Ioshima-class cruiser

The Ioshima-class escort ship (五百島型海防艦) also called Yasoshima-class light cruiser (second class cruiser) (八十島型軽巡洋艦(二等巡洋艦)) were a pair of escort ships reconstructed from former Republic of China Navy Ning Hai class cruisers that were sunk during earlier battles- Ioshima (五百島) from Ning Hai and Yasoshima (八十島) from Ping Hai - these ships were salvageable as river water doesn't corrode sunken hulls as badly as sea water would. Originally they were to be transferred to the puppet government of Wang Jing-Wei, but instead of honoring the agreement, the Japanese seized and outfitted them first as barracks hulks and ultimately to their final form in 1944.

General characteristics
Type: Escort vessel
Length: 360 ft (110 m)
Beam: 39 ft (12 m)
Draught: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Speed: 21-23kt
Range: 5,000 nmi (9,300 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Armament:

Since they were built on the same design from the start (just by two different builders), the reconstruction brought them to a more-or-less common standard: old armaments and fire control platforms were removed; aft superstructures (including the seaplane facility aboard the former Ning Hai) were replaced with bigger ones mounting boat handling cranes and a raised main gun position, and search radar sets were installed. Their new armaments (secondary rifles passed from modernised cruisers and 25mm machine cannons), while seemingly lighter, were dual-purpose weapons more-suitable against contemporary aircraft.

Both Isoshima and Yasoshima were sunk by late 1944.

Ships

Name Builder Acquired Recommissioned Fate
Ioshima (ex-Ning Hai) Harima Dock Co., Ltd. 1938 June 28, 1944 Sunk by USS Shad on September 19, 1944
Yasoshima (ex-Ping Hai) Kiangnan Dock and Engineering Works 1938 September 25, 1944 Sunk by US Navy Aircraft on November 25, 1944

Bibliography

  • Lacroix, Eric & Wells II, Linton (1997). Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-311-3.


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