I.J.N. GUN BOAT KATATA / HOZU

Katata was a Japanese river gunboat under which the keel was laid in April 1922, launched in July 1922, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in October 1923. The length of the ship at the time of launching was 56.1 m, width 8.23 m, and displacement - about 340 tons. The maximum speed of the Katata gunboat was 16 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 2 80mm guns and 6 7.7mm machine guns. In 1940 and 1943, 7.7 mm machine guns were replaced by 13.2 mm machine guns, and finally by 25 mm anti-aircraft guns. Katata was the second-highest Set's gunboat gunner. Vessels of this type (4 ships in total) were created as specialized units intended for inland navigation. From the very beginning, it was also assumed that they would have a relatively low draft and displacement, while maintaining quite strong - for this class of ships - on-board armament. Of course, this made it de facto impossible to sail in open waters, and the seaworthiness of Set's gunboats was low. Nevertheless, they were well suited for the role for which they were intended. The Katata gunboat was built at the Harima shipyard in the city of Aioi, and later transported in sections to Shanghai and assembled there. The vessel sailed on the Yangtze for almost the entire 1920s. It also took an active part in the Japanese-Chinese war (1937-1945). In December 1944, it was severely damaged by an American air raid, and in April 1945 the Katata gunboat was sunk.