which was used in World War II . The ship was laid on November 2, 1938 at the naval shipyard in Kure ( Kure Kaigun Kōshō ) and was launched on November 30, 1939. Due to planning changes and other new war buildings, the commissioning took place somewhat delayed until February 27, 1942. The Nisshin was a single ship and represented a further development of the seaplane carrier of the Chitose class and the Mizuho type that had previously been under construction .
Armament and equipment
The Nisshin had a main artillery of six 14 cm L / 50 type 3 guns in three twin turrets, all of which were housed on the forecastle , which gave the ship almost the firepower of a light cruiser . The towers, which were arranged one behind the other in the center ship line, were at deck level; only the tower located directly in front of the bridge superstructure was in a slightly elevated position to ensure a better fire area. In addition, 18 light 2.5 cm Type 96 anti-aircraft guns were on board (in eight twin mounts and two single mounts) at the beginning of the mission . At the beginning of 1943, an additional 18 2.5 cm anti-aircraft guns were installed on board (in six triplet mountings), so that at the time the ship was lost there were a total of 36 2.5 cm anti-aircraft guns on board.
There were two catapults for seaplanes and a large hangar on the stern . The Nisshin also had two elevators to transport aircraft from inside the ship to the top, and a second hangar for aircraft below the deck. There were also 900 tons of aviation fuel on board. The aircraft equipment comprised up to 25 aircraft (of which 20 were ready for use and of which five were stored and partly dismantled as a reserve below deck), including float machines of the type Kawanishi E7K , Nakajima E8N and Mitsubishi F1M . This enabled the number of aircraft to be optimally reduced and up to 700 sea mines to be carried in the hall and on the upper deck.
During the Japanese attack on Midway in 1942, the Nisshin transported twelve type A micro-submarines (46 ts, two crew members, two 45 cm torpedoes), which, however, temporarily reduced the number of seaplanes to only twelve Machines made necessary.
Working time
After the commissioning, the Nisshin was first used in the Japanese inland sea under the command of Kaigun-Taisa Komazawa Katsumi . In March 1942, the ship participated in the salvage of the micro-submarine A-3 (which came from the tender and later escort aircraft carrier Chiyoda ), which sank after an accident during a maneuver in the Japanese inland sea. The wreck was found, but help came too late for the three-man crew.
In May 1942, the ship was used for the incoming Japanese offensive against Midway . For this purpose, the Nisshin received twelve small type A submarines, which were stored on the stern and below deck for transport. After the planned capture of Midway, these submarines should have taken over the defense of the archipelago against any American counter-attacks. After the heavy defeat of the Japanese in the Battle of Midway , the plan was dropped and the Nisshin was ordered back to Japan with the micro-submarines.
Guadalcanal 1942
In September 1942 the Nisshin moved to Kavieng ( Papua New Guinea ) in order to take part in the fighting against the Allies who landed on Guadalcanal ( Solomon Islands ) in August 1942 . The ship mainly carried out replenishment and troop transport tasks, mostly in association with other fast warships during the night ( Tokyo Express ). During one of these trips escaped the Nisshin September 28, 1942, the island Kokoda barely a torpedo attack by the American submarine USS Sculpin , which was eventually forced off a seaplane. In some publications it is claimed that the Nisshin was torpedoed, but this is unlikely, as the ship set out on another supply trip only two days later and because the possible damage caused by torpedoing could not have been repaired in this short period of time.
In October 1942 the Nisshin made several trips to Guadalcanal ; it transported 17 field guns, including several heavy 15 cm howitzers and seven 75 mm type 88 anti-aircraft guns, ammunition and just under 1,100 soldiers to the embattled island. Mostly the ship was secured by destroyers or other light Japanese naval forces.
During one of these missions, in early October 1942 , the Nisshin was slightly damaged by a close hit with a 227-kilogram bomb during a night attack by American dive bombers north of Tassafaronga (guided by radar?) . However, there were no personnel losses. In November 1942, the Nisshin was finally taken out of the fighting for Guadalcanal and detached to Truk .
War missions 1943
In the first half of 1943 , after a new commander with Kaigun-Taisa Jotaro Ito came on board in December 1942 , the Nisshin was mostly used as a fast transporter between the Japanese home ports and the bases in Truk and Rabaul . In February 1943, the ship underwent a brief conversion in Kure, during which 18 additional 25 mm anti-aircraft guns were installed on board.
In June 1943, after the start of a large-scale Allied offensive against Papua New Guinea and Rabaul ( Operation Cartwheel ) , the Nisshin moved from Yokosuka to Truk in order to transport reinforcements to Bougainville , the northernmost island of the Solomon Islands . The ship arrived in Truk on July 14, 1943. 630 soldiers, 22 light tanks and ammunition as well as food were taken on board. After a short stay in Rabaul (on July 22nd) the Nisshin ran under the protection of three destroyers in the midday from there in the direction of Buin on Bougainville.
Downfall
Shortly after leaving the port, around 1:45 p.m., the unit, whose route and task the American radio reconnaissance had been able to identify shortly before, was surprised by three waves of American dive and high-altitude bombers on Bougainville Street almost 40 nautical miles southwest of Buin attacked, including 34 Douglas SBDs and twelve B-24 heavy bombers .
The Nisshin was hit by four 227-kilogram and two 454-kilogram bombs within 14 minutes . Exploding aviation fuel caused severe damage and caused great losses among the soldiers on board. At around 14:05 h the Nisshin slowly capsized to starboard and sank over the forecastle. From the start of the air attack to the sinking of the tender, just around 20 minutes had passed. The losses were very heavy: of the 1,263 people on board (630 embarked soldiers and 633 crew members), only 178 were rescued by the destroyers accompanying them, whose rescue plans were largely prevented by renewed air strikes. The commandant, Kaigun-Taisa Jotaro Ito, was among the 1,085 dead.
The sinking of the Nisshin was one of the most casually sinking ships during the entire fighting for the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea in World War II. Against the background of the defeat of the Japanese there and other shipwrecks, in which an even larger number of people were killed, the fate of the ship was partially forgotten. On September 10, 1943, the ship was deleted from the fleet list.
Surname
The Nisshin is after Panzerkreuzer same name by 1903 , the second warship a Japanese Marine which carries the name. Named after the city of Nisshin in Aichi Prefecture on Honshu .
List of commanders
| No. | Surname | Beginning of the term of office | Term expires | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sea captain Komazawa Katsumi | February 27, 1942 | December 5, 1942 | entrusted with building instruction since October 15, 1941 |
| 2. | Sea captain Ito Jotaro | December 5, 1942 | July 22, 1943 |
Web links
- Side elevation and technical details at Navypedia (English)
- CV of Nisshin on combinedfleet.com (English)
- World War II Database, accessed 20 March 2011 (English)