IJN No.19 class Minesweeper

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第十九号型掃海艇 / No.19 class Minesweeper

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No.29 Minesweeper at Tokyo Port, October 22, 1943

Classification

  • Type: No.19 class Minesweeper (第十九号型掃海艇)
  • Design Number: I-4B
  • (reference: Design number of No.7 class was “I-4”)

History

No.19 class Minesweeper is final class of Japanese regular minesweeper. This class was mainly based No.7 class (II) Minesweepers, and mainly changes is only main gun. No.7 class equipped 3rd Year Type 12 cm gun, but No.19 class equipped 11th Year Type 12 cm gun model M. Model M gun had improved vertical angles for ground shelling. (some English websites says it was for anti-aircraft missions, but it is wrong)

These vessels planned at ④ Plan, image Plan and Kai-⑤ Plan. The breakdown is as follows:

Totally 17 vessels were build, but actually this class was a failure. For mine-sweeping operation, they had enough equipment for mine-sweeping, but hull was made with steel so it is difficult to sweep magnetic mines. In fact, fought against Operation Starvation, Japanese Navy mainly used No.1 class Auxiliary Patrol Ship and No.1 class Auxiliary Submarine Chasers. (They also had No.1 class Auxiliary Minesweepers, but they made with steel so it was not fit for mission)

During the WW2, Japanese navy use this class for escort mission, but there are other problem, too. Japanese regular minesweepers using cofiring boiler (Coal and Fuel Oil) so cruise range of them were not good. In standard, cruise range was only 2,000 miles at 14 knots. Because of it, they replace some ballast tanks to fuel oil tanks to expand cruise range to 3,000 miles.

Finally, 15 vessels were sunk by air raid or torpedo from submarine as other Japanese vessels. No.21 and 23 was survived and transferred to US and USSR.

Design

Design was mainly based upon No.7 class Minesweepers.

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Difference between early models (④ Plan) and late models (image Plan) of No.19 class are bellow:

  • Bow
    • Early (④ Plan, No. 19 - 24): Curvilinear shape
    • Lateimage Plan, No. 25 - ) : Straight shape
  • Boat
    • Early (④ Plan, No. 19 - 24): 4 boats
    • Late image Plan, No. 25 - ) : 3 boats (remove 6-meter Tsusen)
  • Radar
    • Vessels that completed in later of 1943 equipped it.
  • Searchlight and machine gun platform
    • No. 19 - 29: Round shape platform
    • No.30 or later: Polygon shape platform

Also, No.19 class add modification as other Japanese warships since 1944. Weapon reinforcements are below:

  • Radar
    • Add Mark 2 Radio Locator Model 2 (Mk.22 Surface Radar) on the backward of bridge canopy.
    • Add Radio Detector on the fore top mast.
  • Armaments
    • Remove 3rd 12 cm naval gun.
    • Add two 25 mm twin machine guns on the front of bridge and backward of rear mast.
    • Add three 25 mm single machine guns on backward of searchlight platform and both side of stern deck.
    • Add two Type 81 depth charge thrower (K-gun) with loading gear on the both side of rear shelter deck.
    • Add one Type 94 depth charge thrower (Y-gun) with loading gear on the stern.

Specification

  • Length between perpendiculars: 67.30 m
  • Length overall: 72.50 m
  • Waterline length (trial): 71.30 m
  • Max width: 7.85 m
  • Waterline width (trial): 7.85 m
  • Depth: 4.66 m
  • Freeboard
    • Front: 4.79 m
    • Rear: 1.94 m
    • Center: 2.04 m
  • Displacement (trial): 755.0 t
  • Front draft (trial): 2.41 m
  • Rear draft (trial): 2.81 m
  • Average draft (trial): 2.61 m
  • Displacement (full load): 815.5 t
  • Average draft (full load): 2.75 m
  • Displacement (standard): 648 t
  • Fuel loads
    • Fuel oil: 40.0 t
    • Coal: 105.0 t
  • Cruise range: 14 knots - 2,000 miles
  • Speed (maximum): 20 knots
  • Shaft horsepower (maximum): 3,850 S.H.P.

General outfitting of No.19 class, No.25

Boiler rooms was covered by coal bunkers and rear ammo racks covered by some tanks, but there aren’t other protections.

