W-203 IJN SEAPLANE TENDER AKITSUSHIMA

Akitsushima was a Japanese air tender from the Second World War. The keel was laid for this unit in 1940, it was launched in July 1941, and it was commissioned in April 1942. The full displacement of the ship at the time of launching was about 5,000 tons, its length - 114.8 meters, and width - 15.8 meters. The maximum speed of the unit did not exceed 19-20 knots. The ship's deck armament at the time of launching consisted of: 4 127 mm guns or 4 25 mm anti-aircraft guns. The vessel carried a single flying boat. Akitsushima took an active part in the activities of the Second World War in the Pacific. In August 1942, it operated for a short time in the Solomon Islands area, but as a result of damage during an American air raid on the island of Buka, it had to be sent for repairs, which lasted until January 1943. In the middle of this year, she took part in the evacuation of Japanese troops from the Aleutians. After this operation, it was directed to the base on the island of Truk, where it was again damaged by bombing in February 1944. After repairs, Akitsushima arrived in the Philippines in August 1944, where it was sunk on September 24, 1944. It is worth adding that Akitsushima was planned as one of the six units of its class, but eventually its sister ships did not enter service.