- Design
- Operational service
- Ships in class
- See also
- Footnotes
- Bibliography
{{other ships|Japanese ship Akitsushima}}{{Infobox ship imageShip image= Japanese seaplane carrier Akitsushima.jpg | Ship caption= Akitsushima on 18 April 1942 }}{{Infobox ship career | Hide header= | Ship country=Empire of Japan | Empire of Japan|naval}} | Ship name= Akitsushima | Ship namesake= Another name of Japan | Ship builder= Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation | Ship laid down= 29 October 1940 | Ship launched= 25 July 1941 | Ship completed= 29 April 1942 | Ship commissioned= 29 April 1942 | Ship recommissioned= | Ship decommissioned= 10 November 1944 | Ship maiden voyage= 29 April 1942 | Ship in service= 1942–1944 | Ship out of service= | Ship renamed= | Ship reclassified= | Ship refit= | Ship struck= | Ship reinstated= | Ship motto= | Ship nickname= | Ship honours= | Ship fate= Sunk on 24 September 1944 | Ship notes= | Ship badge= }}{{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship class= | Ship type=Seaplane tender | Ship tonnage= | 4650|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard- {{convert|5000|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} trial
| 114.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall- {{convert|113.0|m|ftin|abbr=on}} waterline
| 15.8|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship height= | 5.4|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | Ship draft= | 8,000|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} | Ship power= | 19.0|kn|lk=in}} | 8000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14|kn|abbr=on}} | Ship boats= | Ship troops= | Ship complement=545 | Ship capacity=*689 tons gasoline- 36 × Type 91 torpedoes
- 30 × 800 kg bombs
- 15 × 500 kg bombs
- 100 × 250 kg bombs
- 100 × 60 kg bombs
| Ship crew= | Ship EW= | 127|mm|in|abbr=on}} L/40 Type 89 AA guns- 4 × Type 96 25mm AA guns
- 6 × Type 95 depth charges
- 1 × Type 94 depth charge thrower (Y-gun)
| Ship armour= | Ship aircraft= 1 × flying boat (in anchorage only) | Ship aircraft facilities= deck and crane | Ship notes= }} | {{nihongo|Akitsushima|秋津洲|}} was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II from 1942 until being sunk in September 1944.DesignIn 1938, the IJN wanted to use their large-sized flying boats more effectively, because the Kawanishi H6K was the only aircraft able to hit Pearl Harbor directly from the Marshall Islands. However, the Marshall Islands did not have flying boat facilities at that time. Early in 1939, the IJN converted the oiler {{ship|Japanese seaplane tender|Kamoi||2}} to a seaplane tender. However, she was not able to repair seaplanes. The IJN therefore planned two kinds of seaplane tenders which were included in the Maru 4 Programme. One was a 10,000-ton class flying boat carrier, the other a 2,400-ton class flying boat tender. These plans were not able to pass the assessment by the Ministry of Finance. These two basic plans were revived by the Maru 5 Programme in 1941. However, their construction did not begin. Therefore, the IJN planned a 3,500-ton class tender, which was a scaled-up model of the 2,400-ton class. The ships should be able to maintain, repair and supply seaplanes. The IJN intended to accommodate the flying boat by bow-up trim and slope at first, however this plan was cancelled and the Akitsushima class was equipped with a 35-ton crane. The IJN changed the design frequently, ending up with a displacement increased by 1,000 tons. Operational serviceAkitsushima was commissioned on 29 April 1942 and assigned to the 25th Air Flotilla, 11th Air Fleet. Two weeks later, she sailed to Saipan and Rabaul. After the U.S. invasion of Guadalcanal, Akitsushima arrived at the Shortland Islands on 16 August 1942. She was damaged by B-17E Flying Fortress bombers at Buka Island two weeks later. Her repairs were completed on 5 January 1943, and she was dispatched to Kavieng, only to proceed to Jaluit Atoll in February. On 30 June 1943 she sailed to Paramushir for the evacuation of Kiska. She returned to Yokosuka in August and sailed via Shanghai to Truk. Here, she was slightly damaged by U.S. carrier planes which attacked Truk during Operation Hailstone. The following month, Akitsushima was assigned to the 14th Air Fleet and returned to Yokosuka for repairs. She also received repair ship facilities, because the repair ship {{ship|Japanese repair ship|Akashi||2}} had been sunk. Her refit was completed on 1 August 1944 and she was assigned to the 2nd Fleet. In August 1944, she sailed to Kure and Imari, then to Kaohsiung and Manila, finally arriving at Coron Bay on 23 September 1944. Here she was sunk by aircraft of Task Force 38 the following day. Akitsushima was officially decommissioned on 10 November 1944. Ships in classShip # | Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate | 131 | Akitsushima|秋津州}}[1] | Kawasaki Shipbuilding, Kōbe Shipyard | 29 October 1940 | 25 July 1941 | 29 April 1942 | 11|59|N|120|02|E}}, 24 September 1944. | 303 | Chihaya|千早}} | Kawasaki Shipbuilding, Kōbe Shipyard | 25 July 1941 | Construction stopped in Autumn 1942. Later scrapped. | 5031 5032 5033 | Cancelled on 5 May 1944. | |
See also- {{sclass-|Barnegat|seaplane tender|1}}
- {{sclass-|Currituck|seaplane tender|1}}
- {{HMS|Unicorn|I72|6}}
- {{Jsub|I-351}}
Footnotes1. ^Meanings are the another name of the Japan in the Kojiki and the Man'yōshū.
Bibliography- {{cite web |url=http://rekigun.net/ |title=Rekishi Gunzō}}, History of Pacific War Vol.62, Ships of The Imperial Japanese Forces, Gakken (Japan), January 2008, {{ISBN|978-4-05-605008-0}}
- Model Art Extra No.537, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-3, {{cite web |url=http://www.modelart.jp/ |title=Model Art Co. Ltd.}} (Japan), May 1999
- Collection of writings by Sizuo Fukui Vol.7, Stories of Japanese Aircraft Carriers, {{cite web |url=http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/ |title=Kōjinsha}} (Japan), August 1996, {{ISBN|4-7698-0655-8}}
- Ships of the World special issue Vol.40, History of Japanese Aircraft Carriers, {{cite web |url=http://www.ships-net.co.jp/ |title=Kaijinsha}}, (Japan), May 1994
- The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.25 Japanese seaplane tenders, {{cite web |url=http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/ |title=Ushio Shobō}} (Japan), March 1979
{{WWIIJapaneseAuxiliaryShips}}{{September 1944 shipwrecks}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Akitsushima}} 4 : 1941 ships|Seaplane tenders of the Imperial Japanese Navy|Underwater diving sites in the Philippines|Maritime incidents in September 1944 |