View source for Hiburi-class escort ship

{{Short description|Imperial Japanese Navy ship}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= IJN escort vessel SHONAN in 1944.jpg
|Ship image size = 300px
|Ship caption= ''Daitō'' or ''Shōnan''<ref>The vessel on the photograph has been identified as two different vessels.<br />First option: '''''Daitō'' in August 1944''', by ''Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy''.<br />Second option: '''''Shōnan'' in July 1944''', by the ''[[Yamato Museum]]''.</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Hiburi'' class
|Builders=[[Hitachi Zosen Corporation|Hitachi Zōsen Corporation]]
|Operators=* {{navy|Empire of Japan}}
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Allied Occupied Japan.svg}} [[Japan Meteorological Agency]]
* {{coast guard|Japan}}
* {{navy|Republic of China}}
* {{navy|China}}
|Class before= {{sclass|Mikura|escort ship|4}}
|Class after= {{sclass|Ukuru|escort ship|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=*5,112,000 JPY (as the {{sclass|Etorofu|escort ship|4}} under the [[Rapidly Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1941)|Maru Kyū Programme]])
*6,200,000 JPY (as the {{sclass|Ukuru|escort ship|4}} under the [[Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1942)|Kai-Maru 5 Programme]])
|Built range=1944–1945
|In service range=
|In commission range=1944–1990
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=11 (converted from 3 of the ''Mikura'' class, and 8 of the ''Ukuru'' class)
|Total ships completed=9
|Total ships cancelled=2
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=5
|Total ships retired=4
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Escort ship]]
|Ship displacement= {{convert|940|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard
|Ship length= {{convert|78.77|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam= {{convert|9.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught= {{convert|3.06|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft= 
|Ship propulsion=*2 × [[Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department|Kampon]] Mk.22 Model 10 diesels
*2 shafts, {{convert|4,200|bhp|abbr=on}}
|Ship power= 
|Ship speed={{convert|19.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{convert|5000|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=150
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*'''''Hiburi'', June 1944'''
*3 × [[12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval gun|{{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|L/45]] AA guns
*6 × [[Type 96 25&nbsp;mm AT/AA Gun|Type 96 25&nbsp;mm AA guns]]
*120 × Type 95 [[depth charge]]s
*2 × Type 94 depth charge projectors
*2 × depth charge throwers
*1 × 22-Gō surface search radar
*1 × Type 93 [[Sonar#Active sonar|active sonar]]
*1 × Type 93 [[Sonar#Passive sonar|hydrophone]]
*2 × [[Paravane (weapon)|Paravanes]]
*'''''Shisaka'', 1945'''
*3 × {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}} L/45 AA guns
*16 × Type 96 [[Type 96 25&nbsp;mm AT/AA Gun|Type 96 {{convert|25|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] AA guns
*120 × Type 2 depth charges
*3 × Type 94 depth charge projectors
*2 × depth charge throwers
*1 × [[Type 97 81&nbsp;mm infantry mortar|Type 3 81&nbsp;mm mortar]]
*1 × 22-Gō surface search radar
*1 × 13-Gō early warning radar
*2 × Type 3 active sonars
*1 × Type 93 hydrophone
|Ship armour=
}}
|}

The {{nihongo|'''''Hiburi''-class escort ship'''|日振型海防艦,|''Hiburi''-gata Kaibōkan}} was a design development from the {{sclass|Mikura|escort ship|1}}s of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN), serving during and after [[World War II]].<ref>The 11 vessels described in this article are classified to the {{sclass|Ukuru|escort ship|4}} in many books, because the ''Hiburi'' class closely resembles the ''Ukuru'' class. The IJN's official documents, however, call them the ''Mikura'' class.</ref>

== Background ==
In the [[Rapid Naval Armaments Supplement Programme]] of 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy ordered the construction of thirty escort vessels (''kaibōkan'') – designated as #310 to #339 of that Programme, to provide escort ships for the Navy. Fourteen of these were planned as {{sclass|Etorofu|escort ship|4}} ('''''Escort ship Type-A''''') of 860 tons standard displacement and sixteen as {{sclass|Mikura|escort ship|4}} ('''''Escort ship Type-B''''') of 940 tons, although in the Budget (for which 153,360,000 yen was provided for the ships, or 5,112,000 per ship) they were all stated to be of 1,200 tons. However, three of the ''Mikura'' class (ships #328, #333 and #339) were subsequently designated as to be built to the ''Hiburi'' design.

In the next year's [[Modified 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme]], the IJN ordered the construction of another thirty-four ships to a modified version ({{sclass|Ukuru|escort ship|4}}) of the Type-B design; these were designated as #5251 to #5284 of that Programme. However, eight of these ship (ships #5252, #5254, #5257, ##5259 and #5263 to #5266) were subsequently designated to be built to the ''Hiburi'' design. Only six of the eight were so completed, with #5265 and #5266 being incomplete at the end of the [[Pacific War]] and broken up.

