Yokosuka Naval Arsenal

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

Last Major Update: Dec 2016

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

Japanese battlecruiser Hiei fitting out at Yokosuka, Japan, 20 Sep 1913

Yamashiro under construction in the No. 2 dock at Yokosuka, Japan, 20 Oct 1915

Tenryu under construction, Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan, 1919

Aerial view of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal days after the Great Kanto Earthquake, 3 or 4 Sep 1923

See all 30 photographs of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal

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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

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Modern Day Location

WW2-Era Place Name	Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Lat/Long	35.2900, 139.6600

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal Photo Gallery

See all 30 photographs of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal

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Yokosuka Naval Arsenal