The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Imperial Japanese Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...

 (IJN), serving during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. They were built to supplement timeworn the Sokuten-class

Sokuten class auxiliary minelayer (1913)

The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during the 1910s and the World War II. They were called the Sokuten class from their nameship. And, they were called Toshima class after the Sokuten retired. Also, by the book, the Natsushima was included to this class...

. 4 vessels were built in 1941–42 under the Maru Rin Programme

Temporal Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1940)

The is one of the armaments expansion plan of the Imperial Japanese Navy .-Background:In October 1940, the IJN schemed building of the submarines and auxiliary vessels because there was a shortage of them.-Table of vessels:-References:...

 (Ship # 257–260).

Background

• In 1939, the Sokuten-class
  Sokuten class auxiliary minelayer (1913)
  The was a class of minelayers of the Imperial Japanese Navy , serving during the 1910s and the World War II. They were called the Sokuten class from their nameship. And, they were called Toshima class after the Sokuten retired. Also, by the book, the Natsushima was included to this class...
  
   was the main minelayer of the local guard districts. However, they were too old. The IJN wanted new small minelayers for local guard districts.
• In 1940, the IJN found out a handy boat. It was a standard longline fishing ship Sōyō Maru (160 tons) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
  The ' a cabinet ministry in the government of Japan responsible for oversight of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. Its acronym is MAFF.-History:...
  
  . The IJN made a model of it and completed a design of new small minelayer. Uraga Dock Company
  Uraga Dock Company
  was a major privately owned shipyard in Uraga, Japan, which built numerous warships for the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:Uraga Dock Company was founded by Enomoto Takeaki in 1869. A shipyard had already existed in Uraga from the end of the Edo period...
  
   built all of the vessels.

Ships in class

{| class="wikitable" width="75%"
| width="4%" | Ship #
| width="9%" | Ship
| width="9%" bgcolor= | Laid down
| width="9%" bgcolor= | Launched
| width="9%" bgcolor= | Completed
| width="25%" bgcolor= | Fate
|-
| 257
|
| 4 June 1941
| 20 August 1941
| 28 February 1942
| Struck a naval mine and sunk off Medan

Medan

- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....

 on 27 March 1945. Decommissioned on 3 May 1947.
|-
| 258
|
| 4 June 1941
| 30 August 1941
| 10 April 1942
| Struck a naval mine and sunk off Surabaya

Surabaya

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...

 on 31 December 1942. Decommissioned on 20 March 1943.
|-
| 259
|
| 8 September 1941
| 14 January 1942
| 30 June 1942
| Decommissioned on 3 May 1947. (?)
|-
| 260
|
| 8 September 1941
| 24 January 1942
| 20 August 1942
| Sunk by HMS Tally-Ho

HMS Tally-Ho (P317)

HMS Tally-Ho was a British submarine of the third group of the T class. She was built as P317 by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and John Brown & Company, Clydebank, and launched on 23 December 1942. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name Tally-Ho, probably after Tally-ho,...

 off Car Nicobar

Car Nicobar

Car Nicobar is the northernmost of the Nicobar Islands. It is also one of two local administrative divisions of the Indian district of Nicobar, part of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands....

on 20 November 1944. Decommissioned on 3 May 1947.
|-