Maizuru Naval Arsenal

Type   10 Shipyard
Historical Name of Location   Maizuru, Kyoto, Japan
Coordinates   35.482322000, 135.374866000

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe Maizuru Naval District in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan was stablished in 1889 as the fourth naval district of the Japanese Navy. The Maizuru Naval Arsenal was officially created in 1903 for the administration of the drydock (built in 1901) and newly established shipbuilding facilities. Two additional drydocks were constructed in 1904 and 1914, respectively, with the latter being the largest in Japan at the time of its completion. Between 1923 and 1936, it saw very little activity as the result of the Washington Naval Treaty which restricted the naval strength of the navies of France, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States; during that time, its status was downgraded to a work district. In 1936, its status as a naval arsenal was restored. Between that time and 1945, Maizuru was an important shipyard for the building of destroyers and other smaller warships. The arsenal also built naval aircraft and naval guns. In May 1944, as steel became scarce in Japan, Maizuru built the four Takechi Maru concrete ships which were later converted into breakwaters. After WW2, in 1946, it was taken over by Iino Shipbuilding Company. The company was renamed twice, first time in 1954 to Iino Industries Company, Limited, and the second time in 1963 to Maizuru Heavy Industries as Hitachi Zosen Corporation bought a controlling interest in the company. In 1971, it became a subsidiary of Hitachi and was renamed Maizuru Heavy Industries. In 2002, Hitachi Zosen spun off the shipbuilder into a joint venture with JFE Engineering called Universal Shipbuilding Corporation. In 2013, it became a part of the firm Japan Marine United. The pre-war drydocks and one of the large cranes remains in use today in what is the largest shipbuilding complex on the coast of the Sea of Japan.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Update: Oct 2015

Ships Constructed at Maizuru Naval Arsenal

Ship NameYard NoSlip/Drydock NoOrderedLaid DownLaunchedCommissioned
Kikuzuki1 Nov 1926
Kashi15 Mar 19161 Dec 191631 Mar 1917
Yugure9 Apr 19336 May 193430 Mar 1935
Shimakaze8 Aug 194118 Jul 194210 May 1943
Matsu8 Aug 19433 Feb 194428 Apr 1944


Maizuru Naval Arsenal Interactive Map

Photographs

Light cruiser Jintsu damaged after colliding with destroyer Warabi during training exercise in night of 24 Aug 1927, Maizuru, Japan, circa 26 Aug 1927Emperor Showa

Maizuru Naval Arsenal Timeline

10 Nov 1903 Rear Admiral Masaaki Hashimoto was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
28 Dec 1903 Rear Admiral Shinkichi Mukaiyama was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
11 May 1905 Rear Admiral Tokutaro Nakamizo was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
15 May 1908 Rear Admiral Takeichiro Kitakoga was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
28 Aug 1908 Rear Admiral Hajime Sakamoto was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
9 Apr 1910 Rear Admiral Sadakichi Kato was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
11 Mar 1911 Rear Admiral Koizumi was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1911 Rear Admiral Chayama was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1913 Rear Admiral Morishigeru Tanaka was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
3 Dec 1915 Rear Admiral Osuke Uemura was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
15 Mar 1916 The keel of destroyer Kashi was laid down at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan.
1 Dec 1916 Destroyer Kashi was launched at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan.
1 Dec 1916 Rear Admiral Tsuyoshi Kimura was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
4 Sep 1918 Rear Admiral Danichi Nanri was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1920 Engineering Rear Admiral Tamotsu Niratsuka was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1921 Engineering Rear Admiral Sadago Okazaki was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1922 Rear Admiral Yoshidai Masaki was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
21 Jun 1924 Engineering Captain Nobuta Kishimoto was made the commanding officer of Maizuru work department in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 Dec 1925 Rear Admiral Takuma Kuroda was made the commanding officer of Maizuru work department in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
10 Dec 1928 Rear Admiral Kaoru Matsushita was made the commanding officer of Maizuru work department in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
30 Nov 1929 Rear Admiral Nobufusa Wada was made the commanding officer of Maizuru work department in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
9 Apr 1933 The keel of Yugure was laid down by Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Maizuru, Japan.
6 May 1934 Yugure was launched by Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Maizuru, Japan.
1 Dec 1937 Rear Admiral Masukichi Matsuki was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
20 Sep 1939 Rear Admiral Koken Nikaido was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
15 Nov 1940 Vice Admiral Tsunejiro Ishii was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
15 Oct 1941 Rear Admiral Senkichi Ozawa was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
3 Jun 1942 Tenryu entered drydock No. 3 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan for the installation of additional anti-aircraft weaponry and armor.
5 Jun 1942 Captain Shinpei Asano was named the commanding officer of Tenryu while the ship was undergoing upgrades at Maizuro Naval Arsenal, Japan.
13 Jun 1942 Tenryu exited drydock No. 3 at Maizuru Naval Arsenal, Japan.
16 Jun 1942 U-576 departed Saint-Nazaire, France, starting her fifth war patrol.
26 Jun 1942 Naka entered drydock at Maizuru, Japan.
6 Jul 1942 Naka exited drydock at Maizuru, Japan.
5 Apr 1943 Naka completed her repairs at Maizuru, Japan and departed the port.
10 Mar 1944 Rear Admiral Matsuo Morizumi was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
1 May 1945 Vice Admiral Yoshiharu Kobayashi was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
21 Jun 1945 Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Maizuru, Japan and was drydocked for maintenance.
1 Nov 1945 Vice Admiral Yoshiharu Kobayashi stepped down as the last commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.




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Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Maizuru, Kyoto, Japan
Lat/Long 35.4823, 135.3749
Maizuru Naval Arsenal Photo Gallery
Light cruiser Jintsu damaged after colliding with destroyer Warabi during training exercise in night of 24 Aug 1927, Maizuru, Japan, circa 26 Aug 1927
See all 2 photographs of Maizuru Naval Arsenal


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