W-19 class

*W-19* class
	Minesweepers No.29 in October 1943
Ship data
country	Japan
Ship type	Minesweeper
Construction period	1940 to 1944
Launch of the type ship	February 18, 1941
Units built	17th
period of service	1941 to 1945
Ship dimensions and crew
length	72.50 m ( Lüa ) 71.05 m ( KWL ) 67.09 m ( Lpp )
width	7.85 m
Draft	Max. 2.61 m
displacement	Standard : 648 ts / 658 t; Use: 755 ts / 767 t
crew	98
Machine system
machine	2 Kampon boilers, ; 2 geared turbine sets
Machine ; performance	3,850 hp (2,832 kW)
Top ; speed	20 kn (37 km / h)
propeller	2
Armament
	When commissioned 3 × 12 cm; 2 × 2.5 cm type 96; 36 depth charges; Mine clearance equipment; From 1944 3 × 12 cm; 9 × 2.5 cm type 96; 36 depth charges;

The W-19 class ( Japanese 第十九号型掃海艇 , Dai Jūkyū Gō-gata Sōkaitei , dt. "No. 19 class minesweepers") was a class of seventeen minesweepers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , which in World War II were used.

List of ships

Construction no.	Surname	Shipyard	Keel laying	Launch	Commissioning	Whereabouts
Maru 4 Keikaku
164	Dai-19-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 19	Ishikawajima Zosen , Tokyo	17th September 1940	February 18, 1941	May 31, 1941	Sunk on December 10, 1941 by air raid in the Cagayan River on the island of Luzon
165	Dai-20 Gō Sōkaitei minesweepers No.20	Ishikawajima Zosen , Tokyo	March 19, 1941	September 17, 1941	December 15, 1941	sunk on May 5, 1945 by americans Submarine USS Trepang , in the Yellow Sea
166	Dai-21-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 41	Harima Zosen , Aioi	September 20, 1941	February 28, 1942	June 29, 1942	out of service on October 25, 1945, on October 1, 1947 spoils of war USA - sunk as a target ship on October 7, 1947
167	Dai-22-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 22	Ishikawajima Zosen, Tokyo	October 6, 1941	April 28, 1942	July 31, 1942	sunk on November 11, 1944 by air raid near Palau
168	Dai-23-Gō Sōkaitei minesweepers No.23	Ishikawajima Zosen, Tokyo	May 5, 1942	January 13, 1943	March 31, 1943	out of service on October 25, 1945, on October 3, 1947 spoils of war USSR
169	Dai-24-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 24	Harima Zosen, Aioi	May 5, 1942	September 16, 1942	January 25, 1943	Sunk on July 15, 1945 by air raid in Tsugaru Street
Maru Kyu Keikaku
410	Dai-25-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 25	Kure naval shipyard			April 30, 1943	sunk on July 4, 1944 by air raid near Chichi-jima
411	Dai-26-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 26	Mitsubishi , Yokohama			March 31, 1943	sunk on February 17, 1944 by air raid near Rabaul
412	Dai-27-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 27	Harima Zosen, Aioi	June 10, 1942	February 23, 1943	July 31, 1943	sunk on July 10, 1945 by americans USS Runner submarine , at Yamada
413	Dai-28-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 28	Kure naval shipyard			June 28, 1943	sunk on August 29, 1944 by americans Submarine USS Jack , in the Celebes Sea
414	Dai-29-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 29	Ishikawajima Zosen, Tokyo			October 22, 1943	sunk after being hit by a mine on May 7, 1945, near Shimonoseki
415	Dai-30 Gō Sōkaitei minesweepers No.30	Ishikawajima Zosen, Tokyo			February 5, 1944	sunk on November 11, 1944 by americans Air raid, during the Battle of Ormoc Bay
416 417	Construction contracts canceled in 1945
418	Dai-33-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 33	Mitsubishi, Yokohama			July 31, 1943	sunk on August 9, 1945 by americans Air raid near Onagawa
419	Dai-34-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 34	Ishikawajima Zosen, Tokyo			May 29, 1944	sunk on May 21, 1945 by americans Submarine, USS Chub , in the Java Sea
420 421 422	Construction contracts canceled in 1945
423	Dai-38-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 38	Fujinagata Zosen, Osaka			June 10, 1944	sunk on November 19, 1944 by americans USS Atule submarine , on Bashi Street
424	Dai-39-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 39	Harima Zosen, Aioi	December 3, 1943	February 24, 1944	May 27, 1944	sunk on July 20, 1945 by americans Submarine, USS Threadfin , in the Yellow Sea
425	Construction contract canceled in 1945
426	Dai-41-Gō Sōkaitei minesweeper number 41	Fujinagata Shipyard, Osaka			July 17, 1944	sunk on January 4, 1945 by air raid near Hainan
427 to 437	Construction contracts canceled in 1945
Kai-Maru 5 Keikaku
5301 to 5336	Construction contracts canceled in 1944

