Shipyard capacities of Japan

Tzoli

Tzoli

ACCESS: Top Secret
Senior Member
Joined
1 February 2011
Messages
2,615
Reaction score
2,590
I wish to ask, if anybody knows what were the building capacity of the major shipyards of Japan in the 1900-1950 period, eg how long were the drydock facilities and building slips of
these shipyards?

Ishikawajima Shipyard
Uraga Dockyards
Kawasaki Dockyards
Kure Naval Arsenal
Maizurue Naval Arsenal
Mitsubishi / Shimonoseki Shipyard
Sasebo Naval Arsenal
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal


IJN designed quite a few very large warships in this period (Japanese Lexington and the plain A-140 both around 300m long) and wish to know what was the largest ships the IJN could build at this time or how much enlargement was necessary to improving building capacities.
 
Last edited:
IIRC Nagato was the first built in a dry dock. It's the drydocks that are the real limiting feature in construction and service.
 
Not necessary, Musashi was built on a Slipway at Mitsubishi Shipyard Nagasaki!
 
Tzoli said:
Not necessary, Musashi was built on a Slipway at Mitsubishi Shipyard Nagasaki!
Click to expand...
Still every major work under the waterline after the launch has to be made in some sort of dry dock. Slipways size is comparatively a lesser concern. One thing always amazed me is why designers put so much effort during the design of the Yamato class in containing the length when the preceding and much smaller N13 were to be longer despite Yamatos enjoyed the very rare benefit of having a whole new set of infrastructure built from zero specifically for them. To answer your question one can argue the largest ship that Japan could have built within existing infrastructure is basically the largest ship that could dock in the 336*62 meters basins in Kure and Yokosuka. US supercarriers regularly docks in those so IJN theoretically could have built battleships at least as large as a Nimitz class CVN without much concern.
 
Last edited:
Yes and Japan built the largest oil tanker of the world but the question arises if the facilities were expanded after ww2 say in the 1960-70's or not.
 
Tzoli said:
Yes and Japan built the largest oil tanker of the world but the question arises if the facilities were expanded after ww2 say in the 1960-70's or not.
Click to expand...
Yokosuka's dock has never been used for commercial operation being from 1945 onwards an exclusive USN's facility. The dimensions are the very same from the time it was built. The ULCCs were built in later and much larger docks unrelated to the IJN.
 
Hi Tzoli,

Seen this, and though perhaps i can contribute a little bit to your question, the subject of japanese shipyards interests me a lot too.

Perhaps you may be aware of these figures from the internet, which are only rough estimates anyway and there may be a significant amount of error.

Naval Shipyards
Kure Naval Yard: Kure: Ways - 1 @ 300m, 1 @ 225m, [1 @ 175m, 2 @ 150m]; alt 5 @ 125m, longitudinal construction.
Yokosuka Naval Yard: Yokosuka : Ways – 1 @ 300m, 1 @ 200m, 2 @ 175m, 2 @ 150m.
Sasebo Naval Yard: Sasebo: Ways – 1 @ 200m, 1 @ 175m, 3 @ 150m.
Maizuru Naval Yard: Maizuru: Ways – 1 @ 150m, 4 @ 125m.

Civilian Shipyards
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Nagasaki: Ways - 1 @ 275*m, 1 @ 225m, 2 @ 150m, 4 @ 125m.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Kobe: Ways - 1 @ 150m, 2 @ 125m, 3 @ 100m.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Yokohama: Ways - 1 @ 200m, 1 @ 150m, 2 @ 100m.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: Shimonoseki: Ways - 1 @ 150m, 2 @ 100m

Kawasaki Shipbuilding: Kobe: Ways - 1 @ 250m, 2 @ 150m, 3 @ 100m.
Kawasaki Shipbuilding: Tanagawa: Ways - 3 @ 100m
Kawasaki Shipbuilding: Senshu: Ways - 3 @ 125m

Hitachi Shipbuilding: Sakurajima: Ways – 2 @ 125m
Hitachi Shipbuilding: Mukojima: Ways – 2 @ 100m.
Hitachi Shipbuilding: Innoshima: Ways – 1 @ 100m, 2 @ 75m.
Hitachi Shipbuilding: Hikoshima: Ways – 1 @ 100m, 2 @ 75m.

Kawaminami HI: Koyagi: Ways – 1 @ 125m. 1 @ 100m, 2 @ 75m
Kawaminami HI: Urasaki: Ways – 1 @ 125m. 1 @ 100m.

