The four units of the HATSUSHIMA class were the IJN's only purpose-built cable layers and capable of laying a small number of mines. In 1943-1944, the class was converted to minelayers and their mine laying capacity and armament were increased. Woefully short of destroyers and frigates to escort their vital convoys, the IJN employed a motley array of largely ineffective craft including subchasers, minelayers, minesweepers, netlayers and cable layers. In 1945, two of the class were sunk by American submarines and one by air attack. Only TSURUSHIMA survived the war. The HARUSHIMA-class of one unit was the former U. S. Army mine planter (USAMP) Col. GEORGE F. E. HARRISON. After Corregidor surrendered, HARRISON was taken over by the Japanese and renamed HARUSHIMA MARU and rated an auxiliary cable ship. In 1943 she was rerated a cable ship and renamed IJN HARUSHIMA. In Jul ’45, she was sunk by USN carrier planes at Yokosuka Naval Base. In some cases, data for these small combatants are incomplete and the authors could not find details of movements for some time frames. Readers with access to such data are requested to post the information on the Discussion and Questions board or at the IJN Ship Message Board.
Bob Hackett is a military historian and researcher. He resides in the United States.
Sander Kingsepp, a native of Estonia, is also a military historian and researcher. A talented linguist, Sander's translations of Japanese source materials have greatly enhanced these TROMs.
Questions to the authors concerning these TROMs should be posted on the Discussion and Questions board.
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