technical description

hull

The hull of the boats of the W-19 class was 72.5 meters long, 7.85 meters wide and had a draft of 2.61 meters with an operational displacement of 767 tons .

drive

The drive was provided by two mixed-fired steam generators - Kampon boilers of the Yarrow type - and two geared turbine sets with which a total output of 3,850 hp (2,832 kW ) was achieved. The power was delivered to two shafts with one screw each . The maximum speed was 20 knots (37 km / h ) and the maximum distance traveled 2,000 nautical miles (3,704 km) at 14 knots.

crew

The crew had a strength of 98 men.

Armament

artillery

The artillery armament consisted of three 12 cm guns with a caliber length of 45 in single mounts.

Air defense

For air defense two 2.5 cm were machine guns Type 96 available. Due to the threat posed by the Allied forces during the Pacific War , the anti-aircraft armament of all remaining boats was reinforced in 1944. The armament now consisted of nine 2.5 cm automatic cannons, which were distributed over the boat.

Submarine hunting equipment

The anti-submarine armament consisted of two drainage rails and a Type 94 Y depth charge launcher with 36 depth charges, which were located on the quarterdeck.

Mine detection equipment

For mechanical rooms of sea mines ( moored mines ) possessed the class over Minenräumgeschirr consisting of Räumottern (engl. Paravanes) which by means of two davits were drained at the stern. These clearing otters were pulled to the side by the towing vehicle and held at the same height by wings. The taut towing cable could now lead the anchor ropes from the anchor mine to the clearing otter, where it was cut by cable cutters and the mine floated. It could then be detonated using handguns or ship artillery. If the anchor rope was not cut, the mine and the clearing otter would collide and explode. The towing cable could then be retrieved and any existing replacement device could be attached. Up to six clearing otters were carried on board.

Sensors

sonar

To search for submarines one was echolocation system of the type 93 and a hydrophone -Set the Type 93 scaffolded. This hydrophone set consisted of two groups of eight sensors each, one group on each side of the boat.

literature

Harald Fock: Fleet Chronicle - The active warships involved in the two world wars and their whereabouts . Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-7822-0788-2 , p. 173-200 .
Hansgeorg Jentschura, Dieter Jung, Peter Mickel: Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869-1945 . US Naval Institute Press, Annapolis 1977, ISBN 0-87021-893-X , pp. 209-210 .

Web links

Commons : Imperial Japanese Navy Minesweepers - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Japanese mine layers and mine hunters on ww2technik.de
Minesweeper on combinedfleet.com (English)
W-19 class on combinedfleet.com (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Japanese depth charges in WWII. In: navweaps.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .
↑ Japanese Sonar and Asdic (USNTMJ E-10). (PDF) US Navy Technical Mission to Japan, December 14, 1945, pp. 7 and 11 , accessed on July 2, 2020 .

[1] Japanese depth charges in WWII. In: navweaps.com. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .

[2] Japanese Sonar and Asdic (USNTMJ E-10). (PDF) US Navy Technical Mission to Japan, December 14, 1945, pp. 7 and 11 , accessed on July 2, 2020 .