Chengan

Ballistics

Armor Model

Overview

Exploiting a loophole in the London Naval Treaty, which did not limit the number of ships with a displacement of up to 600 tons, Japan in the 1930s began building small ships for escort and patrol duties. These ships were classified as kaibokans: originally in Japan, this term referred to obsolete ships converted for coastal defense needs. The project was developed by Mitsubishi. In 1938–41, the first series of four ships was built, followed by another 174 kaibokans. After World War II, some of these ships ended up in the fleets of the Allied powers. Kaibokan No. 40 was built in 1944 at the Fujinagata shipyard. In 1945–47, after Japan's surrender, the ship was used as a minesweeper. In August 1947, the former kaibokan was transferred to China, where it was named Chengan, and in 1949 it passed to the Taiwanese fleet.