Uraga Dockyards: Uraga/Tokyo: Ways - 1 @ 150m, 2 @ 125m, 2 @ 100m.
Fujinagata Shipbuilding: Sakai/Osaka: Ways – 3 @ 125m.

Tokyo Shipbuilding: Ishikawa: Ways - 3 @ 125m.
Mitsui Shipbuilding: Tamano: Ways – 3 @ 125m.
Harima Shipbuilding: Harima: Ways – 1 @ 125m, 1 @ 100m, 1 @ 75m.
Nippon Koukan: Tsurumi: Ways – 1 @ 125m. 2 @ 75m
Osaka Shipbuilding: Osaka: Ways – 1 @ 125m, 1 @ 75m
Niigata Iron Factory: Niigata: Ways – 1 @ 125m, 2 @ 75m
Naniwa Dock: Osaka: Ways – 1 @ 100m, 1 @ 75m
Hakodate Dock: Hakodate: Ways – 1 @ 100m, 1 @ 75m



Separately, there is a very interesting japanese wiki article on the Yokosuka shipyard (i ran it through the translator), see the table at the bottom detailing info on the 6 drydocks.
ja.wikipedia.org

横須賀海軍施設ドック - Wikipedia

ja.wikipedia.org ja.wikipedia.org

I have the table saved in a file, can't seem to be able to upload it though.
 
I think you first numbers are the correct because Yamato required at least 275m long dry dock to be built.

I've some time ago collected the shipyards by ship construction data and here are the shipyards which built or are ordered to build carriers and capital ships (Start Years):

Ishikawajima Shipyard:
1944
IJN Yamashiro Maru CVE
IJN Chigusa Maru CVE

Kawasaki Dockyard:
1912
IJN Haruna BC
1915
IJN Ise BB
1920
IJN Kaga BB
1921
IJN Atago BC
1922
IJN Suruga BB
No.16 BB
1938
IJN Zuikaku CV
1941
IJN Taiho CV
IJN Hiyo CVL
1943
IJN Ikoma CV
1944
IJN Shimane Maru CVE
IJN Otakisan Maru CVE

Kure Naval Arsenal:
1905
IJN Tsukuba ACR/BC
IJN Ikoma ACR/BC
1906
IJN Aki BB
1907
IJN Ibuki ACR/BC
1909
IJN Settsu BB
1912
IJN Fuso BB
1917
IJN Nagato BB
1920
IJN Akagi BC
1922
IJN Owari BB
No.14 BB
1923
IJN Akagi BC/CV Reconstruction
1927
IJN Kirishima BC Refit
1929
IJN Hiei BC Refit
1932
IJN Fuso BB Modernization
1933
IJN Nagato BB Modernization
IJN Haruna BC Modernization
1934
IJN Fuso BB Refit
IJN Hyuga BB Modernization
IJN Ryujo CVL Refit
1935
IJN Ise BB Modernization
IJN Ryujo CVL Modernization
1936
IJN Hiei BC Modernization
1937
IJN Yamato BB
1940
No.111 BB
1941
IJN Taigei/Ryuho Reconstruction
IJN Unyo CVE
1942
No.799 BB
IJN Katsuragi CV
IJN Chuyo CVE
IJN Shinyo CVE
1943
IJN Ise BBV Reconstruction
IJN Aso CV
1944
No.5012 CV

Mitsubishi - Shimonoseki Shipyard
1912
IJN Kirishima BC
1915
IJN Hyuga BB
1920
IJN Tosa BB
1922
IJN Omi BB
No.15 BB
IJN Takao BC
1934
IJN Soryu CV
1938
IJN Musashi BB
1941
IJN Junyo CVL
1942
IJN Amagi CV
IJN Kaiyo CVE
1943
IJN Kasagi CV
IJN Kurama CV
1944
No.5010 CV

Sasebo Naval Arsenal
1930
IJN Yamashiro BB Modernization
1934
IJN Kaga CV Modernization
IJN Kirishima BC Modernization
1935
IJN Akagi CV Modernization
1941
IJN Taiyo CVE
1943
IJN Hyuga BBV Reconstruction
IJN Chitose AV/CVL Reconstruction
IJN Ibuki CA/CVL Reconstruction

