Maizuru Naval Arsenal

Maizuru Naval Arsenal (舞鶴海軍工廠, Maizuru Kaigun Kosho) was one of four principal naval shipyards owned and operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Destroyer Akizuki, One of various destroyers produced at Maizuru Naval Arsenal

History

The Maizuru Naval District was established at Maizuru, Kyoto Prefecture in 1889, as the fourth of the naval districts responsible for the defense of the Japanese home islands. After the establishment of the navy base, a ship repair facility was established in 1901 with a dry dock. With the addition of equipment and facilities for ship production by 1903, the Maizuru Naval Arsenal was officially established.

The modern shipyard at Maizuru owned by Japan Marine United. Pictured: JS Fuyuzuki DD-118

Additional dry docks were completed in 1904 and 1914. When the No. 3 dry dock was completed in 1914, it was the largest in Japan at the time. In 1923, after the Washington Naval Treaty, there were discussions within the Navy Ministry about closing the facility, and it was largely mothballed until 1936. Afterwards, it reopened and expanded, building ships, aircraft and weapons for the military.[1] It specialized mostly in destroyer-size and smaller vessels.

Post WW II

In the post-World War II period, a private company, Iino Industries Co. Ltd., took over and formed the Maizuru Shipyards.[1]

In 1963, the name was changed to Maizuru Heavy Industries. In 1971, it was merged with Hitachi Zosen Corporation.[2] In 2002, Hitachi Zosen spun off the shipbuilder into a joint venture with JFE Engineering called Universal Shipbuilding Corporation. Universal Shipbuilding Corporation and IHI Marine United Inc. united and became Japan Marine United in 2013.

The former head office and some warehouses associated with the shipyards are preserved as commemorative museums by the Maizuru city government. The pre-war dry docks and one of the large cranes are still in use today.

Ships built at Maizuru Naval Arsenal

Russo-Japanese War

World War I

World War II

See also

References
  1. "The Contributions and Roles of Industrial Policy in Postwar Japanese Economic Development" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-24. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  2. "Shipbuilding in Japan 2003". Nippon.zaidan.info. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
  • Chamberlain, Basil Hall (1905). Things Japanese: Being Notes On Various Subjects Connected With Japan, For The Use Of Travelers And Others. Tuttle.
  • Samuels, Richard J. (1996). "Rich Nation, Strong Army": National Security and the Technological Transformation of Japan. Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-9994-1.

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