History
Japan
Name W-26
Builder Mitsubishi shipyard , Yokohama
Laid down 1942
Launched 1942
Completed 31 March 1943
Stricken 30 April 1944
Fate Sunk, 17 February 1944
General characteristics
Class and type No.19 class minesweeper
Displacement 648 long tons (658 t) standard
Length 72.50 m (237 ft 10 in) o/a
Beam 7.85 m (25 ft 9 in)
Draught 2.61 m (8 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
2 × Kampon geared turbines, 3,850 shp (2,871 kW)
2 × Kampon mix-fired boilers
2 shafts
Speed 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement 98
Armament
W-26 was a W-19 -class minesweeper operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II .
Design The ship was ordered in August 1941 under the Rapid Naval Armaments Supplement Programme . Built by Mitsubishi Yards in Yokohama , the ship was laid down in 1942, launched in late 1942, and completed on 31 March 1943.
Operational career On 2 November, W-26 was damaged by bombs, while at Rabaul , New Britain , and beached to prevent her loss.[ 1] She was repaired and refloated and departed Rabaul for Truk on 23 November. W-26 underwent further repairs in December at Rabaul, tied up alongside Hakkai Maru . While anchored in Karavia Bay , near Rabaul on 17 February 1944, she was attacked by SBD dive-bombers and TBF torpedo-bombers of the United States Navy . Sunk in the attack were W-26 , Iwate Maru , and guard boat Funku Maru No. 2 . She was removed from the Navy List on 30 April 1944.
Her wreck was partially salvaged by Nanyo Boeki Kaisha in 1958.
References
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in November 1943
Shipwrecks
1 Nov: Cha-13 , U-405
2 Nov: USS Borie , Hatsukaze , Sendai , Storaa , U-340 , W-26
5 Nov: U-848
6 Nov: USS Beatty , U-226 , U-842
9 Nov: U-707
10 Nov: U-966
11 Nov: Suzunami
12 Nov: U-508
13 Nov: HMS Dulverton , I-34
16 Nov: USS Corvina , U-280
17 Nov: USS McKean
18 Nov: Empire Dunstan , U-718
19 Nov: USS Sculpin , U-211
20 Nov: USS Discoverer , U-536 , U-768
21 Nov: Empire Arthur , U-284 , U-538
22 Nov: HMS Hebe
23 Nov: I-35
24 Nov: Achéron , Aigle , FR 11 , USS Liscome Bay , Melville E. Stone , Naïade , Volta
25 Nov: I-19 , Makinami , Ōnami , Ro-100 , Toa Maru , U-600 , U-849 , Yūgiri
26 Nov: I-39 , Rohna
27 Nov: John P. Gaines
28 Nov: U-542 , Yamafuku Maru
29 Nov: I-21 , USS Perkins , U-86
Unknown date: USS Capelin , I-40 , Ro-38 , HMS Simoom , U-648
Other incidents
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in February 1944
Shipwrecks
1 Feb: I-171 , Ro-39 , Umikaze
3 Feb: Monte Pascoal , Nichiai Maru
4 Feb: U-854 , Vautour
6 Feb: U-177
8 Feb: Petrella , U-762 , Lima Maru
9 Feb: U-238 , U-734
10 Feb: El Grillo , Minekaze , U-545 , U-666
11 Feb: Ro-110 , U-283 , U-424
12 Feb: I-27 , Khedive Ismail , Oria
13 Feb: Henry , Irma , USS Macaw
14 Feb: U-738 , UIT-23
15 Feb: I-43
16 Feb: Ro-40
17 Feb: Agano , Aikoku Maru , CH-24 , Fumizuki , I-11 , Katori , Maikaze , Naka , Tachikaze , Tonan Maru No. 3 , W-26
18 Feb: Heian Maru , Oite , HMS Penelope , U-7 , U-406
19 Feb: CH-22 , U-264 , U-386
20 Feb: Hydro , HMS Warwick
21 Feb: Kokai Maru
22 Feb: British Chivalry
24 Feb: U-257 , U-761
25 Feb: HMS Inglefield , HMS Mahratta , Ryūsei Maru , Tango Maru , U-601
26 Feb: USS Ailanthus , U-91
27 Feb: USS Grayback , HMS Woodpecker
29 Feb: USS Trout
Unknown date: Cymric , USS Thompson
Other incidents