Yokohama Dockyard
1929
IJN Ryujo CVL

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal:
1905
IJN Satsuma BB
IJN Kurama ACR/BC
1909
IJN Kawachi BB
1911
IJN Hiei BC
1913
IJN Yamashiro BB
1918
IJN Mutsu BB
1919
IJN Hosho CVL
1920
IJN Amagi BC
1922
IJN Kii BB
No.13 BB
IJN Amagi BC/CV Reconstruction
1924
IJN Haruna BC Refit
1925
IJN Kaga BB/CV Reconstruction
1929
IJN Kongo BC Refit
1930
IJN Fuso Modernization
1934
IJN Mutsu BB Modernization
1935
IJN Kongo BC Modernization
1936
IJN Hiryu CV
1937
IJN Shokaku CV
1939
IJN Zuiho CVL
1940
IJN Shinano BB
1941
No.797 BB
IJN Shoho CVL
1942
No.798 BB
IJN Shinano BB/CV Reconstruction
IJN Unryu CV
1943
No.5002 CV
No.5005 CV
No.5009 CV
IJN Chiyoda AV/CVL Reconstruction
1944
No.5011 CV
No.5013 CV
No.5014 CV
1945
No.5015 CV
 
Last edited:
Hi Tzoli,

Regarding Ryujo, was it not built at Yokohama? Japanese wiki and other sources i've read over the years say Yokohama.

Again, you may be familiar with this little diagram, found it on the web some years back. Certainly, Shinano being built in the same drydock as Shokaku is a mistake, Shinano was built in a brand new drydock. I don't know if there are other errors in it, but still it's a very interesting diagram (one which i ponder at a lot when i play with various IJN alternate shipbuilding scenarios!).
 

Attachments

  • japanese slipway.jpg
    japanese slipway.jpg
    34.7 KB · Views: 110
Thanks for noticing, fixed it, I've swayed off because the IHI company too owns a shipyard there, also not helps that these shipyard companies merged with other companies trough the decades.
 
Hi.

Another addition from Axis History Forum:

fontessa post_id=2400459 time=1648270938 user_id=48537 said:
Hello tom,

Thanks.

Correction
訂正.jpg
訂正.jpg



Additions
Destroyers production;
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal: 14 (After 1943)
Kure Naval Arsenal: 0
Sasebo Naval Arsenal: 22
Maizuru Naval Arsenal: 53 (1st class)
Fujinagata Dockyard 藤永田造船所 (Osaka): 32 (1st class) + 5 (2nd class)
Uraga Dockyard 浦賀船渠 (Kanagawa): 35 (1st class) + 9 (2nd class)
Ishikawajima Dockyard 石川島造船所 (Tokyo): 5 (1st class) + 6 (2nd class)
Submarines production;
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal: 0
Kure Naval Arsenal: 66 (I-Go and Ro-Go)
Sasebo Naval Arsenal: 26 (I-Go and Ro-Go) + 11 (Ha-Go)
Maizuru Naval Arsenal: 0

fontessa
Click to expand...


Yours

tom! ;)
 

Attachments

  • Japanese-Structures.pdf
    7.8 MB · Views: 56
lancer21 said:
Hi Tzoli,

Regarding Ryujo, was it not built at Yokohama? Japanese wiki and other sources i've read over the years say Yokohama.

Again, you may be familiar with this little diagram, found it on the web some years back. Certainly, Shinano being built in the same drydock as Shokaku is a mistake, Shinano was built in a brand new drydock. I don't know if there are other errors in it, but still it's a very interesting diagram (one which i ponder at a lot when i play with various IJN alternate shipbuilding scenarios!).
Click to expand...
Ryujo was built at Yokohama dock and rigging at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.
Shinano is Yokosuka Naval Arsenal No. 6 dock.
Shokaku is a slipway with a gantry crane at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal.
 
lancer21 said:
Hi Tzoli,

Regarding Ryujo, was it not built at Yokohama? Japanese wiki and other sources i've read over the years say Yokohama.

Again, you may be familiar with this little diagram, found it on the web some years back. Certainly, Shinano being built in the same drydock as Shokaku is a mistake, Shinano was built in a brand new drydock. I don't know if there are other errors in it, but still it's a very interesting diagram (one which i ponder at a lot when i play with various IJN alternate shipbuilding scenarios!).
Click to expand...

I have a vague memory that Musashi was laid down on the slipway vacated by Chikuma - but perhaps I am wrong?

Regards

David
 
David Chessum said:
lancer21 said:
Hi Tzoli,

Regarding Ryujo, was it not built at Yokohama? Japanese wiki and other sources i've read over the years say Yokohama.

Again, you may be familiar with this little diagram, found it on the web some years back. Certainly, Shinano being built in the same drydock as Shokaku is a mistake, Shinano was built in a brand new drydock. I don't know if there are other errors in it, but still it's a very interesting diagram (one which i ponder at a lot when i play with various IJN alternate shipbuilding scenarios!).
Click to expand...

