Muroto-class collier

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The Muroto-class colliers (室戸型給炭艦,, Muroto-gata Kyūtankan) were a class of collier of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving from roughly the end of World War I into World War II. Two vessels were built in 1918-19 under the Eight-four fleet plan.

Muroto in 1932
Class overview
NameMuroto-class collier
BuildersMitsubishi Heavy Industries
Operators Imperial Japanese Navy
Built1918 – 1919
In commission1918 – 1944
Planned2
Completed2
Lost2
General characteristics
TypeCollier
Displacement
Length105.16 m (345 ft 0 in) Lpp
Beam15.24 m (50 ft 0 in)
Draught7.06 m (23 ft 2 in)
Propulsion
  • 1 × three expansion stages reciprocating engine
  • 2 × scotch boilers
  • single shaft, 2,500 shp
  • 1930
  • 3 × Miyahara model water tube boilers
Speed
  • 12.5 knots (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h)
  • 1930
  • 14.0 knots (16.1 mph; 25.9 km/h)
Capacity6,000 tons coal
Complement124
Armament

Background

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  • In 1917, World War I was stagnant. The lengthy war led to an increase in shipping and a shortage of merchant ships.
  • The IJN utilized steamship companies to perform coal transportation duties. However, this expedient was very costly. The IJN decided to build new colliers under the Eight-four fleet plan.
  • Their design was ordinary, because the IJN did not impose any special requirements on them.

Service

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  • In the 1920s, they engaged in coal transportation duties.
  • In February 1932, the Muroto was remodeled, becoming an auxiliary hospital ship. She was refitted as a supply ship in 1941.
  • In World War II, the value of coal as fuel fell. The ships engaged in transporting goods and troops.

Ships in class

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Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
Muroto (室戸) Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 4 July 1918 23 October 1918 7 December 1918 Sunk by USS Sea Dog north of Amami Ōshima 29°10′N 129°44′E / 29.167°N 129.733°E / 29.167; 129.733 on 22 October 1944.
Noshima (野島)[1] Mitsubishi, Kōbe Shipyard 16 July 1918 3 February 1919 31 March 1919 Sunk during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea on 3 March 1943.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ 15 December 1917, Administrative order No. 147, Named one transport vessel., Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of the Navy of Japan.

Bibliography

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  • Monthly Ships of the World, Special issue Vol. 47, "Auxiliary Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy", "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), March 1997
  • The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No. 34, "Japanese Auxiliary vessels", "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), December 1979
  • Series 100 year histories from Meiji Era, Vol. 180, Histories of Naval organizations #8, Author: Ministry of the Navy, original plot in January 1940, reprinted in October 1971
  • IJN Nojima: Tabular Record of Movement, <http://www.combinedfleet.com/NojimaS_t.htm>
  • IJN Muroto: Tabular Record of Movement, <http://www.combinedfleet.com/Muroto_t.htm>
 
Noshima in 1935