The eleven ships were all ordered from the [[Hitachi Zosen Corporation|Hitachi Zōsen]] shipbuilding concern at Sakurajima, which had also received other orders for ships completed to the ''Etorofu'', ''Mikura'' and ''Ukuru'' designs. The ''Hiburi'' design used the same hull as the ''Ukuru'' class, but with different fittings. In 1943, the Japanese [[Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff|Navy General Staff (Gunreibu)]] promoted the building of '''''Escort ship Type-A''''', the {{sclass|Etorofu|escort ship|4}} and '''''Escort ship Type-B''''', the {{sclass|Mikura|escort ship|4}} and {{sclass|Ukuru|escort ship|4}}. However, the Navy General Staff also noted that too many man-hours of work were needed for their building.

== Design ==
* The [[Imperial Japanese Navy Technical Department|Navy Technical Department (Kampon)]] used the ''Ukuru'''s basic designs for the new drawings. It was a chimera of ''Mikura'' and ''Ukuru'' classes.
* The new drawings had the following characteristic.
** Armaments and under waterline designs were same as ''Mikura''.
** Everything else was same as in the ''Ukuru''.
* The Kampon estimated man-hours for building will be between 42,000 to 40,000.<ref>This value was reduced to around 35,000 man-hours by an effort of the shipyard.</ref>
* The new drawing was sent to the [[Hitachi Zosen Corporation|Hitachi Zōsen Corporation]], Sakurajima Shipyard. Those ships of the ''Mikura'' class and the ''Ukuru'' class that had not been started were converted to the ''Hiburi'' class. The Hitachi Zōsen built all of the ''Hiburi'' class vessels.<ref>Therefore Hitachi Zōsen did not participate in building of the ''Ukuru'' class.</ref>

== Ships in class ==
Of the nine ships completed, three were sunk by US submarines and two by naval mines.
{| class="wikitable"
| width="5%" | '''Ship #'''
| width="10%" | '''Ship'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Laid down'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Launched'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Completed'''
| width="30%" bgcolor= | '''Fate'''
|-
| #328
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Hiburi|''Hiburi'']]|[[:ja:日振島|日振]]}}
| 3 January 1944
| 10 April 1944
| 27 June 1944
| Sunk by [[USS Harder (SS-257)|USS ''Harder'']] at west of [[Manila]], 22 August 1944.
|-
| #333
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Daitō|''Daitō'']]|[[Daitō Islands|大東]]}}
| 17 April 1944
| 24 June 1944
| 7 August 1944
| Sunk by naval mine at [[Tsushima Strait]], 16 November 1945.
|-
| #339
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Shōnan|''Shōnan'']]|[[Pulau Ujong|昭南]]}}
| 23 February 1944
| 19 May 1944
| 13 July 1944
| Sunk by [[USS Hoe (SS-258)|USS ''Hoe'']] at south of [[Hainan]] Island, 25 February 1945.
|-
| #5252
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Kume|''Kume'']]|[[Kumejima Island|久米]]}}
| 26 May 1944
| 15 August 1944
| 25 September 1944
| Sunk by [[USS Spadefish (SS-411)|USS ''Spadefish'']] at [[Yellow Sea]] {{coord|33|54|N|122|55|E}}, 28 January 1945.
|-
| #5254
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Ikuna|''Ikuna'']]|[[:ja:生名島|生名]]}}
| 30 June 1944
| 4 September 1944
| 15 October 1944
| Decommissioned on 30 November 1945. Transferred to [[Japan Meteorological Agency|Meteorological Agency]] 26 December 1947, and renamed ''Ikuna-maru''. Transferred to [[Japan Coast Guard|Maritime Safety Agency]] 1 January 1949, and renamed ''Ojika'' (PS-102). Decommissioned on 25 May 1963.
|-
| #5257
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Shisaka|''Shisaka'']]|[[:ja:四阪島|四阪]]}}
| 21 August 1944
| 31 October 1944
| 15 December 1944
| Decommissioned on 15 September 1945. Surrendered to [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] on 6 July 1947, and renamed ''Huian''. Defected to [[People's Liberation Army]] 23 April 1949. Sunk by aircraft at [[Yanziji]], 28 April 1949. Repairs were completed on 24 December 1953, and given the pennant number 218. Decommissioned in 1990.
|-
| #5259
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Sakito|''Sakito'']]|[[Sakito, Nagasaki|崎戸]]}}
| 7 September 1944
| 29 November 1944
| 10 January 1945
| Decommissioned on 20 November 1945. Scrapped January 1947.
|-
| #5263
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Mokuto|''Mokuto'']]|[[Baisha, Penghu|目斗]]}}
| 5 November 1944
| 7 January 1945
| 19 February 1945
| Sunk by naval mine at [[Kanmon Straits]], 4 April 1945.
|-
| #5264
| {{nihongo|[[Japanese escort ship Habuto|''Habuto'']]|[[:ja:仁右衛門島|波太]]}}
| 3 December 1944
| 28 February 1945
| 7 April 1945
| Decommissioned on 23 October 1945. Surrendered to [[United Kingdom]] on 16 July 1947, later scrapped.
|-
| #5265
| {{nihongo|''Ōtsu''|[[:ja:大津島|大津]]}}
| 12 January 1945
| 10 May 1945
|
| Not completed by the end of the war (95%). Scrapped on 25 March 1948.
|-
| #5266
| {{nihongo|''Tomoshiri''|友知}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?hl=ja&q=%E5%8F%8B%E7%9F%A5%E5%B3%B6&lr=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl |title=Tomoshiri Island}}</ref>
| 5 March 1945
|
|
| Not completed by the end of the war (20%). Scrapped on 23 October 1947.
|}