I have a vague memory that Musashi was laid down on the slipway vacated by Chikuma - but perhaps I am wrong?

Regards

David
Click to expand...
Chikuma was built in the No. 2 slipway of the Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and Musashi was built in the No. 2 slipway following the completion of Chikuma.
 
I have found this bit of info that will help a little more finding out about the length of various japanese docks/slipways. The Sasebo dock specifically built to handle Yamato class repair is 343.8 metres long and 51.3 wide.

Barrett and David, much appreciate the info, if you have any more details however small they are most welcome.

PS: does anyone know which dock/slipway was used to build the 3 Aganos from Sasebo? This link contains info on current Sasebo dock sizes, but which are new or lengthened or WW2 no idea, except that no.4 is ex no.7 which is the one built for the Yamatos. As seen it was lengthened and widened.
 
Last edited:
lancer21 said:
Link to Post 8.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth that's being doing the rounds on the internet for years. I created the following table on 8th February 2016 from a posting on alternatehistory.com and forgot about it. That is, until this morning when I saw it in my Japan in World War II folder, when I was looking for something else for a post in the current Better IJN in WWII thread on alternatehistory.com I'm posing it here and now because someone put a link to @lancer21's post into that thread.

Japanese Slipways.png ​
 
Last edited:
Whixh year is represented?
Because we know that the Yamatos were built in Kure, Nagasaki and Yokosuka and a minimum of 250m long docks are required
 
Tzoli said:
Whixh year is represented?
Because we know that the Yamatos were built in Kure, Nagasaki and Yokosuka and a minimum of 250m long docks are required
Click to expand...
Civilian drydock instead at Nagasaki? Mitsubishi had a 275m drydock there.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Civilian drydock instead at Nagasaki? Mitsubishi had a 275m drydock there.
Click to expand...
No way Japan would build the most secrerive, advanced and largest battleships in civilan yards. When Musashi were under construction, even a curtain was erecteed around her so the people from the hills could not see what is built or how was it built there.
 
Last edited:
Tzoli said:
No way Japan would build the most secrerive, advanced and largest battleships in civilan yards. When Musashi were under construction, even a curtain was erecteed around her so the people from the hills could not see what is built or how was it built there.
Click to expand...
At the Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyard. The CIVILIAN Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyard.
 
For what its worth I found this.

Mitsubishi, Nagasaki.png

On Page 11 of this Air Objective Folder.
http://www.mansell.com/pow_resource...er_90-36_Sasebo_90-39_Tsushima_1944-07-18.pdf
Which is dated 18th July 1944.

From what I've read Musashi was built on Slipway 2, not Slipway 5 so the numbers used by Air Objective Folder must not be the same numbers that Mitsubishi used. Maybe they didn't know the real numbers or decided to arrange them by length & in ascending order.
 
The book Battleship Musashi by Akira Yoshimura is a very interesting read. It says the existing slipway had to be lenghtened by about 50 metres, so if NOMISYRRUC's numbers above (806 ft is about 245 metres) are added, then the length was increased to 295 metres (about 970 ft). Though there's a post i saw somewhere from which i inferred the length was initially 860 ft and was lenghtened by about 200ft, total 1060 ft (323 metres).

PS: Here is the link to the discussion
www.tapatalk.com

NavWeaps Forums-Japanese Dockyard Questions

Hello, I am trying to identify the size and capabilities of Japanese Dockyards before WW2. Based on information gathered from flixco, hazegray and var
www.tapatalk.com www.tapatalk.com

Mitsubishi Nagasaki is a civilian shipyard in that it was owned by a private company, but it and other civilian shipyards built numerous warships for IJN, be it BBs, CVs etc.
 
Last edited:
For what its worth there is a book on Everand (formerly Scribd) called "Japanese Carriers and Victory in the Pacific, The Yamamoto Option" Martin Stansfeld which also has a Kindle edition that can be purchased on Amazon for £14.99. There's a chapter in it called "The Phantom Fleet" in which he calculates the number of aircraft carriers Japan could have built from 1937 if it had built nothing but destroyers and aircraft carriers from that date. That chapter includes the lengths of the slipways and building docks at the major Japanese shipyards as part of his calculation of the types of aircraft carriers that they would build.
 