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Original

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Center sectional view of No.19 class, No.26

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Armaments

1941, early-built state

  • Main Gun
    • 3x 45 caliber 11th Year Type 12 cm Single Gun Model M
      • 1st (A) gun mount
        • Turning: front 90° / back 60° (150° per each side)
        • Elevation: +55° / -10°
      • 2nd (P) gun mount
        • Turning: front 60°, back 60° (120° per each side)
        • Elevation: +55° / -10°
      • 3rd (X) gun mount
        • Turning: front 60°, back 90° (150° per each side)
        • Elevation: +55° / -10°
  • Main Gun Ammo Hoist
    • 2x Manual Push-Up Type Ammo Hoist
  • Machine Gun
    • 1x Type 96 25 mm Twin Machine Gun
      • Rear shelter deck machine gun mount
        • Turning: front 70° / back 68° (138° per each side)
  • Depth Charge
    • 36x Type 95 Depth Charge
  • Depth Charge Launcher/ Droppers
    • 1x Type 94 Depth Charge Thrower (Y-Gun) with Depth Charge Loading Gear Model 3
    • 4x Manual Depth Charge Dropper Model 3, two on both side of stern.
    • 2x Water-Pressure Depth Charge Dropper Model 2, one on both side of stern.
  • Radar equipment
    • Not exist

1944, after Operation A-Go

  • Main Gun
    • 2x 45 caliber 11th Year Type 12 cm Single Gun Model M
      • 1st (A) gun mount
        • Turning: front 90° / back 60° (150° per each side)
        • Elevation: +55° / -10°
      • 2nd (P) gun mount
        • Turning: front 60°, back 60° (120° per each side)
        • Elevation: +55° / -10°
  • Machine Gun
    • 3x Type 96 25 mm Twin Machine Gun
      • 1 on additional machine mount on front of bridge.
      • 1 on front of rear shelter deck.
      • 1 on backward of rear shelter deck. (Place of 3rd main gun mount)
    • 3x Type 96 25 mm Single Machine Gun
      • 1 on backward of searchlight platform.
      • 2 on each side of stern
  • Depth Charge
    • 36x Depth Charge (Type 95 or Type 2?)
  • Depth Charge Launcher/ Droppers
    • 2x Type 94 Depth Charge Thrower (Y-Gun) with Depth Charge Loading Gear Model 3
    • 2x Type 81 Depth Charge Thrower (K-Gun) with depth charge loading gear
  • Radar equipment
    • 1x Radio Detector
    • 1x Mark 2 Radio Locator Model 2 (Mk.22 radar)

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Weapons

11th Year Type 12 cm Naval Gun Model M / 十一年式十二糎砲M型

This is improved version of 45 caliber 3rd Year Type 12 cm Naval Gun. This weapon mounted on Ohtori class torpedo boat and No.19 class minesweeper etc.

Elevation angle was increased to 55° for ground shelling. Others are same as 3rd Year Type that already in game.

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11th Year Type 12 cm naval gun model M, on the Thailand sloop, HTMS Maeklong

Other weapons are same as in-game warships.

For War Thunder

  • Pros
    • Useful 3x 12cm AA-guns (at 1941)
    • Heavy AA weapons (at 1944)
    • Powerful depth charge equipments
    • Coal bunker’s protection
  • Cons
    • Slow speed: 20 knots / 37 km/h
    • No armor

For game, No.19 class will be good in Rank II boat before Hiburi-class Coastal Defense Ship, Shonan 1944. In early built state, they had only one twin machine gun but main gun fire power is similar to early destroyers. Also, in 1944 refit they remove one main gun but get improved machine gun armament and depth charges.

1944 refit seems better for game, but for some people early state also interesting.

References

Editorial department of magazine Maru (1990) “Photos Japanese Warships, vol.13, small crafts I -Special Service Ship, Submarine Tenders, Auxiliary Submarine Tenders, Submarine Chasers, Patrol Ships, Mine Sweepers and Transporters”, Kojin-sha, pp.200-232

The Society of Naval Architects of Japan (1975) “Plans of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, History of shipbuilding in Showa era separated volume”, published by Hara-shobo, p.109

Fukui Shizuo, Abe Yasuo and Todaka Issei (2016) “[Military Secret] Current status survey of machine gun, radar, sonar etc. on each vessels: Blueprints of additional weapons placement after “Operation A gou””, Ushio -Shobo Kojin-Sha, p.170

“Minesweepers, General plans compendium with current situation survey, September 1943”
Published at here: 桜と錨の海軍砲術学校−史料展示室「一般計画要領書」(旧海軍艦艇要目簿・要目表)造工史料
Direct link to PDF: http://navgunschl2.sakura.ne.jp/tenji/zoukou/shipsdata_ijn_MS_orig.pdf

Administrative Division, 2nd Demobilization Bureau (April 25, 1947) “Japanese Naval Vessels at the End of War” p.84
Published at here: 桜と錨の海軍砲術学校−史料展示室『終戦時の日本海軍艦艇』（第２復員局　昭和２２年４月）

Yamamoto Yoshihide and Yoshiwara Mikiya (2002) “ALL ABOUT JAPANESE NAVAL SHIBOARD WEAPONS”, K.K. Best Sellers, p.28

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+1

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That looks like a very interesting ship +1