Japanese minelayer Wakataka
Encyclopedia
was the third and final vessel in the of medium-sized minelayer
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
, which was in service during World War II
. She was designed as an improved version of Shirataka
netlayer. However, during the Pacific War
, due to the critical shortage of patrol ships for convoy escort duties, she was fitted with depth charge
racks and her minelaying rails were removed.
Supplemental Armaments Budget of 1939, the Imperial Japanese Navy authorized an additional vessel in the Hatsutaka-series of minelayers, primarily for coastal duties in the China theater of operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War
. Wakataka differed from her sister ship
s in that her main armament was changed to twin Type 3 80 mm AA Gun
s.
Wakataka was launched by the Harima Shipyard near Kobe
on July 12, 1941, and was commissioned into service on November 30, 1941.
, but was soon reassigned to the Second Base Force of the IJN 3rd Fleet
, based at Takao
in Taiwan
.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
in December 1941, Wakataka was assigned to "Operation M", (the invasion of the northern Philippines) , escorting several convoys of transports between the Japanese home islands, Palau
and landing zones in the Philippines
.
In January 1942, Wakataka was assigned to the invasion of Dutch Borneo, covering the invasion of Tarakan
by the Kure No.2 SNLF
and the Sakaguchi Brigade (the 56th Mixed Infantry Brigade) early at the beginning of the month, and Balikpapan
at the end of the month. On March 10, Wakataka was re-assigned to the Second Expeditionary Fleet under the Southwest Area Fleet
, based at Surabaya
and was assigned to patrol and convoy escort duties. During Operation S (the invasion of the Lesser Sunda Islands
) in May, Wakataka transported a portion of the Yokosuka No.1 SNLF from Surabaya to Lombok
, Sumbawa
, Flores
, and Kupang
on Timor
. Following the successful completion of that operation, Wakataka remained on patrol duty in the Netherlands East Indies until December 29, 1942, when she was reassigned to the 25th Base Force of the Southwest Area Fleet, and participated in the capture of Hollandia
, Dutch New Guinea in January 1943.
During most of 1943, Wakataka shuttled between Ambon
Manokwari
and Hollandia, with occasional voyages to Palau
and to points around Halmahera
. She was reassigned to the Fourth Expeditionary Fleet (still within the Southwest Area Fleet in November), and transported part of the IJA 26th Division to New Guinea
by the end of the year.
During early 1944, Wakataka continued to be assigned to convoy escort duties in the eastern Netherland East Indies. In early February, she unsuccessfully attacked with depth charge
s in the Celebes Sea
and in March unsuccessfully attacked . Likewise, while on convoy protection patrol, she unsuccessfully attacked at Staring-baai
on July 14. In October, she towed the damaged minelayer from Celebes
but was spotted by Royal Dutch Navy submarine HNLMS Zwaardvisch (P322) (ex HMS Talent) while transiting the Java Sea
on October 17. Zwaardvisch fired five torpedoes, one of which sank Itsukushima, and another of which struck Wakataka in the bow but did not explode.
Repairs at Surabaya took until early March 1945 to complete, at which time Wakataka was reassigned to the IJN 10th Area Fleet
. On March 25, 1945, south of Sumbawa, Wakataka was attacked by and takes a direct torpedo hit which removed off her bow, killing around 20 crewmen. Repair crews at Surabaya fashioned a false bow at the break, shortening her length by about 5-6 meters, and she returned to active duty in July with the Southwest Area Fleet; however, repairs were not completed by the time of the surrender of Japan
on August 15, 1945 due to shortages of materials.
After the end of World War II, Wakataka was demilitarized and used as a repatriation vessel, evacuating Japanese troops from Labuan
and Kuching
to Singapore
. She was officially removed from the navy list
on March 1, 1946.
Returned to Japan, Wakataka was repaired at Kagoshima in March 1946 and continued to be used as a repatriation vessel by the SCAP
in 1946, primarily between Manila
, Saigon, Takao, Singapore Okinawa, Palembang
, Bangkok
and Hong Kong
through the end of the year. After repairs in January 1947, Wakataka was turned over to the Royal Navy
as a prize of war
on October 17, 1947.
