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SS-class landing ship

{{Short description|Japanese World War II ship}}

{{Infobox ship begin |sclass=2}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=IJA SS-19.jpg

|Ship image size=300px

|Ship caption=SS No.19

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=SS-class landing ship

|Builders=*Harima Zōsen Corporation

|Operators=20px Imperial Japanese Army

|Class before=

|Class after=SB-class

|Subclasses=*SS No.1 (Prototype)

  • SS No.2 (Supplementary Prototype)
  • SS No.3 (General production type)

|Cost=

|Built range=1939–1945

|In service range=1939–1947

|In commission range=1944–?

|Total ships building=

|Total ships planned=over 30

|Total ships completed=18Monthly Armor Modelling special issue or 21Ships of the World or 22Rekishi Gunzo

|Total ships cancelled=

|Total ships active=

|Total ships laid up=

|Total ships lost=?

|Total ships retired=?

|Total ships preserved=

}}

{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=SS No.3 class

|Ship class=

|Ship type=

|Ship tonnage=

|Ship displacement= {{convert|730|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} gross

|Ship length= {{convert|65.00|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall

|Ship beam= {{convert|9.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship height=

|Ship draught= {{convert|2.89|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship draft= {{convert|5.65|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|Ship propulsion=*2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts,

  • 1,100 bhp or 1,200 bhp

|Ship power=

|Ship speed=*{{convert|14.0|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}

  • or {{convert|14.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
  • or {{convert|13.7|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}

|Ship range={{convert|3000|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|13.4|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}

|Ship boats=

|Ship troops=

|Ship complement=40

|Ship capacity=5 tanks and 170 troops

|Ship crew=

|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=*1 × Type 4 75 mm shipboard gun

|Ship armour=

}}

The {{Nihongo|SS-class landing ship|SS艇 or 機動艇|SS-tei or Kidōtei}} was a class of amphibious assault ships of the Imperial Japanese Army which served during World War II. The SS meaning are Sensha-Small.

Background

Image:GoroMaru-1939.jpg

October 1938, the IJA employed the Shinshū Maru during their successful amphibious operations at Bias Bay. However, a considerable amount of time was needed to complete the operation owing to the low speed of the landing craft, which resulted in considerable damage to the vessels involved.

The IJA employed the principles of speed and minimum damage to their amphibious warfare operations.

In 1939-1940, the IJA repeated an experiment with Gorō Maru (300 tons gross) and Yorihime Maru (526 tons gross) and after analysing the experiment data placed an order for the prototype Kōryū (later SS No.1).

  • The IJN was interested in the second prototype Banryū (later SS No.2). The IJN placed an order for 16 ships. However, thereafter they adopted the No.101-class and the order was cancelled.

Ships in classes

=''SS No.1''=

class=wikitableBuilderHarima Zōsen Corporation
| Laid down18 July 1941
| Launched26 January 1942
| Completed7 April 1942
| Displacement{{convert|641|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} gross
Length{{convert|53.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
Beam{{convert|9.00|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
Draught{{convert|3.20|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
Propulsion2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,246 bhp
Speed{{convert|14.56|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}

=''SS No.2''=

class=wikitableBuilderHarima Zōsen Corporation
| Laid down8 August 1942
| Launched17 May 1943
| Completed30 July 1943
| Displacement{{convert|730|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} gross
Length{{convert|63.02|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
Beam{{convert|9.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
Draught{{convert|4.00|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
Propulsion2 × intermediate diesels, 2 shafts, 1,284 bhp
Speed{{convert|13.96|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
FateSunk in action on 24 September 1944

=''SS No.3'' class=

{{div col|colwidth=27em}}

  • {{nihongo|Kairyū / SS No.3|海龍, 機動第三号艇}}
  • SS No.4, Sunk in action on 12 October 1944
  • SS No.5, Sunk in action on 30 November 1944
  • SS No.6, Sunk in action on 7 December 1944
  • SS No.7
  • SS No.8, Sunk in action on 19 November 1944
  • SS No.9, Sunk in action on 6 December 1944
  • SS No.10, went missing on the night of December 1-2, and lost with all hands after departing Palompon, Leyte. {{USS|Conway|DD-507|6}}, {{USS|Cony|DD-508|6}}, {{USS|Eaton|DD-510|6}}, and {{USS|Sigourney|DD-643|6}}, all ({{navy|United States|1912}}) did report sinking an enemy vessel in the area the convoy would have been in.{{cite web |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/taops3.htm |title=Long Lancers |publisher=Combinedfleet.com |accessdate=4 December 2013}}
  • SS No.11
  • SS No.12, Sunk in action on 21 January 1945
  • SS No.13
  • SS No.14, Sunk in action on 22 May 1945
  • SS No.15
  • SS No.16
  • SS No.17
  • SS No.18
  • SS No.19
  • SS No.20
  • SS No.21
  • SS No.22, Sunk in action on 10 August 1945

{{div col end}}

See also

Footnotes

Bibliography

  • Monthly Armor Modelling special issue, Navy Yard Vol.9 Tora! Tora! Tora! part-2, Dainippon Kaiga (Japan), November 2008
  • Rekishi Gunzō, History of Pacific War Vol.37, Support Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Forces, Gakken (Japan), June 2002, {{ISBN|4-05-602780-3}}
  • Ships of the World No.506, {{cite web |url=http://www.ships-net.co.jp/ |title=Kaijinsha}}, (Japan), February 1996
  • 50 year History of Harima Zōsen, Harima Zōsen Corporation, November 1960

{{WWII Japanese auxiliary ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:SS}}

Category:Landing craft

Category:Amphibious warfare vessels of Japan

Category:World War II naval ships of Japan

Category:Ships of the Imperial Japanese Army