JDS ''Chihaya'' (ASR-401) was a
submarine rescue ship
A submarine rescue ship is a surface support ship for submarine rescue and deep-sea salvage operations. Methods employed include the McCann Rescue Chamber, deep-submergence rescue vehicles (DSRV's) and diving operations.
List of active subm ...
of
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
.
Development and design
The Maritime Self-Defense Force did not own a submarine at the time of its inauguration, but in January 1955, it was announced that a submarine would be rented as an addition to the Japan-US Ship Lending Agreement signed in May 1954. The
Gato-class submarine
The ''Gato'' class of submarines was built for the United States Navy and launched in 1941–1943; they were the first mass-production U.S. submarine class of World War II. Together with their near-sisters the and es, their design formed the ma ...
USS Mingo was lent by this, and was recommissioned as
JDS Kuroshio. The Maritime Self-Defense Force has been researching rescue ships from other countries, conscious of the need for rescue ships that can handle accidents from the time of acquisition of the ship, but the first domestically produced ship
JDS Oyashio. The construction of one ship was approved in the 1959 plan when (31SS) was under construction. ''Chihaya'' was built due to this.
Construction and career
''Chihaya'' was
laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
on 15 March 1960 at
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
is a Japanese multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the predecessor of Mitsubishi Mo ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
and
launched on 4 October 1960. The vessel was
commissioned on 15 March 1961.
On August 1, 1962, the 1st Submarine Corps was newly formed and incorporated under the
Kure District Force
is a port and major shipbuilding city situated on the Seto Inland Sea in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. With a strong industrial and naval heritage, Kure hosts the second-oldest naval dockyard in Japan and remains an important base for the Japan ...
.
On February 1, 1965, the 1st Submarine Group was newly formed under the Self-Defense Fleet and was incorporated as a ship under direct control.
On 27 March 1985, due to the commissioning of
JS Chiyoda, the type was changed to a special service ship, the ship registration number was changed to ASU-7011, and it was transferred to the Kure District Force as a ship under direct control.
She was
decommissioned on 28 February 1989.
Gallery
File:ＡＳＲー４０１ ちはや (潜水艦救難艦・初代).JPG, JDS ''Chihaya'' 15th Anniversary Gold Cup.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chihaya (ASR-401)
1960 ships
Ships built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Auxiliary ships of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Submarine rescue ships