In December 1948, the British government created the Malayan Navy Volunteer Force (MVF) and in September 1949 assigned Wakataka to the new organization as the HMMS Laburnum to be used as a training vessel. The MVF became the Royal Malayan Navy
in August 1952. HMMS Laburnum continued to serve until 1956, when it was removed from active service and placed in the reserves.
In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent republic. On January 1, 1966, HMMS Laburnum was assigned to the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF) as a training vessel, while remaining berthed at Telok Ayer
Basin. On May 5, 1967, the ship was re-commissioned as RSS Singapura and became the official headquarters of the Republic of Singapore Navy
. The naval headquarters was relocated on-shore in mid-1968, at which time the RSS Singapura was sold for scrap.
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
s of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, which was in service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was designed as an improved version of Shirataka
Japanese minelayer Shirataka
was a medium-sized minelayer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was in service during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. She was the world's first purpose-built anti-submarine netlayer...
netlayer. However, during the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, due to the critical shortage of patrol ships for convoy escort duties, she was fitted with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
racks and her minelaying rails were removed.
Building
Under the Maru-44th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1939)
The was one of the armaments expansion plan of the Imperial Japanese Navy .-Background:In 1939, the IJN started new naval armaments expansion plan...
Supplemental Armaments Budget of 1939, the Imperial Japanese Navy authorized an additional vessel in the Hatsutaka-series of minelayers, primarily for coastal duties in the China theater of operations in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. Wakataka differed from her sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s in that her main armament was changed to twin Type 3 80 mm AA Gun
Type 3 80 mm AA Gun
The Type 3 80 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun was a Japanese Anti-aircraft gun used during World War 2....
s.
Wakataka was launched by the Harima Shipyard near Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
on July 12, 1941, and was commissioned into service on November 30, 1941.
Operational history
After commissioning, Wakataka was assigned to the Sasebo Naval DistrictSasebo Naval District
was the third of five main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included the western and southern coastline of Kyūshū, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan and Korea, as well as patrols in the East China Sea and the Pacific...
, but was soon reassigned to the Second Base Force of the IJN 3rd Fleet
IJN 3rd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which was created on six separate occasions.-Russo-Japanese War:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 3rd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as an administrative unit to manage various vessels considered too obsolete for...
, based at Takao
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
in December 1941, Wakataka was assigned to "Operation M", (the invasion of the northern Philippines) , escorting several convoys of transports between the Japanese home islands, Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
and landing zones in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
In January 1942, Wakataka was assigned to the invasion of Dutch Borneo, covering the invasion of Tarakan
Battle of Tarakan (1942)
The Battle of Tarakan took place on January 11–12, 1942. Even though Tarakan was only a small marshy island at northeastern Borneo in the Netherlands East Indies, but the 700 oil wells, oil refinery and airfield on it, was one of the main objectives for the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War...
by the Kure No.2 SNLF
Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces
The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces , were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy and were a part of the IJN Land Forces...
and the Sakaguchi Brigade (the 56th Mixed Infantry Brigade) early at the beginning of the month, and Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
at the end of the month. On March 10, Wakataka was re-assigned to the Second Expeditionary Fleet under the Southwest Area Fleet
Southwest Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The Southwest Area Fleet was an operational command of the Imperial Japanese Navy established on April 10, 1942 to coordinate naval, air, and ground forces for the invasion, occupation and defense of the...
, based at Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
and was assigned to patrol and convoy escort duties. During Operation S (the invasion of the Lesser Sunda Islands
Lesser Sunda Islands
The Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara are a group of islands in the southern Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...
) in May, Wakataka transported a portion of the Yokosuka No.1 SNLF from Surabaya to Lombok
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
, Sumbawa
Sumbawa
Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. It is in the province of West Nusa Tenggara....
, Flores
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
, and Kupang
Kupang
Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....
on Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
. Following the successful completion of that operation, Wakataka remained on patrol duty in the Netherlands East Indies until December 29, 1942, when she was reassigned to the 25th Base Force of the Southwest Area Fleet, and participated in the capture of Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, Dutch New Guinea in January 1943.
