Yokosuka Naval Arsenal file photo [26128]

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal

Type   Shipyard
Historical Name of Location   Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

Contributor:

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

Last Major Update: Dec 2016

Ships Constructed at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal

Ship NameYard NoSlip/Drydock NoOrderedLaid DownLaunchedCompleted
Hatsuzakura
Hiei
Noshiro19 Jul 1942
I-581 Sep 1944
I-3699 Oct 1944
Kairyu-class1 Jan 1945
Yamashiro20 Nov 19133 Nov 191531 Mar 1917
Tenryu7 May 191711 Mar 191820 Nov 1919
Mutsu1 Jun 191831 May 192024 Oct 1921
Kaga19 Jul 192017 Nov 19211 Nov 1929
Myoko25 Oct 192416 Apr 192731 Jul 1929
Takao28 Apr 192712 May 193031 May 1932
Suzuya11 Dec 193320 Nov 193431 Oct 1937
Shoho3 Dec 19341 Jun 193530 Nov 1941
Zuiho20 Jun 193519 Jun 193627 Dec 1940
Hiryu8 Jul 193616 Nov 19375 Jul 1939
Shokaku12 Dec 19371 Jun 19398 Aug 1941
Shinano4 May 19408 Oct 194419 Nov 1944
Unryu1 Aug 194225 Sep 19436 Aug 1944


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

Japanese battlecruiser Hiei fitting out at Yokosuka, Japan, 20 Sep 1913Yamashiro under construction in the No. 2 dock at Yokosuka, Japan, 20 Oct 1915Tenryu under construction, Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan, 1919Aerial view of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal days after the Great Kanto Earthquake, 3 or 4 Sep 1923
See all 30 photographs of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal



Did you enjoy this article? Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
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

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
Security Code
 
 

Note: We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.
Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
Modern Day Location
WW2-Era Place Name Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Lat/Long 35.2900, 139.6600
Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Photo Gallery
Japanese battlecruiser Hiei fitting out at Yokosuka, Japan, 20 Sep 1913
See all 30 photographs of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal




Current Site Statistics

Famous WW2 Quote
"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"

Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943