== Appendix ==
*Classification of the Kaibōkan classes in IJN official documents
**The ''Shimushu'', ''Etorofu'', ''Mikura'', ''Hiburi'' and ''Ukuru'' were classed in the ''Shimushu'' class.
**The IJN changed their classification on 5 June 1944, because the shipyards and commanders were confused.
**The Escort ship Type-B and Modified Type-B were combined to the Escort ship Type-A, and Type-Bs became extinct thereby.
{| class="wikitable" width="65%"
| colspan=3| '''Before 5 June 1944'''
| rowspan=9 width="2%"| {{center|>>}}
| colspan=3| '''And after 5 June 1944'''
|-
| width="8%" | '''Plan names'''
| width="10%" | '''Official class names'''
| width="10%" | '''Common class names'''
| width="6%" | '''Plan name'''
| width="10%" | '''Official class names'''
| width="10%" | '''Common class names'''
|-
| rowspan=2| Type-A
| rowspan=5| ''Shimushu'' class
| ''Shimushu'' class
| rowspan=5| Type-A
| rowspan=2| ''Shimushu'' class
| ''Shimushu'' class
|-
| ''Etorofu'' class
| ''Etorofu'' class
|-
| rowspan=2| Type-B
| ''Mikura'' class
| rowspan=2| ''Mikura'' class
| ''Mikura'' class
|-
| ''Hiburi'' class
| ''Hiburi'' class
|-
| Modified Type-B
| ''Ukuru'' class
| ''Ukuru'' class
| ''Ukuru'' class
|-
| Type-C
| ''No.1'' class
| ''No.1'' class
| Type-C
| ''No.1'' class
| ''No.1'' class
|-
| Type-D
| ''No.2'' class
| ''No.2'' class
| Type-D
| ''No.2'' class
| ''No.2'' class
|}

==Gallery==
(Changes of equipment and under waterline design)
<gallery widths="190" heights="165">
File:Japanese escort ship Daito 1944.jpg|''Daitō'' or ''Shonan'' in August 1944
File:Japanese escort ship Ikuna 1944.jpg|''Ikuna'' in October 1944
File:Japanese escort ship Shisaka 1944.jpg|''Shisaka'' in December 1944
File:Japanese escort ship Habuto 1945.jpg|''Habuto'' in April 1945
File:Japanese escort ship Ōtsu in 1945.jpg|''Ōtsu'' in 1945
File:SC 286587 Shisaka Yukikaze.jpg|Disarmed ''Shisaka'' (left) and ''[[Japanese destroyer Yukikaze (1939)|Yukikaze]]'' in Tokyo, after they were used to repatriate Japanese nationals from overseas, May 1947
File:SC 286589 Shisaka (cropped).jpg|''Shisaka'' in May 1947
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[Shimushu-class escort ship]]
*[[Etorofu-class escort ship]]
*[[Mikura-class escort ship]]
*[[Ukuru-class escort ship]]
*[[Type C escort ship]]
*[[Type D escort ship]]
*[[Destroyer escort]]
*[[Tacoma-class frigate]]
*[[Flower-class corvette]]

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
*''{{cite web |url=http://rekigun.net/ |title=Rekishi Gunzō}}, History of Pacific War Vol.51, The truth histories of the Imperial Japanese Vessels Part.2'', [[Gakken]] (Japan), June 2002, {{ISBN|4-05-602780-3}}
*''Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy'', {{cite web |url=http://www.ships-net.co.jp/ |title=Kaijinsha}}, (Japan), February 1996
*''Model Art Extra No.340, Drawings of Imperial Japanese Naval Vessels Part-1'', {{cite web |url=http://www.modelart.jp/ |title=Model Art Co. Ltd.}} (Japan), October 1989
*''The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.28, Japanese escort ships'', {{cite web |url=http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/ |title=Ushio Shobō}} (Japan), June 1979

{{WWII Japanese ships}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hiburi}}
[[Category:Escort ship classes]]
[[Category:World War II naval ships of Japan]]
[[Category:Ships built by Hitachi Zosen Corporation]]
[[Category:Ships of the Republic of China Navy]]
[[Category:Ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy]]