View source for Japanese seaplane tender Notoro

{{short description|Japanese seaplane tender}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image =File:Japanese seaplane tender Notoro 1931 near Kure.jpg
|Ship caption = ''Notoro'' as seaplane tender, 1931
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header =
| Ship country =[[Empire of Japan]]
| Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|Empire of Japan|naval}}
|Ship name = ''Notoro''
|Ship namesake = {{lang|ja|能登呂}}, [[Cape Crillon|Cape Notoro]]
|Ship ordered =
|Ship builder = [[Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation]] shipyard at [[Kobe]]<ref name="HN.K">{{cite web |last1=Hiroshi |first1=Nishida |title=Notoro seaplane tender |url=http://admiral31.world.coocan.jp/e/stc0866.htm}}</ref>
|Ship laid down = 24 November 1919<ref name="HN.K"/>
|Ship launched = 3 May 1920<ref name="HN.K"/>
|Ship acquired =
|Ship commissioned = 10 August 1920<ref name="HN.K"/>
|Ship refit=*As [[seaplane tender]], June 1924 
*As oiler, December 1941<ref name="TROM" />
|Ship struck =
|Ship honors =
|Ship fate = Scrapped, 1947<ref name="TROM">{{cite web |last1=Hackett |first1=Bob |last2=Kingsepp |first2=Sander |last3=Alsleben |first3=Allan |last4=Cundall |first4=Peter |title=IJN Seaplane Tender/Oiler NOTORO: Tabular Record of Movement |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Notoro_t.htm |publisher=combinedfleet.com}}</ref>
|Ship notes =
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=(as built)
|Ship class=[[Notoro-class oiler|''Notoro''-class]] [[Replenishment oiler|oiler]]
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement= {{convert|15400|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}} normal
|Ship length= {{convert|138.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p/p]]
|Ship beam= {{convert|17.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught= {{convert|8.08|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=*1 × triple expansion reciprocating engine
*4 × [[Scotch boiler]]s
*single shaft, {{convert|3,750|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
|Ship power= 
|Ship speed={{convert|12|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=
|Ship boats=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=142
|Ship capacity=8,000 tons of fuel oil
|Ship crew=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*2 × [[12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval gun|{{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|L/45]] naval guns
*2 × [[8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{convert|76.2|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} L/40]] [[anti-aircraft gun|AA guns]]
|Ship armour=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header =
|Header caption =(as seaplane tender)
|Ship class =
|Ship type=[[Seaplane carrier]]
|Ship displacement =*{{cvt|14050|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]])<ref name="HN.K"/>
|Ship length = {{convert|138.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|p/p]]<ref name="HN.K" />({{convert|143.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} [[waterline length]])
|Ship beam = {{convert|17.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft = {{convert|8.08|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship power = 
|Ship propulsion =*4 × Miyabara steam boilers ({{circa}} 1930 replaced by 6 × Miyabara boilers)
*2 [[vertical triple expansion]] steam engines<ref group = "p">According to [http://www.combinedfleet.com/Notoro_c.htm combinedfleet.com] and [http://admiral31.world.coocan.jp/e/stc0813.htm Nishida: Shiretoko], ''Notoro'' had two steam engines. However, according to [http://admiral31.world.coocan.jp/e/stc0866.htm Nishida: Notoro], ''Notoro'' had only one steam engine as a seaplane tender.</ref>
*2 propellers, {{cvt|5850|shp|kW|lk=on}} <ref name="CF.NC" /><ref name="JJM.63" /> (according to Nishida, indicated power<ref name = "HN.K" />) 
|Ship speed = {{convert|12|kn|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship range = {{convert|8000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|7|kn}}
|Ship complement = 250
|Ship armament =
*2 × [[12 cm/45 10th Year Type naval gun|{{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}}]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|L/45]] naval guns<ref name="JJM.63">{{cite book |last1=Jentschura |first1=Hans Georg |last2=Jung |first2=Dieter |last3=Mikel |first3=Peter |title=Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy 1869-1945 |date=1986 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis |isbn=0-87021-893-X |pages=58–63 |url=https://archive.org/details/warshipsimperial00jent}}</ref>
*2 × [[8 cm/40 3rd Year Type naval gun|{{convert|76.2|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} L/40]] [[anti-aircraft gun|AA guns]]<ref name="CF.NC">{{cite web |title=Notoro Class |url=http://www.combinedfleet.com/Notoro_c.htm |publisher=combinedfleet.com}}</ref>
|Ship aircraft =*8 seaplanes (taking off from water)
|Ship notes =
}}
|}

{{nihongo|'''''Notoro'''''|能登呂}}  was an [[Replenishment oiler|oiler]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] commissioned in 1920, which was rebuilt in 1924 into a [[seaplane tender]] and in 1941 back into an oiler. She participated in the [[January 28 Incident|First Shanghai Incident]] in 1932 and the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] since 1937. In the fall of 1941, she was rebuilt back into an oiler. On 9 January and 20 September 1943, she was damaged by [[US Navy]] [[submarine]]s but returned to service after repairs. On 29 June 1944, she was hit by two torpedoes launched by submarine {{USS|Flasher|SS-249|6}}. During repairs in [[Singapore]] ''Notoro'' was again damaged on 5 November 1944, this time by [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29]] bombers. No further repairs were made until the end of the war and she was probably scrapped in 1947.<ref name = "TROM"/>

== Designation of airplanes operating from ''Notoro'' ==
Aircraft operating from ''Notoro'' were marked on the [[vertical stabilizer|tail]] [[Registration marks and tactical numbers of Japanese naval aircraft 1926-1945|with a code, according to the following scheme]]: [code ''Notoro''] - [tactical number]. The identification code ''Notoro'' changed during the service. After her conversion to a seaplane tender, the code was formed by three [[katakana]] written characters ノ ト ロ (''no to ro''). In October 1937, the code was changed to ''13''. In October 1941 the code was '' Z1 '' and in November of that year - just before the conversion back to an oiler - the code was changed to '' N2 ''.<ref name = "TROM" />

==Onboard aircraft complement==
The number of aircraft up to 1941 was as follows. (The number of aircraft is regular + reserve aircraft) 
*28 June 1927: 4+4 [[Yokosuka E1Y]] reconnaissance aircraft<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]pp.817-818、昭和2年内令兵第27号</ref>
*8 May 1929: 6+2 Yokosuka E1Y reconnaissance aircraft<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]pp.820、昭和4年内令兵第24号</ref> (1 [[Yokosuka K1Y]] trainer fixed on the outside in 1929)<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]p.850-851、昭和4年4月20日付け内令兵第22号</ref>
*25 May 1932: Yokosuka E1Y3 4+2, [[Yokosuka E5Y]] reconnaissance seaplane 2+1.<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]p.824、昭和7年内令兵第24号</ref>
*1 November 1932: Yokosuka E1Y3, Yokosuka E5Y 3+1.<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]pp.824-826、昭和7年内令兵第68号</ref>
*30 January 1933: Yokosuka E1Y3, Yokosuka/Kawanishi E5Y/K 6+2.<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]p.826-828、昭和8年内令兵第12号</ref>
*15 October 1933: [[Nakajima E4N|Nakajima E4N2]] 4+1.<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]p.830-831、昭和8年内令兵第59号</ref>
*1 May 1934: E4N2 6+2 (some are E1Y3 reconnaissance aircraft).<ref>[[#海軍制度沿革巻九]]p.832-834、昭和9年内令兵第18号</ref>

After repairs in 1937, she is reported to carry 4 [[Kawanishi E7K]] and 4 [[Nakajima E8N]] reconnaissance seaplanes.<ref>[[#日本海軍全艦艇史]]資料篇p.45</ref>

In July 1941 her aircraft complement was moved to [[Japanese seaplane tender Fujikawa Maru|''Fujikawa Maru'']], and ''Notoro'' aircraft group was disbanded.<ref>[[#写真日本の軍艦第4巻]]pp.159-160</ref>

==''Notoro''{{'s}} service as a seaplane tender (1924 to 1941)==
[[Image: Type14 seaplanes on Tonomi beach.jpg | thumb| left | A row of nine [[Yokosuka E1Y|Type 14 reconnaissance seaplanes]] in 1927 on Tonomi Beach ({{langx|ja|富海}}), east of [[Hofu]] in [[Yamaguchi Prefecture]]. The tailcodes of the three seaplanes on the left reveal their affiliation with ''Notoro''. They are from left to right, ノトロ-10, unknown, ノトロ-23 and ノトロ-11.]]
[[Image: Nakajima E8N seaplane.jpg | thumb| left | [[Nakajima E8N]] seaplanes operated from ''Notoro'' during the Second Sino-Japanese War.]]

''Notoro'' was the second commissioned ship of the [[Notoro-class oiler|''Notoro''-class]] oilers. She was completed as an oiler with a carrying capacity of 8,000 tons, but relatively shortly after her commission, it was decided to convert her into a seaplane tender. The refit was completed at the [[Sasebo Naval Arsenal]] on 1 June 1924. As a seaplane tender ''Notoro'' could carry up to eight (six operational and two dismantled backup machines) three-seater [[Yokosuka E1Y|Type 14 reconnaissance seaplanes]] (later designated Yokosuka E1Y1). ''Notoro'' had no catapult: seaplanes took off from the water surface, where they were unloaded by ship cranes. After the refit, ''Notoro'' could continue to act as an oiler.<ref name = "TROM" />

On 1 December 1925 ''Notoro'' was assigned to the [[Combined Fleet]].<ref name = "TROM" />

An explosion occurred on ''Notoro'' on 5 September 1931 when she was moored at the [[Port of Yokohama]], causing 10 deaths, destroying aviation fuel tanks and damaging several E1Y1 seaplanes.<ref name = "TROM" />

[[File: Shanghai administrative.png | thumb|right | Shanghai administrative divisions. Zháběi district is number 7.]] 
From the beginning of 1932, ''Notoro'' participated in operations against [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]] (but initially independent from the Combined Fleet). On 28 January ''Notoro'' arrived in [[Shanghai]] from the [[Ryojun Guard District|Ryojun naval base]]. The tense situation in Shanghai that day escalated into the [[January 28 incident|first Shanghai incident]]. On the night of January 28 and 29, seaplanes from ''Notoro'' dropped flares to scare off the Chinese opposition. The next day, ''Notoro'', moored on the [[Yangtze | Yangtze River]], sent several of her E1Y3 seaplanes against targets in Shanghai. Despite the foggy weather, seaplanes attacked targets in [[Zhabei]] ({{zh|s=闸北|t=閘北}}), artillery positions outside the city and an [[armored train]] at the [[Shanghai North railway station]] ({{zh|上海北站}}). However, the raids also claimed civilian casualties, which caused outrage in China.<ref name = "TROM" />

On 11 May 1932, ''Notoro'' was reassigned to the Combined Fleet, and on 25 May the aircraft complement was changed to include three-seater seaplanes [[Yokosuka E5Y|E5K / E5Y]].<ref name = "TROM" />

On 2 October 1937 ''Notoro'' received the second half of the [[Nakajima E8N|E8N2]] seaplanes from the 23rd Reconnaissance Group, which were delivered to the shores of South China by the submarine tender [[Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūhō|''Taigei'']].<ref name = "TROM" />

On 24 February 1938 ''Notoro'' was located on the shores of [[South China Sea]]. That morning, ''Notoro'' sent out five of its E8N2s, to which were added eight E8N2s from ''[[Kinugasa Maru]]'' to attack [[Nanxiong]] (in the northern [[Guangdong]] province). Some E8N2 carried bombs and some flew armed only with their machine guns as an escort. Above the target, the E8N faced twelve [[Gloster Gladiator|Gladiator Mk. I]] of the 28th and 29th ''zhongdui'' ({{lang-zh | 中隊}}; [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]]) of the 5th '' dàduì'' ({{lang-zh | 大隊 }}; [[air group]]/wing) of the [[Air Force of the Republic of China|Chinese Air Force]]. E8N proved to be a difficult prey. During the battle, several E8Ns were damaged, with two (including one from ''Notoro'') crashing on the way back with the loss of their crews. Another damaged E8N2 (tailcode ''13-1'') from ''Notoro'', which was hit a total of 138 times, returned with a dead observer on board and was written off after an emergency landing. Another E8N also returned with a dead crew member. ''Notoro'' lost a total of five dead aircrew members and two E8Ns. The Chinese lost two Gladiators (Nos. 2902 and 2808) and their pilots during the battle.<ref name="TROM" /><ref name="BFA.LYR">{{cite web |last1=Gustavsson |first1=Håkan |title=Biplane fighter aces: Lieutenant Li Yu-Rong |url=http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/china_li.htm}}</ref>

On 24 July 1938, ''Notoro'' together with ''[[Kamikawa Maru]]'' provided air support for [[Kure Naval District|Kure]]'s 5th "Kaigun tokubetsu rikusentai" ({{langx|ja|海軍特別陸戦隊}}), a [[Special Naval Landing Forces]] unit, which landed on the banks of the [[Yangtze|Yangtze River]]. Between 12 and 25 October, ''Notoro'' together with the seaplane carrier [[Japanese seaplane tender Kamoi|''Kamoi'']] and the aircraft carriers [[Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga|''Kaga'']], ''[[Japanese aircraft carrier Sōryū|Sōryū]]'' and [[Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō|''Ryūjō'']] supported the Japanese [[Canton Operation|offensive]] in the [[Guangdong]] Province, during which [[Guangzhou]] fell to the Japanese on 21 October.<ref name = "TROM" />

==''Notoro''{{'s}} service as a tanker (1941 to 1945)==
[[File: Japanese seaplane carrier Notoro.jpg | thumb|left | ''Notoro'' on 28 March 1943 during repairs in Singapore after the conversion back to a tanker.]] 
The planned invasion of the Southwest Pacific created the need for the Imperial Japanese Navy to transport oil from future occupied territories in the [[Dutch East Indies]] to Japan. ''Notoro'' was therefore rebuilt back into a tanker in November and December 1941.<ref name = "TROM" />

During the [[Pacific War]] ''Notoro'' sailed between Japan and the Japanese bases in the Southwest Pacific and the Indian Ocean. On 9 January 1943 ''Notoro'' became the target of a submarine attack by {{USS|Gar|SS-206|6}} in the [[Makassar Strait]], she was hit by at least two of the three fired [[torpedo]]es. However, the tanker was able to continue to [[Balikpapan]] at [[Borneo]], where the most necessary repairs were made. She then proceeded for further repairs to [[Singapore]] where she arrived on 31 January 1943.<ref name = "TROM" />

On 26 May 1943 she sailed in the convoy ''No. 4526'' from [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]]. The convoy was headed for [[Yokosuka]] but was attacked on 3 June by the submarine {{USS|Salmon|SS-182|6}}. All seven torpedoes fired by the submarine missed and the convoy arrived in Yokosuka on 5 June.<ref name = "TROM" />

On 20 September 1943 ''Notoro'' sailed from Truk as part of the convoy ''No. 4920'' to Japan. After departing the harbor, at 23:00 hours at {{coord|7|23|N|150|11|E|type:waterbody|display=inline}} west of Truk , ''Notoro'' was hit by a torpedo from the submarine {{USS|Haddock|SS-231|6}} and had to return to Truk. The repairs lasted until 24 January 1944.<ref name = "TROM" />

On the evening of 25 June 1944, ''Notoro'' sailed as part of the convoy ''MISHI-03'' from [[Miri]], Borneo, to Singapore. On the evening of 28 June the convoy was spotted by the submarine {{USS|Flasher|SS-249|6}}, which attacked after midnight on 29 June. Of the three torpedoes fired at ''Notoro'', two or all three struck the tanker and ''Notoro'' stopped dead in the water. On the afternoon of 30 June ''Notoro'' was towed to Singapore, but repairs were slow. In addition, the ship was severely damaged in the King George VI Graving Dock of the [[Sembawang|Sembawang shipyard]] on 5 November 1944 during an [[Bombing of Singapore (1944–1945)#Initial attack|air raid]] by 53 [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-29]] bombers of the [[USAAF]] and subsequently the ship was decommissioned. Until the end of the war, it was used as a floating fuel tank. In 1947 ''Notoro'' was either scrapped or sunk as a breakwater near [[Pulau Brani]] by the British.<ref name = "TROM" />

On 3 May 1947 ''Notoro'' was struck from the list of ships of the Japanese Navy.<ref name = "TROM"/>

== Footnotes==
<references group="p" />

== References ==
<references />

==Sources==
* <!--カイグンショウ-->{{Cite book|language=ja|volume=明治百年史叢書 第180巻|title=海軍制度沿革 巻八|editor=[[Ministry of the Navy (Japan)|Ministry of the Navy]]|publisher=原書房|date=October 1971|origyear=1941|ref=海軍制度沿革巻八}}
* <!--カイグンショウ-->{{Cite book|language=ja|volume=明治百年史叢書 第181巻|title=海軍制度沿革 巻九|editor=Ministry of the Navy|publisher=原書房|date=March 1972|origyear=1941|ref=海軍制度沿革巻九}}
* <!--カイグンショウ-->{{Cite book|language=ja|volume=明治百年史叢書 第183巻|title=海軍制度沿革 巻十の2|editor=Ministry of the Navy|publisher=原書房|date=April 1972|origyear=1940|ref=海軍制度沿革巻十の2}}
*{{Cite book|language=ja|author=[[Shizuo Fukui]]|date=1994|title=写真 日本海軍全艦艇史|publisher=ベストセラーズ|isbn=4-584-17054-1|ref=日本海軍全艦艇史}}
*{{Cite book|language=ja|title=<small>写真</small>日本の軍艦 第4巻 <small>空母II</small>|editor=雑誌『丸』編集部/編|publisher=光人社|date=October 1989|isbn=4-7698-0454-7|ref=写真日本の軍艦第4巻}}

{{WWII Japanese auxiliary ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Notoro}}
[[Category:1920 ships]]
[[Category:Notoro-class oilers]]
[[Category:Seaplane tenders of the Imperial Japanese Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries]]