View source for W-7-class minesweeper

{{Short description|Japanese minesweeper class}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= Japanese minesweeper No7 in 1942.jpg
|image_size=300px
|Ship caption= ''No.7'' on 23 September 1942
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''No.7''-class minesweeper
|Builders=*[[Maizuru Naval Arsenal]]
*[[Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding|Tama Shipyard]]
*[[IHI Corporation|Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard]]
*[[Uraga Dock Company]]
|Operators={{navy|Empire of Japan}}
|Class before={{sclass|No.13|minesweeper|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|No.19|minesweeper|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost= 2,230,823 JPY (in 1937)
|Built range=1937 – 1939
|In service range=
|In commission range=1938 – 1946
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=6
|Total ships completed=6
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=5
|Total ships retired=1
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Minesweeper]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement= {{convert|630|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} standard
|Ship length= {{convert|72.50|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
|Ship beam= {{convert|7.85|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship height= 
|Ship draught= {{convert|2.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft= 
|Ship propulsion=*2 × triple expansion stages reciprocating engines
*2 × [[Kampon]] mix-fired boilers
*2 shafts, 3,850 shp
|Ship power= 
|Ship speed= {{convert|20|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|2000|nmi|km|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|14|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}
|Ship boats=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement= 98
|Ship capacity=
|Ship crew=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*3 × [[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 × [[Type 96 25 mm AT/AA Gun|25 mm AA gun]]s
*36 × [[depth charge]]s
*1 × Type 94 depth charge projector
*6 × [[Paravane (weapon)|paravane]]s
|Ship armour=
}}
|}

The {{nihongo|'''''No.7''-class minesweepers'''|第七号型掃海艇,|''Dai Nana Gō''-gata Sōkaitei}} were a class of [[minesweeper]]s of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] (IJN), serving during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and [[World War II]]. Six vessels were built in 1937–1939 under the [[3rd Naval Armaments Supplement Programme (Japan, 1937)|Maru 3 Keikaku]].

==Background==
* Project number '''I4'''. Improved model of the {{sclass|No.13|minesweeper|4}}. They were built to update timeworn ''No.7'' class, ''No.9'' class and ''No.11'' class.<ref>''No.7'' (ex.-{{sclass|Umikaze|destroyer|5}}), ''No.8'' (ex.-{{ship|Japanese destroyer|Yamakaze|1911|2}}), ''No.9'' (ex.-[[Enoki-class destroyer|''Nara'']]), ''No.10'' (ex.-{{sclass|Enoki|destroyer|5}}), ''No.11'' (ex.-[[Kamikaze-class destroyer (1905)|''Nagatsuki'']]) and ''No. 12'' (ex.-[[Kamikaze-class destroyer (1905)|''Kikutsuki'']])</ref> Kampon deleted minelayer facility from them, because IJN hoped they act in [[Yangtze River]]. And they added to one {{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on|0}} naval gun for engage with [[National Revolutionary Army]]. Therefore, the ''No.7'' class had the silhouette which resembled the {{sclass|Chidori|torpedo boat|5}} and {{sclass|Ōtori|torpedo boat}}s.

==Ships in class==
{| class="wikitable" 
| width="3%" | '''Ship #'''
| width="4%" | '''Ship'''
| width="9%" | '''Builder'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Laid down'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Launched'''
| width="8%" bgcolor= | '''Completed'''
| width="20%" bgcolor= | '''Fate'''
|-
| 49
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 7 (1938)|''No. 7'']]<ref>{{nihongo|''Minesweeper No. 7''|第七号掃海艇|''Dai 7 Gō Sōkaitei''}}. The same shall apply hereinafter.</ref>
| Tama Shipyard
| 27 October 1937
| 16 June 1938
| 15 December 1938
| Sunk by {{HMS|Storm|P233|6}} off [[Port Blair]] on 15 April 1944. Decommissioned on 10 June 1944.
|-
| 50
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 8 (1938)|''No. 8'']]
| Uraga Dock Company
| 11 December 1937
| 28 May 1938
| 15 February 1939
| Scuttled by [[Royal Navy]] at [[Singapore]] on 10 July 1946. Decommissioned on 10 August 1946.
|-
| 51
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 9 (1938)|''No. 9'']]
| Maizuru Naval Arsenal
| 7 February 1938
| 10 September 1938
| 15 February 1939
| Struck a naval mine and sunk at [[Ambon, Maluku|Ambon]] on 1 February 1942. Decommissioned on 10 April 1942.
|-
| 52
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 10 (1938)|''No. 10'']]
| Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard
| 21 December 1937
| 22 September 1938
| 15 February 1939
| Sunk by [[Japanese invasion of Vigan|air raid off]] [[Caoayan, Ilocos Sur|Pandan, Caoayan (near Vigan)]] on 10 December 1941. Decommissioned on 15 March 1942.
|-
| 53
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 11 (1938)|''No. 11'']]
| Uraga Dock Company
| 30 May 1938
| 28 December 1938
| 15 July 1939
| Sunk by air raid off [[Makassar]] on 28 March 1945. Decommissioned on 10 May 1945.
|-
| 54
| [[Japanese minesweeper No. 12 (1939)|''No. 12'']]
| Tōkyō Ishikawajima Shipyard
| 28 May 1938
| 18 February 1939
| 15 August 1939
| Sunk by {{USS|Besugo|SS-321|6}} off [[Flores]] {{coord|08|13|S|119|14|E}} on 6 April 1945. Decommissioned on 25 May 1945.
|-
|}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Ships of the World special issue Vol.45, ''Escort Vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy'', {{cite web |url=http://www.ships-net.co.jp/ |title=Kaijinsha}}, (Japan), February 1996
* The Maru Special, Japanese Naval Vessels No.50, ''Japanese minesweepers and landing ships'', {{cite web |url=http://www.kojinsha.co.jp/ |title=Ushio Shobō}} (Japan), April 1981

{{WWII Japanese auxiliary ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:7-class minesweeper}}
[[Category:World War II mine warfare vessels of Japan]]
[[Category:Minesweepers of Japan]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessels of the Imperial Japanese Navy]]
[[Category:Gunboats of the Imperial Japanese Navy]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]