Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
| Type | Shipyard | |
| Historical Name of Location | Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseThe Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, situated just inside the mouth of Tokyo Bay in Japan, was one of four principal shipyards operated by the Japanese Navy during WW2. Operations at the site dated back to 1866 when the Tokugawa Shogunate established Yokosuka Seisakusho. In 1871, the Meiji government renamed it Yokosuka Shipyards; later in the same year, the first drydock began operations. In 1903, it was renamed Yokosuka Naval Arsenal. Some of the major WW2-era warships built at Yokosuka include the carrier Kaga, the heavy cruiser Takao, and the battleship Yamashiro, among many others. The facilities received light damage during the Doolittle Raid on 18 Apr 1942, and much more destruction toward the end of the war. After being taken over by US occupation forces after the war, the arsenal's entity was abolished in Oct 1945. Operations continued, however, under US Navy's Yokosuka Ship Repair Facility. The former Japanese Navy arsenal continued to be a US Navy facility through the date of this writing.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia
Ships Constructed at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
| Hatsuzakura | I-58 | Myoko | Shokaku | Unryu |
| Hiei | Kaga | Noshiro | Suzuya | Yamashiro |
| Hiryu | Kairyu-class | Shinano | Takao | Zuiho |
| I-369 | Mutsu | Shoho | Tenryu |
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Interactive Map
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Timeline
| 7 May 1917 | The keel of Tenryu was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. |
| 11 Mar 1918 | Tenryu was launched at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. Commander Kanzo Kakuta was named the Chief Equipping Officer. |
| 6 Jun 1924 | Light carrier Hosho entered Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan for post-commissioning modification work. |
| 20 Aug 1924 | Light carrier Hosho's modification work was completed at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan, which saw the removal of her island, mast, and crane. |
| 5 Sep 1934 | Mutsu entered Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan for a reconstruction. |
| 30 Sep 1936 | Mutsu completed her reconstruction at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. |
| 4 May 1940 | The keel of Shinano was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 27 Feb 1942 | Shokaku entered drydock at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 5 Mar 1942 | Shokaku left drydock at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 5 Apr 1942 | Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan for repairs in the drydock. |
| 24 Jul 1942 | Nachi entered the drydock at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 30 Jul 1942 | Nachi exited the drydock at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 1 Aug 1942 | The keel of Unryu was laid down at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. |
| 6 Nov 1942 | Shokaku arrived at Yokosuka, Japan and entered the navy yard immediately for a long period of extensive repairs and refit. |
| 16 Dec 1942 | Light carrier Ryuho entered the drydock at Yokosuka, Japan for repairs. |
| 10 Feb 1943 | Light carrier Ryuho completed her repairs and exited the drydock at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 21 May 1943 | Yamato was drydocked at Yokosuka, Japan for inspection and repairs. |
| 30 May 1943 | Yamato undocked from the drydocks at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 12 Jun 1943 | Torpedo-damaged Hiyo entered drydocks at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan for repairs at 1053 hours. Her bottom scraped the bottom of the drydock while moving in. |
| 25 Sep 1943 | Unryu was launched at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 25 Nov 1943 | Destroyer Yuzuki arrived at Yokosuka, Japan for a scheduled overhaul. |
| 7 Dec 1943 | Destroyer Yuzuki was refitted at the Ishikawa Shipyard and the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. |
| 22 Jan 1944 | Destroyer Yuzuki completed her refitting at Ishikawa Shipyard and the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. Her aft torpedo mount and two of her four main guns were removed in exchange for additional anti-aircraft machine guns and improved underwater sound detection equipment. |
| 3 Mar 1944 | Irako began repairs at Yokosuka, Japan and later Yokohama, Japan. |
| 5 Jul 1944 | While undergoing repairs at Yokosuka and Yokohama, Japan, Irako was assigned to the Southwest Area Fleet based at Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands. |
| 8 Oct 1944 | Shinano was launched at Yokosuka, Japan. During the launch, one of the caissons at the end of the dock lifted unexpectedly, causing her to move forward, damaging the bow. |
| 26 Oct 1944 | Shinano completed bow repairs at Yokosuka, Japan. |
| 18 Jul 1945 | Nagato was damaged in port at Yokosuka, Japan during an American carrier air raid. A destroyer, a sumarine, and three smaller vessels were sunk during the attack. |
| 15 Oct 1945 | The Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Japan was abolished in name, but the facilities would continue to operate under the control of the US Navy. |
Photographs
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| WW2-Era Place Name | Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Lat/Long | 35.2900, 139.6600 |
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Winston Churchill
6 Jun 2017 03:32:07 PM
I was on board the USS Oklahoma City in 1961 while home ported at the shipyard. I am trying to recall the name of Japanese cruiser or battleship that displayed as a permanent monument near the piers