During most of 1943, Wakataka shuttled between Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
Manokwari
Manokwari
Manokwari is a city in Indonesia. It is the largest city and, since 2003, the capital of the province of West Papua, at the western end of New Guinea. The city has many resorts and is a major tourist area. It is one of the seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manokwari–Sorong. It is also the...
and Hollandia, with occasional voyages to Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
and to points around Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
. She was reassigned to the Fourth Expeditionary Fleet (still within the Southwest Area Fleet in November), and transported part of the IJA 26th Division to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
by the end of the year.
During early 1944, Wakataka continued to be assigned to convoy escort duties in the eastern Netherland East Indies. In early February, she unsuccessfully attacked with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s in the Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia...
and in March unsuccessfully attacked . Likewise, while on convoy protection patrol, she unsuccessfully attacked at Staring-baai
Staring-baai
Staring-baai is a bay off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi in Indonesia. It lies slightly southeast of Kendari, the provincial capital of South East Sulawesi, where it opens to the east onto the Banda Sea....
on July 14. In October, she towed the damaged minelayer from Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
but was spotted by Royal Dutch Navy submarine HNLMS Zwaardvisch (P322) (ex HMS Talent) while transiting the Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
on October 17. Zwaardvisch fired five torpedoes, one of which sank Itsukushima, and another of which struck Wakataka in the bow but did not explode.
Repairs at Surabaya took until early March 1945 to complete, at which time Wakataka was reassigned to the IJN 10th Area Fleet
IJN 10th Area Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy established during World War II.-History:The commander in chief of the 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet based in Singapore was named commander in chief of the newly created Tenth Area Fleet on 1 February 1944...
. On March 25, 1945, south of Sumbawa, Wakataka was attacked by and takes a direct torpedo hit which removed off her bow, killing around 20 crewmen. Repair crews at Surabaya fashioned a false bow at the break, shortening her length by about 5-6 meters, and she returned to active duty in July with the Southwest Area Fleet; however, repairs were not completed by the time of the surrender of Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
on August 15, 1945 due to shortages of materials.
After the end of World War II, Wakataka was demilitarized and used as a repatriation vessel, evacuating Japanese troops from Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
and Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. She was officially removed from the navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on March 1, 1946.
Returned to Japan, Wakataka was repaired at Kagoshima in March 1946 and continued to be used as a repatriation vessel by the SCAP
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
in 1946, primarily between Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Saigon, Takao, Singapore Okinawa, Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
through the end of the year. After repairs in January 1947, Wakataka was turned over to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a prize of war
Prize of war
A prize of war is a piece of military property seized by the victorious party after a war or battle, typically at sea. This term was used nearly exclusively in terms of a captured ship during the 18th and 19th centuries....
on October 17, 1947.
In December 1948, the British government created the Malayan Navy Volunteer Force (MVF) and in September 1949 assigned Wakataka to the new organization as the HMMS Laburnum to be used as a training vessel. The MVF became the Royal Malayan Navy
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
in August 1952. HMMS Laburnum continued to serve until 1956, when it was removed from active service and placed in the reserves.
In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent republic. On January 1, 1966, HMMS Laburnum was assigned to the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force (SNVF) as a training vessel, while remaining berthed at Telok Ayer
Telok Ayer
Telok Ayer is a historic district located in Singapore's Chinatown within the Central Business District, straddling the Outram Planning Area and the Downtown Core under the Urban Redevelopment Authority's urban planning zones.-Etymology:...
Basin. On May 5, 1967, the ship was re-commissioned as RSS Singapura and became the official headquarters of the Republic of Singapore Navy
Republic of Singapore Navy
The Republic of Singapore Navy is the naval component of the Singapore Armed Forces , responsible for the defence of Singapore against sea-borne threats and protection of its sea lines of communications. Operating within the crowded littoral waters of the Singapore Strait, the RSN is regarded as...
. The naval headquarters was relocated on-shore in mid-1968, at which time the RSS Singapura was sold for scrap.
External links
- http://securemalaysia.blogspot.com/2009/01/register-of-decommissioned-rmn-ships.html