Class overview
Hashima on 25 October 1940
Name	Hashima-class cable layer
Builders	Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation Harima Zōsen Corporation
Operators	Imperial Japanese Navy Government of Japan Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation
Cost	1,760,000 JPY^[1]
Built	1939–1941
In commission	1940–1968
Planned	4
Completed	4
Lost	3
Retired	1
General characteristics
Type	Cable layer
Displacement	1,560 long tons (1,585 t) standard
Length	76.80 m (252 ft 0 in) overall
Beam	10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught	3.53 m (11 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	2 × triple expansion stages reciprocating engines 2 × Kampon coal-fired boilers 2 shafts, 600 shp
Speed	14.0 knots (16.1 mph; 25.9 km/h)
Range	1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 12 kn (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Complement	109
Armament	1 × 76.2 mm (3.00 in) L/40 AA gun 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA guns 9 × depth charges 12 × Type 92 remotely controlled mines or 20,000 m (65,616 ft 10 in)) submarine cable

The Hashima-class cable layers (初島型電纜敷設艇,, Hashima-gata Denran-Fusetsutei) were the only class of purpose-built cable layers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN), serving during World War II. Four vessels were built in 1939–41 under the Maru 4 Programme.

Apart from laying communications cables, these ships were also designed as mine planters, for the installation of controlled mines in coastal fortifications.

Ships in class

Project number J21.

Ship	Builder	Laid down^[2]	Launched^[2]	Completed	Fate
Hashima (初島) ex-Hatsushima	Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard	15 October 1939 as Hatsushima	10 April 1940	25 October 1940 as Hashima	Renamed Hashima on 25 October 1940. Sunk by USS Sennet off Owase 33°58′N 136°17′E / 33.967°N 136.283°E / 33.967; 136.283 on 28 April 1945. Decommissioned on 10 July 1945.
Tsurushima (釣島)	Kawasaki, Kōbe Shipyard	15 January 1940	24 May 1940	28 March 1941	Decommissioned on 30 November 1945. Transferred to Ministry of Communications and Transportation and renamed Tsurushima Maru (釣島丸) in 1945. Transferred to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation on 8 September 1951. Retired in March 1968.
Ōtate (大立)^[3]	Harima Zōsen	22 April 1940	11 December 1940	31 July 1941	Sunk by air raid off Kusagaki Islands 30°40′N 127°50′E / 30.667°N 127.833°E / 30.667; 127.833 on 27 March 1945. Decommissioned on 10 July 1945.
Tateishi (立石)	Harima Zōsen	22 April 1940	1 March 1941	31 August 1941	Sunk by air raid in South China Sea 11°50′N 109°18′E / 11.833°N 109.300°E / 11.833; 109.300 on 21 March 1945. Decommissioned on 10 May 1945.

Photos

Tsurushima on 20 March 1941
Ōtate in 1941
Tateishi on 21 March 1945
Tsurushima Maru in postwar

Footnotes

Bibliography

Monthly Ships of the World, Special issue Vol.45, "Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy", "Kaijinsha"., (Japan), February 1996
The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.47, "Japanese naval mine warfare crafts", "Ushio Shobō". (Japan), January 1981
Senshi Sōsho Vol.31, Naval armaments and war preparation (1), "Until November 1941", Asagumo Simbun (Japan), November 1969

v t e Japanese auxiliary ship classes of World War II
Colliers and oilers	Notoro Ondo Sunosaki Ashizuri Kazahaya^S Hayasui^S Hario^S Muroto Teiyō Maru^S Ōse (ex-SS Genota)^SC
Food supply ships	Mamiya^S Nosaki^S Kinesaki Irako^S Kurasaki^SC
Landing ships	No.1 No.101 Shinshū Maru^S (Army) SS (Army)
Armed merchant cruisers	Aikoku Maru^S Hōkoku Maru^S Kongō Maru^S Noshiro Maru^S
Minelayers and cable layer	Tokiwa^SC Itsukushima^S Yaeyama^S Okinoshima^S Tsugaru^S Minoo^SC Shirataka^S Hatsutaka Tsubame Natsushima (1933) Sokuten (1938) Hirashima Ajiro^S Kamishima Hashima Sokuten (1913) Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HMS Barlight)^SC
Minesweepers	No.1 (1923) No.5 (1928) No.13 No.17 No.7 (1938) No.19 No.101 (ex-HMS Taitam and HMS Waglan)^C Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class) Aux. No.104 (ex-HNLMS DEFG-class)
Patrol boats	No.1^C No.31^C No.46^SC No.101 (ex-HMS Thracian)^SC No.102 (ex-USS Stewart)^SC No.103 (ex-USS Finch)^SC No.104 (ex-Dutch East Indies Valk and Arend)^C No.105 (ex-Philippine customs Arayat)^SC No.106 (ex-HNLMS Banckert (1929))^SCI No.107 (ex-USS Genesee)^SC No.109 (ex-Dutch East Indies Fazant)^SC Aux. No.1
Repair ships	Asahi^SC Akashi^S Hayase (ex-Chinese passenger Chin Kiang)^SC Hitonose (ex-ROCN Min Sheng)^SC
Seaplane tenders	Notoro^SC Kamoi^SC Chitose Mizuho^S Nisshin^S Akitsushima^S Kamikawa Maru
Submarine chasers	No.1 No.3^S No.4 No.13 No.28 No.60 Aux. No.1 Aux. No.101 (ex-HNLMS Tjerimai)^SC Aux. No.102 (ex-HNLMS Ardjoeno class)^C Aux. No.103 (ex-HNLMS B1 class)^C Aux. No.111 (ex-HNLMS P13 or P14)^SC Aux. No.112 (ex-HNLMS A)^C Aux. No.117 (ex-HNLMS Bantam)^C Aux. No.251 Aux. No.253^S
Submarine tenders	Komahashi^SC Jingei Taigei^S
Survey ships	Tsukushi^S Katsuriki^SC Hakusa (ex-China customs Fu Hsing)^SC
Target ships	Settsu^SC Yakaze^SC Hakachi^S Ōhama^S
Training ships	Fuji^SC Shikishima^SC Asama^SC Azuma^SC Kasuga^SC Atada (ex-ROCN Yat Sen)^SC
Others	Sōya (freighter)^SC Kashino (turret transporter)^S Ōtomari (icebreaker)^S Tategami (salvage tug) Kasashima (salvage tug) Miura (salvage tug) Kaiyō No.1 (oceanographic research ship) Asuka (traffic ship, ex-ROCN Yung Chien)^SC
S Single ship of class C Converted to ship type I Incomplete until the end of war