NOMISYRRUC said:
For what its worth there is a book on Everand (formerly Scribd) called "Japanese Carriers and Victory in the Pacific, The Yamamoto Option" Martin Stansfeld which also has a Kindle edition that can be purchased on Amazon for £14.99. There's a chapter in it called "The Phantom Fleet" in which he calculates the number of aircraft carriers Japan could have built from 1937 if it had built nothing but destroyers and aircraft carriers from that date. That chapter includes the lengths of the slipways and building docks at the major Japanese shipyards as part of his calculation of the types of aircraft carriers that they would build.
Click to expand...
They would have needed AA cruisers for escorts, not just destroyers.
 
Scott Kenny said:
They would have needed AA cruisers for escorts, not just destroyers.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth the cruisers that Japan built after 1937 were Ibuki, the 4 Agano class, Oyodo & the 3 Katori class. Ibuki was a heavy cruiser that was converted to an aircraft carrier whilst under construction, but was never completed. The Agano class were small light cruisers built to act as flagships of the destroyer flotillas. Oyodo was a larger light cruiser designed to be the flagship of a submarine squadron. The Katori class were training ships built to replace the worn out Tsushima era cruisers that were used as training ships.

He suggested that Ibuki be laid down as an aircraft carrier, more large AA destroyers of the Akizuki class be built instead of the Agano class and I don't remember what he said should have been built instead of Oyodo & the Katori classes, but if it was up to me in the same situation I'd build more Akizukis instead of Oyodo and keep the Katori class because the IJN needs them for personnel training.
 
NOMISYRRUC said:
For what it's worth the cruisers that Japan built after 1937 were Ibuki, the 4 Agano class, Oyodo & the 3 Katori class. Ibuki was a heavy cruiser that was converted to an aircraft carrier whilst under construction, but was never completed. The Agano class were small light cruisers built to act as flagships of the destroyer flotillas. Oyodo was a larger light cruiser designed to be the flagship of a submarine squadron. The Katori class were training ships built to replace the worn out Tsushima era cruisers that were used as training ships.

He suggested that Ibuki be laid down as an aircraft carrier, more large AA destroyers of the Akizuki class be built instead of the Agano class and I don't remember what he said should have been built instead of Oyodo & the Katori classes, but if it was up to me in the same situation I'd build more Akizukis instead of Oyodo and keep the Katori class because the IJN needs them for personnel training.
Click to expand...
Akizuki class are still too small to provide decent AA defense, only 8x 100mm. Japan needed to build the equivalent of the Atlanta-class (minus torpedo tubes), 16x 100mm Type 98 DP guns, for carrier escorts.

Japan didn't have an equivalent of the Bofors 40mm for AA use, which really bit them in the butt for AA protection. 25mm just doesn't cut it.

Tzoli said:
You forget the Mogamis and Tones.
Click to expand...
Mogamis were built before 1937. Tone and Chikuma were completed in 1937 and 38, respectively.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Tone and Chikuma were completed in 1937 and 38, respectively.
Click to expand...
Tone laid down 1 Dec 1934, launched 21 Nov 1937, completed 20 Nov 1938.
Chikuma laid down 1 Oct 1935, launched 19 March 1938, completed 20 May 1939.
 
lancer21 said:
I have found this bit of info that will help a little more finding out about the length of various japanese docks/slipways. The Sasebo dock specifically built to handle Yamato class repair is 343.8 metres long and 51.3 wide.

Barrett and David, much appreciate the info, if you have any more details however small they are most welcome.

PS: does anyone know which dock/slipway was used to build the 3 Aganos from Sasebo? This link contains info on current Sasebo dock sizes, but which are new or lengthened or WW2 no idea, except that no.4 is ex no.7 which is the one built for the Yamatos. As seen it was lengthened and widened.
Click to expand...
I've been reading "Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War" by Eric Lacroix and Linton Wells II recently. It says that the 3 Aganos built at Sasebo were built on the same slipway too, but unfortunately, not the slipway's number.

It also says that both Ōyodo class cruisers were to have been built on the same slipway at Kure and that the second Ōyodo was cancelled and Ibuki was laid down in her place. However, they didn't say which slipway that was.
 
lancer21 said:
Yet another small piece, the Kure dock used to build the Yamato was 312.7 meters in length, 43.9 meters in width, and 6.7 meters deep, see here (scroll to about middle)

Japan's Phenomenal Shipbuilders

This html arti
www.usni.org www.usni.org
Click to expand...
It had the dimensions of the Dry Dock at Sasebo too. I put them into this table which shows dimensions in feet as well as metres.

Kure & Sasebo Dry Docks.png ​
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom