JAPOŃSKI KUTER TORPEDOWY MITSUBISHI T-14

Mitsubishi T-14 is the collective name for a type of Japanese torpedo boats from the end of World War II. Vessels of this type were 15 m long, with a width of approx. 3.65 m and a draft of approx. 0.62 m. The drive was provided by a single 920 HP gasoline engine, and the maximum speed was up to 33 knots. Most often, the on-board armament consisted of two 450 mm torpedo launchers, two depth charges and a single 25 mm gun. The vast majority of cutters of this type were built at the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki city. The construction of the Mitsubishi T-14 fishing boats was based on units of this type previously produced for the Imperial Japanese Navy, but they also had several distinguishing features. First of all, their hulls took the shape of the letter V in order to provide them with even greater speed. It is worth noting that the hull itself was made of wood, thanks to which the construction costs and its pace increased significantly. In general, when designing these torpedo boats, the emphasis was primarily on achieving the highest possible speed. It is certain that the construction of these ships was carried out in the years 1944-1945. Probably only 5 Mitsubishi T-14 cutters were built at that time, but the history of combat operations is not exactly known. It is also assumed, possibly erroneously, that the order for a further 6 cutters has been canceled.